LEADER 03699oam 22004694a 450 001 9910793300403321 005 20200402171938.0 010 $a1-4214-2655-2 035 $a(CKB)4100000007133649 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC5339540 035 $a(OCoLC)1082874926 035 $a(MdBmJHUP)muse68484 035 $a(EXLCZ)994100000007133649 100 $a20190116e20192018 uy 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aurcnu|||||||| 181 $ctxt$2rdacontent 182 $cc$2rdamedia 183 $acr$2rdacarrier 200 10$aShifting Baselines in the Chesapeake Bay$eAn Environmental History /$fVictor S. Kennedy 210 1$aBaltimore, Maryland :$cProject Muse,$d2019 210 3$aBaltimore, Md. :$cProject MUSE, $d2019 210 4$dİ2019 215 $a1 online resource (167 pages) 311 $a1-4214-2654-4 320 $aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 125-138) and index. 327 $aShifting baselines in Chesapeake Bay, the immense protein factory -- Why the Chesapeake Bay was so productive and what's changed? -- The spring fishery for shad and river herring was : a hectic scramble -- The world's greatest oyster fishery : an expansion, then a crashed -- Diamond-backed terrapins : from pig food to gourmet delight to protected species -- Uncontrolled market hunting of waterfowl : a mass slaughter -- Sturgeon : a prehistoric high jumper fell from memory -- Blue crabs hung on -- Have diminished animal abundances remodeled the bay's food webs? 330 $aThe concept of "shifting baselines"--changes in historical reference points used in environmental assessments--illuminates a foundational challenge when evaluating the health of ecosystems and seeking to restore degraded wildlife populations. In this important book, Victor S. Kennedy examines the problem of shifting baselines for one of the most productive aquatic resources in the world: the Chesapeake Bay. Kennedy explains that since the 1800s, when the Bay area was celebrated for its aquatic bounty, harvest baselines have shifted downward precipitously. Over the centuries, fishers and hunters, supported by an extensive infrastructure of boats, gear, and processing facilities, overexploited the region's fish, crustaceans, terrapin, and waterfowl, squandering a profound resource. Beginning with the colonial period and continuing through the twentieth century, Kennedy gathers an unparalleled collection of scientific resources and eyewitness reports by colonists, fishers, managers, scientists, and newspaper reporters to create a comprehensive examination of the Chesapeake's environmental history. Focusing on the relative productivity and health of its fisheries and wildlife and highlighting key species such as shad, oysters, and blue crab, Shifting Baselines in the Chesapeake Bay helps readers understand the remarkable extent of the Bay's natural resources in the past so that we can begin to understand what has changed since, and why. Such knowledge can help illustrate the Bay's potential fertility and stimulate efforts to restore this pivotal maritime system's ecological health and productivity. 606 $aMarine ecosystem health$zChesapeake Bay (Md. and Va.) 606 $aCoastal ecosystem health$zChesapeake Bay (Md. and Va.) 607 $aChesapeake Bay (Md. and Va.)$xEnvironmental conditions 608 $aElectronic books. 615 0$aMarine ecosystem health 615 0$aCoastal ecosystem health 676 $a577.5/1 700 $aKennedy$b Victor S.$01507356 801 0$bMdBmJHUP 801 1$bMdBmJHUP 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910793300403321 996 $aShifting Baselines in the Chesapeake Bay$93737984 997 $aUNINA