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What the Wild Sea Can Be
What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the Worlds Ocean | Helen Scales
The acclaimed marine biologist and author of The Brilliant Abyss examines the existential threats the worlds ocean will face in the coming decades and offers cautious optimism for much of the abundant life within in No matter where we live, we are all ocean people, Helen Scales emphatically observes in her bracing yet hopeful exploration of the future of the ocean. Beginning with its fascinating deep history, Scales links past to present to show how the prehistoric ocean ecology was already working in ways similar to the ocean of today. In elegant, evocative prose, she takes readers into the realms of animals that epitomize todays increasingly challenging conditions. Ocean life everywhere is on the move as seas warm, and warm waters are an existential threat to emperor penguins, whose mating grounds in Antarctica are collapsing. Shark populationscritical to balanced ecosystemshave shrunk by 71 per cent since the 1970s, largely the result of massive and oft-unregulated industrial fishing. Orcasthe apex predatorshave also drastically declined, victims of toxic chemicals and plastics with long half-lives that disrupt the immune system and the ability to breed. Yet despite these threats, many hopeful signs remain. Increasing numbers of no-fish zones around the world are restoring once-diminishing populations. Amazing seagrass meadows and giant kelp forests rivaling those on land are being regenerated and expanded. They may be our best defense against the storm surges caused by global warming, while efforts to reengineer coral reefs for a warmer world are growing. Offering innovative ideas for protecting coastlines and cleaning the toxic seas, Scales insists we need more ethical and sustainable fisheries and must prevent the other existential threat of deep-sea mining, which could significantly alter life on earth. Inspiring us all to maintain a sense of awe and wonder at the majesty beneath the waves, she urges us to fight for the better future that still exists for the Anthropocene ocean.
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review
charl08
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Pickpick

I don't usually pick up books about the environment, but this was a fascinating look at our changing oceans.

A thanks to the Women's Prize for NF as I wouldn't have picked it up otherwise!

BookmarkTavern Love a book with a map! ❤️ 2w
squirrelbrain I listened to this - really enjoyed it! 1w
charl08 @BookmarkTavern me too - they are gorgeous endpapers. 1w
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charl08
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...efforts are already underway to clean up the plastic debris floating in the ocean. The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit organisation, was founded in 2013 by a then-teenage entrepreneur, Boylan Slat, from the Netherlands. Outraged by disastrous plastic pollution... began sending out ships towing U-shaped barriers to skim floating plastic from the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch....
https://theoceancleanup.com/

TieDyeDude I love this group. They are doing great work. I've been following them for years 1w
charl08 @TieDyeDude it was a relief to read about some good work in this book of (mostly) awful news about the ocean 1w
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charl08
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Elsewhere, coral species are gathered up, and their cells, sperm, and eggs are frozen. It's a similar scheme to seed banks, which aim to preserve all the world's plants, so people in the future can use them to breed the crops they need or replant species that are lost from the wild. Coral DNA is also being sequenced and archived to preserve the genetic codes that would be lost forever if those species went extinct.

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charl08
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The puffadder shyshark lives on coasts around the tip of South Africa. They are small and slender, brown with rusty orange saddles resembling the markings on their namesake, the puffadder snake. When disturbed, these sharks curl up in a tight circle and hide their eyes with their tails....
😍
(Also known as Happy Eddie...
https://saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/species/puffadder-shyshark)

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charl08
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If corporations and governments do nothing to decelerate the climate crisis, emperor penguins will dwindle within the lifetime of human babies now being born. Not long after 2100, the species will most likely be extinct-if not sooner. But this is not an unstoppa-ble fate for these giant, ice-walking birds. There is still a chance to prevent them from becoming little more than memories of a species that people knowingly allowed to disappear.

charl08 Image of penguin via Wikipedia 2w
36 likes1 comment
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kelli7990
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Mehso-so

Here‘s my review for this book I read for the #naturalitsy buddy read. This was the January book.

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kelli7990
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kelli7990
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Here‘s my progress on other books I‘m #currentlyreading.

Sherlock Holmes: I‘m caught up on the #noplacelikeholmes buddy read.

Assassin‘s Apprentice: I have 5 hours left in the audiobook I‘m reading for the #realmofelderlings buddy read. I haven‘t read any more of this book.

What The Wild Sea Can Be: I‘m reading this book for the #naturalitsy buddy read. I have 9 hours left in the audiobook. I haven‘t read any more of this book.

