Book excerpt: Without light there would be no life in the sea. Since the seas were the cradle for the evolution of all life forms, the theme of this book is central to our understanding of the interaction between living organisms and their environments. To express the breadth of research in this area, leading experts in topics as diverse as satellite imagery and molecular biology have contributed to this collection of essays on light and life in the sea, first published in 1990. Intended for all with an interest in the marine environment, this book aims to present the reader with a sampler of the exciting research that is underway and to provide an introduction to its broad compass.