Hidden beneath the waves, far from our familiar gardens and forests, the oceans of the world remain a realm of mystery. This unseen frontier is the cradle of life on our planet, home to creatures that originated over 600 million years ago and filled with a stunning array of spineless creatures: the invertebrates.

As some of the oldest and most diverse organisms on earth, ocean invertebrates bend and break our rules of land-based biology. The Ancient Menagerie takes readers from the coral castles and underwater battles on reefs in St. Croix and Indonesia to the sparkling jellyfish light-shows off the coast of Hawaii to encounter underwater life in action. As our planet changes fast, the biomedical, engineering, and energy innovations of these wondrous creatures hold ever more important secrets to our survival.

This is at once a tale of biological marvels, the story of the author’s passion for a career in science, and a call to arms to protect the world’s most ancient ecosystems.