"National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala takes readers on an unforgettable journey to 10 places where the ocean is virtually untouched by man, offering a fascinating glimpse into our past and an inspiring vision for the future. From the shark-rich waters surrounding Coco Island, Costa Rica, to the iceberg-studded sea off Franz Josef Land, Russia, this incredible photographic collection showcases the thriving marine ecosystems that Sala is working to protect. Offering a rare glimpse into the world's underwater Edens, more than 200 images take you to the frontier of the Pristine Seas expeditions, where Sala's teams explore the breathtaking wildlife and habitats from the depths to the surface--thriving ecosystems with healthy corals and a kaleidoscopic variety of colorful fish and stunning creatures that have been protected from human interference. With this dazzling array of photographs that capture the beauty of the water and the incredible wildlife within it, this book shows us the brilliance of the sea in its natural state."--
In this inspiring manifesto, an internationally renowned ecologist makes a clear case for why protecting nature is our best health insurance, and why it makes economic sense.
Packed with the detailed local knowledge of author Paul Crask, a long-term resident, Bradt’s Dominica remains the only up-to-date standalone guide to this Caribbean island. In this new, thoroughly updated fourth edition, a range of accommodation and dining options are described in depth, guide and tour-operator listings are extensive, and 19 detailed maps help orientation. Taking an environmentally conscious and socially responsible approach to travel, the author couples essential advice on activities and practicalities with rich insights into the country’s natural environment, history and culture – including the Kalinago, the last of the region’s indigenous Amerindian people, whose descendants continue to live here today. Formerly considered an undeveloped Caribbean backwater, English-speaking Dominica is an increasingly favoured tourist destination. The government has invested significantly in island infrastructure following damage caused by extreme weather events in 2015 and 2017, and upmarket boutique hotels are opening. Despite such rising popularity, Dominica remains a place of unbridled, off-the-beaten-path adventure and discovery. This island of mountains, unspoiled rainforests, volcanoes, rivers and waterfalls has much to enchant a variety of travellers. Explore Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a World Heritage Site housing a network of trails that traverse rainforest-covered mountains and connect rivers, waterfalls and the Boiling Lake, a flooded fumarole that is the world’s second-largest hot-water lake. Ardent hikers craving further exploration can walk sections of the Wai’tukubuli National Trail or make for national parks such as Cabrits and Morne Diablotin. Wildlife-watchers can seek out rare parrots found nowhere else on Earth, the mountain chicken (actually one of the world’s largest frogs) or even a boa constrictor that is the subject of Kalinago legends. Scuba divers and snorkellers can marvel at pristine marine reserves boasting healthy coral reefs, while those who prefer to remain above the waves can take boat trips to enjoy excellent views of sperm whales. Whether you love nature or culture, hiking through wilderness or exploring underwater, the depth of detail and breadth of local insights that characterise Bradt’s Dominica render it the indispensable practical companion to exploring this exciting country.
An exciting account of a scientist’s expedition across the Pacific on a home-made “junk raft” in order to learn more about plastic marine pollution A scientist, activist, and inveterate adventurer, Eriksen and his co-navigator, Joel Paschal, construct a “junk raft” made of plastic trash and set themselves adrift from Los Angeles to Hawaii, with no motor or support vessel, confronting perilous cyclones, food shortages, and a fast decaying raft. As Eriksen recounts his struggles to keep afloat, he immerses readers in the deep history of the plastic pollution crisis and the movement that has arisen to combat it. The proliferation of cheap plastic products during the twentieth century has left the world awash in trash. Meanwhile, the plastics industry, with its lobbying muscle, fights tooth and nail against any changes that would affect its lucrative status quo, instead defending poorly designed products and deflecting responsibility for the harm they cause. But, as Eriksen shows, the tide is turning in the battle to save the world’s oceans. He recounts the successful efforts that he and many other activists are waging to fight corporate influence and demand that plastics producers be held accountable. Junk Raft provides concrete, actionable solutions and an empowering message: it’s within our power to change the throw-away culture for the sake of our planet.
The Earthshot concept is simple: Urgency + Optimism = Action. We have ten years to turn the tide on the environmental crisis, but we need the world's best solutions and one shared goal - to save our planet. It's not too late, but we need collective action now. The Earthshots are unifying, ambitious goals for our planet which, if achieved by 2030, will improve life for all of us, for the rest of life on Earth, and for generations to come. They are to: · Protect and Restore Nature · Clean our Air · Revive our Oceans · Build a Waste-Free World · Fix our Climate EARTHSHOT: HOW TO SAVE OUR PLANET is the first definitive book about how these goals can tackle the environmental crisis, from rainforests to coral reefs, via wilderness, cities and in our own homes. It is a critical contribution to the most important story of the decade.
"The author makes an eloquent plea for marine biodiversity conservation."—Library Journal "Harvell seems to channel the devotion that motivated the Blaschkas."—The Guardian Winner of the 2016 National Outdoor Book Award, Environment Category It started with a glass octopus. Dusty, broken, and all but forgotten, it caught Drew Harvell’s eye. Fashioned in intricate detail by the father-son glassmaking team of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, the octopus belonged to a menagerie of unusual marine creatures that had been packed away for decades in a storage unit. More than 150 years earlier, the Blaschkas had been captivated by marine invertebrates and spun their likenesses into glass, documenting the life of oceans untouched by climate change and human impacts. Inspired by the Blaschkas’ uncanny replicas, Harvell set out in search of their living counterparts. In A Sea of Glass, she recounts this journey of a lifetime, taking readers along as she dives beneath the ocean's surface to a rarely seen world, revealing the surprising and unusual biology of some of the most ancient animals on the tree of life. On the way, we glimpse a century of change in our ocean ecosystems and learn which of the living matches for the Blaschkas’ creations are, indeed, as fragile as glass. Drew Harvell and the Blaschka menagerie are the subjects of the documentary Fragile Legacy, which won the Best Short Film award at the 2015 Blue Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit. Learn more about the film and check out the trailer here.
