Reef Life: An Underwater Memoir, Hardcover

A hugely affecting memoir by the world's leading coral reef scientist, revealing the thrill of diving and the vital science and story of these majestic reefs.

How did one of the world's preeminent marine conservation scientists fall in love with coral reefs? We first meet Callum as a young student who had never been abroad, spending a summer helping to map the unknown reefs of Saudi Arabia. From that moment, when Callum first cleared his goggles, he never looked back. He went on to survey Sharm al-Sheikh, and from there he would dive into the deep in the name of research all over the world, from Australia's imperiled Great Barrier Reef to the hardier reefs of the Caribbean.

Reef Life is filled with astonishing stories of adventure and the natural world, which are by turns lyrical and laced with a wonderful wry humor. Callum illuminates the science of our oceans and reefs and his book, combined with the stunning photographs from Alex Mustard, will also commit readers to support Callum's goal to preserve 10 percent of the world's oceans.

Callum Roberts is one of the world's leading ocean scientists. He is Professor of Marine Conservation at York University and was the Chief Scientific Advisor on Sir David Attenborough's landmark BBC series Blue Planet 2. He writes regularly on marine issues for the Guardian and is the author of The Unnatural History of the Sea, which won the Rachel Carson Award, and The Ocean of Life, winner of the Mountbatten Award. He lives in York, England.