Below the Edge of Darkness is a captivating memoir by our own Dr. Edith Widder, CEO of the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA) in Vero Beach, where she delves into her extraordinary career as a marine biologist and a pioneering oceanographer.
Her book, published in 2021, invites readers into and an immersive journey into the deep sea, revealing the mysteries of bioluminescent creatures and the innovative technologies developed to study them.
Edith Widder’s childhood dream of becoming a marine biologist was almost derailed in college, when complications from a surgery gone wrong caused temporary blindness. A new reality of shifting shadows drew her fascination to the power of light—as well as the importance of optimism.
As her vision cleared, Widder found the intersection of her two passions in oceanic bioluminescence, a little-explored scientific field within Earth’s last great unknown frontier: the deep ocean. With little promise of funding or employment, she leaped at the first opportunity to train as a submersible pilot and dove into the darkness.
Widder’s first journey into the deep ocean, in a diving suit that resembled a suit of armor, took her to a depth of eight hundred feet. She turned off the lights and witnessed breathtaking underwater fireworks: explosions of bioluminescent activity. Concerns about her future career vanished. She only wanted to know one thing: Why was there so much light down there?
Below the Edge of Darkness takes readers deep into our planet’s oceans as Widder pursues her questions about one of the most important and widely used forms of communication in nature. In the process, she reveals hidden worlds and a dazzling menagerie of behaviors and animals, from microbes to leviathans, many never before seen or, like the legendary giant squid, never before filmed in their deep-sea lairs. Alongside Widder, we experience life-and-death equipment malfunctions and witness breakthroughs in technology and understanding, all set against a growing awareness of the deteriorating health of our largest and least understood ecosystem.
Dr. Widder shares personal anecdotes from her groundbreaking expeditions, including the historic first video capture of a giant squid. Her narrative not only highlights the marvels of deep-sea exploration but also underscores the urgent need for ocean conservation.
Through vivid storytelling, Dr. Widder takes readers on a thrilling adventure that illuminates the unseen wonders of the deep ocean and inspires a deeper appreciation for the planet's most mysterious and vital ecosystems.
This book is available on Amazon HERE