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kelli7990
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I‘m still reading the tagged book but I found out about this webinar that was hosted on Zoom recently and I registered for it but I didn‘t get to watch it live. It‘s about the ocean and deep sea imaging. The webinar was posted on YouTube. I just watched it and I found it very interesting. If you‘re interested in watching it too, here‘s a link to it: https://www.youtube.com/live/6Xp_zikdUfQ?si=sqIFVRJ8v9VbUU5b

#naturalitsy

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kelli7990
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Here‘s my progress on this book for the #naturalitsy buddy read. It‘s interesting but she‘s using a lot of scientific words that I don‘t understand. I feel like I need Cliff Notes to understand what she‘s talking about but when she‘s not using scientific words, I understand what she‘s talking about. I‘ve never read a book by a marine biologist. I will keep going with this though.

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kelli7990
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I decided to start this book for the #naturalitsy buddy read. I bought this audiobook with a credit I got this month with my Libro FM membership. I‘m not very far into this book but I like it. It‘s interesting so far.

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AnneCecilie
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Pickpick

I loved this one.

Scales looks at how the modern human is affecting the wild life in the seas, and looking especially at emperor penguins, sharks and orcas. She also looks at kelps and reefs, and makes it obvious how connected everything is and how even small interferences by humans can cause great destruction to the sea

Vansa Love this writer and her podcast too 5mo
AnneCecilie @Vansa I will read more of her books in future, but I didn‘t know she had a podcast 5mo
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Leniverse
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Pickpick

Very interesting and informative, but a bit technical at times.

The TL;DR summary:
People are the worst. We destroy everything with our greed and short sightedness. But not all is lost, and some people are doing awesome things. To save the oceans (and our future) we need to work together globally, but also give the local people of each area a say. And we need to cut carbon emissions. By a lot. Immediately.

#WomensPrizeNF #shortlist

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Leniverse
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Step 1 - Get the governments of poor countries to sell you fishing quotas for a steal
Step 2 - Overfish their waters, wreak their coastline, and destroy the natural habitats of the area
Step 3 - When the impoverished former local fishermen of the area risk their lives getting to Europe in search for work, call them "economic refugees" and "illegal migrants" and deny them entry.

??

Suet624 Ugh. 😩 5mo
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AnneCecilie
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The matriarch remains the head of the family into her old age, at eighty, ninety, even a hundred years old and way past her menopause; orcas are one of only five animal species in which females are known to outlive their fertility. * Grandmother orcas are the wise elders, keepers of expert knowledge of where to hunt, and they call other members of the pod to them with a splash of their tail.

*The others are short-finned pilot whales, belugas,

AnneCecilie narwhals, and humans 5mo
AnnCrystal 💝💝💝. 5mo
CSeydel My favorite fact about orcas is that “in the presence of their post-menopausal mothers, young male orcas sustained fewer socially-inflicted injuries.” 5mo
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Leniverse Just starting this now! 🤓 5mo
AnneCecilie @Leniverse There‘s so many amazing facts in here. I want to quote everything 5mo
AnneCecilie @CSeydel Is that from this book or from somewhere else? Amazing either way, shows the importance of females 5mo
CSeydel No, it‘s from an article I read once. I haven‘t read this book but it sounds fascinating! 5mo
MemoirsForMe 🐳❤️🐳 5mo
Jess861 Orca Whales are such magnificent animals! I've been obsessed with them since I was very young. 5mo
49 likes9 comments
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AnneCecilie
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Something to think about

lil1inblue 💔 💔 💔 5mo
CSeydel 😬😢 5mo
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AnneCecilie
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When sharks and rays are finally ready to begin reproducing, things still happen at a slow pace. Female sharks are typically pregnant for a year of more; short fin makos give birth after a year and a half, basking sharks after two and a half. Female greeneye spurdogs, […], are pregnant for between thirty-one and thirty-four months, one of the longest recorded gestations of any animal.
[…]
Except now, of course: Humans are changing the rules, and

AnneCecilie sharks are born into an ocean where being big and living a long, slow life is no longer an advantage. 5mo
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AnneCecilie
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Each female produces a single egg, […] She quickly transfers it to her partner, and he balances it on his feet to keep it off the ice […] During storms, the males huddle together to preserve body heat, and their feathers are so good at keeping them warm that now and then they break apart and steam, as if they‘d just stepped out of a sauna. While the fasting males wait out the winter with nothing to eat on the empty ice, they run down their fat

