This article is the twelfth article in the Ode To Oceanography. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s map is an antique map of Martinique, which is an overseas French territory. The area depicted on the map is a road along Saint Pierre, which used to be one of the sparkling jewels of the island. Saint Pierre is located on the central western side of the island, along with this particular road. The map does have some yellowing along the coastal area of the map, & a strange yellow dot on the right-hand side of the map. The yellowing on the paper is due to the oxidation caused by the cellulose in the paper. The edges are a bit blunt, & 1 of them is slightly curled back, but that does not obscure any of the map. The map is 17 inches (43.18 centimeters) long, & 12.25 (31.115 centimeters) inches wide. In this article, we will discuss the map itself, the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface-level analysis of this antique nautical map. With that being said let us delve into the Caribbean Sea, of the prized Martinique. The Map Since this map was made & designed in English, there is no need for translation. The map is very detailed & clear, with no writing smudged. The main thing on this map is the road & community along Saint Pierre. Additionally, the map is centered on this road. Interestingly, The map has the oceanic depths of the surrounding coast on it. uncolored, & does not seem to have any faded color. Many topographical features are outlined, such as the nearby mountains. An Analysis of the Chart This map was designed & printed in 1877, by the United States Hydrographic Office of the United States Navy. The original survey that was used to make the map, was done by the French, in 1825. This map was made for militaristic purposes, & most likely used for them. The map is extremely precise, accurate, detailed, & incredibly useful for sailors who were sailing into Saint Pierre. It is unclear if this map was a part of any particular collection. This map was most certainly made via the lithographic process, due to its maker, & the periodAfterward that it was manufactured in. In the lithographic method, the artist will draw directly onto a printing surface, such as zinc, or copper, until they are satisfied with the drawing. After this, the surface will be covered with a chemical etch, which will bond it to the surface. With this process, the blank areas will attract moisture to the plate & repel the lithographic ink, while the areas that are drawn on will hold the ink. Water is then wiped onto the unpainted areas to help prevent the ink from deviating. After the map wanted is inked, the paper is laid over it & covered with a tympan, & the tympan is pressed down. Finally, these materials pass through the scraper bar of the litho press. Afterwards, an exact copy of whatever was supposed to be printed is revealed. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, any other maps, or any other cartographic objects, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

This article is the eleventh installment in the Ode To Oceanography Series. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s map is an antique map of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is approximately 149,000 square miles (385,908.228 Square Kilometers), & 1,000 miles (1609.34 kilometers) long. The primary country on this map is Sweden, but part of the German Coast can be seen. There is slight yellowing on the right-hand side of the Map, which is due to the oxidation caused by the cellulose in the paper. There is also slight curling in the corners of the map, but that does not obscure any of the maps. The dimensions of the chart are 37.5 inches (95.25 centimeters) long, & 23 inches (58.42 centimeters) wide. In this article, we will discuss the map itself & the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface-level analysis of this antique nautical map. With that being said let us delve into the Baltic Sea. The Map Since this map is in English, it does not need to be translated. This map is extremely detailed, & fairly large. The map is also in very good condition considering the fact that it is over 130 years old. The map is uncolored, & does not seem to have any faded color. This map has many different names of towns along both the Swedish & German Coast, as well as a few different islands on it. Coves, bays, & inlets, however, are not labeled or featured on the chart. Topographical features such as mountains, are not outlined on this map. An Analysis of the Nautical Chart This map was made in 1872. It is unknown where exactly this map was found. This map was made for the British Admiralty, by the British Admiralty, though It is unclear what exactly this map was used for in the British Admiralty. This map encompasses the majority of the Swedish Coast, & parts of the Baltic Coast of Germany. This map isn’t known to be a part of any particular nautical collection. Since the chart was printed in the 1870’s, it was most likely made through the lithographic method. In the lithographic method, the artist will draw directly onto a printing surface, such as zinc, or copper, until they are satisfied with the drawing. After this, the surface will be covered with a chemical etch, which will bond it to the surface. With this process, the blank areas will attract moisture to the plate & repel the lithographic ink, while the areas that are drawn on will hold the ink. Water is then wiped onto the unpainted areas to help prevent the ink from deviating. After the map wanted is inked, the paper is laid over it & covered with a tympan, & the tympan is pressed down. Finally, these materials pass through the scraper bar of the litho press. Afterward, an exact copy of whatever was supposed to be printed is revealed. Directories / Charts All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, any other maps, or any other cartographic objects, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

