Planktonia

A great book to keep on hand – read it cover to cover or dip in now and then when you need a dose of nature’s dazzle. * Hakai Magazine Newsletter *Best books on marine and coastal wildlife round-up… Featuring stunning detailed images throughout, Hoyt’s latest book examines the nightlife of these tiny ocean plankton and the stories of the wildlife photographers that join them in darkness to capture their vertical migrations. – Freya Parr * Discover Wildlife *Noted conservationist and marine scientist, Hoyt elegantly explains the importance of this awesome phenomenon not just for our oceans but how it helps regulate the whole planet. The stunning photography captures these mysterious creatures and their midnight feast in detail, from the ornate ghost pipefish to the bony-eared assfish. * Geographical Magazine *Hoyt brings readers into the nighttime ocean to reveal the midnight feast for countless microscopic plankton that range from the tiny and delicate to the human-sized and terrifying. – Cassandra Drudi * Quill and Quire *Dazzlingly unusual, these images of marine creatures, comprising plankton and other organisms, illuminate a journey that happens every day under the cover of darkness. – Gege Li * New Scientist Magazine *Conservationist Hoyt’s book tracks plankton’s nightly migrations (which attract predators like squids and lion’s mane jellyfish) with stunning backlit photographs by notable black-water photographers… Beyond the stunningly beautiful photographs, all made with regard for the ecosystem, is Hoyt’s text that touches on plankton’s key role in carbon sequestration against climate change… Consider for all libraries. – Maggie Knapp * Library Journal *I would highly recommend the book… The stunning underwater photography in the book reveals a host of fascinating rarely seen sea creatures, mostly larval planktonic marvels – many trillions of tiny vertical migrators in endless combinations of shapes and colours that come to feast every night under the cover of darkness. – Peter Franklin * Onboard Online *Selection, Winner 2023 Children and Young Adult Nonfiction… Science, history and photography are ably combined in this visually stunning book to provide a rich educational experience. * American Society of Jounalists and Authors *Erich Hoyt’s outstanding new book, Planktonia, goes a long way to reveal this otherwise secret world to us… Hidden from human sight, the Earth’s greatest migration actually takes place not once, but twice every night in our oceans. – Henricus Peters * Wildlife Australia Magazine *The book’s eight chapters are short, the text giving way to hundreds of large and often full-page images of weird and wonderful planktonic creatures, illuminated against the blackness of the ocean. This remarkable collection of images includes scary parasites such as the big-eyed amphipod, magical-looking larvae such as that of the peanut worm, and alien-like translucent forms such as deep sea salps, sea angels, jellyfish and squid… Later in the book, Hoyt’s writing turns to the importance of protecting these amazing creatures and their nightly ritual… We need a greater appreciation and understanding of these ecosystems if they are to survive – just a little “planktonic love”, as Hoyt puts it. Planktonia should certainly inspire that. – Tom Ireland * Biologist *Hoyt delivers a breathtaking collection of state-of-the-art blackwater photography, with work taken by photographers from around the world. If you love the sea, you’ll be dazzled by this work, including images from the Arctic Circle, Japan, Florida, Hawaii, Taiwan, and British Columbia. You’ll see translucent jellyfish, squid, octopus, eel, larva, sea angels, worms, anemones, and fish during the nightly vertical migration in the sea. * Nature Book Guide Blog *Whilst our planet is covered 75 percent in salt water to the extent it should be called ‘Blue Planet’ or ‘Planet Ocean’, we still know very little about the ocean waters and their treasures: the amazing organisms that call these waters home… Erich Hoyt’s outstanding new book Planktonia goes a long way to reveal this otherwise secret world. * UK National Association for Environmental Education *

Erich Hoyt has spent much of his life on or beside the sea, working with whales and dolphins and marine conservation in the world’s oceans. A noted conservationist and scientist, he has written 24 books, including the acclaimed Orca: The Whale Called Killer; Creatures of the Deep; Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises; Strange Sea Creatures; and the children’s book Weird Sea Creatures. He lives in Bridport, Dorset.