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Plotting the Oceans
Stories of Powerful Maps and Their Makers
Brief Description
Five stories that demonstrate the history and power of maps – and the impact they have on our world Charles Darwin mapped the world’s coral reefs to support a theory about how they formed, and in doing so developed insights that shaped his eventual theory of...
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Format: Paperback / softback
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See moreRiveting, illuminating and beautifully written, Plotting the Oceans answers critical questions about what the evolving nature of maps means for the future of the natural environment, and for our own place in it.
Five stories that demonstrate the history and power of maps – and the impact they have on our world
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Description
Five stories that demonstrate the history and power of maps – and the impact they have on our world
Charles Darwin mapped the world’s coral reefs to support a theory about how they formed, and in doing so developed insights that shaped his eventual theory of evolution. The trailblazing Marie Tharp, barred from ocean expeditions in the 1950s, nevertheless created the first detailed map of the ocean floor, providing key evidence for the then radical idea of continental drift. Maps have triggered territorial claims, saved giant tortoises and brought home the fragility of the Great Barrier Reef in the face of climate change.
Charting the course through these stories of discovery and disruption is Sarah Hamylton, herself an accomplished mapmaker who has travelled the globe and followed in the footsteps of cartographic giants. She explains what lies behind – and beyond – the maps we find in history books, scientific papers and contemporary news stories.
Riveting, illuminating and beautifully written, Plotting the Oceans answers critical questions about what the evolving nature of maps means for understanding our world, how it changes and how we’re changing it.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781923451476
Publisher: Monash University Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 February 2026
Country: Australia
Imprint: Monash University Publishing
Illustration: Illustrations, black and white; Illustrations, color
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 232
About the Author
Sarah Hamylton is an Associate Professor at the University of Wollongong, past President of the Australian Coral Reef Society and Director of the Spatial Analysis Laboratory. She has been sailing to, diving around and walking along shorelines to map coastal and marine environments for over 20 years in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Fiji, Seychelles and the Red Sea. Her maps have helped establish marine protected areas and informed coastal management policies. Sarah is also a nature writer who has published over 120 scientific research papers and several books on coastlines and mapping.
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