Maritime Animals: Ships, Species, Stories

This book explores the interactions between nonhuman animals and human maritime activities in the age of sail, highlighting the diverse multispecies connections formed across different geographical locations. It emphasizes the ships connections to broader contexts and networks, covering a range of locations and species, from ship vermin to deep-sea animals.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 06 June 2023
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press

This captivating volume delves into the intricate and fascinating relationships between nonhuman animals and human maritime activities during the age of sail. It explores the diverse multispecies connections that have emerged across different geographical locations, woven together by the long and intricate history of global ship movement. Rather than viewing the ship as a confined space defined solely by the sea, Maritime Animals takes a broader perspective, examining the ships' connections to broader contexts and networks. Spanning a range of locations, from the Canadian Arctic to the Pacific Islands, each chapter focuses on the unique oceanic experiences of a particular species. From ship vermin and animals transported onboard as food to animal specimens for scientific study, livestock, companion, and working animals, deep-sea animals seeking refuge in shipwrecks, and terrestrial animals that hunker down on flotsam and jetsam, the book covers a wide spectrum of marine life.

Drawing on the latest scholarship in animal studies, maritime studies, environmental humanities, and a diverse range of other perspectives, Maritime Animals offers a fresh and challenging perspective on maritime history. It highlights the ways in which species, through their interactions with the oceans, engage in storytelling and create histories that are both significant and often unexpected.

The contributors to this volume are a diverse group of experts, including Anna Boswell, Nancy Cushing, Lea Edgar, David Haworth, Donna Landry, Derek Lee Nelson, Jimmy Packham, Laurence Publicover, Killian Quigley, Lynette Russell, Adam Sundberg, and Thom van Dooren. Their insights and perspectives enrich the narrative, providing a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of the complex interplay between nonhuman animals and human maritime endeavors.

In conclusion, Maritime Animals is a groundbreaking work that sheds light on the profound and multifaceted relationships between nonhuman animals and human maritime activities. It challenges our anthropocentric understanding of maritime history and highlights the ways in which species, through their interactions with the oceans, contribute to the rich tapestry of maritime stories and histories. This volume is a must-read for anyone interested in the natural world, history, and the complex interplay between humans and other species.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780271095370