| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 93.2

You have not been recognized as a subscriber to JAH online. About 265 words from this article are provided below; about 381 words remain.

If you are a individual member of the Organization of American Historians, you may:: • login here if you have already registered for online access.; • Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time.
If you are not a member of the Organization of American Historians, you can:: • Join the OAH and receive many member benefits including print and electronic issues of the Journal of American History.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two-hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of the Journal of American History (86.1-present). Note: the Research Pass does not provide access to JSTOR's holdings of the Journal of American History.
Instititutions can:: • Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.

| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 93.2 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

Fathoming the Ocean: The Discovery and Exploration of the Deep Sea. By Helen M. Rozwadowski. (Cambridge: Belknap, 2005. xiv, 276 pp. $25.95, ISBN 0-674-01691-2.)
In a marvelously comprehensive and meticulously researched study, Helen M. Rozwadowski examined the cultural, scientific, and societal developments from 1840 to 1880 that led to a more profound understanding of the oceans and their depths. While much of the work focuses on the development of the marine sciences and the many individuals who developed the technologies and methodologies that unlocked the knowledge of the sea floor and its geology, flora, and fauna, this study also details the growing awareness of the sea by the general public in Britain and America. The oceans were no longer only a geographical barrier to be crossed, they were also a region where a nation's wealth could be augmented through trade and fishing, a place of pleasure and holiday relaxation, and a new world to be examined by naturalists and scientists. The primary focus of the work is not the growth of the science of seashore marine life but the sciences of the deeper oceans and their depths.	1
Attempts to lay underwater telegraph cables encouraged the development of sea floor surveys and a mapping of bottom contours. While the initial impulse of these surveys was to assess the depth of the ocean bottom and the absence or presence of underwater ridges, the sounding equipment often brought back evidence of marine life at depths so great that they challenged the English naturalist Edward Forbes's theory of an azoic zone below 300 fathoms.	. . .

There are about 381 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.