The Gulf

By Jack E. Davis

Subjects: Environmental degradation--mexico, gulf of, History, Environmental degradation -- Mexico, Gulf of, Ecology, HISTORY, State & Local, Nature, effect of human beings on, Nature, Human ecology--mexico, gulf of, NATURE, Environmental conditions, South (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV), Nature--effect of human beings on--mexico, gulf of, 909/.096364, Coastal Regions & Shorelines, Environmental degradation, History--state & local--south (al, ar, fl, ga, ky, la, ms, nc, sc, tn, va, wv), Ecosystems & Habitats, Nature -- Effect of human beings on -- Mexico, Gulf of, Human ecology, Mexico, gulf of, F296 .d38 2017, Effect of human beings on, History--united states--state & local--south (al, ar, fl, ga, ky, la, ms, nc, sc, tn, va, wv), 976, Human ecology -- Mexico, Gulf of, Nature--effect of human beings on, New York Times reviewed, Nature--ecosystems & habitats--coastal regions & shorelines

Description: Significant beyond tragic oil spills and hurricanes, the Gulf has historically been one of the world's most bounteous marine environments, supporting human life for millennia. Based on the premise that nature lies at the center of human existence, Davis takes readers on a compelling and, at times, wrenching journey from the Florida Keys to the Texas Rio Grande, along marshy shorelines and majestic estuarine bays, both beautiful and life-giving, though fated to exploitation by esurient oil men and real-estate developers. Davis shares previously untold stories, parading a vast array of historical characters past our view: sports-fishermen, presidents, Hollywood executives, New England fishers, the Tabasco king, a Texas shrimper, and a New York architect who caught the "big one". Sensitive to the imminent effects of climate change, and to the difficult task of rectifying the assaults of recent centuries, this book suggests how a penetrating examination of a single region's history can inform the country's path ahead. --