Marine algae are the supreme eco-engineers of life: they oxygenate the
waters, create habitat for countless other organisms, and form the base
of a food chain that keeps our planet unique in the universe as we know
it. In this audiobook Josie Iselin explores both the artistic and the
biological presence of 16 seaweeds and kelps that live in the thin
region where the Pacific Ocean converges with the North American
continent - a place of incomparable richness. Each species receives a
detailed description of its structure, ecological importance, and
humans' scientific inquiry into it, told in scientifically illuminating
yet deeply reverent and inspired prose. Iselin posits that we can learn
not only about the seaweeds but also from them: their resilience,
their resourcefulness, their poetry and magic.