For months the Fouling has been spreading up the coast like an underwater plague. The mysterious black crust covers harbors and ports with concrete-like tumors and sinks ships at sea. Dr. Candace Warren and her team of experts believe it originated somewhere on the coral reefs surrounding the Cubbarros Islands. The brutal Ocean Security Commission has forbidden access to the islands for more than 50 years, but as the Fouling threatens to destroy the entire Atlantic Coast, the expedition sets out to search the reef until they find the source of the destruction. But sixteen year old volunteer, Alannis Summers, discovers much more. There is something living in those waters that could change everything we know about the world. As she risks her life to follow it into the depths of the ocean, Alannis must decide what price she's willing to pay to uncover the terrifying truth.