Ocean Outbreak - by Drew Harvell (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Winner of the Sustainability Science Award 2020, Ecological Society of America
Winner of the PROSE Award (Biological Sciences category) 2020, Association of American Publishers

There is a growing crisis in our oceans: mysterious outbreaks of infectious disease are on the rise. Marine epidemics can cause mass die-offs of wildlife from the bottom to the top of food chains, impacting the health of ocean ecosystems as well as lives on land. Portending global environmental disaster, ocean outbreaks are fueled by warming seas, sewage dumping, unregulated aquaculture, and drifting plastic.

Ocean Outbreak follows renowned scientist Drew Harvell and her colleagues into the field as they investigate how four iconic marine animals--corals, abalone, salmon, and starfish--have been devastated by disease. Based on over twenty years of research, this firsthand account of the sometimes gradual, sometimes exploding impact of disease on our ocean's biodiversity ends with solutions and a call to action. Only through policy changes and the implementation of innovative solutions from nature can we reduce major outbreaks, save some ocean ecosystems, and protect our fragile environment.

From the Back Cover

"Drew Harvell's life changed when she visited her Caribbean field site and discovered dead fan corals everywhere, killed by a new disease no one had ever seen. This inspired a dramatic career change, and Harvell committed to battling diseases in the ocean that kill corals, snails, and sea stars. Part memoir and part science exposé, Ocean Outbreak is a recipe for launching into the unknown, providing a road map showing how one person can marshal the world of science to win against a global peril."--Steve Palumbi, author of The Evolution Explosion: How Humans Cause Rapid Evolutionary Change

"A marine medical whodunit, where the patients include sea stars facing odds worse than humans did during the Black Death. It is also a tale of hope, thanks to the dedication of a small band of scientists, including the author, who work tirelessly to understand and reduce the threats that disease poses to ocean life."--Nancy Knowlton, author of Citizens of the Sea

"As a marine ecologist specializing in disease, Drew Harvell worries most about the threat posed by microbes, because in oceans beset by so many stresses, disease-causing microbes can gain the upper hand and bring about rapid, wide-scale ecological change. Ocean Outbreak brilliantly lays out the risk of disease and smart plans for improving ocean health."--Ted Danson actor, activist, and founding board member of Oceana

"From salmon to sea stars, abalone to corals, marine disease pioneer Drew Harvell eloquently captures today's threats to the ocean--and their solutions."--Jane Lubchenco, Professor, Oregon State University; former Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; inaugural U.S. Science Envoy for the Ocean

"With riveting storytelling and a chilling sense of urgency, Drew Harvell astutely analyzes the catastrophic outbreaks decimating four kinds of iconic sea creatures with consequences that affect everyone, everywhere. Knowing is the key to caring, and Ocean Outbreak has what it takes to upend complacency and inspire actions to heal the harm humans have imposed on the sea--while there is still time."--Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence and founder of Mission Blue

Review Quotes

"A sobering account of what is happening to our seas. . . .This book is a must-read for all who care about the future of our oceans."-- "Times Higher Education"

"Coral bleaching has become something of an everyday apocalypse. Researched, documented and foretold, it is a biotic meltdown to which we have become all too accustomed. But the seas hold other more insidious disasters, as much our fault as the heating of the oceans. They tend, though, to be less covered by the media, which is why Ocean Outbreak is such an important book. . . .[Harvell] does a first-rate job of inspiring readers, and of providing the right kind of proselytising to turn marine epidemiology into a go-to career for a new and concerned generation."-- "New Scientist"

"Despite the daunting challenge that marine diseases present, Harvell's book manages to inspire both pragmatism and optimism, which likely stems from the immense number of people working alongside Harvell to better understand these issues."-- "Forbes Online"

"Harvell gives readers an inside look at the diseases that are on the rise beneath the waves. . . . in a detailed, engaging narrative."-- "Smithsonian"

"Harvell is a skilled science writer and covers the topics with sufficient depth to keep disease aficionados on their toes, marveling at the complexity of diseases in the ocean. . . .The narrative is beautifully written and designed to even be consumed by people who know nothing about infectious [marine] diseases or, worse yet, might fear words like "microbe" or "pathogen" the way a 6th grade math phobe would look at his/her first quadratic equation."-- "SeaDoc Society Blog"

"Harvell skillfully navigates through various outbreaks, breaking down what's happening as well as root causes. And she provides ample hope: oftentimes, by addressing human health issues, we can also help marine creatures."-- "Cool Green Science/The Nature Conservancy"

"Harvell vividly recounts her work at the front line, studying die-offs such as the past decade's catastrophic starfish crash. . . . a succinct summation of two decades of research."-- "Nature"

"The book is written in a way that science-interested members of the public, and policymakers, will find useful--but students and researchers in marine science, yearning to understand more about marine disease outbreaks, will gain just as much. Harvell beautifully articulates the urgent need for scientists and non-scientists alike to do more to understand and protect the ocean."-- "Oceanography"

"This book is written with the intent to encourage development of policies to prevent and limit the spread of future outbreaks by not only educating policymakers, but engaging a broader audience. Harvell makes a plea for action, citing the need for surveillance of farmed species like salmon, shrimp, oysters, and abalone, where disease outbreaks also pose threats for wild populations."-- "Fisheries"

"This personal account makes for a lively read, filled with both humorous and harrowing stories from field research. . . . well written and appropriate for a range of readers interested in how global change affects ocean ecosystems and the interconnectedness of ocean organisms."-- "Quarterly Review of Biology"

"This well-written narrative can benefit a wide range of audiences. It provides insights not only into marine diseases but also into the constraints and practices of scientists responding to environmental threats."-- "CHOICE"

"We've all heard the oceans are sick, but this book helps explain why through recent histories of four iconic marine animals"-- "Society of Environmental Journalists Blog"

About the Author

Drew Harvell is Professor of Marine Ecology at Cornell University. She has published over 170 scientific articles in leading journals and is a fellow of the Ecological Society of America and the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. Her book A Sea of Glass received a National Outdoor Book Award and was recognized as one of the Smithsonian's Best "Art Meets Science" Books of 2016.