Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them

by Ted Danson, Michael D'Orso

Most people know Ted Danson as the affable bartender Sam Malone in the long-running television series Cheers. But fewer realize that over the course of the past two and a half decades, Danson has tirelessly devoted himself to the cause of heading off a looming global catastrophe—the massive destruction of our planet's oceanic biosystems and the complete collapse of the world's major commercial fisheries.

In Oceana, Danson details his journey from joining a modest local protest in the mid-1980s to oppose offshore oil drilling near his Southern California neighborhood to his current status as one of the world's most influential oceanic environmental activists, testifying before congressional committees in Washington, D.C., addressing the World Trade Organization in Zurich, Switzerland, and helping found Oceana, the largest organization in the world focused solely on ocean conservation.

In his incisive, conversational voice, Danson describes what has happened to our oceans in just the past half-century, ranging from the ravages of overfishing and habitat destruction to the devastating effects of ocean acidification and the wasteful horrors of fish farms. Danson also shares the stage of Oceana with some of the world's most respected authorities in the fields of marine science, commercial fishing, and environmental law, as well as with other influential activists.

Combining vivid, personal prose with an array of stunning graphics, charts, and photographs, Oceana powerfully illustrates the impending crises and offers solutions that may allow us to avert them, showing you the specific courses of action you can take to become active, responsible stewards of our planet's most precious resource—its oceans.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Environment, Nature, History, Science Nature, Animals

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2011

About the author

Edward Bridge Danson III is an American actor and producer. During his career, Danson has been nominated for 18 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning two; 11 Golden Globe Awards nominations, winning three; one Screen Actors Guild Award; and one American Comedy Award and has been awarded a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. He was ranked second in TV Guide's list of the top 25 television stars.

Danson has also been a longtime activist in ocean conservation. In March 2011, he published his first book, Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them, written with journalist Michael D'Orso.

Reviews

[Diogenes Grief · Rating 5 out of 5]

Homo sapiens really are mindless, greedy machines when it comes to consumption. Our ancestors hunted whales to the brink, species after species, and now we're taking down all the apex eaters in the oceans, destroying ecosystems and food chains, annihilating entire swaths of seafloor, and apparently wasting northwards of 50% of all sea life caught, trapped, hooked, and trawled. This is an ecological horror show, but Ted Danson and many other activists have hope:

"I strongly believe that science and spirituality go hand in hand, and any conversation we have about the environment has to take both into account. Unless all our actions to save the oceans are based on science, we will end up doing more harm than good. And unless we acknowledge our spiritual connectedness to one another and to this planet we live on--unless we realize that almost everything each of us does has an impact on somebody else--we may never rise above our self-interests in order to gather the collective forces we need to face the environmental challenges that now surround us."

Amen.

I recently watched a wonderful film on Netflix called Museum Hours, in which a social-political-fine art term was used to define this era as "Late Capitalism," when paintings are seen as dollar amounts, and the oceans are viewed as gold mines to plunder. Things are changing, and they will continue to change, by blunt force, but we--the super consumers of the world--have raw power to change how industries behave. Just recently, Tim Zimmermann published an excellent article in Outside Magazine about seafood (http://www.outsideonline.com/1978326/...). Armed with the Monterey Bay Aquarium's "Seafood Watch" app, we can make smart choices in seafood consumption. As a huge admirer of Japanese cuisine, from steaming bowls of udon with huge chunks of tuna on a wintry day, to takoyaki and those pregnant little fish fire-grilled on sticks around the corner from our place in Toyohashi on warm summer nights, I am now educated on best practices and will endeavor to spread the word. For as Kynes stated flatly in Frank Herbert's Dune:

" . . . beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans in the finite space of a planetary ecosystem as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who do survive."

Live blue. Eat smart. Be an activist. Read this book.

[Robert Kangas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oceana is a very beautiful and informative book. I always knew things were bad in our oceans (the big plastic "island" in the pacific, coral bleaching, ocean warming, overfishing, etc), but I really didn't know how bad. The pollution issues aside, we're basically strip-mining our oceans, acting like they're a never ending source of resources. Not so much...

The book is very plainly written and the facts are laid out well and free of most jargon. This is good... this book is easily accessible to most readers. There are lots of beautiful pictures as well as scary ones. The information is laid out in a very clean fashion with stuff like charts to help the average person understand the science / figures behind everything presented.

I'd recommend this book for everyone who cares about the environment, the oceans, or just eating fish. Ted Danson does a good job in his advocacy and presents solutions for the average person to take on. I went through this book in days and often had a hard time putting it down.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Danson, I love you. This books is beautiful and informative. The images help bring you into this underwater world so much so that we want to learn even more about it once we are finished. Not for lack of information in this book but because we feel attached when it's over and we feel that we have to carry on the legacy this book will leave. I've always been a ocean lover, someone who takes pride in caring for them, but after this book I have a whole new responsibility for it. It's my baby, this ocean, and Ted Danson the Great Grandfather (not because of his age, but wisdom) that tells you all the stories that you need to hear to become the person you want to be. Can you tell I loved this book? Because I so did.

[Nola · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a basic primer on problems facing the world’s oceans and the steps that ocean conservation groups are taking to correct these problems. It seems that listening to the audio book was a disadvantage because it did make it hard to follow who was speaking or being quoted. It is amusing to hear complete URLs given verbally, where they would not seem out of place in a print book. There is some good information on the world’s fisheries and how they are run, but it could have gone further. The book talked about ships breaking fishing laws, but no specifics on what laws exist or what laws are being broken or the consequences. I don’t think there was enough emphasis on the marine reserves that Oceana has helped win, and the wording was too much like a sales pitch. I support the work of Oceana and I hope this book is helpful, but I think it could have been more tightly organized and even more informative without becoming boring.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book is a great idea, to distill a lot of science, policy, etc into a short, easy to read book. The execution comes off as SUPER preachy, though. It's clear he loves the ocean, but it's equally clear he's not a scientist, politician, etc. He tries to include those viewpoints in his book, but it just doesn't work correctly.

The pictures, charts, maps, etc are gorgeous, though. I recommend just flipping through the book for the graphics and skipping most of the words in it.

If you want a book about fishing, read Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food . If you want a book about the ocean, read anything Sylvia Earle/Jacques Cousteau has written.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful for an ocean lover and informative for anyone curious about what is happening to our oceans and why they're so special and need to be protected more than ever. It's an amazing book, but Earth shatteringly sad for those who have a bond with the ocean, like me. It is heartbreaking to read what we've done and see simple graphs showing how drastic the ocean has changed for the worse. I advise many to take a chance with this book and educate yourself on why the ocean is so incredibly important. Ted Danson is one of my most favorite people on this planet because of his desire to protect the ocean and the beautiful creatures within it. Definitely giving this one five stars!

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takeaways; we're in big trouble (standard in any planet/oceans/air/water books). We're running headlong to an ocean filled primarily of jellyfish. (That may not have been in the book, it is a strong opinion of mine.)

Stop eating tuna or salmon, or slow down consumption to allow their number to catch up. Eat sardines or herring, they have less mercury and reproduce faster than larger fish.
Be thoughtful about any and all use of plastic. We've slowed way down on plastic wrap and reusable snack bags work great (quick rinse after use, or cycle in dishwasher).
Trawling may seem efficient to some, but it tears up ocean habitat and wrecks it for decades, at least.

[Kenno82 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good starting point for anybody concerned about the breadth of issues currently facing the health of our oceans. The book is beautifully laid out with some fantastic photography and doubles nicely as a coffee table book. However, it also reads like a bit of a brochure for Oceana, the conservation group that Ted Danson fronts. If you want something that offers more regarding these issues and is enjoyable to read, I would direct you to works from Carl Safina and Four Fish by Paul Greenberg.

[Cottageunderhill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book takes a very serious look at everything involving the oceans, it is also designed beautifully. From pollution (oil spills) to fisheries, from global warming indicators to human habitats that depend solely on the ocean, and from monster trawlers to single fishermen, this book enlightened me on the dangers many of us choose to ignore. The best part of the book though, is the numerous (maybe 50+) suggestions on the small and large scale things we can do to stop hurting the ocean. I have definitely started to do many of these. :)

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oceana is a brilliant way to get across important information. It can be infuriating reading it as so much is happening around us. They give great information and present it in a way that is easy, and informative. With the pictures and diagrams it really gets the point across better than most science books. It is a great teaching tool and gives ways to help or learn more at the back of each chapter. A great read for people just wanting to learn about the ocean and conservation, or scientists alike.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read a lot of these kind of ocean conservation mind books I thought Oceana provided a great overview to many of the most pressing issues. However, I wish you would've given more concrete suggestions rather than just write your senator write your congressmanand also have laid out the science more directly in the pages rather than skimming over it.

That being said the layout is easy to follow especially if you don't have much pre-existing background on any of these issues. The graphics and visuals are nice-looking and easy to understand and add value to the content.

[Carmelo Valone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book is brilliant compared to other what I would call 'activist books' as it shows the many problems with the oceans on a global scale. Not just what we as 'Americans' have as issues. The other great and super brilliant part is the fact that he lists in every single chapter how you and I, the average everyday folks can make a real difference. It should be in every college, high school and middle school in America.

[intoxicating_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read in a long time. I've always been concerned with the environment for as long as I can remember but this book opened my eyes to the destruction of earth's ocean that I was completely ignorant of. This book isn't about making everyone a vegetarian, it's about educating us on how to sustainably use our oceans and the fish that live in it. It is a must read for everyone.

