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Seaweed Chronicles: A World at the Water’s Edge
Glimpse the wonders of a hidden world. An ancient, and vital, part of nature's ecosystem, seaweed is now emerging as an increasingly important source of food in a world faced with diminishing natural resources. In Seaweed Chronicles, acclaimed nature writer Susan Hand Shetterly opens a window into the world of this fascinating organism by providing an elegant, often poetic look at life on the rugged shore of the Gulf of Maine. Shetterly offers a close look at the life cycle of seaweed, and introduces us to the men and women who farm and harvest it-and their increasingly difficult task of protecting this critical natural resource against forces both natural and man-made. Ideal for fans of such books as The Hidden Life of Trees and How to Read Water, Seaweed Chronicles is a beautiful tribute to a little-known part of our country and a significant contribution to our understanding of our natural habitat.
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First published August 1, 2018
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2900 people want to read
About the author
Susan Hand Shetterly
14 books39 followersSusan Hand Shetterly, a former wild bird rehabilitator, has written about wildlife and wildlands for over twenty years. She is the author of the essay collection The New Year's Owl and several children's books. She was a contributing writer to the Maine Times and her pieces have appeared in Birder's World, Audubon Magazine, Yankee, and Down East. "
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
March 18, 2019
My hopes for this book were (unfortunately) dashed early on - I wanted a macrohistory of seaweed from a global perspective. I wanted an ecological and botanical approach to this flora that keeps the oceans oxygen-rich and the animals that depend on it. Basically I wanted a Blue Planet and a David Attenborough approach, since I just rewatched the nature doc series (I and II).
Instead, it is very much a pinpointed microhistory of the seaweed farming and fishery trade and economy of southeastern 'down east' Maine and the Atlantic coast. There are brief mentions of Pacific and Indian Ocean seaweed trades, but nothing substantial. So yeah, not what I expected, nor what the title implies.
Still, if you are into seaweed, you'll learn some interesting things in this book. Seaweed is becoming a more ubiquitous food in its own right and is used in a lot of processed items. There's a high probability that you consume it and/or wash with it everyday.
Have you ever been hoodwinked by a book's title?
Instead, it is very much a pinpointed microhistory of the seaweed farming and fishery trade and economy of southeastern 'down east' Maine and the Atlantic coast. There are brief mentions of Pacific and Indian Ocean seaweed trades, but nothing substantial. So yeah, not what I expected, nor what the title implies.
Still, if you are into seaweed, you'll learn some interesting things in this book. Seaweed is becoming a more ubiquitous food in its own right and is used in a lot of processed items. There's a high probability that you consume it and/or wash with it everyday.
Have you ever been hoodwinked by a book's title?
Want to read
June 21, 2018I can't wait to read this. I have loved seaweed, diving in kelp forests, seaweed harvesting, exploring it's amazing uses since I was 12.
August 15, 2022
Focused on the coast of Maine, this book provides great insight into how seaweed works within an ecosystem, both as food, for people and other animals, as refuge for crustaceans, bivalves, fish and even ducklings, and as a vital part of keeping the water free of pollutants.
Seaweed is presented not just as a resource to be exploited, but something to be protected and cared for. The local fishermen and seaweed farmers have a lot to say about it. A very interesting read.
Seaweed is presented not just as a resource to be exploited, but something to be protected and cared for. The local fishermen and seaweed farmers have a lot to say about it. A very interesting read.
June 4, 2018
Beautiful.
"Wild places will teach us, if we let them, if we pay attention."
I picked this book up as an ARC at Library Journal's Day of Dialog for my son who is studying to be a marine scientist in Maine. I began reading it to see if he might enjoy it. I know he will treasure it. I could not put it down.
For anyone who has ever enjoyed a walk along a shoreline, or loves eating seafood; clams, lobster, shrimp, cod, haddock. Maybe you love science like me, or the ocean. Perhaps you vacation in Maine or have dreamed of visiting there. You might be an avid birder, or love exploring tidepools. This is not a book only about seaweed, but about the people who live alongside and work and study coastal habitats. It is about our interconnectedness. Shetterly writes in her acknowledgements, "This book is about the past and the present, but also, and perhaps especially, it points to the future. As I wrote it, my grandchildren were my compass. They will inherit, as will all our children and grandchildren, what we leave for them of the wild." It is a beautiful book. Buy it! Read it. Share it.
"Wild places will teach us, if we let them, if we pay attention."
I picked this book up as an ARC at Library Journal's Day of Dialog for my son who is studying to be a marine scientist in Maine. I began reading it to see if he might enjoy it. I know he will treasure it. I could not put it down.
