Ocean science and education
Prehistoric queen conch shell midden on the British Virgin Islands (Credit: Flickr: Conch graveyard)
In my previous post on the humanization of the Caribbean Sea I traced the origins of the first humans—Archaic Age people who fashioned tools out of stone—to settle the vast, island-filled tropical marine system that we now call the Caribbean Sea. In this post I examine how these prehistoric settlers adapted to living on islands that had never experienced any form of human influence, and how their activities began to alter the natural landscapes and surrounding seascapes of these islands over thousands of years.
The Samaná Peninsula on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles was inhabited by some of the first settlers of the insular Caribbean (Credit: Dave Carr/Getty Images)
In this post I trace the origin of the first people to settle the vast, island-filled tropical marine system that we now call the Caribbean Sea. This was the first step in the modification by humans of this pristine seascape—the last region of the Americas to be exposed to the presence of humans.
The fully updated 2nd edition of my book Marine Biology—A Very Short Introduction published in March 2020 is now available as an unabridged audiobook. It provides a very accessible and listenable introduction to the oceanic environment and the nature of life in the oceans for a wide audience, including students, researchers, and intellectually curious readers who would like a balanced and engaging introduction to the subject. If you are interested in learning more about marine biology, and you prefer to listen rather than read, this is your chance. Have a great listen!
The fully updated 2nd edition of my book Marine Biology published by Oxford University Press is now available in print and as an ebook from all major booksellers. It provides a readable and informative introduction to the oceanic environment and the nature of life in the oceans for a wide audience, including students, researchers, and intellectually curious readers who would like a balanced and engaging introduction to the subject.
