From a boat in extremely deep waters (two miles deep), the vast sea appears empty. But as naturalist and artist Sophie Webb shows us, it is full of fascinating - yet difficult to study - life. In a little corner of the ship's lab, with her water jar duct-taped to the counter, Sophie Webb sits and paints and journals, even when the ship bounces and rocks from winds and waves. She chronicles all the strange life that she studise and marvels at in these waters - the tropical Bryde's (broodas) whale, the leaping manta rays, a frigatebird with a sea snake.

Together with her shipmates, Sophie counts and collects samples of life in the deep ocean, from seabirds to dolphins, from winged fish to whales. Only their long-term monitoring field work can ultimately help scientists determine the health of these remarkable creatures who need the clean deep ocean to survive.

About the Author:
Sophie Webb is often at sea. Research ships have taken her to many shores, including those of Hawaii, Mexico, Central and South America, Alaska, and the Antarctic. Her ornithological illustrations appear in A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America, of which she is co-author. She lives in Bolinas, California.

Reading level: Ages 9-12