For anyone who has ever enjoyed a walk along a shoreline, or loves eating seafood; clams, lobster, shrimp, cod, haddock. Maybe you love science like me, or the ocean. Perhaps you vacation in Maine or have dreamed of visiting there. You might be an avid birder, or love exploring tidepools. This is not a book only about seaweed, but about the people who live alongside and work and study coastal habitats. It is about our interconnectedness. Shetterly writes in her acknowledgements, "This book is about the past and the present, but also, and perhaps especially, it points to the future. As I wrote it, my grandchildren were my compass. They will inherit, as will all our children and grandchildren, what we leave for them of the wild." It is a beautiful book. Buy it! Read it. Share it.
September 15, 2018
This is a book that cries out for illustration, photos or line drawings. I spent lots of time on my tablet looking for images of the various types of seaweed mentioned. Otherwise, an interesting book alerting the reader to the seaweed battles between unregulated harvesters,big business and environmentalists
July 31, 2021
Susan Shetterly is an excellent writer, a journalist in the best tradition of creative nonfiction. She introduces us to interesting people along the coast of Maine while laying out the beauty and complexity of inshore seaweed, both as marine habitat and a commercial industry. Not a book I probably would have picked up on my own, it was lent to me by a trusted and curious friend, and I am so glad to have read it.
September 4, 2019
I am not sure what I was expecting; but this was not it. I think I wanted a more global snapshot with more technical / scientific discussion. Shetterly writes in a conversational tone, so a book that is classified as biology is more accessible to readers of varied interests. However, the emphasis on the people along Maine's coast wore on me. By the time I finished the book, I was struggling to focus.
There really is only one chapter on science. Early on Shetterly reveals that seaweed is an algae rather than a plant. She defines it better than I can; but plants have a root system that pulls nutrients from the soil. Seaweeds have a holdfast that does not circulate nutrients. Somehow the leaves / blades / fronds extract nutrients from the sea. I am uncertain. Like I said, the focus on people more than balanced the discussion on seaweed.
In a few isolated places Shetterly mentions seaweed in Asia, Ireland, maybe elsewhere. If so, it was only in passing. There was little or no history about the cultivation of seaweed or its rise in popularity. Except for Maine. The book really is about the people in Maine who farm seaweed. That goes back to the 1970s with folks who were experimenting.
Policy making in 21st Century America appears to be based on stories. Tell the legislators your story. Tell the administrators about....Give them the human aspect. Too much data loses them. Shetterly has a record for activism. I defer to her knowledge on what works on policymakers. As a reader, it is far easier for me to dismiss the sad stories of one or two or a handful of farmers than it is for me to dismiss quantifiable facts and figures. In order to tell people about the rise of an industry, you need some statistics, some grounded factual information. This book leaves a lot of that out.
I do not entirely disregard the human element, especially in topics like climate change. But let's face it, readers of Bill O'Rielly and gun-carrying members of the NRA are not likely to table browse their book store and pick this book up. It appeals to folks already inclined to accept the need for sustainable aquaculture. Shetterly does not need to convince me. She does need to tell me about seaweed, the industry, the history, the science, the future. Readers either get a dose of "we need to save the Ascophyllum!" Or, they get "Micah, twenty-eight years old, tall, snd rangy, has eyes so deeply blue that one could be forgiven for thinking that they look a lot like pools of seawater." Too much human element.
Overall, I learned somethings. Everything I learned was in the first couple of chapters. The rest was filler. Even a chapter on cooking with seaweed was frustratingly vague. "I eat a lot more seaweed in winter, in salad and as noodles....I add the kelp mix I made to rice and beans and soups, using it sparingly." Kelp mix? Seaweed noodles? Oh well. I finished the book.
There really is only one chapter on science. Early on Shetterly reveals that seaweed is an algae rather than a plant. She defines it better than I can; but plants have a root system that pulls nutrients from the soil. Seaweeds have a holdfast that does not circulate nutrients. Somehow the leaves / blades / fronds extract nutrients from the sea. I am uncertain. Like I said, the focus on people more than balanced the discussion on seaweed.
In a few isolated places Shetterly mentions seaweed in Asia, Ireland, maybe elsewhere. If so, it was only in passing. There was little or no history about the cultivation of seaweed or its rise in popularity. Except for Maine. The book really is about the people in Maine who farm seaweed. That goes back to the 1970s with folks who were experimenting.
Policy making in 21st Century America appears to be based on stories. Tell the legislators your story. Tell the administrators about....Give them the human aspect. Too much data loses them. Shetterly has a record for activism. I defer to her knowledge on what works on policymakers. As a reader, it is far easier for me to dismiss the sad stories of one or two or a handful of farmers than it is for me to dismiss quantifiable facts and figures. In order to tell people about the rise of an industry, you need some statistics, some grounded factual information. This book leaves a lot of that out.
