TY - BOOK ID - 78404298 TI - Serendipity PY - 2016 SN - 0520960637 9780520960633 9780520285033 0520285034 PB - Oakland, California DB - UniCat KW - Sea otter KW - Marine ecology KW - Biotic communities KW - Biocenoses KW - Biocoenoses KW - Biogeoecology KW - Biological communities KW - Biomes KW - Biotic community ecology KW - Communities, Biotic KW - Community ecology, Biotic KW - Ecological communities KW - Ecosystems KW - Natural communities KW - Ecology KW - Population biology KW - Biological oceanography KW - Marine ecosystems KW - Ocean KW - Aquatic ecology KW - Enhydra lutris KW - Enhydra lutris kamtschatica KW - Lutra gracilis KW - Lutra marina KW - Lutra stelleri KW - Mustela lutris KW - Sea-otters KW - Enhydra KW - alaska. KW - alaskan ecology. KW - alaskan ecosystems. KW - alaskan naturalist. KW - alaskan wildlife. KW - aleutian wildlife. KW - arctic wildlife. KW - bering sea marine life. KW - bering sea. KW - biology. KW - biotic communities. KW - ecological textbook. KW - ecology books. KW - ecosystems. KW - environment. KW - environmental science. KW - kelp forests. KW - life sciences. KW - marine biology. KW - marine ecology. KW - marine ecosystems. KW - marine wildlife. KW - natural history. KW - natural world. KW - nature. KW - science. KW - sea otters. KW - southwest alaska. KW - whales. KW - wild alaska. UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:78404298 AB - ";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. ER -