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The Living Dock
Sometimes, a dock isn't just a dock. It's a habitat, a living thing. In the tiny fishing community of Panacea, Florida, the author's floating dock nurtures an abundance of marine life. Crabs, worms, mollusks and algae make their home there, attracting and feeding fish and other creatures higher up the food chain. These also feed the author's business, Gulf Specimen Marine Lab, which supplies specimens to research and teaching marine fauna from his dock, from nearby mud flats and beaches, and netted offshore from his little shrimp boat, "Penaeus." This entertaining and educational book looks at the life histories of some of these creatures, and recounts Rudloe's experiences in collecting them, in the process examining man's relationship with the natural world.
- GenresNonfictionScienceNature
Hardcover
First published April 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 16, 2018
Sad as any tale of Florida offshore life, but strangely optimistic at the end--whatever man can create, hurricane can obliterate.
It's a gorgeous voyage of a book, ranging in distance from as close as a walk down to the floating dock to ten miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, but ranging in depth from millimeters to miles. I'll let him tell the story of his living dock himself, shortly (although there's much more to say):
When the bay was swollen during a spring tide or a storm, they stood floating like battleships high up on the waves, and I could step from the stationary dock onto the floating Styrofoam dock with no trouble at all. But when the moon was full and all the waters were sucked out of the bay, or the powerful north wind pushed the waters out, exposing the mud flats, the floating dock sank far below the oyster and barnacle zones on the pilings. In fact, there were times when the winter wind shoved all the water out of the bay except for a narrow channel, and the floating dock sat squarely on the bottom like some sort of stranded sea monster bearded with huge amounts of tufted oysters, barnacles, and other fouling growths.
After the introduction to his dock, the book goes on and into the depths and shallows of the bay, and the results are delightful.
...you never know what you're going to find in a mud-flat pool left by low tides. Often there are long waving clusters of filamentous algae that are strangely beautiful and look like a woman's hair. And sometimes there are oyster shells overgrown with red and yellow sponges that stand out starkly from the dark brownish black bottom. The real surprises come when you find five or six frilled sea hares, grayish green little blobs of life spewing out long strings of eggs. Sometimes a flounder is stranded in the pools, or a sea robin, and once I found a blazing red and brown scorpion fish with bristling spines.
It's not all peaceful meditation and beauty. It's an ocean, after all. There's death and life and high drama at sea--
"Will you get the hell off the air!" I hurriedly interjected. "We're caught out here in a storm. Emergency!"
"Well...I never..." came back the voice. "some people are just plain rude."
Deep, shallow, thoughtful, frivolous...I'm running out of adjectives. Just read it; you'll understand.
It's a gorgeous voyage of a book, ranging in distance from as close as a walk down to the floating dock to ten miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, but ranging in depth from millimeters to miles. I'll let him tell the story of his living dock himself, shortly (although there's much more to say):
When the bay was swollen during a spring tide or a storm, they stood floating like battleships high up on the waves, and I could step from the stationary dock onto the floating Styrofoam dock with no trouble at all. But when the moon was full and all the waters were sucked out of the bay, or the powerful north wind pushed the waters out, exposing the mud flats, the floating dock sank far below the oyster and barnacle zones on the pilings. In fact, there were times when the winter wind shoved all the water out of the bay except for a narrow channel, and the floating dock sat squarely on the bottom like some sort of stranded sea monster bearded with huge amounts of tufted oysters, barnacles, and other fouling growths.
After the introduction to his dock, the book goes on and into the depths and shallows of the bay, and the results are delightful.
...you never know what you're going to find in a mud-flat pool left by low tides. Often there are long waving clusters of filamentous algae that are strangely beautiful and look like a woman's hair. And sometimes there are oyster shells overgrown with red and yellow sponges that stand out starkly from the dark brownish black bottom. The real surprises come when you find five or six frilled sea hares, grayish green little blobs of life spewing out long strings of eggs. Sometimes a flounder is stranded in the pools, or a sea robin, and once I found a blazing red and brown scorpion fish with bristling spines.
It's not all peaceful meditation and beauty. It's an ocean, after all. There's death and life and high drama at sea--
"Will you get the hell off the air!" I hurriedly interjected. "We're caught out here in a storm. Emergency!"
"Well...I never..." came back the voice. "some people are just plain rude."
Deep, shallow, thoughtful, frivolous...I'm running out of adjectives. Just read it; you'll understand.
December 24, 2020
The Living Dock by Jack Rudloe, Illustrations by Walter Inglis Anderson (Fulcrum Inc. 1988) (591.92) (3478).