I do not entirely disregard the human element, especially in topics like climate change. But let's face it, readers of Bill O'Rielly and gun-carrying members of the NRA are not likely to table browse their book store and pick this book up. It appeals to folks already inclined to accept the need for sustainable aquaculture. Shetterly does not need to convince me. She does need to tell me about seaweed, the industry, the history, the science, the future. Readers either get a dose of "we need to save the Ascophyllum!" Or, they get "Micah, twenty-eight years old, tall, snd rangy, has eyes so deeply blue that one could be forgiven for thinking that they look a lot like pools of seawater." Too much human element.
Overall, I learned somethings. Everything I learned was in the first couple of chapters. The rest was filler. Even a chapter on cooking with seaweed was frustratingly vague. "I eat a lot more seaweed in winter, in salad and as noodles....I add the kelp mix I made to rice and beans and soups, using it sparingly." Kelp mix? Seaweed noodles? Oh well. I finished the book.
July 6, 2024
Beautiful, who knew seaweed was so interesting? Beautifully told as a series of adventures highlighting the importance of seaweed, it's history, it's environmental significance
August 15, 2018
This was absolutely a wonderful and informative read. Before I get into the specifics of all the things I liked and didn’t, however, I would like to talk about my own feelings on the subject matter at hand. Reading this book frustrated me immensely. I hated reading about all this disappearing wildlife, and its habitat, and not being able to do anything about it. I was even more frustrated when Shetterly described the efforts being made to stop the industries that are trashing habitat and chewing up seafloor, and the readiness of certain key individuals to kiss up to these industries instead of working to preserve these wild resources for our future. I really hope that, if not this book, then something else will have a profound effect on our society, and that much like the birds of Silent Spring, the creatures of Seaweed Chronicles will be saved before it is too late.
Putting aside my frustration with out species, here are some of the things that caught my eye and I enjoyed reading about in Seaweed Chronicles:
1. Complexity of ecosystems – the ecosystem of any area is a complex thing. The ocean, while seemingly self-contained and less complicated, actually is awe-inspiring in its complexity. I never really realized just how much all the different species and habitats affect each other, and just how much the temperature, acidity, and currents of the ocean can affect these interlocking species. If you don’t think the ocean in complex, or that there are many many resources worth saving, read this book. It may appear to be about seaweed, but in reality it is about the many separate wild lives that seaweed supports.
2. Political and cultural effects – Even more shocking than the complexity of the ocean and the sheer amount of life that seaweed supports was the realization that this industry has enormous political and cultural potential, in both cases – whether the seaweed is conserved or completely destroyed. I got to read about the effects of the nuclear reactor in Fukushima, and about the poverty in the Phillipines. I never realized just how much these seemingly unimportant seaweeds tie us all together. Reading about all this was most definitely eye opening.
3. Personal stories – my favorite part about the book was actually not the global impact it conveyed, but the personal, down to earth people that encapsulate the global reach of seaweed. I really enjoyed reading about all the scientists’ stories, all the fishermen and gatherers for whom seaweed is actually a way of life. I think its really hard to get people to connect to a nonfiction read, but Shetterly really draws you in with her ability to relate these real world figures through the pages. Reading about them and their way of life made me more aware of my own actions and the increasing need of awareness in others.
I have little to say in terms of what I didn’t like, but one thing that I could recommend to the author, and that would have made the read a little bit easier would be the addition of graphics.There were no images or graphs and I ended up having to draw in the more detailed explanations to make sense of them. Perhaps someone understanding something about seaweed, or having a background in it, would not need help in this, but in my personal experience, it was a little confusing. There is a glossary at the beginning of the book, but as it is missing pictures of the species described, I didn’t find it to be much help.
Putting aside my frustration with out species, here are some of the things that caught my eye and I enjoyed reading about in Seaweed Chronicles:
1. Complexity of ecosystems – the ecosystem of any area is a complex thing. The ocean, while seemingly self-contained and less complicated, actually is awe-inspiring in its complexity. I never really realized just how much all the different species and habitats affect each other, and just how much the temperature, acidity, and currents of the ocean can affect these interlocking species. If you don’t think the ocean in complex, or that there are many many resources worth saving, read this book. It may appear to be about seaweed, but in reality it is about the many separate wild lives that seaweed supports.
2. Political and cultural effects – Even more shocking than the complexity of the ocean and the sheer amount of life that seaweed supports was the realization that this industry has enormous political and cultural potential, in both cases – whether the seaweed is conserved or completely destroyed. I got to read about the effects of the nuclear reactor in Fukushima, and about the poverty in the Phillipines. I never realized just how much these seemingly unimportant seaweeds tie us all together. Reading about all this was most definitely eye opening.
3. Personal stories – my favorite part about the book was actually not the global impact it conveyed, but the personal, down to earth people that encapsulate the global reach of seaweed. I really enjoyed reading about all the scientists’ stories, all the fishermen and gatherers for whom seaweed is actually a way of life. I think its really hard to get people to connect to a nonfiction read, but Shetterly really draws you in with her ability to relate these real world figures through the pages. Reading about them and their way of life made me more aware of my own actions and the increasing need of awareness in others.
