The Empty Ocean [Hardcover]

Richard Ellis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1559639741 | ISBN-13: 978-1559639743 | Publication Date: July 18, 2003 | Edition: 1

"As the human population has increased, the marine population has plummeted, and Ellis tells the complex story behind this equation for disaster with a vast array of facts, unfailing eloquence, and bracing frankness." -BOOKLIST

"Read this book and be inspired, informed, and entertained, but watch out. The latest, most powerful tribute to the sea by Richard Ellis could forever change the way you think about the ocean, about yourself, and about the future we share with the sea." -SYLVIA EARLE, EXPLORER IN RESIDENCE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

In The Empty Ocean, acclaimed author and artist Richard Ellis tells the story of our continued plunder of life in the sea and weighs the chances for its recovery. Through fascinating portraits of a wide array of creatures, he introduces us to the many forms of sea life that humans have fished, hunted, and collected over the centuries, from charismatic whales and dolphins to the lowly menhaden, from sea turtles to cod, tuna, and coral.

Rich in history, anecdote, and surprising fact, Richard EllisÆs descriptions bring to life the natural history of the various species, the threats they face, and the losses they have suffered. Killing has occurred on a truly stunning scale, with extinction all too often the result, leaving a once-teeming ocean greatly depleted. But the author also finds instances of hope and resilience, of species that have begun to make remarkable comebacks when given the opportunity.

Written with passion and grace, and illustrated with Richard EllisÆs own drawings, The Empty Ocean brings to a wide audience a compelling view of the damage we have caused to life in the sea and what we can do about it. "

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This is not just another apocalyptic ecology book, lamenting the decline and extinction of too many sea species and the concomitant pollution of their watery habitats. Rather, Ellis (Imagining Atlantis) uses his considerable narrative skills, along with his deft illustrator's hand, to recount the worldwide saga of human predation in the oceans. This is a historical compendium rich in anecdote, lore and details of the natural life of water-dwelling creatures. The animals discussed are not limited to the commonly known, commercially important fish and the familiar intelligent sea mammals, but also looks into the fate of lesser known seabirds and the delicate limestone formations we know as coral reefs. Geographically the book ranges from the frigid North Atlantic of Newfoundland to the rich waters of New Zealand. The stories of human overuse and abuse of the sea are legion, from North America's loss of the penguin-like great auk, due to overhunting beginning in the 15th century and ending in the 19th century, to unintentional drowning of leatherback turtles by Asian fishing nets. Yet the author does not lock into the typical maudlin rant of modern-day environmental Cassandras. Rather, Ellis explains and details through both historical and scientific data the scope of the problem and offers some realistic alternatives to continued misuse and apathy. Illus.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ellis--ocean lover, artist, and prolific author--has been introducing readers to the wonders of marine life for decades, a mission that has now become urgent. Humankind has always felt free to kill vast quantities of marine creatures, a habit turned diabolical with the development of ever more sophisticated and destructive fishing-and-hunting technologies. As the human population has increased, the marine population has plummeted, and Ellis tells the complex story behind this equation for disaster with a vast array of facts, unfailing eloquence, and bracing frankness. He deftly introduces an astonishing spectrum of once abundant, now dwindling marine creatures, such as sardines, cod, sea turtles, seabirds, fur seals, whales, and, in a particularly fascinating chapter, the rarely studied family of sea horses. Pollution, bioinvaders, overkilling, and underthinking have put the entire marine world, which, as Ellis writes, is "more intricately woven" than a rain forest, in peril, and the only hope for reversing this catastrophic loss is to channel the informed concern aroused by Ellis, Carl Safina, and other knowledgeable champions of the sea into a campaign for reform. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 375 pages
• Publisher: Shearwater Books; 1 edition (July 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559639741
• ISBN-13: 978-1559639743
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #440,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #88 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Endangered Species

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The True Tragedy of the Commons, December 4, 2003

By 

David B Richman (Mesilla Park, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Empty Ocean (Hardcover)

Richard Ellis has presented in "The Empty Ocean" a bleak tale of the overexploitation of a common resource- fish and other sealife. Unfortunately Ellis has not exaggerated the problem, which will eventually cause all of us difficulties. From the collapse of the North Atlantic fisheries to coral bleaching to the destruction of turtle populations, man has caused havoc in a supposedly inexhaustible habitat.

How did this happen? Ellis points out that the reason that fisheries are collapsing worldwide is because of the super efficiency of modern fishing techniques. In essence they can catch everything, or nearly everything, in the area fished. Radar, huge nets, long many-hook lines and huge fleets of ships are used to feed the ever-increasing demand for seafood, sushi, aquarium fish, coral and rare shells. Since the resource is often less than the demand, especially for high-ticket items like tuna, the profit is high and the "commons" are overexploited for current gain. Not only this, but the number of non-target organisms that die in the process is truly staggering.

What can we do to slow down the destruction? We can try to back sound science-based fishing regulations and at least lower our demand for products from the sea, especially for those known to be overexploited. The tragedy is that, despite our efforts, the oceans of the world will probably never be quite the same again. However, if humans do not limit themselves they will soon (as Ellis notes on the last page) know for whom the bell tolls.

Read this book- it may make you think twice about current consumptive practices, especially if you value your children's future.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What 'bury my heart at wounded knee' was for the sea., July 18, 2005

By 

C. Moon (Valley Village, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Empty Ocean (Paperback)

Where Empty Ocean wins above a dozen other books is how it takes a bottom line approach, species by species and gives you the facts. Facts verifiable by the ever-handy Redlist(provided online by the IUCN). Ellis goes quite a bit further though, giving a historical account of each species. It is nice to know, for instance, why it is that the Sea Otter has ended up in the predicament it has; never mind that a friend of mine (oh my) was quite unaware that the Dodo was eaten out of existance.


Ellis makes each animal a story--and a worthwhile story at that. I recall sharing 'Wounded Knee' with a friend of mine who gave up after a few chapters saying he 'got the point', and while it works for literary criticism, it doesn't for historical or scientific criticism. I doubt that Ellis's book is in anyway comprehensive, but while most readers will grasp the levity of things very quickly, it deserves to be read in its entirity. I think the various species mentioned here (many in trouble, many already extinct) deserve that much.

Best yet, while Ellis does little to disguise his deep affinity for all those things that would make the sea their home, his arguments rest not at all upon this sentimentality, but rather on the instability of our marine-based economies as populations crash.

At least a dozen eighteenth century extinctions would read like this epitaph "Like the sea cow, it was ridiculously easy to kill and tasted good...", but Ellis exposes how modern methods are far more effective in decimating extant species than any whalers ever could have managed.

Possibly one of the most essential reads for an easy overview of the state of sea-going species, though readers with a greater interest will no doubt want to dig farther into the literature and on-line resources.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A win for the environment, A look at our Marine Ecosystem, April 14, 2005

By 

B. Taylor "Bioteach" (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Empty Ocean (Hardcover)

As a scientist I thought the book provided an excellent edifying view of our global marine ecosystem. The book builds an extremely strong case of the devastation caused by man to the marine environment. More politicians should read this book, especially the Bush Admininstration with their imbecilic view of global warming. The power of this book can harnessed in the classroom, by planting a seed in future generations for the importance of the biodiversity of life. Great book!!!