It is said that the seafloor is a desert, a vast and uniform wasteland, all but devoid of life. Textbooks on the shelf in my laboratory say so. But I know that is not true", writes scientist and submersible pilot Cindy Lee Van Dover in the Introduction to Deep-Ocean Journeys. Van Dover has ventured miles below surface waves to the bottom of the sea, driven by her desire to understand the complex and thriving ecosystems recently discovered near volcanic vents. These ecosystems are models for sites where life might have originated on this planet and where extraterrestrial life is speculated to exist on Mars and Europa. In this remarkable book, Van Dover gives lyrical voice to the scientific passion that motivates her, taking us along with her as she reveals the wonders of the ocean floor.