In a matter of decades, a spectacular cold-water paradise is succumbing to warming oceans. Kelp forests are one of Earth's most wonderous and underappreciated marine habitats. What will it take to stop their decline before these underwater playgrounds bursting with colorful life become vast fields of lifeless urchin barrens?
Forest of the Sea reveals a thriving three-dimensional underwater world whose loss will reverberate in unimaginable ways for both nature and humans. Author David Helvarg takes us on a memorable journey through kelp's natural and human history, the billions of dollars of products and services it contributes to our global economy, the unwitting human activities that threaten its survival, and the hopeful movements around the world to restore kelp habitat. It documents what is at stake if we lose these irreplaceable marine jewels and helps readers to understand how these natural systems might adapt and survive.