Season 2 Episode 2: Into the Great Wide Ocean with Sönke Johnsen

​Join me for a special one-year anniversary celebration of Book Science as I sit down with biologist and author Sönke Johnsen to discuss his beautiful new book, Into the Great Wide Ocean: Life in the Least Known Habitat on Earth.
In this episode, Sönke takes us on a journey into the pelagic zone—the open ocean that makes up the vast majority of living space on our planet. We explore why this "unbearably beautiful" world looks like it is lit by blue LEDs, the evolutionary marvels of transparency and bioluminescence, and the immense challenges of studying creatures that are effectively invisible.

Sönke shares his philosophy on science communication, explaining why he chose to weave his personal memoir—from his childhood in Pittsburgh to his time on research submersibles—into a text about marine biology. We discuss the "physical pain" of the writing process, why humanizing scientists is essential for public trust, his awesome illustrator Marlin Peterson, and the deep connection between artistic observation and biological discovery.

Plus: We dive into the "observer effect" of deep-sea research (and why trawling nets is like driving a bulldozer through a café), the spiritual awe of biodiversity, and why Sönke believes that conservation must be driven by love rather than shame.

​Summary

• 00:00 – Introduction and One Year Anniversary of Book Science.
• 01:45 – The Pelagic Environment: Why the open ocean is "unbearably beautiful."
• 04:40 – Writing for the Public: Moving away from the "omniscient scientist" trope.
• 07:50 – The physicality of books vs. digital media.
• 09:30 – Balancing memoir with hard science.
• 15:30 – The Writing Process: "Thought made manifest."
• 18:50 – Art in Science: Using illustrations to understand form.
• 22:20 – The interconnectedness of life and the "miracle" of existence.
• 26:50 – Bioluminescence: How animals use light for defense, predation, and communication.
• 34:00 – The Unknown: Why admitting ignorance is vital for scientists.
• 38:15 – Conservation: "We save what we love."
• 44:30 – Advice for science writers.

Full Transcript Here 

More ​Sönke Johnsen

Duke University Faculty Page

Books Mentioned

Science Book

Fiction

More Books:

• ​Micrographia by Robert Hooke
• The Open Sea by Alister Hardy