WITH A NEW AFTERWORD • A captivating exploration of how underwater animals tap into sound to survive, and a clarion call for humans to address the ways we invade these critical soundscapes—from an award-winning science writer
LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION
For centuries, humans regarded the ocean as a “silent world.” We couldn’t have been more wrong.
In Sing Like Fish, science journalist Amorina Kingdon synthesizes historical discoveries with the latest scientific research in a compelling portrait of this sonic undersea realm. She reveals the vital role that sounds play in feeding, mating, parenting, navigating, and warning—from the swim-bladder drumming of the plainfin midshipman fish, so loud that it keeps houseboat-dwellers awake, to whalesong with its intricate syntax; from the deafening crackle of snapping shrimp to the seismic rumbling of underwater earthquakes. Meanwhile, our seas echo with human-made noise that masks mating calls, chases animals from their food, and even inflicts wounds.
“Brilliant, poetic, and poignant” (Virginia Morell), Sing Like Fish envisions a quieter future and offers a profound new understanding of the world below the surface.
