Das Blaue Wunder by Frauke Bagusche

Erstaunliches passiert unter Wasser: Das Meer leuchtet nachts geheimnisvoll, kleinste Organismen (das Plankton) haben die größte Macht, und Fische sind keineswegs stumm, sondern kommunizieren lauthals miteinander. Die Meeresbiologin Frauke Bagusche erzählt faszinierende Geschichten von den kleinsten und größten Lebewesen unserer Welt und erklärt, woher der Duft kommt, der unsere Strandspaziergänge erfüllt, was für das Leuchten verantwortlich ist, das wir nachts im Wasser bewundern können, und warum das Meer nicht nur unsere Gefühle, sondern auch unser Schicksal und das des ganzen Planeten lenkt. Dazu zieht sie die neuesten wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnisse ebenso heran wie ihre eigenen unmittelbaren Erfahrungen und ergründet so unsere innige Beziehung zum Meer - aber auch, warum das Meer so dringend unsere Hilfe braucht und was wir tun können, um diesen einzigartigen Lebenraum zu erhalten.

Although two-thirds of the Earth is covered with ocean, we know relatively little about it. We know even more about the moon. I have heard about the book "Das Blaue Wunder" in a radio interview. In the interview I could already recognize the author's enthusiasm and fascination about life in the sea.

She writes about the importance of the plankton in the ocean ecosystem and its impact on the climate. The author also tells more about the corals and how they reproduce. Moreover, she deals with all the threats the oceans are exposed to. These are just some of the topics Frauke Bagusche writes about. I was enthralled by the book, although I had to read it in parts, as the book contains many information. It was helpful for me that I knew already many technical terms, as I have studied biology. Thus, the reader learns a lot about the sea and its creatures while reading this book.

The book is divided in six chapters:

Die heimliche Weltherrschaft des Planktons
Korallenriffe - die Kinderstuben der Ozeane
(Un)endliches Blau
Geheimnisvolle Tiefsee
Sex and the Sea
Das blaue Wunder in Gefahr

I especially liked the story of the giant squids. Only in 2002 a photograph with a living example got to the scientific community. It was also interesting to read more about numerous strategies of animals to avoid their predators. Although the author writes about phytoplankton or zooplankton, respectively, reading is still very enjoyable, as all technical terms are very well explained. Therefore, it is not necessary to have a biology background.

Apropos plankton. Frauke Bagusche can tell a lot about the fascinating world of plankton. In doing so, she cites studies and emphasizes how important these organisms are for our oxygen production, and thus, for our life.

It was also very thrilling to read more about the glowing of dinoflagellates (keyword: bioluminescence) or the mass spawning of corals. The author is a marine biologist and she knows the coral reefs on the world. Therefore, she has a very broad knowledge which she shares with her readers. Although I also have studied biology and visited the Great Barrier Reef once, I learned a lot new things about the ocean in this book.

Especially important for me in the book was that the author tried to break some widespread myths like, for example, the one about sharks. Consider that more sharks die because of humans than vice versa. It is estimated that about 100 millions of sharks are killed by humans. Frauke Bagusche proves this number by citing a study. She also emphasizes how important sharks are for our ecosystem and a healthy sea.

It was completely new for me to learn, that fishes can emit sounds like, for example, oyster toadfishes during the mating season. But one of the loudest fish is a croaker fish.

The author also writes about the octopus "Casper" (there is also a video about this octopus). This story was especially touching. But unfortunately there is also a flip side, as humans are everywhere in the search for new resources...

Absolutely informative. Many different stories. A fabulous book. I very enjoyed reading this book. As our oceans are threatened by pollution, over-fishing, and climate change, it is important for me to introduce this book on the blog. It is very worth reading! The author also has founded an association to promote the protection of our seas. Check the following website: The Blue Mind.