I have little to say in terms of what I didn’t like, but one thing that I could recommend to the author, and that would have made the read a little bit easier would be the addition of graphics.There were no images or graphs and I ended up having to draw in the more detailed explanations to make sense of them. Perhaps someone understanding something about seaweed, or having a background in it, would not need help in this, but in my personal experience, it was a little confusing. There is a glossary at the beginning of the book, but as it is missing pictures of the species described, I didn’t find it to be much help.
June 13, 2022
Susan Hand Shetterly hits a lot of marks in Seaweed Chronicles. She blends a poetic, sentimental prose style in the tradition of Rachel Carson and Aldo Leopold, with a technical brass in the spirit of Bill Cronon, a hallmark of heavy-hitting environmental history.
"Instead of assuming, as we have for many generations, that [the Gulf of Maine] will take care of us, we are realizing that we are the caretakers of what is left of it," Shetterly writes (p 9), adopting a markedly Cronon-esque frame ("In seeking to tame the earth as we have, we've taken upon ourselves the burden of tending and caring for the garden we have sought to make of this planet," Cronon says. This sweeping video is a wonderful Cronon primer).
The book succeeds as a deep study of the local fisheries around the coast of Maine, and using that locale to explain larger trends and issues around the world related to nautical industries, overfishing (or overharvesting, in the case of seaweed), and climate change. Shetterly leans heavily on narrative storytelling, marshaling the biographies of the farmers, fishers, scientists, and policymakers she embeds herself with to move the story forward and weave her web.
We learn about the health benefits (as well as the possible detriments) of consuming seaweed, the various types of harvesting (ranging from small, local farmers to giant industrial operations), and how seaweed and kelp fit into their broader ecosystem. Shetterly tells related stories on topics ranging from the invasive European Green Crab to the collapse of the cod and alewive fisheries. Of course, it all ties back to seaweed and kelp. Like any good environmental history, we are reminded of the intricacy of the living world and that everything is connected.
Shetterly does commit one of the more egregious cardinal sins of environmental writing by all but ignoring indigenous communities' history and expertise in seaweed and kelp farming (save for a few passing mentions). Even a cursory Google search yields plenty of information on this rich history.
"Instead of assuming, as we have for many generations, that [the Gulf of Maine] will take care of us, we are realizing that we are the caretakers of what is left of it," Shetterly writes (p 9), adopting a markedly Cronon-esque frame ("In seeking to tame the earth as we have, we've taken upon ourselves the burden of tending and caring for the garden we have sought to make of this planet," Cronon says. This sweeping video is a wonderful Cronon primer).
The book succeeds as a deep study of the local fisheries around the coast of Maine, and using that locale to explain larger trends and issues around the world related to nautical industries, overfishing (or overharvesting, in the case of seaweed), and climate change. Shetterly leans heavily on narrative storytelling, marshaling the biographies of the farmers, fishers, scientists, and policymakers she embeds herself with to move the story forward and weave her web.
We learn about the health benefits (as well as the possible detriments) of consuming seaweed, the various types of harvesting (ranging from small, local farmers to giant industrial operations), and how seaweed and kelp fit into their broader ecosystem. Shetterly tells related stories on topics ranging from the invasive European Green Crab to the collapse of the cod and alewive fisheries. Of course, it all ties back to seaweed and kelp. Like any good environmental history, we are reminded of the intricacy of the living world and that everything is connected.
Shetterly does commit one of the more egregious cardinal sins of environmental writing by all but ignoring indigenous communities' history and expertise in seaweed and kelp farming (save for a few passing mentions). Even a cursory Google search yields plenty of information on this rich history.
June 8, 2025
Lovely writing and interesting subject matter. A little uneven at times but I learned a ton and really enjoyed it.
February 25, 2023
This book was just okay for me—it's quite short and at times feels like it wasn't sure how to fill out the space it does take up. Some interesting info for sure, but not focused enough.
February 20, 2019
An excellent combination of ecology, aquaculture, natural history, and human history. Read like the seaweed version of "the secret life of lobsters"
May 20, 2019
I loved, loved, loved this book. It gave insight into a topic seldom broached in general "dinner table" conversation! Shetterly discusses the scientific reasons for the collapse/demise of fisheries - cod, eels, sardines, anchovies, shrimps, halibut, abalone, flounder, crab etc. A lot of the data is specific to the Maine area, but applicable worldwide. She describes 'lazy bed making' - something I hope to still see on the Aran Isles in October '19.
