Overview

For over a quarter century, Mark Rauzon has worked in the developing field of island restoration—a branch of science that strives to control or completely remove pests and weeds from environments in which they don't belong. His job has taken him to numerous atolls in the American Insular Pacific to eradicate the pests that have been introduced, either on purpose or accidentally, by humans. These U.S. possessions and territories are the nearest neighbors to the state of Hawai'i and include various islands and atolls: Kiritimati, Jarvis, Howland, Baker, the Northern Marianas, Palmyra, Wake, Johnston, and Rose Atoll in American Samoa. Recently, the islands have anchored a vast National Marine Monument program created to protect the largest area in the world safe from human exploitation. The remoteness of the islands has served the needs of whalers and guano miners and later that of military secret projects, missile launching, chemical weapon incinerations, and air bases. Isles of Amnesia chronicles the ecological history of these islands and recent efforts to restore nature's balance. In order to save threatened species, invasive species have to be culled, removed, and killed. How are decisions justified to take life in order to save life? Sometimes when an invasive species is removed, it may have been a cornerstone species, meaning that although it is not indigenous it has come to play a vital role in the island equilibrium. A failed eradication effort only compounds a problem. How do we predict what will happen? This book searches for the answers to these questions. Rauzon examines the studies and eradication efforts—his own among them—that have been launched in order to restore the atoll ecosystems to their original, balanced states. Isles of Amnesia links the history of the vast American Pacific together with modern conservation practices, explores the creation of the National Marine Monuments and what their protection means to a changing ocean, and presents original research about the Smithsonian's Pacific projects and germ warfare testing. Illustrated with over seventy photographs and drawings, this much-needed work tells the unknown ecological story of America's forgotten Pacific islands.

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9780824846794

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Reviews

[Isles of Amnesia] is an interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining read based on many decades of experience in these unique places. It is also a good resource for scholars interested in these lightly-studiedislands. Furthermore, the book is especially useful for those interested in how landscape and ecological change happens quickly in these isolated places surrounded by vast oceans.</p>--Pamela Frierson <i>Island Studies Journal</i>, 11:2 (November 2016)

Rauzon is an adept and accomplished storyteller. Beautifully written, this well-illustrated book will have a wide appeal because, as its subtitle states, it covers the history and geography as well as attempts, some more successful than others, to restore and protect the once abundant birdlife and wider ecologies of these islands. . . . Rauzon brings a compassionate lens to the sad process of pest destruction, for the pests do not know they are such and did not ask to be invaders. While ecologies change with or without human input, he highlights too the hazards of attempting complete restoration. 'The new ecology that is the result of unintended consequences is more the rule than the exception in restoration work . . . for we can't go backward; we're trying to reconcile the past with the present, trying to create more diversity of native plants and animals' (p. 231). Such work is praiseworthy, as indeed is this book.--Judith A. Bennett The Journal of Pacific History [Isles of Amnesia] is an interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining read based on many decades of experience in these unique places. It is also a good resource for scholars interested in these lightly-studied islands. Furthermore, the book is especially useful for those interested in how landscape and ecological change happens quickly in these isolated places surrounded by vast oceans. --Rachana Agarwal Island Studies Journal, 11:2 (November 2016) The scope of the book is impressive: ranging geographically from Polynesia to Micronesia; historically, from early European sea voyagers, such as, Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, to the ultramodern submersible that lowered famed film-maker James Cameron to the plunging depths of the Mariana Trench in 2012; and, in scale, from the contained world of the hermit crab crawling out from under a log to global concerns, such as, climate change. . . . One of the most compelling aspects of his book is his explication of the ethical dilemmas that are faced in the work of exterminating introduced life forms calamitous to vulnerable endemic species and fragile ecosystems. . . . Rauzon's passion for the islands and the life they harbor is evident. His humorous anecdotes and accessible writing style make his book a pleasurable read, one in which these isles of amnesia are vividly remembered.--Rachana Agarwal Pacific Affairs, 90:3 The greatest value of Rauzon's work is the manner in which he wrestles with repairing damages caused by governments in places far beyond the mainstream. . . . This book provides valuable insight into invasive species management and mismanagement. It is topical, timely, and true to the internal inconsistencies of thoughtful conservation biology.--Pamela Frierson CHOICE Isles of Amnesia is an intimate portrait of islands that have served as way stations for an amazing range of human use and abuse, from guano mining to feather poaching to weapons testing, and Rauzon has dug up some fascinating history. This patchwork tale of colorful characters and skullduggery is knit together by the author's in-the-trenches account of what it's like to be a conservation biologist ridding damaged islands of their most damaging invasives. . . . [He] combines a biologist's acute eye with that of an artist (his wonderful drawings and photographs illustrate Isles of Amnesia).--Pamela Frierson Environment Hawai'i