AnneCecilie reserves, and their feathers pack more densely around their shrinking bodies, making their insulation even more effective. 5mo
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AnneCecilie
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Wintertime temperatures in Antarctica plunge to - sixty degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature ever recorded on the earth‘s surface -89,2 degrees Celsius, was made in the heart of winter in July 1983 at a research base toughly halfway between Antarctica‘s coast and the South Pole.
[…]
Most living organisms simply could not exist in Antartica‘s winter, especially out of the sea and on the exposed ice. But this is where one species comes each

AnneCecilie year to spend a key part of its life cycle, a feat made possible by its supreme survival skills. An emperor penguin in peak condition is encased in a life-sustaining suit of feathers 5mo
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kelli7990
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I joined the #naturalitsy buddy read but I haven‘t read any of the books for it yet. I‘m disappointed. I was hoping to read some of the books for the buddy read this month but I‘m not going to get around to it this month. Maybe I‘ll have time next month to catch up with the buddy read. These books are all about nature and I love anything to do with nature.

Bookwormjillk I'm behind too, but will catch up at some point! 6mo
25 likes1 comment
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jenniferw88
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Pickpick
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Oh no. Everyone loves this and I am struggling. This is taking me back to college where to get my chem degree I had to take some geology and biology classes and was bored outta my mind. I do love that she is using the Māori word Aotearoa for what we call New Zealand.
I hope I can get more interested in this as we go along but 2 chapters in and so far, not so good

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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Book 11 from the #wpnf25 longlist.

All about what damage humankind is doing to the oceans, and thus to global ecological structures, this was alternately depressing and slightly hopeful.

This is one occasion where the author reading their own book really worked - you could hear her passion and enthusiasm shining through.

TrishB I‘ve seen her talk on campus! 6mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I think this is going to be my next on the NF list. It has been sitting on my table for weeks now. 6mo
youneverarrived Book 11 🤩 have you got any stand outs? 6mo
squirrelbrain @youneverarrived - my favourites so far have been Story of a Heart (I know you don‘t want to read that) and Sister in Law, followed by Neneh Cherry. 6mo
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

I‘ve read Scales before and liked her, so I was happy to see this in the #WPNF25 list. It shows the havoc we have and continue to wreak upon the oceans, but also gives a little hope for some of the things we‘re doing that‘s helping to slow and fix the damage. Excellent read.

squirrelbrain I‘m finding this really interesting! 6mo
48 likes1 comment
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youneverarrived
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Pickpick

I can‘t imagine I‘d pick this up if not for the women‘s prize but I really liked it! I learned a lot about ocean life (past & present), how much effects ocean life like climate change and overfishing and how all of those things have an effect on the way ocean life thrives (or doesn‘t). The bit about emperor penguins though 😢 it‘s very accessible and she writes with hope but also a real sense of urgency. It will stick with me. #wpnf25

squirrelbrain I‘ve got this from the library but found it on audio too yesterday so listened to some this morning. It‘s more accessible than I expected. 6mo
youneverarrived @squirrelbrain I hope you enjoy it too. The accessibility of it definitely made it more interesting to read. 6mo
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AllDebooks
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#NaturaLitsy January's #buddyread discussion thread.

🌊 Did you enjoy the author's style?
🌊 What stood out for you?
🌊 Did you find the tone optimistic about the future?

All are welcome to join us. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the taglist list.

🦉🐦‍⬛🦃Next up - Ten birds that changed the world. https://litsy.com/p/NGNZWXBVZllk

See All 7 Comments
Bookwormjillk I enjoyed this book a lot. I‘m not sure I found it hopeful. More like there is promise of hope if we do the right thing. I thought the audiobook was very well done. You could hear the emotions in the author‘s voice. 7mo
Roary47 I really enjoyed the book also. I show a video to my classes every year called The Plastic Ocean and it has the same tone, and much of the same information. It is nice to see the change that happens to my students after they realize how much just plastic is causing on aquatic ecosystems. I think a change for the better is the aim by the tone they have. I also listened to the audio which was really nicely done @Bookwormjillk 7mo
TheBookHippie @Bookwormjillk I felt this way too. I love the ocean so much and I fear for it. The book is very well written and I think it‘s a must read. Done very well. I had a library book and I had to wait for it so that‘s encouraging. 7mo
36 likes7 comments
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Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

Great pick for #Naturalitsy @AllDebooks

I loved this well researched audiobook. The author read it herself and you can hear the emotion in her voice when she talks about the ocean. I grew up near the coast in Massachusetts and this made me so homesick. Must get back to see the ocean soon.

