Sea of Dreamers: Travels with Famous Ocean Explorers

Although three-quarters of our planet lies underwater, the average person knows more about the moon than about the world beneath the sea, according to diver Trupp (Tracking Treasure). During his 20-odd years of involvement in what he calls ""the ocean world,"" Trupp has collected a wealth of information on ocean researchers. Here, Trupp introduces readers to Maurice Ewing, who gave us ""line by line...the shape of the world's seas and oceans""; Harold Edgerton of MIT, ""who lit the sea"" with his invention of stroboscopic photography; Cindy Van Dover, who discovered deep-sea light sources; and Eugenie Clark, whose daring research and bestselling books taught us that sharks have the intelligence needed for learning. Trupp's prose can be idiosyncratic and confusing, but readers who stick with it will see that he has a serious, worthy point to make: that undersea exploration will obtain the necessary funding for future studies only when marine scientists demystify their research and share their knowledge and concerns with the general public. B&w illustrations. (Dec.)