The book is so informative about past, present and future, that to try and summarise the data in a review would be nigh impossible. She explores the work of Phycologists (Seaweed Scientists). We need to be mindful of not over-exploiting the seaweed world. Man has a long history of not being able to live on a piece of land without spoiling it. Birds, fish, creatures , insects, micro-organisms all feature in their relation to seaweed.
Can our human bodies extract and use the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and phytochemicals. This field of study lags far behind that of aquaculture and agriculture diets.
"Nothing's static in the world of science and we learn to live with uncertainty, and we need to learn to plan for it".
"We are little in big landscapes, but we must know that the resources of the earth are finite".
"The more we perfect our capacity to harvest wold nature, the closer we come to destroying what we seek".
It is not only the facts that are engrossing, but also the beautiful descriptions and lyrical/inspired penmanship -eg. 'The current in the bay streams past.....like an undulating velvet carpet.'
The book is so informative about past, present and future, that to try and summarise the data in a review would be nigh impossible. She explores the work of Phycologists (Seaweed Scientists). We need to be mindful of not over-exploiting the seaweed world. Man has a long history of not being able to live on a piece of land without spoiling it. Birds, fish, creatures , insects, micro-organisms all feature in their relation to seaweed.
Can our human bodies extract and use the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and phytochemicals. This field of study lags far behind that of aquaculture and agriculture diets.
"Nothing's static in the world of science and we learn to live with uncertainty, and we need to learn to plan for it".
"We are little in big landscapes, but we must know that the resources of the earth are finite".
"The more we perfect our capacity to harvest wold nature, the closer we come to destroying what we seek".
It is not only the facts that are engrossing, but also the beautiful descriptions and lyrical/inspired penmanship -eg. 'The current in the bay streams past.....like an undulating velvet carpet.'
October 3, 2018
Susan Hand Shetterly tells a familiar story of a beautiful but tenuous ecology at risk from overharvesting, but she tells it so well and so thoroughly that it's a pleasure to read.
My favorite passage, from the chapter "The Uneasy Art of Making Policy":
"When sitting in on a meeting of seaweed harvesters and processors, I heard one of the participants, tilting back in his chair, declare, "Rockweed—you just can't overharvest it. You can't. It's infinite!" His right hand went up and flipped away any suspicion to the contrary.
"I watched his hand because it looked like the wing of a bird to me, and it sent me, for a dreamlike moment, to the edge of a scrub field somewhere in Virginia at dusk in the late 1800s as clouds of birds—hundreds of the now gone, fabled passenger pigeons—settled into their nighttime roosts in a copse of live oaks. Across the nearby fields I could almost hear the echoing voices of the gunners as they came running with their lanky dogs."
I'm coming away from this book with a better image of the far eastern coast of my state, its wildlife, its people, and its warming ocean; and a better idea of what exactly I care about when I care about the environment.
August 27, 2020
Do you ever wonder what goes on in the spaces which you cannot see? In the places that are difficult to visit and explore? Susan Hand Shetterly takes us to one of those places, to the world of the intertidal zone, a world rich in life and biodiversity. In “Seaweed Chronicles: A World at the Water’s Edge” Shetterly writes not about the seaweeds around the globe nor about all species of seaweed known. Instead she writes about the bounty available to us in this magnificent world and the urgency and many ways to care for that world so that it may provide for us in the future. Shetterly is an excellent writer who is able to bring the reader with her as she focuses on the coastal intertidal zones in her home state of Maine visiting habitats, businesses, and community groups bound together by the need to have successful seaweed beds in order to ensure their lives are successful. If you enjoy books about the sea, the intertidal zone and all those species who rely on them, books about nature, or books about Maine you will enjoy this book. I recommend it.
January 17, 2022
I am reading this for the Stonington Book club. A great read. I have learned so much from reading this book. So interesting. And, I actually knew some of the people she interviewed in the book. I have a new interest for seaweed even though I hate walking on it. I might even try to eat some after reading this book. The women she interviewed in this book were really something. One of them would have been a perfect wife for my husband! She built her house, she turns bowls and rolling pins, has her own boat and the list goes on. I told him all that and he says he is still happy with me. Good answer! I will be recommending this to some of my friends and family for sure. And, I will be going to the Co-op to check out some seaweed products. I really liked this book and thought Shetterly did a great job writing it. Who knew seaweed could be so important to us and be so interconnected to the life cycle of so many things. I just finished the book. I just found it fascinating, disturbing, upsetting, and interesting all at the same time. Everyone should read this book who cares about the ocean and all the species that depend on the ocean and the seaweed.
February 28, 2025
Would be a good place for someone with no background in coastal fisheries to start learning a bit more about them, why they’re managed the way they are or should be managed even better, and why it’s important to think of the big picture when it comes to the environment. There’s entire biomes supported by seaweed beds and kelp forests, and they’re vitally important to so many aspects of human life that we don’t even think about. Explores how we balance (or fail to balance) that with people’s livelihoods.
