Selected by BBC Wildife as one of the best popular science books on marine and coastal wildlife: “Featuring stunning detailed images throughout, Hoyt’s latest book examines the nightlife of these tiny ocean plankton and the stories of the wildlife photographers that join them in darkness to capture their vertical migrations.” 

— Special feature by Dr Helen Scales in ‘Discover Wildlife’, reviewing the best books on marine and coastal wildlife, with Planktonia leading the list.

Awarded May 2023: Outstanding Nonfiction Book of 2022—Young Adult/Children, American Society of Journalists & Authors—ASJA, New York

Book Highlight of the Month in BBC Wildlife, October issue: “Welcome to the world of plankton….Thanks to the increase in popularity of both macrophotography and diving in the open sea at night, we now have visual evidence of just how eclectic and vibrant these plankton are. Planktonia is a tribute to these photographers and the scientists they work with to document the many species and their unique attributes and behaviours.”

Review in Hakai Magazine, Canada, 9 September 2022; “When the world seems wearying, sometimes stunning photos and a few shots of natural history fabulosity can help. Planktonia, the latest book by prolific author Erich Hoyt, is a great antidote. The large-format book includes 150 color photos of planktonic creatures in their otherworldly glory with a focus on their world at night, when countless plankton ascend to surface waters to feed and reverse the trip at sunrise. This vertical migration is, as Hoyt writes, ‘the greatest migration on Earth,’ and includes ‘miniature creatures of intricate design, a riot of color, near-transparency or iridescence, and flashing lights. The book’s eight chapters open with a brief explanation of the topic at hand, followed by state-of-the-art blackwater photography of plankton with natural history notes.  Planktonia is a great book to keep on hand—read it cover to cover or dip in now and then when you need a dose of nature’s dazzle.”