Call of the Blue

Watching and recording the gradual dismantling of life, beauty, and diversity in our oceans is a torturous experience for scientists. Our oceans function as earth's organs and our survival depends on their health. Yet in the last fifty years, half of coral reefs have disappeared, only ten percent of large fish remain, and many species are on the brink of collapse. Unsustainable fishing practices, pollution-including twenty million tons of plastic entering the oceans yearly-and rising temperatures are continued threats. Even as the sense of urgency to save our oceans grows, at the time of this book's publication, it is estimated that only two percent of all global philanthropic and charitable donations go to protecting the environment. Of this, only a tiny fraction go toward supporting and safeguarding our oceans. Brimming with spectacular, full-page photography of underwater scenes from the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic oceans and many seas, Call of the Blue shares the stories of the positive, focused people who are working to save our oceans. The first book of its kind, Call of the Blue unites more than one hundred modern-day explorers, sailors, free divers, filmmakers, lawmakers, and conservationists who talk about their lives, passions, and exploits on, in, or under the water. Call of the Blue demonstrates how the efforts of individuals and communities can inspire and drive change. Notable contributors include United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, explorer and BBC presenter Paul Rose, Danish environmentalist and Director General of the IUCN Inger Andersen, French photojournalist and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Yann Arthus-Bertrand, and American marine biologist Edith Widder, among many others.