Folsom Library Collection Highlights

• Across Species and Cultures: Whales, Humans, and Pacific Worlds by Ryan Tucker Jones, Angela Wanhalla

  ISBN: 0824892135

  Publication Date: 2022

  More than any other locale, the Pacific Ocean has been the meeting place between humans and whales. From Indigenous Pacific peoples who built lives and cosmologies around whales, to Euro-American whalers who descended upon the Pacific during the nineteenth century, and to the new forms of human-cetacean partnerships that have emerged from the late twentieth century, the relationship between these two species has been central to the ocean's history. Across Species and Cultures: Whales, Humans, and Pacific Worlds offers for the first time a critical, wide-ranging geographical and temporal look at the varieties of whale histories in the Pacific. The essay contributors, hailing from around the Pacific, present a wealth of fascinating stories while breaking new methodological ground in environmental history, women's history, animal studies, and Indigenous ontologies. In the process they reveal previously hidden aspects of the story of Pacific whaling, including the contributions of Indigenous people to capitalist whaling, the industry's exceptionally far-reaching spread, and its overlooked second life as a global, industrial slaughter in the twentieth century.
• Between the Tides in Washington and Oregon by Ryan P. Kelly; Terrie Klinger; John J. Meyer

  ISBN: 9780295749976

  Publication Date: 2022-12-06

  In the intertidal zone-the space between low and high tide-a rich and complex ecosystem thrives. It's an easily overlooked space, but the porcelain crabs, ochre stars, and other curious species that call this place home provide a window into the hidden workings of the natural world. Drawing on the authority of two leading scientists and the storytelling power of a science writer, this guidebook to the coasts of Washington and Oregon offers general readers a highly-accessible overview of the rich and surprising ways that water and land interact to create seashore ecologies. The authors systematically take readers along the coast, highlighting what makes each location fascinating and unique. At the heart of this richly-illustrated book is a desire to help readers understand the scientific forces that shape the plants, animals, and landscapes.
• Coral Reefs by Russell Kelley (Foreword by); Charles Sheppard

  ISBN: 0691218625

  Publication Date: 2021-08-17

  An illustrated look at corals from around the world. Corals are among the most varied lifeforms on Earth, ranging from mushroom corals and leather corals to button polyps, sea fans, anemones, and pulse corals. Bridging the gap between plant and animal, these marine invertebrates serve as homes to reef fish and share symbiotic relationships with photosynthesizing algae, which provide corals with their nourishment. This stunningly illustrated book profiles the astonishing diversity of the world's coral groups, describing key aspects of their natural history and explaining why coral reefs are critical to the health of our oceans. Representative examples of corals have been selected to illustrate the broad range of species, and the book's lively and informative commentary covers everything from identification to conservation, making it an essential resource for marine biologists, divers, and anyone who is fascinated by these remarkable sea creatures. Features more than 200 exquisite color photos; highlights key aspects of corals and their natural history; features representative examples from around the world; and includes photos of rare and unusual species.
• Crabs: A Global Natural History by Peter J. F. Davie

  ISBN: 9780691230139

  Publication Date: 2021-12-07

  A richly illustrated natural history of the world's crabs that examines their diversity, ecology, anatomy, behavior, and more. This lavishly illustrated book offers a remarkable look at the world's crabs. More than 7,000 crab species, in 100 different families, are known today. Their unique physiology and complex behaviors have made them one of the most diverse and adaptable of all animal groups. They can thrive in the darkness of abyssal seas, on the edges of scalding hot volcanic hydrothermal vents, on sunlit coral reefs, on wave-washed rocky shores, and in tropical rain forests at the tops of mountains. They even persist in some of the harshest desert conditions. Playing a vital role in marine and coastal ecology, crabs have been identified as keystone species in habitats such as coral reefs and coastal tropical swamps. 'Crabs' is comprised of five chapters: evolutionary pathways; anatomy and physiology; ecology; reproduction, cognition, and behavior; and exploitation and conservation.
• The Living Sea by Jacques Cousteau; James Dugan

  Call Number: QH91 .C628

  ISBN: 0060108754

  Publication Date: 1963-01-01

  True adventure book describes some of the discoveries and progress made by Captain Cousteau and his team of Marine science explorers. Beneath the mantling oceans, Cousteau and his professional diving team excavate a ship which sank in the third century B.C. They roam afar to investigate other wrecks, from one sunk in the Bronze Age to a freighter which went down before their eyes. Captain Cousteau goes down to the bottom of the sea in the bathyscaph and starts an undersea avalanche which engulfs the vessel. He drinks wine that has lain on the sea bottom for two thousand years; he is entrapped at night by twenty-five-foot seaweeds in the Gibraltar current. In 'The Living Sea' you'll meet creatures never before seen or classified: abyssal sharks with shovel snouts and white protruding eyes; a sliver fish shaped like a triangle; a fish whose skin is marked off into perfect checkerboard squares. you will encounter "the Truckfish", an animal unaccountably grown to fifty times the normal weight of its species, and Ulysses, the giant grouper which became the divers' pet.
• Moby Dick by Herman. Melville; Harrison Hayford; Hershel Parker

