Bibliography

Frequently people ask "What is a good book on deep-sea biology." There is no single answer, but hopefully this annotated bibliography will help. If you are looking for references that I used to compile the family/species summaries, please email me with a specific request.

The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss. 2007. Claire Nouvian. University of Chicago Press.

Never before has such an amazing collection of deep-sea images been presented to show animals of the deep-sea. Most of the images have been collected by deep-sea scientists from submersibles and remotely operated vehicles. Several of these same scientists include short essays on various aspects of deep-sea biology. This book is truly a must have if you are interested in the deep.

Marine Biology: An Ecological Approach. 1993. Nybakken, J. W. HarperCollins College Publishers, New York.

This book contains a very good chapter on various aspects of deep-sea biology. It also has some good photos of deep-sea fishes and other organisms. I highly recommend this book for high school students who are looking for an introduction to the subject.

The Deep Sea. 1999. Robison, B. and Conner J. Monterey Bay Aquarium Press

A short book which briefly highlights the history of deep-sea biology, the habitats and their fascinating creatures. The book targets a non scientific audience. Their are quite a few excellent photos of deep-sea creatures in their environment. Combined with a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's deep-sea exhibit this is a great introduction to deep-sea biology.

Deep-Sea Biology: a Natural History of Organisms at the Deep-Sea Floor. 1991. Gage, J. D., and P. A. Tyler. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

This is a general deep-sea biology text book. It covers various themes in depth and is targeted for undergraduate and graduate students who have a firm grasp of biology and ecology. This is a great book but its downside is that it only covers benthic animals (as stated in the title). The creatures of the mid waters are only mentioned in passing.

The Biology of the Deep Ocean. 2002. Herring, P. Oxford University Press, Oxford

The newest textbook for the deep sea. Dr. Herring's specialty is bioluminescence and vision in midwater organisms and these subjects are covered very well. Many other subjects are covered well but generally have a slant towards the pelagic realm. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful book. In combination with Gage and Tyler's book above you will have an incredibly complete text on deep-sea biology.

Deep-sea Demersal Fish and Fisheries. 1997. Merrett, N., and R. L. Haedrich. Chapman and Hall, London.

This is a great book on all aspects of deep-sea fishes. It is very strong in the realms in natural history and ecology and a bit weak on physiology and biochemistry. This book has a good overview of the worlds developing deep-sea fisheries and the potential for their management.

Deep-sea Fishes. 1997. D. J. Randall and A. P. Farrell (eds.). Academic Press, San Diego.

This is volume 16 of the Fish Physiology series and is a collection of chapters written by experts in their fields. There is considerable information here but it is targeted at academia. If you are looking for specific information on sensory biology, buoyancy adaptations, feeding guilds etc then this is a place to look.