Plancton: Aux Origines du Vivant [Plankton: Wonders of the Drifting World]

About this book

Language: French

Ask anyone to picture a bird or a fish and a series of clear images will immediately come to mind. Ask the same person to picture plankton and most would have a hard time conjuring anything beyond a vague squiggle or a greyish fleck. Plancton: Aux Origines du Vivant will change that forever.

Viewing these creatures up close for the first time can be a thrilling experience – an elaborate but hidden world truly opens up before your eyes. Through hundreds of close-up photographs, Plankton transports readers into the currents, where jeweled chains hang next to phosphorescent chandeliers, spidery claws jut out from sinuous bodies, and gelatinous barrels protect microscopic hearts. The creatures' vibrant colors pop against the black pages, allowing readers to examine every eye and follow every tentacle. Jellyfish, tadpoles, and bacteria all find a place in Plancton: Aux Origines du Vivant, representing the broad scope of organisms dependent on drifting currents.

Christian Sardet's enlightening text explains the biological underpinnings of each species while connecting them to the larger living world. He begins with plankton's origins and history, then dives into each group, covering ctenophores and cnidarians, crustaceans and mollusks, and worms and tadpoles. He also demonstrates the indisputable impact of plankton in our lives. Plankton drift through our world mostly unseen, yet they are diverse organisms that form ninety-five percent of ocean life. Biologically, they are the foundation of the aquatic food web and consume as much carbon dioxide as land-based plants. Culturally, they have driven new industries and captured artists' imaginations.

While scientists and entrepreneurs are just starting to tap the potential of this undersea forest, for most people these pages will represent uncharted waters. Plankton is a spectacular journey that will leave readers seeing the ocean in ways they never imagined.

Summary in French:
Dans ce très beau livre, ode aux origines et à la diversité du vivant, Christian Sardet révèle en 550 photos aussi belles qu'étranges, un monde secret. Un monde d'organismes dérivant avec les courants depuis les minuscules virus et bactéries jusqu'aux méduses et siphonophores, les plus longs animaux du monde. L'auteur, à travers ses voyages et expéditions, partage ses passions et ses connaissances en images accompagnées de textes précis et incisifs permettant de comprendre les évolutions de la vie et de la biodiversité depuis plus de 3 milliards dannées. Un dispositif exceptionnel a été mis en place pour aller plus loin dans la découverte du comportement et des interactions entre les organismes du plancton à travers des films et un site interactif. Des QR codes insérés dans les chapitres du livre permettent d'accéder instantanément avec votre smartphone ou tablette aux 20 vidéos des « Chroniques du Plancton » pour une immersion totale.

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