Dive In!

Dive In! — page 3
Introduction Even though I grew up in the flat dry prairie in the middle of Canada far from the ocean I dreamed of scuba diving and becoming a marine biologist I didn’t see the ocean until I was twelve when my family visited my grandparents in Maine I remember the salty smell and the endless view across the waves I spent hours at the shore checking out the crabs and clams the squishy sea cucumbers and the beached sea jellies with their stinging tentacles I went back to the prairie but the ocean wouldn’t let me go When I grew up and moved to the west coast to study biology I learned why Life on Earth started in the ocean The salt content of our blood and tears is similar to seawater In a way we are all ocean It was like my ocean magnet was pulling me back to where I started Humans haven’t been kind to the ocean We’ve used the ocean as a bottomless lunch bowl and as a garbage dump Walk along the seashore hop in a boat or dive underwater and you’ll see that the ocean is complaining In Dive In you’ll travel the Seven Seas and find out why the ocean matters whether you live on its shores or far inland Learn why the ocean is an amazing place and what you can do to keep it that way Are you ready to dive in I celebrate my birthday near the ocean whenever I can A NN ERIK SSON 6