Are there any fans of Florida fiction writer Randy Wayne White out there? I adore Randy Wayne White's fictional hero Marion 'Doc' Ford of Sanibel Island, Florida. Doc Ford is a marine biologist who collects and sells biological specimens from the inshore bays and estuaries off the east coast of Florida. Doc Ford lives in his laboratory above a dock over the Atlantic. Doc is also a secret CIA agent, but that has nothing to do with this review of the excellent book, The Living Dock, by Jack Rudloe.
I now know who the real-life inspiration for Marion 'Doc' Ford is. It has to be Jack Rudloe, author of The Living Dock as well as several other titles about the biology of the Florida coastline. Jack Rudloe is a marine biologist and environmental activist who lives on the Florida Gulf Coast in Panacea, Florida and who co-founded the Gulf Specimen Marine Company which collects and sells marine biological specimens to universities and labs worldwide.
The Living Dock finds author Jack Rudloe living on the coast and running his business of collecting and selling marine life. His laboratory is located on docks above the water. In The Living Dock the author shares his observations about the salt water denizens who comprise his nearest neighbors. The book contains illustrations of some of the fish and invertebrates discussed in the book which were created by local savant Walter Inglis Anderson.
All other coincidences aside, there is no word yet as to whether Jack Rudloe (like Doc Ford) is or has been employed by the CIA.
My rating: 7.25/10, finished 11/1/20 (3478).
I purchased a used HB copy in very good condition from McKay's Books for $1.53 on 3/2/2020. HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
April 8, 2023
A refreshingly down-to-earth take on conservation and preservation of the natural world that also embraces and depicts the necessity of being a part of the food chain and of making a living. Here is a man (and wife) who operate a biological specimen collection business alongside the fishermen, shrimpers, and locals all plying the ocean environment for a living or sustenance. A man who lives in a local community, weathers the politics, provides jobs, and manages to live in a blissful wonder at the seasons, boom and bust cycles, and intricacies of nature around him.
There is a recurring theme of “life is cheap” in nature, because life bountifully resurges after being wiped out en masse in a cold snap, drought, or hurricane. Easy come, easy go. This thought seems both grounded in observation of reality and yet at odds with a purist environmental point of view. Jack and his crew lustily partake of the abundance of the sea and marsh when it can be had, but cringe conscientiously at the waste inherent in their acts. The Gulf Specimen Company achieves good by promoting science and ecological awareness, yet this necessitates certain impacts like removing life from the waters, and polluting with creosote, diesel fuel, and copper anti-fouling paint. We hope there is a net gain!
What is implied throughout the book is that conservation depends on preserving the ecosystem intact, instead of focusing on harvesting limits. The feeling is that by restricting development and habitat destruction, the vitality of the ocean will keep pulsing out amazing bounty no matter how many hooks and nets are in the water. I don’t know enough to debate this, but I’m pointing out the theme in the book.
I loved this book and will read more by Jack Rudloe. The book accompanied my paddling travels in Wakulla County and painted a nice backdrop for several days spent at Alligator Point, Mashes Sands, Bald Head, Sopchoppy, Shell Point, and St Marks.
There is a recurring theme of “life is cheap” in nature, because life bountifully resurges after being wiped out en masse in a cold snap, drought, or hurricane. Easy come, easy go. This thought seems both grounded in observation of reality and yet at odds with a purist environmental point of view. Jack and his crew lustily partake of the abundance of the sea and marsh when it can be had, but cringe conscientiously at the waste inherent in their acts. The Gulf Specimen Company achieves good by promoting science and ecological awareness, yet this necessitates certain impacts like removing life from the waters, and polluting with creosote, diesel fuel, and copper anti-fouling paint. We hope there is a net gain!
What is implied throughout the book is that conservation depends on preserving the ecosystem intact, instead of focusing on harvesting limits. The feeling is that by restricting development and habitat destruction, the vitality of the ocean will keep pulsing out amazing bounty no matter how many hooks and nets are in the water. I don’t know enough to debate this, but I’m pointing out the theme in the book.
I loved this book and will read more by Jack Rudloe. The book accompanied my paddling travels in Wakulla County and painted a nice backdrop for several days spent at Alligator Point, Mashes Sands, Bald Head, Sopchoppy, Shell Point, and St Marks.
November 17, 2012
Great book! Jack Rudloe is one of the most gifted nature writers and his life experiences as such are rich. Who wouldn't want to live his life.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews