Heart of the Coast

How do you dig up a 13,000 year-old footprint? Why do kelp forests need sea otters? How do you measure a shrinking glacier from an airplane? What is a �zombie urchin�? Heart of the Coast brings these questions to life in a deep exploration of the beauty, mystery and biodiversity of the Pacific coast. Join Hakai Institute researchers in the field�archaeologists, oceanographers, marine biologists and beyond�as they journey from the ice fields of Klinaklini Glacier to the dazzling undersea reefs of a place called Crazy Town.British Columbia�s Central Coast is a rich landscape called �a biologist�s dream� and �the Amazon of the north.� Since launching its Calvert Island ecological observatory there in 2009, the Hakai Institute has become a renowned centre of science and exploration. Collaborations with the Smithsonian Institution, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and several First Nations on the BC coast��along with a wide array of scientists hailing from other agencies and universities across North America�have uncovered new species, advanced our knowledge of marine food webs, and helped track the effects of climate change on watersheds and coastal ecosystems.Stunning photography illuminates the institute�s journey of discovery over the past decade. This unforgettable book will inspire you with wonder and awe for the natural world, but be careful�you may learn something along the way.