About this collection

The ocean allowed life to develop on earth billions of years ago, it is vital for all of us and it will guarantee the future of humanity. The ocean is vast, deep, harsh and there is much that is unexplored and not yet understood.

Scientists need to study the ocean to better understand its functioning, its properties, as well as how it shapes our environment and impacts us. For example, do you know what the role of the ocean is on weather and climate? There also remains so much to explore and investigate as diverse oceanic resources (fish stocks, bio-molecules, renewable energies but also minerals, oil and gas…). How can we make sure that our use of these resources is respectfully done and sustainable and how can we minimize our impacts (e.g. pollution, acidification, deoxygenation) on the ocean as our human population increases?

In this Collection of Frontiers for Young Minds, ocean scientists from diverse disciplines share recent discoveries and fundamental concepts. They offer insights into their knowledge, motivations and the innovative tools and methods (including for example robotization and artificial intelligence) used to uncover the mysteries of our ocean. The Collection highlights a large range of oceanic environments from the open ocean to the shores, the surface to the abysses including specific areas like coral reefs. It also targets the connections of the ocean with its interfaces (atmosphere, ice, coast), and seeks to cover marine disciplines that range from physics to chemistry, from biology and genomics to biodiversity and ecology, and from economy to conservation and policies. Finally, it encompasses a great variety of scales, ranging from the diel to geological time-scales, from loco-regional to global scales and also from the tiniest cells to the biggest living animals on our planet.

For the 6th Volume of the Collection, we particularly seek to explore the Earth's final frontier: the deep sea. Scientists exploring the mysteries of the twilight zone down to the pitch-black abyss share findings about these extreme physical and biogeochemical environments, as well as the fascinating ecosystems that have evolved in these depths. And, despite its remoteness, the deep sea is not immune to the impacts of climate change and human activities, such as pollution and seafloor exploration. As the global community seeks effective conservation measures, this volume addresses the challenges and policy options necessary to protect these vulnerable environments.

The United Nations have declared the 2021-2030 period as the “Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development”, stressing the urgent need to approach fundamental issues related to the ocean and the future of humanity on well sounded scientific grounds and knowledge. Within this context, The Ocean Collection aims to provide information to young readers that will help them to increase their understanding of the ocean and its central role in nature and our lives. This shall also help to empower to make informed decisions in these challenging times and to engage to protect, study and enjoy its richness.

See here our previous Volumes: Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4 and Volume 5!