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kspenmoll
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I am finally reading this book-I grew up going to the Connecticut shores in summer like my Dad before me, while my mom was born at the shore in Saybrook CT- then we discovered Cape Cod when I was 11 & never went back-I feel strongly, almost genetically, that I am the sea & the sea is in me- it is the place where I feel totally connected & at peace with the world. #naturalitsy

TheBookHippie The ocean is my soul. 8mo
julieclair I feel exactly the same! 8mo
Texreader Awww I love this. I‘m originally from Austin Texas and now live in San Antonio so always surrounded by land. It‘s hard to imagine the passion you feel. But I appreciate it as well as a beautiful view of the ocean. I remember the times I saw the Atlantic and then the Pacific for the first time. 8mo
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AnnCrystal 🙏🌊💖💖💖. 8mo
monalyisha Tag me in your final review if you remember! I‘d love the reminder to look into this one. 🩵 8mo
AllDebooks This is delightful. x 8mo
kspenmoll @TheBookHippie @julieclair @Texreader @AnnCrystal @AllDebooks Aww It makes me happy to connect with other sea & water people!💙🩵💙 8mo
kspenmoll @monalyisha I will make a note to tag you. The author‘s language is just beautiful. 🩵💙🩵 8mo
TheBookHippie @kspenmoll Ocean yes. Lake NO. And yes, salt water cures all. 8mo
TheBookHippie @monalyisha My hold just came in so I‘ll tag ya too 😂😂😂😂 8mo
dabbe I feel the same way about mountains and woods. 🩵🩶🩵 8mo
50 likes2 stack adds12 comments
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Roary47
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Pickpick

5✨It is well written, has a plethora of examples, and the author is obviously a leading mind in this field. I did the audiobook read by the author making an even better story. Very well done and informative. #NaturalLitsy @AllDebooks

AllDebooks 💚 8mo
27 likes1 comment
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kspenmoll
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Plans for my #hyggehour #readathon #litsolace #midwintersolace #naturalitsy
My plans tonight: The book, tea, my reading corner, & my Em on my knees. Bliss.

AnnCrystal 💕😻💝. 8mo
TheBookHippie Bliss!!! 8mo
Bookwormjillk I love your chair. It looks so comfy. 8mo
See All 6 Comments
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 8mo
AllDebooks 💙❄️💙 8mo
Chrissyreadit 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵 8mo
67 likes6 comments
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AllDebooks
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TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 8mo
tpixie I loved The book of Doors for @litsybookclub Some parts are darker than I expected , others full of magic! 8mo
44 likes2 comments
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LitsyEvents
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repost for @AllDebooks:

#NaturaLitsy

Our first read of the year is a discourse on the future of our oceans from an experienced marine biologist, Helen Scales.

https://helenscales.com/portfolio/what-the-wild-sea-can-be/

All are welcome to join us. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the taglist.

AllDebooks A belated thank you for the share. I was distracted by family shenanigans 😅 8mo
31 likes1 comment
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AllDebooks
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#NaturaLitsy

Our first read of the year is a discourse on the future of our oceans from an experienced marine biologist, Helen Scales.

https://helenscales.com/portfolio/what-the-wild-sea-can-be/

All are welcome to join us. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the taglist.

@LitsyEvents

kspenmoll Please keep me on the list. I plan to see if the library has the book- 9mo
See All 15 Comments
Larkken Beautiful cover 😍 8mo
Bookwormjillk Looking forward to this one! I used a credit to get the audio version. I‘m dreaming of long walks while learning about the ocean. 8mo
TheBookHippie Waiting on my library hold should be soon! 8mo
AllDebooks @Bookwormjillk wonderful 💙🌊💙 8mo
AllDebooks @Larkken I think so 😍 It's by Max Naylor, called The Riches (2023). His IG has several close-up photos that show the incredible detail.https://www.instagram.com/p/CsIyvMNoJ57/?img_index=4&igsh=Nzh6Y29qZjI4cDlv 8mo
Soscha I‘m scared with how depressing the Helen Scales is going to be. 🥺 8mo
Roary47 I love that this is right before I teach my classes hydrology. 😍 8mo
AllDebooks @Soscha This short read from the author explains why she wrote it. I hope it helps ease your anxiety. https://helenscales.com/portfolio/what-the-wild-sea-can-be/ 8mo
44 likes15 comments