[Isles of Amnesia] is an interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining read based on many decades of experience in these unique places. It is also a good resource for scholars interested in these lightly-studiedislands. Furthermore, the book is especially useful for those interested in how landscape and ecological change happens quickly in these isolated places surrounded by vast oceans.--Pamela Frierson Island Studies Journal, 11:2 (November 2016)

[Mark Rauzon] is a talented writer, and the book reads like a mesmerizing travelogue in the style of a Bill Bryson caper. Rauzon's lively prose does justice to the remote landscapes of his sundry assignments. . . . Although this book is not primarily concerned with the history of the American Insular Pacific, Rauzon punctuates his narrative with a sprawling cast of characters who hail from various times and places. We read testimonials from (and about) imperial explorers, missionaries, whaling captains, Native Hawaiian guano miners, Japanese prisoners of war, Thai Buddhists meditating on Wake Island, Samoan wildlife officers, Secretary of State William Seward, cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, and filmmaker James Cameron. . . . The term amnesia implies forgetting, but Isles of Amnesia is a memorable book.--Edward D. Melillo, Amherst College Environmental History, 23:3 (July 2018) The primary strength of this volume is its page-turning readability. . . . Biologists and ecologists emerge as the heroes in chapter after chapter of engaging anecdotes. They are shown to be working passionately and tirelessly, often against astronomical odds, to protect seabirds against both human activity and the multiple environmental damages wreaked by climate change, including rising sea levels, ocean acidification and coral reef decline. Maritime historians will undoubtedly enjoy this entertaining read as it covers a large expanse of space and time from a perspective sympathetic to the challenges faced by western-trained experts attempting to do their finest in sometimes hostile environments.--Anne Perez Hattori The International Journal of Maritime History, 29:2 Isles of Amnesia is an intimate portrait of islands that have served as way stations for an amazing range of human use and abuse, from guano mining to feather poaching to weapons testing, and Rauzon has dug up some fascinating history. This patchwork tale of colorful characters and skullduggery is knit together by the author's in-the-trenches account of what it's like to be a conservation biologist ridding damaged islands of their most damaging invasives. . . . [He] combines a biologist's acute eye with that of an artist (his wonderful drawings and photographs illustrate Isles of Amnesia).--Pamela Frierson Environment Hawai'i The scope of the book is impressive: ranging geographically from Polynesia to Micronesia; historically, from early European sea voyagers, such as, Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, to the ultramodern submersible that lowered famed film-maker James Cameron to the plunging depths of the Mariana Trench in 2012; and, in scale, from the contained world of the hermit crab crawling out from under a log to global concerns, such as, climate change. . . . One of the most compelling aspects of his book is his explication of the ethical dilemmas that are faced in the work of exterminating introduced life forms calamitous to vulnerable endemic species and fragile ecosystems. . . . Rauzon's passion for the islands and the life they harbor is evident. His humorous anecdotes and accessible writing style make his book a pleasurable read, one in which these isles of amnesia are vividly remembered.--Rachana Agarwal Pacific Affairs, 90:3 Rauzon is an adept and accomplished storyteller. Beautifully written, this well-illustrated book will have a wide appeal because, as its subtitle states, it covers the history and geography as well as attempts, some more successful than others, to restore and protect the once abundant birdlife and wider ecologies of these islands. . . . Rauzon brings a compassionate lens to the sad process of pest destruction, for the pests do not know they are such and did not ask to be invaders. While ecologies change with or without human input, he highlights too the hazards of attempting complete restoration. . . . Such work is praiseworthy, as indeed is this book.--Judith A. Bennett The Journal of Pacific History The greatest value of Rauzon's work is the manner in which he wrestles with repairing damages caused by governments in places far beyond the mainstream. . . . This book provides valuable insight into invasive species management and mismanagement. It is topical, timely, and true to the internal inconsistencies of thoughtful conservation biology.--Rachana Agarwal CHOICE [Isles of Amnesia] is an interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining read based on many decades of experience in these unique places. It is also a good resource for scholars interested in these lightly-studied islands. Furthermore, the book is especially useful for those interested in how landscape and ecological change happens quickly in these isolated places surrounded by vast oceans. --Pamela Frierson Island Studies Journal, 11:2 (November 2016)