  Call Number: PS2384 .M6 2002

  ISBN: 0393972836

  Publication Date: 1999-07-27

  Moby-Dick still stands as an indisputable literary classic. It is the story of an eerily compelling madman pursuing an unholy war against a creature as vast and dangerous and unknowable as the sea itself. But more than just a novel of adventure, more than an encyclopedia of whaling lore and legend, Moby-Dick is a haunting, mesmerizing, and important social commentary populated with several of the most unforgettable and enduring characters in literature. Ishmael joined the crew of the whaling ship Pequod expecting a simple whaling voyage. Little did he know that the captain of the ship is thirsty for revenge against Moby Dick, the great white whale responsible for his missing leg. As the crew sails the ocean, Captain Ahab searches unceasingly for Moby Dick, ignoring warnings and prophecies of doom. When the white whale is finally spotted, a battle ensues that makes this novel by author Herman Melville one of the most epic sea stories of all time.
• The Odyssey by Homer; Emily Wilson (Translator)

  Call Number: PA4025.A5 W56 2018

  ISBN: 9780393089059

  Publication Date: 2017-11-07

  The first great adventure story in the Western canon, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty, and power; about marriage and family; about travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. In this fresh, authoritative version--the first English translation of The Odyssey by a woman--this stirring tale of shipwrecks, monsters, and magic comes alive in an entirely new way. Written in iambic pentameter verse and a vivid, contemporary idiom, this engrossing translation matches the number of lines in the Greek original, thus striding at Homer's sprightly pace and singing with a voice that echoes Homer's music. Wilson's Odyssey captures the beauty and enchantment of this ancient poem as well as the suspense and drama of its narrative. Its characters are unforgettable, from the cunning goddess Athena, whose interventions guide and protect the hero, to the awkward teenage son, Telemachus, who struggles to achieve adulthood and find his father; from the cautious, clever, and miserable Penelope, who somehow keeps clamoring suitors at bay during her husband's long absence, to the "complicated" hero himself, a man of many disguises, many tricks, and many moods, who emerges in this translation as a more fully rounded human being than ever before.
• Plastic Soup by Michiel Roscam Abbing

  Call Number: TD427.P62 R6713 2019

  ISBN: 9781642830095

  Publication Date: 2019-04-04

  Plastics have transformed every aspect of our lives. Yet the very properties that make them attractive - they are cheap to make, light, and durable - spell disaster when trash makes its way into the environment. Plastic Soup: An Atlas of Ocean Pollution is a beautifully-illustrated survey of the plastics clogging our seas, their impacts on wildlife and people around the world, and inspirational initiatives designed to tackle the problem. In Plastic Soup, Michiel Roscam Abbing of the Plastic Soup Foundation reveals the scope of the issue: plastic trash now lurks on every corner of the planet. With striking photography and graphics, Plastic Soup brings this challenge to brilliant life for readers. Yet it also sends a message of hope; although the scale of the problem is massive, so is the dedication of activists working to check it. Plastic Soup highlights a diverse array of projects to curb plastic waste and raise awareness, from plastic-free grocery stores to innovative laws and art installations.
• A Sea in Flames by Carl Safina

  Call Number: GC1221 .S24 2011

  ISBN: 0307887359

  Publication Date: 2011-04-19

  The first book about the BP disaster by a world-renowned oceanographer, A Sea in Flames examines the environmental and social consequences of the spill from the perspective of those directly affected by it. It will be published on the one-year anniversary of the spill, in April 2011. The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is among the greatest environmental catastrophes in U.S. history. Carl Safina's Blowout provides an extraordinary perspective on it. Consisting of three parts, it reveals and details: this shocking manmade environmental disaster, its occurrence with respect to the oil industry's and the government's complete inability to adequately respond, and the inevitable environmental effects. By telling the stories of three working families, Safina goes behind the scenes with fishermen, oystermen, and oilmen whose lives--and habitats--have been irreparably changed. But will energy and environmental policy change as well? Safina addresses these issues in a rich, deeply personal investigation of a catastrophe he has reported--and blogged on--from the beginning.
• The Sea in the Greek Imagination by Marie-Claire Beaulieu

  ISBN: 0812291964

  Publication Date: 2015-10-21

  The sea is omnipresent in Greek life. Visible from nearly everywhere, the sea represents the life and livelihood of many who dwell on the islands and coastal areas of the Mediterranean, and it has been so since long ago--the sea loomed large in the Homeric epics and throughout Greek mythology. The Greeks of antiquity turned to the sea for food and for transport; for war, commerce, and scientific advancement; and for religious purification and other rites. Yet, the sea was simultaneously the center of Greek life and its limit. For, while the sea was a giver of much, it also embodied danger and uncertainty. It was in turns barren and fertile, and pictured as both a roadway and a terrifying void. The image of the sea in Greek myth is as conflicting as it is common, with sea crossings taking on seemingly incompatible meanings in different circumstances. In The Sea in the Greek Imagination, Marie-Claire Beaulieu unifies the multifarious representations of the sea and sea crossings in Greek myth and imagery by positing the sea as a cosmological boundary between the mortal world, the underworld, and the realms of the immortal.
• The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

