Abstract
The ocean has a history. Over the past hundreds, thousands, and millions of years the ocean and life within it have evolved and changed. This history determines the ocean’s present state and shapes its path into the future. We cannot understand how the ocean functions today without knowing its ecological history. Likewise, we cannot predict future changes without knowing the origin, cause, and trajectory of change in the past. Finally, we cannot effectively restore degraded marine populations, communities, or ecosystems without historical baselines to use as reference points.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the late Ransom A. Myers and to Boris Worm for helpful discussions and comments. Financial support was provided by the Census of Marine Life’s History (HMAP) and Future (FMAP) of Marine Animal Populations programs funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Island Press
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lotze, H.K. et al. (2011). Uncovering the Ocean’s Past. In: Jackson, J.B.C., Alexander, K.E., Sala, E. (eds) Shifting Baselines. Island Press, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-029-3_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-029-3_8
Publisher Name: Island Press, Washington, DC
Online ISBN: 978-1-61091-029-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)
