Jeffrey Marlow at the Harvard Science Center

Harvard Book Store, the Harvard University Division of Science, and the Harvard Library welcome Jeffrey Marlow—professor of biology at Boston University—for an inspiring presentation of his new book, The Dark Frontier: Unlocking the Secrets of the Deep Sea. This event will take place at the Harvard Science Center, Hall E, located downstairs at 1 Oxford St, Cambridge. Elevator access is available for those who need it. Following the presentation will be a book signing.

There are two ticket options available for this event.

Free General Admission Ticket: Includes admission for one.
Book-Included Ticket: Includes admission for one and one hardcover copy of The Dark Frontier.

Note: Books bundled with tickets may only be picked up at the venue the night of the event, and cannot be picked up in-store beforehand. Ticket holders who purchased a book-included ticket and are unable to attend the event will be able to pick up their book at Harvard Book Store up to 30 days following the event. This offer expires after 30 days. Please note we cannot guarantee signed copies will be available to ticket holders who do not attend the event.

An awe-inspiring investigation into the hidden world of the deep sea—the most mysterious, unforgiving environment on Earth—whose secrets can radically revise our understanding of life itself and chart our planetary future.
The deep sea is our planet’s last frontier. For most of human history, it was a vast, unknown realm that invoked awe and terror. And despite how much we’ve learned, it remains largely unexplored.
In The Dark Frontier, marine microbiologist and explorer Jeffrey Marlow offers a new perspective on the power and beauty of the deep sea, beginning with the nineteenth-century discovery that the ocean’s depths were teeming with life and shifting to more recent investigations of the kaleidoscopic ecology of hydrothermal vents, methane seeps, and whale falls. Marlow illuminates the ocean’s scientific marvels, including microbes that breathe metal and fish that withstand crushing pressures, as well as theories about how underwater habitats may have been the cradle of life on Earth. He reveals the deep sea’s microbial universes, worlds within worlds that have opened new possibilities of survival in extreme environments.
The Dark Frontier is an engaging narrative journey grounded in Marlow’s research and wide-ranging knowledge, together with insights from hundreds of experts, from deep-sea scientists to conservationists and UN diplomats. The book considers the twinned forces of exploration and exploitation, shining a light on deep-sea drilling and mining as well as the complexity of governing the high seas and their precious resources.
In this authoritative and accessible account of ocean exploration, Marlow captures the wonder and potential of the deep sea, teaching us lessons that help navigate the future—not just for the remarkable creatures that live there but for those of us on the surface as well.

Dr. Jeffrey Marlow is a professor of biology at Boston University. He received his B.S. from Washington University in St. Louis, M.Phil. from Imperial College London, and Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology. He has been named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and is a Fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society. His journalistic work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Scientific American. He enjoys traveling, trail running, and nurturing his extensive collection of house plants.

Masks are encouraged but not required for this event.

The Harvard Science Book Talks series is a collaboration between the Harvard University Division of Science, the Harvard Library, and Harvard Book Store. The series features talks by the authors of recently published books on a variety of science-related topics and is open to both the Harvard community and to the general public.

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