{"product_id":"what-is-natural-coral-reef-crisis-paperback","title":"What Is Natural?: Coral Reef Crisis - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJan Sapp\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the late 1960s and 1970s, massive herds of poisonous crown-of-thorns starfish suddenly began to infest coral reef communities around the world, leaving in their wake devastation comparable to a burnt-out rainforest. In \u003cem\u003eWhat is Natural?\u003c\/em\u003e, Jan Sapp both examines this ecological catastrophe and captures the intense debate among scientists about what caused the crisis, and how it should be handled.\u003cbr\u003e The crown-of-thorns story takes readers on tropical expeditions around the world, and into both marine laboratories and government committees, where scientists rigorously search for answers to the many profound questions surrounding this event. Were these fierce starfish outbreaks the kind of manmade disaster heralded by such environmentalists as Rachel Carson in \u003cem\u003eSilent Spring\u003c\/em\u003e? Indeed, discussions of the cause of the starfish plagues have involved virtually every environmental issue of our time--over-fishing, pesticide use, atomic testing, rain forest depletion, and over-population--but many marine biologists maintain that the epidemic is a natural feature of coral-reef life, and ecological \"balance of nature\" that should not be tampered with until we know the scientific truth of the crisis. But should we search for the scientific truth before taking action? And what if an environmental emergency cannot wait for a rigorous scientific search for \"the truth\"?\u003cbr\u003e The starfish plagues are arguably one of most mysterious ecological phenomena of this century. Through the window of this singular event, \u003cem\u003eWhat is Natural\u003c\/em\u003e lucidly illustrates the complexity of environmental issues while probing the most fundamental questions about the relationship between man and nature. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJan Sapp\u003c\/strong\u003e is a Professor of the History of Science in the Department of Biology, at York University, in Toronto, Canada. He has written two other books for Oxford: \u003cem\u003eEvolution by Assciation\u003c\/em\u003e (1994) and \u003cem\u003eBeyond the Gene\u003c\/em\u003e (1987).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 275\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 9.98 x 5.4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 07, 2003\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52708570825011,"sku":"9780195161786","price":83.93,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/Sm41cGRFVVptWTVjY2V5dHBwNkJVQT09.webp?v=1763438232","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/what-is-natural-coral-reef-crisis-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}