Oceans Past 2026

This booklist was created in celebration of the Oceans Past conference, cohosted by UVic Anthropology, History and Environmental Studies in June 2016. This list is not exhaustive, and contains mostly ebooks (print books were on display in the McPherson library during the conference).

Updated June 16, 2026
University of Victoria Libraries  Tina Bebbington, Anthropology and Newspaper Librarian, UVic Libraries
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Oceans Past 2026

This booklist was created in celebration of the Oceans Past conference, cohosted by UVic Anthropology, History and Environmental Studies in June 2016. This list is not exhaustive, and contains mostly ebooks (print books were on display in the McPherson library during the conference).

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1, 2, 3 Salish Sea : a pacific northwest counting book
McClure, Nikki
Paper Book
This beautiful natural history counting book features artist Nikki McClure's stunning papercut artwork of flora and fauna found in and alongside the Salish Sea. A celebration of the unique Salish Sea ecosystem, this counting book will inspire kids to learn more about the...
Against the seas : saving civilizations from rising waters
Soderstrom, Mary
Paper Book
An incredible read.... While unflinching in her analysis, Soderstrom nevertheless gifts us with a message of hope and resilience. -- MAUDE BARLOW, activist and author of Still Hopeful: Lessons from a Lifetime of Activism. What can we learn about coping with rising sea levels from ancient times...
Atlantic : great sea battles, heroic discoveries, titanic storms, and a vast ocean of a million stories
Winchester, Simon.
Paper Book
"Variably genial, cautionary, lyrical, admonitory, terrifying, horrifying and inspiring...A lifetime of thought, travel, reading, imagination and memory inform this affecting account." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Blending history and anecdote, geography and reminiscence, science and...
The fish in the forest : salmon and the web of life
Stokes, M. Dale
Paper Book
The Fish in the Forest is an elegantly written, beautifully illustrated exploration of the complex web of relationships between the salmon of the Pacific Northwest and the surrounding ecosystem. Dale Stokes shows how nearly all aspects of this fragile ecosystem-from streambeds to treetops,...
Fishing : how the sea fed civilization
Fagan, Brian M.
Paper Book
Humanity's last major source of food from the wild, and how it enabled and shaped the growth of civilization In this history of fishing--not as sport but as sustenance--archaeologist and best-selling author Brian Fagan argues that fishing was an indispensable...
Island : how islands transform the world
Chamberlin, J. Edward
Paper Book
Island tells the groundbreaking story of humans and islands throughout history, and illuminates the ways in which islands transform the world. It celebrates islands, be they real or imagined, barren or beautiful, large or small, as a central part of our lives.
The killer whale who changed the world
Leiren-Young, Mark
Paper Book
The fascinating and heartbreaking account of the first publicly exhibited captive killer whale -- a story that forever changed the way we see orcas and sparked the movement to save them Killer whales had always been seen as bloodthirsty sea monsters. That all changed when a...
Ocean an illustrated atlas
Earle, Sylvia A.
Map
Detailing a mysterious realm that's as vital to our existence as the air we breathe, this new atlas immerses readers in the wonders of the deep through more than 250 up-to-the-minute maps, photographs, and satellite images.
Oceans : a very short introduction
Stow, D. A. V.
Paper Book
The importance of the oceans to life on Earth cannot be overstated. Liquid water covers more than 70% of our planet's surface and, in past geological time, has spread over 85%. Life on Earth began in the oceans over 3.5 billion years ago and remained there for the great majority of that time. Today...
Oceans : an illustrated reference
Stow, D. A. V.
Paper Book
Four billion years old, the oceans formed as the Earth's scorching surface cooled, the primordial atmosphere condensed, and torrential rains fell. Their color is the unique signature of our blue planet, their composition a chemical cocktail of remarkable variety, their waters a theater of...
Oceans
Balliett, James Fargo.
Paper Book
Covering 71 percent of the planet, these saline bodies of water provided the unique conditions necessary for the building blocks of life to form billions of years ago. This book explains how our oceans continue to support and influence life in important ways: by providing the largest global...
Oceans : exploring the hidden depths of the underwater world
Rose, Paul.
Paper Book
The oceans are the single most important feature of our planet. They shape our climate, our culture, and our future. Yet their depths have remained a mysterious and unchartered expanse. This book, which accompanies a major BBC television series, draws on the most exciting stories from the...
Octopus Ocean: Geniuses of the Deep
Leiren-Young, Mark
Paper Book
★"Vivid and fascinating...Budding scientists and animal lovers will keep this stellar title in full-circulation as they learn the mysteries and history of octopuses."--School Library Journal, starred review With their blue blood, big brains and eight arms, octopuses are dramatically...
The optimistic environmentalist : progressing towards a greener future
Boyd, David R.
Paper Book
Yes, the world faces substantial environmental challenges - climate change, pollution and extinction. But the surprisingly good news is that we have solutions to these problems. In the past 50 years, a remarkable number of environmental problems have been solved, while substantial progress is...
Orcas of the Salish Sea
Leiren-Young, Mark
Paper Book
Meet Onyx and the orcas of J pod, the world's most famous whales. Illustrated with stunning photos, this picture book introduces young readers to the orcas humans first fell in love with. The members of J pod live in the Salish Sea, off the coast of Washington and British Columbia. Moby...
Otter doesn't know
Fritz, Andrea
Paper Book
Indigenous artist and storyteller Andrea Fritz tells a tale of a salmon and a sea otter who learn it's ok to say "I don't know" and to ask for help. Thuqi' the sockeye salmon knows it's time to spawn, but she is lost in the Salish Sea and doesn't know the way to Sta'lo', the river. When...
Pacific : silicon chips and surfboards, coral reefs and atom bombs, brutal dictators, fading empires, and the coming collision of the world's superpowers
Winchester, Simon
Paper Book
One of Library Journal's 10 Best Books of 2015 Following his acclaimed Atlantic and The Men Who United the States, New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester offers an enthralling biography of the Pacific Ocean and its role in the modern world, exploring our relationship with this...
Scallywag on the Salish Sea
Cassidy, Sara
Paper Book
A nameless boy finds treasure, courage, and clues to his past in this hilarious high-seas adventure. The Greasy Lobster, a pirate ship run by the notorious Captain Gallows, is no place for a kid. But when a young orphan arrives on board, the boy has no choice but to...
Spirits of the coast : orcas in science, art and history
Black, Martha
Paper Book
"A magnificent journey alongside orcas, bringing these beautiful creatures to life." --Jay Ritchlin, David Suzuki Foundation Spirits of the Coast brings together the work of marine biologists, Indigenous knowledge keepers, poets, artists, and...
The unnatural history of the sea
Roberts, Callum.
Paper Book
Humanity can make short work of the oceans' creatures. In 1741, hungry explorers discovered herds of Steller's sea cow in the Bering Strait, and in less than thirty years, the amiable beast had been harpooned into extinction. It's a classic story, but a key fact is often omitted. Bering Island...
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