Another naturalist once called the ocean 'the greatest desert of all'. Pithy ironies aside, his analogy would approach accuracy only if the desert was teeming with life underground, presenting the semblance of lifelessness only at the surface. There is actually some truth to this, but not to the extent required of the metaphor. For, as I am now steadily learning, the ocean is utterly laden with life, rich at every layer with hidden activity. If one judges by the fleeting glimpses offered at the surface, one will be sorely misled.