The Octopus Scientists

With three hearts and blue blood, its gelatinous body unconstrained by jointed limbs or gravity, the octopus seems to be an alien, an inhabitant of another world. It’s baggy, boneless body sprouts eight arms covered with thousands of suckers—suckers that can taste as well as feel. The octopus also has the powers of a superhero: it can shape-shift, change color, squirt ink, pour itself through the tiniest of openings, or jet away through the sea faster than a swimmer can follow.

        But most intriguing of all, octopuses—classed as mollusks, like clams—are remarkably intelligent with quirky personalities. This book, an inquiry into the mind of an intelligent invertebrate, is also a foray into our own unexplored planet. These thinking, feeling creatures can help readers experience and understand our world (and perhaps even life itself) in a new way.

Join a real-life octopus team on a mission to understand one of the ocean’s strangest minds and discover:

• Animal Intelligence: How an animal with three hearts, blue blood, and no bones developed a mind smart enough to solve puzzles and show a unique personality.
• Scientists in the Field: Follow a team of researchers in Moorea as they track, test, and try to understand these amazing animals in their natural habitat.
• Masters of Disguise: Uncover the secrets of skin that can change color, shape, and texture in less than a second for the ultimate deep-sea camouflage.
• Ocean Exploration: Dive into the vibrant world of coral reefs, the rainforests of the sea, and meet the incredible creatures who call them home.

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* "Chapters of action, with smoothly integrated explanatory background, are interspersed with informative passages about octopuses, the field station, and coral reefs...Amazing photographs reveal the octopuses' remarkable shape-changing abilities and help readers visualize this experience. Science in the field at its best." —Kirkus, starred review   * "Endlessly fascinating." —Booklist, starred review   "Montgomery describes all aspects of life in the field, including the personalities and quirks of the scientists and the joys of working in a beautiful tropical locale. Abundant stunningly clear underwater photographs highlight the colorful details of a range of marine species." —Horn Book Magazine   * "Through sharply crafted text, Montgomery shares her enthusiasm with readers, and Ellenbogen's vibrant color photos allow a crystalline window into a very special environment...Another enticing entry in a series devoted to highlighting enthusiastic scientists hard at work in the fields they love." —School Library Journal, starred review   "The reliably informative and entertaining Montgomery is off on another Scientists in the Field adventure." —Bulletin