Isles of Amnesia is an intimate portrait of islands that have served as way stations for an amazing range of human use and abuse, from guano mining to feather poaching to weapons testing, and Rauzon has dug up some fascinating history. This patchwork tale of colorful characters and skullduggery is knit together by the author s in-the-trenches account of what it s like to be a conservation biologist ridding damaged islands of their most damaging invasives. . . . [He] combines a biologist s acute eye with that of an artist (his wonderful drawings and photographs illustrate Isles of Amnesia).--Pamela Frierson <i>Environment Hawai i</i>

The primary strength of this volume is its page-turning readability. . . . Biologists and ecologists emerge as the heroes in chapter after chapter of engaging anecdotes. They are shown to be working passionately and tirelessly, often against astronomical odds, to protect seabirds against both human activity and the multiple environmental damages wreaked by climate change, including rising sea levels, ocean acidification and coral reef decline. Maritime historians will undoubtedly enjoy this entertaining read as it covers a large expanse of space and time from a perspective sympathetic to the challenges faced by western-trained experts attempting to do their finest in sometimes hostile environments.--Anne Perez Hattori The International Journal of Maritime History, 29:2 Rauzon is an adept and accomplished storyteller. Beautifully written, this well-illustrated book will have a wide appeal because, as its subtitle states, it covers the history and geography as well as attempts, some more successful than others, to restore and protect the once abundant birdlife and wider ecologies of these islands. . . . Rauzon brings a compassionate lens to the sad process of pest destruction, for the pests do not know they are such and did not ask to be invaders. While ecologies change with or without human input, he highlights too the hazards of attempting complete restoration. . . . Such work is praiseworthy, as indeed is this book.--Judith A. Bennett The Journal of Pacific History [Isles of Amnesia] is an interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining read based on many decades of experience in these unique places. It is also a good resource for scholars interested in these lightly-studied islands. Furthermore, the book is especially useful for those interested in how landscape and ecological change happens quickly in these isolated places surrounded by vast oceans. --Rachana Agarwal Island Studies Journal, 11:2 (November 2016) The scope of the book is impressive: ranging geographically from Polynesia to Micronesia; historically, from early European sea voyagers, such as, Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, to the ultramodern submersible that lowered famed film-maker James Cameron to the plunging depths of the Mariana Trench in 2012; and, in scale, from the contained world of the hermit crab crawling out from under a log to global concerns, such as, climate change. . . . One of the most compelling aspects of his book is his explication of the ethical dilemmas that are faced in the work of exterminating introduced life forms calamitous to vulnerable endemic species and fragile ecosystems. . . . Rauzon's passion for the islands and the life they harbor is evident. His humorous anecdotes and accessible writing style make his book a pleasurable read, one in which these isles of amnesia are vividly remembered.--Rachana Agarwal Pacific Affairs, 90:3 The greatest value of Rauzon's work is the manner in which he wrestles with repairing damages caused by governments in places far beyond the mainstream. . . . This book provides valuable insight into invasive species management and mismanagement. It is topical, timely, and true to the internal inconsistencies of thoughtful conservation biology.--Pamela Frierson CHOICE Isles of Amnesia is an intimate portrait of islands that have served as way stations for an amazing range of human use and abuse, from guano mining to feather poaching to weapons testing, and Rauzon has dug up some fascinating history. This patchwork tale of colorful characters and skullduggery is knit together by the author's in-the-trenches account of what it's like to be a conservation biologist ridding damaged islands of their most damaging invasives. . . . [He] combines a biologist's acute eye with that of an artist (his wonderful drawings and photographs illustrate Isles of Amnesia).--Pamela Frierson Environment Hawai'i

Author Information

Mark J. Rauzon is professor of geography at Laney College in Oakland, California, USA. He is also a seabird biologist specializing in the effects and eradication of invasive animals and plants on tropical islands.

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