This article is the tenth installment in the Ode To Oceanography series. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s Map up for Analysis is an antique map of the Bay Of Biscay, Between the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Spain, The Faroe Islands, & The Orkney Islands. The map is in fair condition, but there is a lot of moisture-curdling damage towards the center of the map. Though this does slightly degrade the overall quality of the map, everything is still perfectly legible. In this article, we will discuss the map itself & the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface-level analysis of this antique nautical map. With that being said, let us delve into the Bay Of Biscay. The Map Since the map is in English, there is no need for translation as this is the English Version of our newsletter. An Analysis Of The Map This map was made in the year 1879, by Wilson & John William Norie, who were British cartographers. This map was found by Maps of Antiquity, a lovely New England map shop. This map was most likely made in Britain, as that is where John William Norie’s maps were primarily made. The map covers approximately 1,150 nautical miles (2129.8 kilometers, or 1323.396 miles), though this measurement is rough. The map is extremely accurate, & very few islands are left off of it. As far as we are aware, this map is not a part of a certain collection. This map does not display most topographical features. The map is currently uncolored, & it is most likely made uncolored. It was not made, or used for militaristic purposes as far as we can tell. The map does not seem to be centered on any country, or port. No coves, ports, or beaches are labeled on this map, as it is a small-scale map. This map was most certainly made using lithography, due to the timing, & the way that the map looks. Lithography became popular in the early 1800s, & commercial lithography in 1820, so the timing for the map to be made using this method aligns. Additionally, there are extremely few other methods that it would have been made with, as lithography was the cheapest & fastest way to produce maps at the time. In the lithographic method, the artist will draw directly onto a printing surface, such as zinc, or copper, until they are satisfied with the drawing. After this, the surface will be covered with a chemical etch, which will bond it to the surface. With this process, the blank areas will attract moisture to the plate & repel the lithographic ink, while the areas that are drawn on will hold the ink. Water is then wiped onto the unpainted areas to help prevent the ink from deviating. After the map wanted is inked, the paper is laid over it & covered with a tympan, & the tympan is pressed down. Finally, these materials pass through the scraper bar of the litho press. Afterward, an exact copy of whatever was supposed to be printed is revealed. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, any other maps, or any other cartographic objects, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

This article is the ninth installment in the Ode To Oceanography series. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, we will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying time periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s map up for analysis is an antique chart of the North Sea. The Map Since this map is in English, there is no need for translation. An Analysis Of The Map This map was made originally in 1840, but it was later corrected in 1843. It was made by M. Blachford, & was sold originally by Blachford & Imray. Maps Of Antiquity is currently selling this map. This map was most certainly made in England. The map encompasses the North Sea, also known as the German Sea. The map is positioned in such a way that the coasts of the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Norway, England, Scotland, & the Shetland Islands coastal areas are all visible. This is a sailing map, so there are no reasons for any marine creature zones to be labeled. Since the map has many overlapping lines on the sea area, it is hard to tell whether any islands were left off or not. For this reason, we cannot properly assess the accuracy of this map. This map is most likely in a large collection of European maps by Blachford & Co., but we cannot tell if it is, we can only hypothesize. The map has no weather or tidal patterns displayed on the map either, due to technology at the time not being very reliable at tracking these sorts of things. There are no prominent terrestrial topographical features on the map. This map is uncolored, most likely for simplicity. This map was not made for militia use, & was most likely never used for militaristic purposes. Aside from the northern sea, the map does not Center end on any lighthouse or country in particular. Additionally, no coves are labeled on the map. There are no rapids or dangerous areas labeled directly on the map, for unknown reasons. Due to the time & location of the map making, it was most certainly made using lithography. In the lithographic method, the artist will draw directly onto a printing surface, such as zinc, or copper, until they are satisfied with the drawing. After this, the surface will be covered with a chemical etch, which will bond it to the surface. With this process, the blank areas will attract moisture to the plate & repel the lithographic ink, while the areas that are drawn on will hold the ink. Water is then wiped onto the unpainted areas to help prevent the ink from deviating. After the map wanted is inked, the paper is laid over it & covered with a tympan, & the tympan is pressed down. Finally, these materials pass through the scraper bar of the litho press. Afterward, an exact copy of whatever was supposed to be printed is revealed. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, any other maps, or any other cartographic objects, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

This article is the seventh installment in the Ode To Oceanography series. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the time period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying time periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s Map up for Analysis is an antique map of Cape Cod, & Provincetown. Cape Cod Bay is approximately 604 square miles, though the map does not cover the entire bay. All around, the map is in marvelous condition. There is no curling damage, or any damage at all really. In this article we will discuss the map itself & the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface level analysis on this antique nautical map. With that being said, let us delve into the Beautiful, Cape Cod Bay. The Map Since the map is in English, there is no need to translate it. An Analysis of the Map This map was made in the year 1836, by the United States Topographical Engineers. This map was found by Maps Of Antiquity, & where they originally found it is unknown. This map does not have any marien creature zones outlined on it. Though it is not labelled, the map has Herring Cove Beach displayed on it near the curl of the cape. The map is not very accurate about the lakes near Provincetown, but the proportions of the ocean are very accurate. We suspect that this map was a part of a specific collection, though we cannot say for certain. This map does not have a specific name. It does not have any coves labelled on it, but the coves are there, just unlabelled. The map has many lakes outlined quite prominently, as Provincetown was built near at least 17 lakes. The map is uncoloured, most likely for simplicity of the map. It is unclear whether or not this map was used for militaristic purposes, but it was made for such purposes. The map is primarily centered on Provincetown, not any lighthouses along the coast. Since the map was made in 1836, it is almost guaranteed that it was made using lithography. Especially since it was made by the United States Topographical Engineering Corps, the chances of it being made with an advanced for the time technique were higher. In the lithographic method, the artist will draw directly onto a printing surface, such as zinc, or copper, until they are satisfied with the drawing. After this, the surface will be covered with a chemical etch, which will bond it to the surface. With this process, the blank areas will attract moisture to the plate & repel the lithographic ink, while the areas that are drawn on will hold the ink. Water is then wiped onto the unpainted areas to help prevent the ink from deviating. After the map wanted is inked, the paper is laid over it & covered with a tympan, & the tympan is pressed down. Finally, these materials pass through the scraper bar of the litho press. Afterwards, an exact copy of whatever was supposed to be printed is revealed. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, any other maps, or any other cartographic objects, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

