Spineless (Hardcover)

In Spineless, acclaimed photographer Susan Middleton explores the mysterious and surprising world of marine invertebrates, which represent more than 98 percent of the known animal species in the ocean.

Foreword by Sylvia A. Earle

This collection of more than 250 remarkable images is the result of seven years of painstaking fieldwork across the Pacific Ocean, using photographic techniques that Middleton developed to capture these extremely fragile creatures on camera, creatures who are astonishingly diverse in their shapes, patterns, textures, and colors—in nature’s fashion show, they are the haute couture of marine life. Middleton also provides short essays that examine the place these invertebrates occupy on the tree of life, their vast array of forms, and their lives in the ocean.

Scientist Bernadette Holthuis contributes profiles describing each species, many of them for the first time. Middleton’s book is a stunning view of nature that harmoniously combines art and science.

“A gorgeous, light-drenched book that treats the senses. In one exquisitely crafted portrait after another, accompanied by stirring prose, Middleton reminds us that we share the planet with equally fascinating neighbors, some of whom just happen to live beneath the waves.” —Diane Ackerman, author of The Human Age

Praise

A gorgeous, light-drenched book that treats the senses. In one exquisitely-crafted portrait after another, accompanied by stirring prose, Middleton reminds us that we share the planet with equally fascinating neighbors, some of whom just happen to live beneath the waves.
Diane Ackerman, Author of The Human Age
—

“Susan Middleton, whose brilliant photography of wildlife is unexcelled, has brought to life and intimacy the small creatures who make up the foundation of animal life in marine waters.”
Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard University
—

“This is a wonderful tribute to the astonishingly diverse, beautiful, and urgently important creatures who truly rule the world.”
Sylvia A. Earle, Explorer in Residence at National Geographic, Founder of Mission Blue
—

“Gorgeous portraits.”
Smithsonian.com
—

“The marine invertebrates in her photographs are such beautiful, ethereal, otherworldly creatures, they almost appear to float atop the pages.”
Entertainment Weekly
—

“Ravishing . . . rekindles a certain sense of wonder from childhood.”
New York Times
—

“Each image is rendered in exquisite detail. . . . As pure art it is a celebration for the eyes. As a tribute to nature’s inventiveness, it is an inspiration for the soul.”
Natural History Magazine
—