Book excerpt: ...includes fascinating essays and accounts from legendary explorers and early naturalists. This gorgeously illustrated volume will appeal to every seafaring and natural-science enthusiast. Without our oceans, which cover almost 72 percent of our planet, Earth simply could not exist, or humanity survive. Join author Melanie Stiassny from the American Museum of Natural History on an epic, oceanic journey. These fascinating essays, taken from the museum's Rare Book Collections, expand on the science behind the early histories that shaped the study of oceanography. They take close-up looks at coral, jellyfish, sea worms, whales, sharks, squid and more, and provide accounts from legendary explorers and early naturalists. This gorgeously illustrated volume will appeal to every seafaring and natural-science enthusiast.