Beyond the Sea: The Hidden Life in Lakes, Streams, and Wetlands

by David Strayer

Overview

An exciting foray into Earth's inland waters, the remarkable species they contain, and the conservation challenges of protecting them.

When we call Earth "the blue planet" we immediately envision the vast oceans that cover most of its surface. But seas aren't the only bodies of water that make Earth special. Millions of diverse inland waters rush, meander, and seep throughout the planet, teeming with life. These streams, lakes, wetlands, and groundwaters are home to thousands of species, many of which are extraordinary and some of which are critically endangered.

In Beyond the Sea, ecologist David Strayer introduces readers to the world's most remarkable and varied inland waters, including massive lakes that fill only once a century, groundwaters miles beneath our feet that host unique microbes, volcanic lakes more corrosive than battery acid, and catastrophic floods that carry ten times more water than the Amazon River. Strayer also shares stories of the myriad fascinating species supported by these crucial ecosystems, featuring mussels that seduce fish, tiny tardigrades that cheat death, animals that photosynthesize, and plants that eat meat.

Because humans have used—and abused—inland waters so intensively for everything from drinking water and fly-fishing to sewage disposal, many species around the world that depend on them are in desperate peril. Strayer explains the damage that humans have caused and offers solutions to sustain and restore inland-water ecosystems. Proving that the sea isn't the only aqueous realm of mystery and wonder, this book illuminates the secrets, science, and amazing denizens of the overlooked waters in our backyards.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421450070
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	11/26/2024
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

David Strayer (ANN ARBOR, MI) is a freshwater ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. He is a coeditor of Fundamentals of Ecosystem Science and the author of The Hudson Primer: Ecology of an Iconic River.

Table of Contents

Preface
Chapter 1. Theme and Variations: The Rest of the Blue Planet
Chapter 2. Inland Waters: Types, Sizes, and Shapes
Chapter 3. Origins: How Inland Waters Are Made
Chapter 4. Age: Lifespans of Inland Waters
Chapter 5. Disruption: Stability and Disturbance in Inland Waters
Chapter 6. Materials: The Chemical Diversity of Inland Waters
Chapter 7. Isolation: All Inland Waters Are Islands
Chapter 8. Life: Inland-Water Biodiversity
Chapter 9. Challenges 1: How Do You Keep from Getting Washed to the Sea?
Chapter 10. Challenges 2: What Do You Do When the Water Dries Up?
Chapter 11. Challenges 3: How Do You Find Some Lunch?
Chapter 12. Challenges 4: And Then There's Sex
Chapter 13. Peril: Human Impacts on Inland Waters and Their Biodiversity
Chapter 14. Solutions: Protecting and Restoring Inland-Water Ecosystems
Chapter 15. Back to the Theme: Closing Remarks
Notes
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Wade into the vibrant world of inland waters, where lakes shimmer with life, streams show their resilience, and wetlands teem with biodiversity. Beyond the Sea helped remind me of the delicate balance of freshwater ecosystems and their importance in safeguarding our planet's biodiversity and water resources.
—Jennifer L. Tank, Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative

Strayer reveals the staggering scale and subtly fascinating worlds of lakes, streams, and wetlands. Not since Luna Leopold's classic A View of the River has a scientist decoded the intricacies and wonder of freshwater systems in such an approachable way.
—Martin Doyle, author of The Source: How Rivers Made America and America Remade its Rivers

The ocean of water 'beyond the sea' exists as multitudes: innumerable rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds, together forming one of the planet's most vital elements. Heraclitus wrote that a man can't step into the same river twice. Strayer explains that dynamism in the clearest prose, taking us on a tour of the world's inland waters: how they are formed, their chemical and physical processes, and their remarkable organismic diversity.
—John Waldman, author of Heartbeats in the Muck: The History, Sea Life, and Environment of New York Harbor

Strayer provides an impressively comprehensive description of the diverse physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of inland waterbodies, the numerous threats to these systems, and approaches to reduce these threats. Beyond the Sea is written in an engaging style, fact-filled with fascinating examples, and thought-provoking.
—Martin B. Berg, coeditor of An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America

Editorial Reviews

This fluent study from Strayer, an ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, explores the biodiversity found in inland bodies of water. . . . It's an enjoyable freshwater complement to Helen Czerski's The Blue Machine.
—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher