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Underwater Eden: Saving the Last Coral Wilderness on Earth
“It was the first time I’d seen what the ocean may have looked like thousands of years ago.” That’s conservation scientist Gregory S. Stone talking about his initial dive among the corals and sea life surrounding the Phoenix Islands in the South Pacific. Worldwide, the oceans are suffering. Corals are dying off at an alarming rate, victims of ocean warming and acidification—and their loss threatens more than 25 percent of all fish species, who depend on the food and shelter found in coral habitats. Yet in the waters off the Phoenix Islands, the corals were healthy, the fish populations pristine and abundant—and Stone and his companion on the dive, coral expert David Obura, determined that they were going to try their best to keep it that way.
Underwater Eden tells the story of how they succeeded, against great odds, in making that dream come true, with the establishment in 2008 of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA). It’s a story of cutting-edge science, fierce commitment, and innovative partnerships rooted in a determination to find common ground among conservationists, business interests, and governments—all backed up by hard-headed economic analysis.
Creating the world’s largest (and deepest) UNESCO World Heritage Site was by no means easy or straightforward. Underwater Eden takes us from the initial dive, through four major scientific expeditions and planning meetings over the course of a decade, to high-level negotiations with the government of Kiribati—a small island nation dependent on the revenue from the surrounding fisheries. How could the people of Kiribati, and the fishing industry its waters supported, be compensated for the substantial income they would be giving up in favor of posterity? And how could this previously little-known wilderness be transformed into one of the highest-profile international conservation priorities?
Step by step, conservation and its priorities won over the doubters, and Underwater Eden is the stunningly illustrated record of what was saved. Each chapter reveals—with eye-popping photographs—a different aspect of the science and conservation of the underwater and terrestrial life found in and around the Phoenix Islands’ coral reefs. Written by scientists, politicians, and journalists who have been involved in the conservation efforts since the beginning, the chapters brim with excitement, wonder, and confidence—tempered with realism and full of lessons that the success of PIPA offers for other ambitious conservation projects worldwide.
Simultaneously a valentine to the diversity, resilience, and importance of the oceans and a riveting account of how conservation really can succeed against the toughest obstacles, Underwater Eden is sure to enchant any ocean lover, whether ecotourist or armchair scuba diver.
Underwater Eden tells the story of how they succeeded, against great odds, in making that dream come true, with the establishment in 2008 of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA). It’s a story of cutting-edge science, fierce commitment, and innovative partnerships rooted in a determination to find common ground among conservationists, business interests, and governments—all backed up by hard-headed economic analysis.
Creating the world’s largest (and deepest) UNESCO World Heritage Site was by no means easy or straightforward. Underwater Eden takes us from the initial dive, through four major scientific expeditions and planning meetings over the course of a decade, to high-level negotiations with the government of Kiribati—a small island nation dependent on the revenue from the surrounding fisheries. How could the people of Kiribati, and the fishing industry its waters supported, be compensated for the substantial income they would be giving up in favor of posterity? And how could this previously little-known wilderness be transformed into one of the highest-profile international conservation priorities?
Step by step, conservation and its priorities won over the doubters, and Underwater Eden is the stunningly illustrated record of what was saved. Each chapter reveals—with eye-popping photographs—a different aspect of the science and conservation of the underwater and terrestrial life found in and around the Phoenix Islands’ coral reefs. Written by scientists, politicians, and journalists who have been involved in the conservation efforts since the beginning, the chapters brim with excitement, wonder, and confidence—tempered with realism and full of lessons that the success of PIPA offers for other ambitious conservation projects worldwide.
Simultaneously a valentine to the diversity, resilience, and importance of the oceans and a riveting account of how conservation really can succeed against the toughest obstacles, Underwater Eden is sure to enchant any ocean lover, whether ecotourist or armchair scuba diver.
- GenresScience
184 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
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December 7, 2013
This book is a combination of scientific report and travelogue. Unfortunately it does neither well enough to get a strong recommendation. Briefly the book's chapters outline the biological, cultural and conservation history of the remote Phoenix islands, in the context of establishing a large marine reserve there.
I enjoyed reading about these remote and amazing waters, and it really made me want to find a way to get out there. I found the Pala's history of the islands as told through water use an interestingly formatted one. I also enjoyed Pierce's section on invasive species and birds (not the least of which because it features some successes) and I plan on using Niesten and Shelley's chapter on Protecting Paradise in my marine conservation course in the spring.
The book has numerous side bars, which are of variable quality. Some are informative, others are more personal diary. In addition the book is liberally populated with spectacular photographs which are pure joy.
Overall though I think I am too familiar with the region to have enjoyed the book. I wanted to know more of the science and less of the spectacular nature. The text lacks a strong narrative theme and reads more like a book put together to help recruit donors for the conservation trust put together by large international conservation organizations.
I enjoyed reading about these remote and amazing waters, and it really made me want to find a way to get out there. I found the Pala's history of the islands as told through water use an interestingly formatted one. I also enjoyed Pierce's section on invasive species and birds (not the least of which because it features some successes) and I plan on using Niesten and Shelley's chapter on Protecting Paradise in my marine conservation course in the spring.
The book has numerous side bars, which are of variable quality. Some are informative, others are more personal diary. In addition the book is liberally populated with spectacular photographs which are pure joy.
Overall though I think I am too familiar with the region to have enjoyed the book. I wanted to know more of the science and less of the spectacular nature. The text lacks a strong narrative theme and reads more like a book put together to help recruit donors for the conservation trust put together by large international conservation organizations.
Displaying 1 of 1 review