In conjunction with the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival running this week from February 19th to the 22nd, this month's subject guide looks at some of the variety of books in our library on the history, study, exploration, exploitation, and conservation of the world's oceans. While the seas might seem so vast as to be impervious to human activity, in actuality centuries of exploitation and misuse have seriously degraded their condition through the wholesale removal of marine life and the obliteration of ecosystems. Public awareness about the state of our oceans and the possibilities of their restoration is growing thanks to groups like the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival and other organizations and individuals discussed below. The film festival is a unique opportunity to learn about the environmental, social, and cultural importance of marine resources, as well as to be entertained and inspired by the wonder of the seas. It includes over 35 documentary, fictional, and animated films from around the world, and each program is followed by in-depth discussions with filmmakers and content experts. Be sure to check out the festival schedule at www.oceanfilmfest.org, and find even more books about the oceans in our library catalog at library.thoreau.org. See you there. I'm probably going Sunday.
Callum Roberts. The Unnatural History of the Sea (2007)
From its beginnings in the eleventh century to the giant fishing industries of today, marine conservation biologist Callum Roberts looks at the history of intensive and uncontrolled commercial exploitation of ocean resources and its destructive effects. What emerges is a portrait of dangerously degraded marine ecosystems that stand in sharp contrast to the richer and more productive oceans of the past filled with their abundance of varied life. It is not “a requiem of the sea," however, as Roberts writes optimistically about the possibility of restoring the seas' splendor through international networks of protected reserves, fishing reforms, and simple human constraint.
Dallas Murphy. To Follow the Water: Exploring the Ocean to Discover Climate, From the Gulf Stream to the Blue Beyond (2007)
The many ocean currents transporting heat around the world play a significant role in stabilizing and moderating climate. Emphasizing how the ocean's internal mechanisms and their complex interactions with the atmosphere are vital for any understanding of climate change, Dallas Murphy writes about the history of ocean exploration and the scientific efforts to understand these currents. The book is also a portrait of the lives of the scientists involved in trying to understand ocean dynamics today as Murphy travels with them and observes their work in waters around the globe.
H. Bruce Franklin. The Most Important Fish in the Sea: Menhaden and America (2007)
Few people have heard of the menhaden - an oily, foul smelling, tiny-boned, nearly inedible little fish. But they have always been an integral part of America's agricultural and industrial history, and the tonnage of them caught along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts exceeds that of all other species combined. They also play an integral ecological role as a major component of the diet of many other marine animals and as a natural filter keeping inshore waters clear of algal blooms. Presenting a detailed case study of marine exploitation, this book examines the factors that have led today to the needless overfishing of the menhaden and the brink of ecological catastrophe.
David Helvarg. 50 Ways to Save the Ocean (2006)
Written by David Helvarg, environmental journalist and president of the Blue Frontier Campaign (www.bluefront.org), and illustrated by Jim Toomey, the cartoonist of Sherman's Lagoon, 50 Ways is a practical guide to simple everyday actions and choices you can make to enjoy and to help restore and protect our imperilled oceans. Making the connections between everyday habits and the health of the seas, it includes guidance on such issues as: the fish you should and shouldn't eat; using less plastic; joining in a coastal cleanup; conserving water; how and where to vacation; storm drains and driveway run-off; protecting local water tables; proper diving, surfing, and tidepool etiquette; and supporting local marine education.
David Helvarg. The Ocean and Coastal Conservation Guide: The Blue Movement Directory(2005)
A guide to the over 2,000 local, regional, national, and international groups that make up the growing “Blue Movement,” defined as those “organizations and institutions that are working to understand, protect, and restore our ocean and coastal areas.” It provides a convenient way to find out what organizations are active on what issues in a particular part of the country, while also listing governmental agencies involved in coastal and marine oversight, major marine schools and science centers, and national ocean sanctuaries and marine parks.
John Pernetta. Firefly Guide to the Oceans (2004)
Written by the Project Director for the Global Environment Facility of the United Nations Environment Programme, this is a concise and richly illustrated guide to all aspects of the world's oceans and seas. Learn about their formation, geology, history, exploration, life, resources, and more. It includes an atlas of maps of the ocean basins, ocean currents, and other physical features, as well as an encyclopedia of marine fauna and flaura.
John G. Field, Gotthilf Hempel, & Colin P. Summerhayes. Oceans 2020: Science, Trends, and the Challenge of Sustainability (2002)
Sponsored by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research, and the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment, this book presents a comprehensive assessement of the most important scientific and societal issues that are likely to arise in ocean management in the next two decades. Outlining a path to rational ocean governance, scientists and researchers analyze the state of marine science and technology, identify issues for sustainable development, and evaluate the capability of scientists, governments, and private-sector stakeholders to respond to these issues. A useful source of information for policymakers, government officials, resource managers, scientists, the media, and all those concerned with the current and future health of the oceans.