Just one of the many books you read and think about how no one who actually needs to gain perspective on environmental issues is going to be reading this and then make yourself sad. Idk lol someone tell me how not to lose hope for the future rn
Just one of the many books you read and think about how no one who actually needs to gain perspective on environmental issues is going to be reading this and then make yourself sad. Idk lol someone tell me how not to lose hope for the future rn
May 15, 2023
This book provided me with a snapshot of the New England costal environment and centered around the seaweed harvesting industry of the Maine sound. I picked up this book expecting a more scientific/biology book rather than one centering around industry and conservation but still learned about the commercial seaweed industry. I gave this book 3 stars because some of the information and interviews in the book were more surface level (no pun intended) than I expected.
December 5, 2019
I read this book as part of my Nature Book Club which is hosted by my local library. What a delightful and important book to read! I research and write about the intersection of people and plants and this book is a model for how to think about how we use plants and what our responsibilities are as caretakers of the wild gardens on our planet. She tackles all of the influencing factors: history, economics, politics, geography, ecological relationships, uses, and sustainability of seaweed and fishing economies, and coastal communities. I love her stories about and interviews with people directly involved and affected.
I read some of the posted reviews from people who wanted a global perspective. I suspect that what she described in every chapter can apply to many if not most coastal fishing and seaweed economies.
I read some of the posted reviews from people who wanted a global perspective. I suspect that what she described in every chapter can apply to many if not most coastal fishing and seaweed economies.
February 12, 2025
2.5 rounded down
too much flowery wording, but that's just personal taste
too much flowery wording, but that's just personal taste
January 7, 2025
Interesting tidbits but I didn’t particularly get how it was organized. More about seaweed harvesting practices and policy than super science-y. makes me wanna visit Maine!
May 22, 2022
Seaweed - a renewable resource from the sea - unless we over-exploit it like we have so much before.
October 20, 2020
I may have to stop reading nature books. I don't think I can bear to read one more gracefully written ode to some seemingly narrow but infinitely complex and beautiful facet of our natural world as it lies dying. Like most of the genre, this one offers hope amidst the despair, but the sense of loss is overwhelming.
So, the review: It's a lovely book. Presented as a series of essays, this is the story of the seaweed species of the Gulf of Maine and the lives entwined within and around them, from the tiniest larvae to entire human communities. There is so much more to it than the stinking snarl of green we find washed up on the shore. Indeed, it turns out that seaweed may be one of the foundational organisms of the coastal ecosystem. But with the tragic collapse of nearly all of Maine's historic fisheries, seaweed stands as the next great hope for harvesting. And so the struggle ensues, between the desperate need for local jobs, the greed of non-local corporations, and the urgent drive to preserve what remains of a ravaged biome. Susan Hand Shetterly lays out the issues clearly, in the voices of people on all sides. It gives the reader a glimpse of what we're up against if we want to save our natural world...and, possibly, provides a model for how we get there.
So, the review: It's a lovely book. Presented as a series of essays, this is the story of the seaweed species of the Gulf of Maine and the lives entwined within and around them, from the tiniest larvae to entire human communities. There is so much more to it than the stinking snarl of green we find washed up on the shore. Indeed, it turns out that seaweed may be one of the foundational organisms of the coastal ecosystem. But with the tragic collapse of nearly all of Maine's historic fisheries, seaweed stands as the next great hope for harvesting. And so the struggle ensues, between the desperate need for local jobs, the greed of non-local corporations, and the urgent drive to preserve what remains of a ravaged biome. Susan Hand Shetterly lays out the issues clearly, in the voices of people on all sides. It gives the reader a glimpse of what we're up against if we want to save our natural world...and, possibly, provides a model for how we get there.
Read
February 3, 2025So, I started listening to this book just for the fun of it. I thought that maybe I’d learn something and it would be a nice palate cleanser for all of the emotionally heavy things I have read and tend to read. For a large majority of the book, I was okay with it, extremely bored but still okay with it. That is until the last couple of chapters which kinda pissed me off. Let’s delve into it, shall we?
Disclaimer: even though these points are numbered, they have no particular order.
1. LAND BACK! There is literally not a single mention of the Natives and how they utilized seaweed for food, medicine, and other purposes. Give credit where it is rightfully due. I get that the author is taking us on her own journey of sorts and doing lots of personal interviews with different people in the field, but what about some history or context? I promise you that white people did not magically know what to do with seaweed generations ago when they colonized land that was already being lived upon.
2. This ties into the first point: y’all don’t own the land or the seaweed for fuck’s sake!!! I get it, industrialization and corporate commercialism of a natural thing destroys habitats and decimates entire ecosystems but no single person or entity owns the land or the seaweed or any of it. Let’s not act like we have ownership of literal nature. Yes, by all means, protect it, conserve it, but not a single individual or greedy money hungry company owns it.
