Fire in the Turtle House: The Green Sea Turtle and the Fate of the Ocean, Paperback

* Also by Osha Gray Davidson * Request Exam Copy * Buy this Book Fire In The Turtle House The Green Sea Turtle and the Fate of the Ocean by Osha Gray Davidson Aug 13, 2003 Paperback US $15.00 CAN $23.00 UK 10.99 ISBN: 9781586481995 ISBN-10: 1586481991 Published by PublicAffairs Description Sea turtles have existed since the time of the dinosaurs. But now, suddenly, the turtles are dying, ravaged by a mysterious plague that some biologists consider the most serious epidemic now raging in the natural world. Perhaps most important, sea turtles aren't the only marine creatures falling prey to deadly epidemics. Over the last few decades diseases have been burning through nearshore waters around the world with unprecedented lethality. What is happening to the sea turtle, and how can it be stopped? In this fascinating scientific detective story, Osha Gray Davidson tracks the fervent efforts of the extraordinary and often quirky scientists, marine biologists, veterinarians, and others racing against the clock to unravel a complicated biological and environmental puzzle and keep the turtles from extinction. He follows the fates of particular turtles, revealing their surprisingly distinct personalities and why they inspire an almost spiritual devotion in the humans who come to know them. He also explores through vivid historical anecdotes and examples the history of man's relationship to the sea, opening a window onto the role played by humans in the increasing number of marine die-offs and extinctions. Beautifully written, intellectually provocative, Fire in the Turtle House reveals how emerging diseases wreaking havoc in the global ocean pose an enormous, direct threat to humanity. This is science journalism at its best. Reviews "Gives readers a startling perspective on the fate of the planet by taking them through time and tides on the back of a sea turtle, whose every species is today endangered or threatened." - Natural Resources Defense Council's ON EARTH "In an account made particularly poignant by his personal encounters with these charismatic creatures, author Osha Davidson details the efforts of those seeking to understand the natural and biological history of green sea turtles, and the environmental factors now conspiring against them." - Chicago Tribune " A hard-working, sincere and scientifically valuable little book ... Davidson ] is a disciplined and cogent storyteller." - Los Angeles Times

About the Author:

Osha Gray Davidson is the author of The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South; The Enchanted Braid: Coming to Terms with Nature on the Coral Reef, and other books. His work has appeared in many publications including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, and The New Republic. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.