Our work is focused on solving some of the greatest threats facing our ocean today. We bring people, science and policy together to champion innovative solutions and fight for a sustainable ocean. The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales. In this book about the deep sea’s elaborate ecosystems, marine biologist Helen Scales highlights the wild fact that the deep sea is a realm we know less about than the moon! When we think about the sea, most of our attention is paid to areas like the ocean’s surface and coastlines. But thriving in the deepest corners of our ocean is a treasure-trove of interconnected ecosystems teeming with life forms we may never have expected … Yet, these seemingly far-removed systems have a massive impact on our daily lives, especially when it comes to climate and weather. In this book, Scales illuminates the wonder that resides within the deep, while also shining a spotlight on the reality that how we care for it (or fail to do so) could have drastic impacts on our planet’s future, for better or for worse.

I love incorporating books into our learning, and there are some amazing toddler booksfocusing on 'Under the Water' and 'The Ocean' themes. Some of my favorites are below. I've focused mainly on fiction books, but I really encourage you to look through some nonfiction books with your toddlers. You'll be amazed how interested they are and if you look at the pictures and ask open-ended questions they will learn so much! Make some clay animals to go with the book Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes Wish for a Fish: All about Sea Creatures Cat in the Hats Learning Library While I love any book about the sea, there’s a category of “ocean books” that I’ve found myself more fascinated with each day. This category: books about ocean discoveries, the deep sea and little-known facts about the sea. I’ve found myself drawn to books that challenge the way I think our blue planet, and stories that indicate just how much more there is yet to uncover and understand about the natural world. We seem to have focused on the life in the oceans so far but this book Oceans Of The World In Color: Marine Life and Oceanography for Childrengoes into more details about the oceans themselves, where they can be found, what they are like, their names as well as a little on the creatures that live there. Oceans: Dolphins, Sharks, Penguins and more!

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Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver by Jill Heinerth.Jill Heinerth was the first person in history to dive to the bottom of an iceberg in Antarctica and led a team that discovered the underwater remains of Mayan civilizations. This book tells her firsthand story of what it’s like to explore our planet’s final frontier: the deep sea. Illuminating both the “terror and beauty” of our planet’s remaining unknowns, Heinerth’s memoir shares a plethora of diving experiences and spotlights key issues surrounding this occupation. A few of these issues include the barriers that prevent women from pursuing careers beneath the waves, harrowing experiences that inevitably come with the territory of being a diver and the critical discoveries made possible by the risks these divers take.

A favourite theme for our toddlers and preschoolers is under the sea and oceans. Living near the coast it’s always been a favourite and as a marine biologist, it was something that I was passionate about introducing the kids to early. Below the Edge of Darkness by Edith Widder, Ph.D. If you’re fascinated by the ability of certain organisms to thrive in the darkest areas of the deepest parts of our ocean, look no further than this captivating documentation of bioluminescence. Below the Edge of Darkness was written by Edith Widder, a marine biologist who became fascinated by the power of light after experiencing temporary blindness due to surgery complications. This book takes readers on a journey 800 feet below the surface to explore some of the biggest modern questions about the deep sea, as well as the risks of modern exploration and their implications for the future health of our ocean. A Turtle’s View of the Ocean Blue by Catherine Barr. If you’re looking for a book that can help introduce children to the challenges facing our ocean today in a gentle but captivating and action-inspiring way, this book is a winner. In A Turtle’s View of the Ocean Blue, a sea turtle guide takes young readers on a tour of Earth’s five oceans, showcasing the fascinating wildlife that live there, the important roles they play and the problems they need our help with most today. The book concludes with the turtle guide sharing what kids can do to help support and protect these precious animals and their home, no matter where in the world they are.With beautiful illustrations and interesting facts Simon & Schuster Children’s Guide to Sea Creatureswill be able to answer most of those questions from your inquisitive preschooler that you have no clue of the answer to. I would recommend any of this series of illustrated encyclopedias for your family bookshelves. DK Eyewitness Books: Ocean

Books that are sensory are a hit with young toddlers and also older ones too, and Discovery Kids Splash in the Ocean!with 10 different sounds will sure to be a hit with them. Read along, press the buttons and learn about the Under Sea World. National Geographic Kids Look and Learn Create a Storytelling Wheel to help your child retell the story of the snail and the whale Mister SeaHorse Let us know at the bottom which are your favourite sea creature books and we’ll update the list to include them. If you want to combine these books with some fun under the sea crafts & activities then you'll love THESE toddler activities. I'm sure you've heard of this one before and if you've already read the original there are also some spin-off books too.Do watch out for our Sea Turtle book list coming soon as they were my specialist as a marine biologist but in the mean time Sea Turtles: Amazing Pictures and Animal Facts Everyone Should Know by Ann Lawrence is a good non-fiction book for you and your child to read featuring all 7 species of turtles. Ocean: A Visual Encyclopedia With the help of donors like you, Ocean Conservancy is developing innovative solutions to save our ocean. The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson. I’ve read many a review on this book that reported that if you enjoyed The Soul of an Octopus , there’s no doubt this will fascinate you as well. In a focused examination of the world’s most elusive fish, The Book of Eels details just how very little is known about the European eel … so much so that for hundreds of years, scientists and philosophers have curated a fascination with “the eel question:” What are they; fish, or some other creature? Where do they come from? Even today, we don’t know what drives these animals to swim extreme distances to the ocean after thriving for decades in freshwater systems. And by the way: no one has ever seen eels mate or give birth. Major facets of their life stories remain a mystery. In this book, Svensson documents the history of the mysterious web that so many great philosophers, psychologists, conservationists, biologists and more have yearned to unravel for centuries, and points out the parallels of this “eel question” to the complexities of the human condition. Soft, activity books like this Ocean Story Cloth Bookhave a fantastic dual purpose you can read together but at the same time play. They are perfect to slip into your baby bag to take on trips or place in the car for your young toddler to “read” whilst you drive. In My Ocean The World of Coral Reefs by Erin Spencer. Did you know that coral reefs occupy less than 1% of the ocean floor, but provide food and shelter for 25% of all marine species? In this vibrantly illustrated book specifically curated for kids ages 7 to 10, Erin Spencer—a marine ecologist, ocean explorer and Ocean Conservancy alumna—transports young ocean lovers on the journey of lifetime beneath the waves to learn all about the lives or corals, the systems that make up coral reefs, the vast diversity of ocean life that thrives among them … and what they can do to help protect them.