SKU: 84261867055

Abalone: The Remarkable History and Uncertain Future of California's Iconic Shellfish

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Abalone: The Remarkable History and Uncertain Future of California's Iconic ShellfishFrom rocky coves at Mendocino and Monterey to San Diego's reefs, abalone have held a cherished place in California culture for millennia. Prized for iridescent shells and delectable meat, these unique shellfish inspired indigenous artisans, bohemian writers, California cuisine, and the popular sport of skin diving, but also became a highly coveted commercial commodity. Mistakenly regarded as an inexhaustible seafood, abalone ultimately became

From rocky coves at Mendocino and Monterey to San Diego's reefs, abalone have held a cherished place in California culture for millennia. Prized for iridescent shells and delectable meat, these unique shellfish inspired indigenous artisans, bohemian writers, California cuisine, and the popular sport of skin diving, but also became a highly coveted commercial commodity. Mistakenly regarded as an inexhaustible seafood, abalone ultimately became vulnerable to overfishing and early impacts of climate change.

As the first and only comprehensive history of these once abundant but now tragically imperiled shellfish, Abalone guides the reader through eras of discovery, exploitation, scientific inquiry, fierce disputes between sport and commercial divers, near-extinction, and determined recovery efforts. Combining rich cultural and culinary history with hard-minded marine science, grassroots activism, and gritty politics, Ann Vileisis chronicles the plight of California's abalone species and the growing biological awareness that has become crucial to conserve these rare animals into the future.

Abalone reveals the challenges of reckoning with past misunderstandings, emerging science, and political intransigence, while underscoring the vulnerability of wild animals to human appetites and environmental change. An important contribution to the emerging field of marine environmental history, this is a must-read for scientists, conservationists, environmental historians, and all who remember abalone fondly.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Oregon State University Press
Published: 05/01/2020
ISBN: 9780870719882
Pages: 296
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.80d
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SKU: 84261867055

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Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Poignant Account
Format: Kindle
Fascinating account of a young woman's journey through two years of bleakness and danger in Canada's tar sands. I was drawn to this graphic novel because of its unusual subject matter and was impressed with its depth and insights -- just who is that is drawn to these places and this kind of life and why? It was even darker than expected as well as one more argument to end fossil fuels -- not only for their contribution to climate change, but because of the extreme damage they do to the environment and to the people who work in this industry and those who live nearby. A beautifully honest work of art.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2025
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Lyuba Dutchak
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
A both pragmatic and intimate window into the effects of economic displacement on the working class
Format: Kindle
Beaton's autobiographical account puts the reader into the position of a working class young person making the most practical economic decision for herself - and therefore exposing herself to the surreal realities that post-NAFTA capitalism and environmental crisis life have created for not only working class families in Canada, but to the lands and lifestyle they once loved and cherished. In these pages that plainly display slice of life interactions without exaggeration or fanfare, the experience is natural and never preachy. Behind the grounded focus on day to day life, the economic system of worship of money over human-to-human relationships and human-to-nature relationships is the understated undercurrent. From that current rises the dust covered, inherently temporary, inherently not-treated-as-a-home, world of the oil sands and work camps and the psychology that they create, which Beaton unflinchingly examines. I, too, chose to avoid the pit of student loans, but rather in the United States and by joining the US Army as a female soldier. These accounts would be very poignant to any female veteran, especially anyone who has been on a combat deployment. I highly recommend it.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2024
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Cosmic Dust Bunny
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Entertaining, imformative, important and compassionate
Format: Hardcover
I bought this book thinking (1), it'll be easy to consume, (2) I'll learn something about Canadian culture, (3) it'll at some point shed a light on the environmental harms that oil drilling causes, and (4) there'll be a redeeming ending. I was right about (2) and (3). Easy to consume? Not as easy as I thought and whether or not the ending is redeeming, the author Beaton leaves to the reader to determine. It is autobiographical based on the author's experiences, and she does go on after her experiences to become a renowned author/cartoonist. However, one questions whether these experiences, that were part of her path to get there, justify the means, and there is no overarching message that wraps everything up neatly "in a bow". This book was even more important that I anticipated it to be and while it does speak to certain aspects of Canadian culture (mostly regional), the lessons can be applied beyond that context. My favorite aspects of the book were that it addressed difficult topics with humanity and compassion and even though this topics are intellectually and emotionally difficult, the medium is easier to consumer than perhaps other mediums. Highly recommend.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2024
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Amazon Customer
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 4
Fascinating story and great graphics
Format: Hardcover
Fascinating story of a young girl from Nova Scotia working in the oil sands in a male dominated work force. Great graphics.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2024
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Sandy
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Great No Fuss Service
Format: Hardcover
Product as advertised and on time.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2026

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