Chasing Science at Sea: Racing Hurricanes, Stalking Sharks, and Living Undersea with Ocean Experts - Hardcover

"As an unorthodox handbook for would-be ocean scientists, this title is invaluable." - Booklist "Prager... uses breezy, accessible prose to evoke the beauty and magic of the underwater world." - Wall Street Journal "With tongue only slightly in cheek, Prager offers advice for any field scientist: always bring spare pencils and be prepared for things to go wrong, from pirates to valuable equipment getting lost or damaged.... Focused on adventure rather than in-depth science, this entertaining book will appeal most to casual and younger readers." - Publishers Weekly "Prager's book brings alive the moments of wonder, surprise, enlightenment, frustration, humor, camaraderie and danger involved in fieldwork on and beneath the waves.... Her book assembles anecdotes from colleagues such as marine biologists, geologists and engineers. Their tales range from divers chasing parrotfish poo with plastic bags to oceanographers seeing an actual step in the surface of the sea at the edge of the Gulf Stream. In bringing these briny tales together, Prager explores some of their common themes to convey why many of us study the ocean - and why it matters." - Jon Copley, Times Higher Education"

"Chasing Science at Sea" immerses readers in the world of those who regularly go to sea - aquanauts living underwater, marine biologists seeking unseen life in the deep ocean, and tall-ship captains at the helm, among others - and tells the fascinating tale of what life, and science, is like at the mercy of Mother Nature. With passion and wit, well-known marine scientist Ellen Prager shares her stories as well as those of her colleagues, revealing that in the field ingenuity and a good sense of humor are as essential as water, sunblock, and GPS. Filled with firsthand accounts of the challenges and triumphs of dealing with the extreme forces of nature and the unpredictable world of the ocean, "Chasing Science at Sea" is a unique glimpse below the waterline at what it is like - and why it is important - to study, explore, and spend time in one of our planet's most fascinating and foreign environments.