Fans of the Octonauts may be interested to hear of the new illustrated children's book from the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT), which has launched today, aimed at growing interest in the exciting variety of careers on offer under the waves.

The book titled, Can a Lobster be an Archaeologist – Quirky Questions and Fascinating Facts about the Underwater World, is available from today, Wednesday 25th November, with all proceeds going to SUT’s Educational Support Fund, set up to help young people pursue learning and development opportunities.

The book takes its name from a true story about Larry the lobster who helped divers discover a missing 8,000 year old Stone Age civilisation near the Isle of Wight.

The book has been peer reviewed by children. One of the young critics, ten-year-old David Laing of Aberdeen said: “It’s packed full of interesting stories covering everything from real life sea monsters to whirlpools, finding treasure from sunken ships and how to build an underwater robot. It’s fun to read, but you also learn a lot of new facts and the pictures are brilliant.”

David Laing (10) and Daisy Nicholls (10) of Aberdeen launch the new book Can a Lobster be an Archaeologist? All proceeds from sales will go to the Society for Underwater Technology’s Educational Support Fund.

The 150 page book has been drafted by SUT members who are marine scientists, divers, subsea engineers, academics and from the merchant navy.

It covers topics such as:

Why do ships go missing in the Bermuda Triangle?
Are lake monsters real and do werewolves exist in the Arctic Sea?
How to build an underwater robot
Filming underwater movies
Whirlpools and discovering treasures from sunken ships
Where rubbish goes when it’s dumped at sea.
Could living under the sea be an alternative to relocating to Mars?
What will happen when the ice caps melt?

Dr Bob Allwood, CEO of SUT and one of the authors said: “We wanted to bring to life all of the wonders of working underwater. It’s a challenging time for many sectors at the moment, but it’s important that we continue to inspire the next generation and show them all of the possibilities that are open to them. One common thread between the authors is that they love what they do and this passion and excitement is infectious. We hope the book will make an ideal stocking filler for many young people this Christmas.”

The book has been funded by SUT, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year.

Can a Lobster be an Archaeologist? retails at £12.99 and can be purchased from Wednesday 25th November from SUT and from Amazon from the end of the month.