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Sundial

The Underworld

A Book Review By: Sundial


While SCUBA gear has done wonderful things for the study of the ocean, science, and even for the spread of environmental awareness there are limitations to recreational scuba diving, and even to the more advanced tech diving. We are limited by the fragility of the human body to the Epipelagic zone or the sunlight zone which comprises only 2% of the entire oceans volume. The ocean is just massive, and SCUBA only opened up less than 2% to the world. So what else could be down there? Where we cannot even imagine going, where animals live under 15,700 PSI (for reference a scuba tank is around 3000 PSI), swim through water 5% denser than humans do, and live in temperatures ranging from 1-4 degrees celsius.

It wasn’t until very recently when we got a peek into that world through submarines. As recently as 2018, there were no full ocean depth passenger subs in existence. While John Walsh went to the deepest point in the ocean, Challenger Deep, in the Trieste in 1960 this had never been replicated. More people had been to space than to the deep ocean and humanity knew more about the stars than we did our own planet. Recently, as people begin to see the beauty in our deep oceans and we start to develop the technology needed to create these submarines we can take people from citizens to scientists into the deep ocean to learn about this part of the world where we know almost nothing about. 

I picked up this book on the deep ocean for two reasons, first it was about the ocean, and I am interested in any part of the ocean whether it be the Epipelagic zone or the Hadal Zone. The second reason I picked this book up is because I had previously read a book by the author Susan Casey and really liked it (it was also about the ocean). This book is a nonfiction book ordered chronologically following her journey learning about the ocean so that the reader learns as she does starting off with a look back into history on the misconceptions held about the deep and even not so deep ocean. Then, the book proceeds to follow a basic history of submarines and early dives until we finally reach the present and the focus of the book, when she finally meets Sub designer and operator Lahey, Sub owner Viscovo, and the sub herself, the Limiting Factor. 

  One thing I loved about this book, other than the topic, was the writing style. I felt I was in her shoes and looking out her eyes, meeting these people for the first time and learning about subs as they spoke. I felt I was in the cold Limiting Factor as they descended into the depths of Kama’ehuakanaloa and seeing the marvelous deep sea creatures. Additionally, throughout the book the author highlights the problems facing the deep today. First off, there is very little research being done. Subs are extremely expensive and with most of the billionaires racing for the moon, there is not much focus or funding on the ocean depths.When at the end of the book the full ocean depth sub, the Limiting factor was sold, the United States Navy ignored it despite its huge potential. Deep ocean researchers wait lifetimes for a chance to see the place they study and as human operated and holding subs become less popular with the development of ROVs (Remotely operated vehicles) make more sense for expansive study of the ocean. 

Not only are there barriers in the production of submersibles but there are even more challenges being faced by the entire world as companies work to find ways to mine the deep ocean. There are substantial resources in the ocean that can be exploited by these companies despite the immense biodiversity located in these areas and the extreme lack of research to understand just how important they are to the earth and how much humans could actually learn from them. Just between two hydrothermal vents they each hold different worlds such as earth and mars with entirely different species of microbes around them. All of the evolution located here could benefit humans though the development of new medicines that could help cure many different diseases. Yet, deep sea mining companies and even the organisations designed to protect the ocean are still too eager to give up this space vital to the health of the planet and even here humans, has caused devastation.

Despite this there is still hope for the world and the planet and this is definitely shown throughout the book. The author highlights the importance of recognizing this though the hope each of the people she encounters states. While there is a recognition that we are a long way from where we should be in helping the ocean there are still things that can be done. By bringing more people into the ocean and onto submarines to show them what they are really hurting, by learning about the environment, by bringing about increased legislation and by keeping this last place of sequestered carbon on the seafloor safe from mining companies that want to release it into the atmosphere just for the chance at a few precious metals that might not even be need as batteries specifically for eclectic cars move towards chemical compounds instead of being created using these precious metals. 

This book truly brought to light an area of the ocean that I am not as familiar with and after reading it, I am desperate to learn more about. The serenity of the deep ocean and all the organisms who live from the twilight zone to the Hadal zone being able to use bio-luminescence, live without sunlight, and survive under such intense pressure is insane and I believe can greatly expand humans' understanding of what life is. I would rate this book 5/5 stars and would highly recommend it. It will allow you to become an explorer, without even leaving the comforts of your own sofa and kick-start your need for more. 



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