If all life on land became extinct, she explains, creatures in the ocean would flourish. But if the opposite occurred and the oceanic system died, then the land-dwelling creatures would also die. Life would have to start afresh. So why are humans destroying our only hope for survival? Is it because we reason that there are plenty more fish in sea? Mitchell intelligently pulls together the strands of current scientific knowledge and claims that the ocean is sick and the malady is a weightier and a more crucial predicament than atmospheric change.

Many scientists agree with Mitchell’s theory of mass degeneration beneath the waves and its consequences to life on this planet. Seasick reveals the global ocean’s vital signs are fading and that “the cold Southern ocean is becoming saturated with carbon dioxide, meaning it won’t be able to absorb much more.” What is the final result of this change? When will it occur? And how will homo sapiens fare? These are a few of the questions asked in this extraordinarily thorough book. If the oceans die, so does all life on land. Is that worth reading about? If you think so, Seasick: The hidden ecological crisis of the global ocean is a timely wake-up call to us all. Pier 9 RRP $29.95.