[Linette · Rating 5 out of 5]

PHENOMENAL. I would give this 6 stars.
Oceana is a very visually pleasing and informative book. It is informative, but not preachy. Heart-wrenching, but hopeful.

This is a must-read for anybody with the slightest interest in the ocean or the earth.

"This time we are here on earth is not just about us, it's also about our stewardship of what we have been given."

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, very well written with a number of great graphics and pictures. Essentially covers all the main threats to the ocean, and talks about solutions, recommends more reading or other info sources, and highlights a number of diverse individuals working to make a difference. Start here for research on ocean conservation and issues.

[Maureen Flatley]

Probably well intended on some level this book is filled w/ bogus junk science. The references to fishing are, in a word, laughable. Stick to acting, Ted. You don't know what you're talking about. Minus five stars.

[Edward Honda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Very informative and provides detailed information on the problems our oceans face and on how we can solve those problems. Beautifully presented with great photos and informative graphics.

[Jared · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book lacked biology and strong science to back it up. Many of the graphs lacked citations or actual numbers. It read like a Ted Danson glossy brochure about how he's saving the oceans. "What are you doing?" It could have been much better.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative though the info given was both sad and terrifying. What we are doing to the oceans is awful and this book has changed the way I am going to behave in terms of interaction with the waters of the world.

[Loki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sobering look at just how much damage has already been done to our oceans, and what (little) can be done to fix it. Not a cheerful book, despite the best efforts of its author to stay upbeat, but a passionate and timely one.

[Maria Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book. I absolutely adore Ted Danson for writing it.

[Jondra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing eye-opening book. I recommend it to anyone who has ever eaten seafood or been to the ocean.

[Martha Herz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book. Ted Danson (and Michael D'Orso) did a wonderful job with this book. I knew the oceans were in a bad place but I didn't know to what extent.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult to get through at times since it's a little dry, but smart, well-written and interesting.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this book doesn't people you to a global or personal action in curbing the way you effect the world's oceans and/or fish supply, read it again.

This is an important book. Period.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ted Danson is advocating for something he believes strongly. That perspective clearly comes through. With that said, this book is interesting, thought-provoking, and somewhat frightening.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Co-written with Michael D'Orso.
This is an excellent book filled with many gorgeous pics - and a few which are not so pleasant. Each chapter succinctly explores a subtopic, beginning with how Mr. Danson first became enamored with ocean life. Each chapter also has a breakaway page outlining a professional of the marine environment but from the other person's perspective. Most have become personal friends with Danson in the past few decades. The actual tale which Danson/D'Orso tell is about half the book - if you were to have text only - so it is a shorter read than you'd think just from the page count.

This is written from an advocate's perspective, so I can forgive those few pages that seem like an infomercial on behalf of Oceana (dot) org - the environmental group which Danson champions. The bulk of the book explains so much and does indeed point the way to those who can spare time to join him in advocating for responsible fishing and other tactics for allowing the oceans to be restored.

This book may be slightly dated already (2011) as he mentions specific dates of legislation passed be various nations, but it will certainly bee a great primer on the subject for several decades yet.

[Lilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was incredible. It covered multiple topics about the oceans and gave some very good statistics. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is the fact that one important contributor to climate change was left out: the meat indsutry (it's actually the leading cause, not to mention the other environmental issues it leads to). It's actually very common for environmentalists and organizations to leave the meat industry out of their causation lists, usually because they know they'll lose funding and support if they start telling people to stop eating meat. In this case, while that may be a reason, I think a big part of it is that Ted Dansen doesn't want to stop eating meat-- whether it's because he doesn't know or care, I don't know-- which he proclaimed almost immediately into the book.

Desite that, however, it was a really good read and I recommend it to any budding environmentalist.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A devastating but absolutely essential, and hopeful, book for EVERYONE to read, regardless of your connection to seafood, the ocean, and the environment. I’ve always strived to be as environmentally conscious as possible, especially in regards to river and marine conservation, and thought I was pretty well educated in my seafood choices. But through this book, written on behalf of one of the leading ocean conservation agencies, I’ve learned so many facets of supposedly “sustainable”, but truly unsustainable, fishing practices and effects on our oceans and sea life that I had no idea about. Though it was heartbreaking to learn, I’m grateful to move forward making much smarter and more ethical choices in regards to what I consume. Highly recommend!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this short book from 2011 and it's insane to hear about BP oil spill as basically the largest highlight of this era climate wise. While I knew many things in the book, I recently learned about the concern for an overpopulation of jellyfish due to warmer, more acidic waters and this book reinforced it. While typically I think I would refrain from books that date themselves like this one, thinking the information is outdated, I should rather look at them with an eye of that moment in time and appreciate them more for the knowledge that we had then, even if it has evolved a lot since.

The excerpt from "the unnatural history of sea" was wild to hear