3. Everything is always made about money or jobs in the end because of capitalism. But imagine? What if we didn’t live in a capitalist hellscape? People would take care of the land and the water and the plants and the animals freely. They’d go back to bartering or an exchange of services. I don’t give a damn about seaweed as a million dollar industry. Greed will destroy it all anyway.
In other words, I am somewhat big mad (mostly that I wasted the time listening to this audiobook; the narrator’s voice (I’m sorry) was truly difficult to get through (once again, sorry, I’m sure she’s a lovely lady) and not welcoming debate because I won’t even remember a single thing from this book in the next 10 minutes.
Disclaimer: even though these points are numbered, they have no particular order.
1. LAND BACK! There is literally not a single mention of the Natives and how they utilized seaweed for food, medicine, and other purposes. Give credit where it is rightfully due. I get that the author is taking us on her own journey of sorts and doing lots of personal interviews with different people in the field, but what about some history or context? I promise you that white people did not magically know what to do with seaweed generations ago when they colonized land that was already being lived upon.
2. This ties into the first point: y’all don’t own the land or the seaweed for fuck’s sake!!! I get it, industrialization and corporate commercialism of a natural thing destroys habitats and decimates entire ecosystems but no single person or entity owns the land or the seaweed or any of it. Let’s not act like we have ownership of literal nature. Yes, by all means, protect it, conserve it, but not a single individual or greedy money hungry company owns it.
3. Everything is always made about money or jobs in the end because of capitalism. But imagine? What if we didn’t live in a capitalist hellscape? People would take care of the land and the water and the plants and the animals freely. They’d go back to bartering or an exchange of services. I don’t give a damn about seaweed as a million dollar industry. Greed will destroy it all anyway.
In other words, I am somewhat big mad (mostly that I wasted the time listening to this audiobook; the narrator’s voice (I’m sorry) was truly difficult to get through (once again, sorry, I’m sure she’s a lovely lady) and not welcoming debate because I won’t even remember a single thing from this book in the next 10 minutes.
February 3, 2019
I read a lot of marine science books, and generally enjoy them. Many of them take a global synopsis view, moving from example to example keeping a theme constant but drawing from global examples. This book takes a different approach. This book is fundamentally rooted (holdfasted?) in the shores of Maine, and from that single local explores a variety of issues arising from an overlooked marine organism - macroalgale.
As a fish biologist I admit these are often just viewed as habitat or background members, but this book really dives into understanding their ecological role, and most interestingly, looks at the burgeoning fishery around them. What I found most interesting were the conversations looking at the harvesting and how fishers, scientists, and policy makers are keen to use the lessons learned from the cod, the alewife and countless other collapsed fisheries as sparks to think about how to do a fishery differently. Because the fishery is still developing, the book cannot fully realize this desire. Rather than saying "this is how it is" the author is forced to muse on "this is how things may be." That's ok though, it's interesting to sit upon the edge of a industry's birth and think about the fragments of possibilities that exist - the different directions it may take. Ranging from large scale commercial farming of global species to hand plucked artisan kelp sold by bulk over the internet.
I enjoyed reading this and kept thinking of multiple people I wanted to send it to after finishing it. It's a short book, written in small segments, so it's not necessarily good for a long read. The flip side of this is that it's great for busy people who may only have 10-15 min chunks.
As a fish biologist I admit these are often just viewed as habitat or background members, but this book really dives into understanding their ecological role, and most interestingly, looks at the burgeoning fishery around them. What I found most interesting were the conversations looking at the harvesting and how fishers, scientists, and policy makers are keen to use the lessons learned from the cod, the alewife and countless other collapsed fisheries as sparks to think about how to do a fishery differently. Because the fishery is still developing, the book cannot fully realize this desire. Rather than saying "this is how it is" the author is forced to muse on "this is how things may be." That's ok though, it's interesting to sit upon the edge of a industry's birth and think about the fragments of possibilities that exist - the different directions it may take. Ranging from large scale commercial farming of global species to hand plucked artisan kelp sold by bulk over the internet.
I enjoyed reading this and kept thinking of multiple people I wanted to send it to after finishing it. It's a short book, written in small segments, so it's not necessarily good for a long read. The flip side of this is that it's great for busy people who may only have 10-15 min chunks.
January 13, 2021
“When we put wild systems first, we are passing on the gift of life to many species, including our own. “
This is by far the best book I’ve read about seaweed yet! (Cynical readers may notice it is the only book I’ve read about seaweed yet.)
All joking aside, this is a fine and beautiful book with a lot of unexpected insights not only into the integrated relationships of nature, but also humans and how we work in the wild. It’s a book about seaweed and inland ecology, but its lessons and stories apply to nature the world over.
