Soul of the Sea in the Age of the Algorithm
How Tech Startups Can Heal Our Oceans
by dr. gregory stone and nishan degnarain
Non-Fiction
economics, Environment, TECHnology
192 Pages
Formats: Cloth, Trade Paper, Mobipocket, PDF, EPUB
Hardcover: 22.95; Trade Paper $16.95
Official Publication Date: June 2017
ISBN 978-0-918172-62-4
Rights: US & CA
Leete's Island Books
Available for pre-order through your favorite local bookstore or at Amazon.com.
SYNOPSIS:
In this groundbreaking work, global visionaries Gregory Stone and Nishan Degnarain set out not just how grave the problems facing our oceans are, but how solvable they can be. Weaving history, ecology, business and geopolitics together and leveraging their experience in oceans and some of the innovation hotspots around the world, they reveal the revolutionary tools and business models that could unleash trillions of dollars of new sustainable economic opportunities. Fourth industrial revolution technologies and exponential organizations, combined with fresh leadership and values from millennials, could create radically new solutions that were inconceivable only a few years ago.
Soul of the Sea in the Age of the Algorithm is at once a manifesto for a healthier ocean, a roadmap to a more prosperous co-existence with our planet, and a call for a new generation of systems leaders. The lessons here are not just for our oceans but guidance for how we can govern all our Global Commons for the benefit of the entire planet, both current and future generations. For the first time, the authors lay out clearly and succinctly what actions business, government, and individuals can take to overcome these planetary challenges, thereby restoring the soul of the sea, and redeeming our own.
praise for soul of the sea
“Soul of the Sea should be on the desks of government heads, business leaders, and concerned citizens. It is an accessible, succinct read with a pithy ocean manifesto. Stone and Degnarain’s narrative takes you through the history of our relationship with the sea, the value of the sea, the damage we have done, and then provides a comprehensive overview of the solutions that we desperately need and that include agile governance, technologies, and protection.”
—Dr. Russell Mittermeier, Executive Vice Chair, Conservation International
“Planet Earth is misnamed: it’s mostly covered not by earth but by the oceans. They play a key role in regulating the composition and temperature of our atmosphere. They provide much of the protein that we consume. Until recently, they seemed far too big for us puny humans to affect—but we are finally ruining them, and thereby risk the ruin of ourselves. This book, by two of the world’s leading ocean experts, will grip you with its bold account of how we can solve that huge problem.”
—Dr. Jared Diamond, Professor of Geography, UCLA, author of Guns, Germs, and Steel
“While the state of the ocean is on the verge of many destructive tipping points, the world is also on the verge of a new era where the remarkable intelligence of humans and technology can be used not just to understand the ocean, but to restore it. If this is important to you, read Soul of the Sea—it offers a view of how we got into the problems we’re facing and more importantly, how we solve them. It’s a relatively short read full of interesting facts based on a sustainable vision for our collective future.”
—Céline Cousteau, CauseCentric Productions & The Céline Cousteau Film Fellowship
“Our planet has so much to offer if only we take care of it. Soul of the Sea in the Age of the Algorithm is an optimist’s guide to where solutions may lie—with our youth, with technology, and with business coming together to identify and implement sustainable solutions.”
—Harrison Ford, Actor and Vice Chair, Conservation International
“The stressed state of our ocean is a collision between natural systems and ever-growing human economies, so an oceanographer and an economist tackling this subject is a timely and refreshing approach. Their book takes us through the causes and consequences of that collision, but then points to solutions that we can use now to save our seas and ourselves.”
—Dr. Laurence Madin, Deputy Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
about the authors
DR. GREGORY S. STONE is an ocean scientist and explorer with over 10,000 dives using submarines, scuba gear, underwater habitats, and robotics. Greg works to find ways for humanity and the ocean to coexist and support each other in the modern world. He was part of the genesis of the Ocean Health Index and works on marine protected areas, sustainable fishing, aquaculture, climate adaptation, and deep seamount ecology. He has given TED and Davos talks, and has been featured in documentaries for Discovery and National Geographic. He has authored hundreds of articles for Nature, National Geographic, and other publications; and three previous books—one a National Outdoor Book Award winner. His numerous accolades and professional associations include the Explorers Club, Pew Fellowship for Marine Conservation, the Order of Kiribati medal, the U.S. National Science Foundation/Navy Antarctic Service Medal for Antarctic research, and the top diving award, a NOGI, from the National Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences. He was the science advisor to the Atoll Nation of Kiribati for the historic UN Paris Climate Agreement. Greg is Executive Vice President and Chief Scientist for Oceans at Conservation International, and serves on the boards of Pacific Rising, the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, and Aquaspark. He has degrees in Marine Science (PhD), Marine Policy (MMA), and Human Ecology (BA).
NISHAN DEGNARAIN is an economist in both the public and private sectors. He co-leads the World Economic Forum’s Special Initiative on Oceans together with Greg Stone. Since 2013, Nishan has chaired the Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Oceans; he has worked with leading technology companies in the fields of artificial intelligence, big data, satellite technologies, autonomous vessels, bio-technology, and Fintech; he is helping to develop new ways to address the decline in ocean health; he advises governments and major global companies on their ocean strategy; he is a regular speaker at various international summits, including Davos; and has worked with a range of international organizations such as the United Nations and World Bank on the Sustainable Development Goal on Oceans. His expertise extends to new models of economic growth, particularly in emerging markets. He currently sits on the China Council’s CCICED, and was appointed to both the National Ocean Council of Mauritius and the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Mauritius. Nishan holds undergraduate degrees in Geography and Economics from the University of Cambridge and a postgraduate degree in International Development from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
