Murmurs from the Deep: Scientific Adventure in the Caribbean - Hardcover

Drawing on his background in oceanic exploration on Jacques Costeau's Calypso, and his success as a businessman, Fonteneau planned a Caribbean sailing adventure, which inspired suggestions for incorporating a bit of science on the side. Through friends and colleagues at the University of Miami, Fonteneau finds himself involved in one project to monitor the tectonics of a tiny, nearly submerged island called Aves, and another to "listen" to fish. Equipment from NASA, funding from the Bacardi foundation, and agreeable scientists and sailors make the expedition come together smoothly. The fish sounds they record are mating calls, and they find that each species can be recognized by the distinct sound they make, and their recordings exceed the expectations of the Florida scientists. Unfortunately, the Aves project is cancelled due to bad weather and worse politics. The scientific reporting takes second place to excessive descriptions of lovely islands and friendly people, but Fonteneau's account may appeal to armchair scientists as well as readers who enjoy sailing travelogues. Danise Hoover
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Free from the usual constraints of time and money, retired French business executive Fonteneau embarks on a fantasy jaunt around the Caribbean, recording the sounds of fish as he sails from island to island. Fonteneau tries to give the narrative a sense of urgency by beginning with a vignette featuring armed Venezuelan soldiers, but this feels like a misstep, as his story is essentially that of a pleasant excursion. His work will interest armchair sailors more than biologists; Fonteneau is as captivated by sunsets, bioluminescent bays, islanders' stories and eating fresh fish in beachside restaurants as he is with his mission of recording fish talk. And though his descriptions of the people he encounters feel flat and the story is lighter on adventure than some readers will prefer, there are enough delightful fish episodes and rose-colored skies to inspire anyone's inner marine explorer.
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