If I have one major disappointment, it is that there are no illustrations. I was only a few pages into the book when I began to feel this absence, and it was a big one. There is so much discussed, from explanations of the types of seaweed to the beautiful settings in the state of Maine which the author explores, which would have benefited from illustrations. It is a shame there were no illustrations to go with it. I would have loved to have a primer I could refer to when trying to recognize seaweed types, as well as a unique travel guide to wild locations on the coast of Maine.
I see the book was written in part with a grant from the Alfred P Sloan Foundation (good for them!). Perhaps this limited funding made it difficult to include illustrations. I would love to see a future edition with that changed.
This is by far the best book I’ve read about seaweed yet! (Cynical readers may notice it is the only book I’ve read about seaweed yet.)
All joking aside, this is a fine and beautiful book with a lot of unexpected insights not only into the integrated relationships of nature, but also humans and how we work in the wild. It’s a book about seaweed and inland ecology, but its lessons and stories apply to nature the world over.
If I have one major disappointment, it is that there are no illustrations. I was only a few pages into the book when I began to feel this absence, and it was a big one. There is so much discussed, from explanations of the types of seaweed to the beautiful settings in the state of Maine which the author explores, which would have benefited from illustrations. It is a shame there were no illustrations to go with it. I would have loved to have a primer I could refer to when trying to recognize seaweed types, as well as a unique travel guide to wild locations on the coast of Maine.
I see the book was written in part with a grant from the Alfred P Sloan Foundation (good for them!). Perhaps this limited funding made it difficult to include illustrations. I would love to see a future edition with that changed.
July 11, 2019
In my lifetime, I have enjoyed numerous visits to the coast of Maine. SEAWEED CHRONICLES provides an enhanced view of any perspective I might have held previously. Susan Hand Shetterly takes us on a personal tour of the ecosystem of the Gulf of Maine. She concentrates on seaweed, the uptick in seaweed harvesting, what we know and don't know about the chain of life there, the players, and the politics --- as the concern grows about how to balance economic and ecological well-being, especially when overall understanding of the dynamics is somewhat unclear, and the effects of overfishing are a related and sobering reality.
I recommend this beautifully written book for anyone interested in a closer view of the shorelines and water surrounding our country, or for that matter, any country on our planet. If the publisher releases an updated edition, I hope they consider two additions: botanical line drawings of all the seaweed varieties discussed and a detailed map of Maine, with locations visited in this book. That being said, this physically handsome book should be available in most public and academic libraries, as well as independent bookstores near the water's edge. It would make a wonderful gift for someone particularly interested in our coastal environments.
I recommend this beautifully written book for anyone interested in a closer view of the shorelines and water surrounding our country, or for that matter, any country on our planet. If the publisher releases an updated edition, I hope they consider two additions: botanical line drawings of all the seaweed varieties discussed and a detailed map of Maine, with locations visited in this book. That being said, this physically handsome book should be available in most public and academic libraries, as well as independent bookstores near the water's edge. It would make a wonderful gift for someone particularly interested in our coastal environments.
December 31, 2024
I have been trying to brush up on all things in the marine world when I happened upon this book at the local library. While a chronicle of seaweed might not sound like a great book, Susan Hand Shetterly brought a welcome look into the world of seagrass farming with a focus on the lives of those in Maine who make it their livelihood.
Having a science background, I appreciated the opening pages that gave a quick synopsis of the seaweed species mentioned later in the book.
The Seawood Chronicles in essence is a glimpse into the world of a certain breed. They are not fishermen, they are not farmers, at least not any more. But they are hardworking and they seem to have an understanding that our resources are limited. We have seen how fisheries have been exhausted, how species are becoming extinct, and how the climate is changing. This is just one more industry that must adapt or die, and hopefully an industry that can learn from our past mistakes. After reading the book, I am left with a feeling of promise and optimism for, at least, seaweed.
There is no doubt that seaweeds are valuable not only for our consumption as food, for the compounds found within it, or for the habitat they provide. Whether or not that stops us from succumbing to greed and make it another unsustainable industry, time will tell.
Having a science background, I appreciated the opening pages that gave a quick synopsis of the seaweed species mentioned later in the book.
The Seawood Chronicles in essence is a glimpse into the world of a certain breed. They are not fishermen, they are not farmers, at least not any more. But they are hardworking and they seem to have an understanding that our resources are limited. We have seen how fisheries have been exhausted, how species are becoming extinct, and how the climate is changing. This is just one more industry that must adapt or die, and hopefully an industry that can learn from our past mistakes. After reading the book, I am left with a feeling of promise and optimism for, at least, seaweed.
There is no doubt that seaweeds are valuable not only for our consumption as food, for the compounds found within it, or for the habitat they provide. Whether or not that stops us from succumbing to greed and make it another unsustainable industry, time will tell.
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