Explorers, scientists, and soldiers have performed genuine feats, overcoming cold, dark, and extreme pressure to venture into the depths. Their motivations were many: war, treasure, raw materials, energy resources, oceanographic study, climate research, or just a challenge. As with the Space Race, deep-sea exploration has largely been the province of a few pioneering nations, either as competitors or collaborators. This is formidable saga that Abysses brings to life, covering: the birth of oceanography in late 19th-century expeditions, fauna of the deep, and technology (diving bells, bathyspheres, submarines, robots, underwater lab). Includes interviews with notable scientists and explorers.