Serendipity: An Ecologist's Quest to Understand Nature"Many of the findings in the book . . . are classics of ecology. . . . A rare and delightful insight into timely science."—Jane Lubchenco, Nature "Estes's refreshing narrative deftly weaves rigorous science with personal reflection to create an absorbing and introspective read that is equal parts memoir, ecological textbook, and motivational guidebook for young ecologists."—Science To newly minted biologist James Estes, the sea otters he was studying in the leafy kelp forests off the coast of Alaska appeared to have an unbalanced relationship with their greater environment. Gorging themselves on the sea urchins that grazed among the kelp, these small charismatic mammals seemed to give little back in return. But as Estes dug deeper, he unearthed a far more complex relationship between the otter and its underwater environment, discovering that otters play a critical role in driving positive ecosystem dynamics. While teasing out the connective threads, he began to question our assumptions about ecological relationships. These questions would ultimately inspire a lifelong quest to better understand the surprising complexity of our natural world and the unexpected ways we discover it. Serendipity tells the story of James Estes’s life as a naturalist and the concepts that have driven his interest in researching the ecological role of top-level predators. Using the relationships between sea otters, kelp, and sea urchins as a touchstone, Estes retraces his investigations of numerous other species, ecosystems, and ecological processes in an attempt to discover why ecologists can learn so many details about the systems in which they work and yet understand so little about the broader processes that influence these systems. Part memoir, part natural history, and deeply inquisitive, Serendipity will entertain and inform readers as it raises thoughtful questions about our relationship with the natural world. |
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abalones Adak Agarum Aleutian archipelago Aleutian Islands algae algal Amchitka Island animals apex predators Arctic biomass bottom-up carbon carrying capacity Chichagof Harbor Clam Lagoon coastal ecosystems colleagues consumers decline distribution and abundance dive dynamics early ecological processes ecologists ecosystems experimental figure fish fisheries food web foraging fox-free islands gulls habitats herbivores increased industrial whaling influence intertidal kelp forests killer whales knew Laminaria look marine mammals Massacre Bay megafaunal collapse hypothesis mussels nature North Pacific Ocean nutrients nutritional limitation occurred otter densities otters and kelp OTTERS AND KILLER Pacific Ocean patterns phase shifts phlorotannins pinniped plants prey reefs RETURN TO ATTU sample Science sea lions sea otter population sea stars sea urchins seabirds seafloor SERPENTINE FOOD Shemya southeast Alaska species interactions survey terrestrial tion top-down forcing Torch Bay transient killer whales trophic cascade understanding urchin barrens variation walruses western Aleutians Wildlife