When a marine biologist thinks about the future of the planet’s oceans, she must hold two competing thoughts in her mind … simultaneously.
Yes, the seas are warming ... and the fish are waning … coral reefs are bleaching, plastic is ubiquitous and industrial mining is a serious threat.
But scientist Helen Scales writes in her new book, “What the Wild Sea Can Be”:
“In the messy midst of the changing ocean, so much has already been damaged and destroyed that discerning what the future may hold requires a careful balance of optimism and pessimism. A worse version of today’s ocean is not inevitable, but underestimating the scale of the problems ... would be unwise.”
Scales’ book is frank and optimistic: some ocean creatures will be lost and some can be saved. She also writes in depth about how some are adapting and where in the planet’s vast seas the most promise lies.
Marine biologist Helen Scales argues that while our oceans are warmer, more polluted and over fished, many of the challenges are solvable. Listen to her full conversation with Kerri Miller.
Samantha Harvey has won the 2024 Booker Prize for her science fiction novel “Orbital.” The novel follows six international astronauts as they orbit the Earth for one day of their nine-month space mission.