  Call Number: QL430.3.O2 M66 2015

  ISBN: 9781451697711

  Publication Date: 2015-05-12

  Sy Montgomery's popular 2011 Orion magazine piece, "Deep Intellect," about her friendship with a sensitive, sweet-natured octopus named Athena and the grief she felt at her death, went viral, indicating the widespread fascination with these mysterious, almost alien-like creatures. Since then Sy has practiced true immersion journalism, from New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, pursuing these wild, solitary shape-shifters. Octopuses have varied personalities and intelligence they show in myriad ways: endless trickery to escape enclosures and get food; jetting water playfully to bounce objects like balls; and evading caretakers by using a scoop net as a trampoline and running around the floor on eight arms. But with a beak like a parrot, venom like a snake, and a tongue covered with teeth, how can such a being know anything? And what sort of thoughts could it think?
• What the Wild Sea Can Be by Helen Scales

  Call Number: 577.7 SCA

  ISBN: 9780802162991

  Publication Date: 2024-07-16

  The acclaimed marine biologist and author of The Brilliant Abyss examines the existential threats the world's ocean will face in the coming decades and offers cautious optimism for much of the abundant life within. 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 today's increasingly challenging conditions.

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  Aliens of the Deep Sea (2005)

  James Cameron teams up with NASA scientists to explore the Mid-Ocean Ridge, a submerged chain of mountains that band the Earth and are home to some of the planet's most unique life forms.
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  Asia: Beneath the Waves (2024)

  Asia has the longest coastline of any continent and the earth’s richest coral reefs. This episode explores Asia’s waters, as spectacular as they are diverse, and never-seen-before animal behaviour.
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  Cast Away (2000)

  Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems engineer, finds his ruled-by-the-clock existence ended when a harrowing plane crash leaves him isolated on a remote island. As Chuck struggles to survive, he finds that his own personal journey has only just begun.
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  Finding Nemo (2003)

  When Nemo, a young clownfish, is unexpectedly carried far from home, his overprotective father, Marlin, and Dory, a friendly but forgetful regal blue tang fish, embark on an epic journey that leads to encounters with vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish and hungry seagulls!
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  From the Wild Sea (2021)

  As the peak of winter draws near, a vast European network of marine animal rescue volunteers are bracing themselves for the rough season. Night and day, all year round, they work tirelessly to rescue coastal wildlife from life-threatening elements: oil, plastic, and treacherous conditions. Climate change fuels violent weather across the seas, and the annual winter storms are coming at them with an unprecedented roar. Simultaneously, the wild animals are struggling against their human surroundings with fangs and claws. 'From the Wild Sea' is a poetic documentary film that zooms in on the complex collision between human and nature. We are taken on a disturbing and fascinating journey into the emerging Anthropocene Era, seen from both the human and animal perspective.
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  Jaws (1975)

  When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town’s chief of police, a young marine biologist and a grizzled shark hunter embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again. Featuring an unforgettable score that evokes pure terror, Jaws remains one of the most influential and gripping adventures in motion picture history.
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  The Last Ocean (2012)

  With stunning footage of Antarctica's unique landscapes and wild life, The Last Ocean profiles the international battle over commercial fishing in the Ross Sea, the last pristine ocean ecosystem on earth. The Ross Sea is a vast, icy landscape that teems with life -- whales, seals and penguins carving out a place on the very edge of existence. This 'living laboratory' is one of the last places where the delicate balance of nature still prevails, largely untouched by humans. Featuring top scientists, including Dr. Sylvia Earle and Dr. Daniel Pauly, as well as international political leaders, the film examines both the science and politics behind the debate over preserving Earth's last truly wild ocean.
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  The Little Mermaid (1989)

  Ariel is a fun-loving and mischievous mermaid who is enchanted with all things human. Disregarding her father's order to stay away from the world above the sea, she swims to the surface and, in a raging storm, rescues Prince Eric, the man of her dreams. Determined to be human, she strikes a bargain with the devious sea witch, Ursula, and trades her fins and beautiful voice for legs. With her best friend Flounder, and her reluctant chaperon Sebastian at her side, Ariel must win the prince's love and save her father's kingdom.
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  Mamma Mia! (2008)

  20-year-old Sophie is preparing to marry at her mother's hotel on a Greek island. She has a carefree life, a loving fiancee, and great friends. She is only missing one thing: a father. By reading her mother's diary she discovers that she has three possible fathers. Sophie secretly invites all three men to the wedding in a desperate bid to discover which of them is her father. But not all goes according to plan. Now, old loves are re-kindled, new loves are formed, and Sophie risks everything to discover the true identity of her father.
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  Titanic (1997)

  Leonardo DiCaprio and Oscar nominee Kate Winslet light up the screen as Jack and Rose, the young lovers who find one another on the maiden voyage of the "unsinkable" R.M.S. Titanic.