This article is the sixth instalment in the Ode To Oceanography Series. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the time period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying time periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s Map up for analysis, is an antique nautical chart of the Gulf of Venice. The gulf of Venice is approximately 75 miles wide, & is approximately 125 feet deep on average. The map is in wonderful condition, apart from some curling in the upper side of the map. In this article we will discuss the map itself & the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface level analysis on this antique nautical map. With that being said, let us delve into the Venetian Gulf. The Map This map is in french. The front emblem says “Carte Reduite De Golfe de Venise”, which translates to “Reduced Map Of The Gulf Of Venice”. This map is specifically off the gulf, & all islands or other land areas are left off the map. An Analysis of the Map This map was made in the year 1820, by Captain Gauttier. The map was found by Maps Of Antiquity, & the original owner of the map is unknown. This map was most likely made in france, due to the map being in french. This map has no rapids, or topographical features outlined on the map. Additionally, there are no marine creature areas outlined on the map. The map is extremely proportionally accurate. As far as we are aware the map is not a part of a specific collection, nor does it have a particular name. This map remains uncoloured, most likely for simplicity the map is not centered on any country, island, or light house. It was also not made or used for any militaristic purposes. Due to the time that the map was made, it is hard to say exactly how it was made. In the year 1820, lithography began becoming commercially popular, which makes the chances of it being made by they method more likely. Since we do not know what country this map was made in, we do not know if lithography had become commercially popular in that area yet. Lithography is still the most likely option, but by a slimmer margin. The first technique that will be discussed is the bronze slab technique. In this technique, there are 5 jobs, the mapmaker, the engraver, the printer, the papermaker, & the colourist. The first step in this process is that the mapmaker will go out & make a hand-drawn map of the area where the map will encompass. Effectively, the mapmaker is the informant who makes the first copy. After this, the engraver will create a design of the map in reverse on a metal, usually copper, surface. Usually there would only be 1-2 plates used, however it differs depending on the size of the map. After the copper plate is made, the printer will heat the copper panel, & then proceed to lather it with ink. They will then wipe the copper panel down to the point where ink is only on the grooves of the panel. Then after this, the printer will press damp paper onto the ink, & hang it up to dry. To conclude, the colourist will touch up the map & decorate it by adding in details, such as shorelines & shoals. In the second method, the artist will draw directly onto a printing surface, such as zinc, or copper, until they are satisfied with the drawing. After this, the surface will be covered with a chemical etch, which will bond it to the surface. With this process, the blank areas will attract moisture to the plate & repel the lithographic ink, while the areas that are drawn on will hold the ink. Water is then wiped onto the unpainted areas to help prevent the ink from deviating. After the map wanted is inked, the paper is laid over it & covered with a tympan, & the tympan is pressed down. Finally, these materials pass through the scraper bar of the litho press. Afterwards, an exact copy of whatever was supposed to be printed is revealed. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, any other maps, or any other cartographic objects, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

This article is the fifth instalment in the Ode to Oceanography series. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the time period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying time periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s Map up for analysis, is an antique map of the Caribbean Isles. It encompasses approximately 2/3rds of the Caribbean Sea. The map is in magnificent condition, aside from some yellow discolouration in the upper right corner, & the upper edges being curled from moisture. In this article we will discuss the map itself & the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface level analysis on this antique nautical map. With that being said, let us delve into the waters of the Caribbean. The Map Since the map is in English, there is no need to translate it, because this is the English version of our newsletter. An Analysis of the Map This map was made in 1807, by Irish Mapmaker, Robert Blachford. This map was found by the Maps of Antiquity company, & the original owner beyond that is unknown. It is unknown which country this was made in, as at the time, a multitude of European countries occupied the Caribbean, making it hard to determine which which is the one that it originated from. This area encompasses not only the lesser Antilles, but it also encompasses Guyana & North Venezuela. This map has no sea creature migration zones outlined on it. The map is extremely accurate, & shows the majority of the Caribbean islands, even the minor outlying islands. This map has no official name or cartographic collection that it is a part of. This map has very few topographical features, aside from The Orinoco River, & a few other Rivers. This map is uncoloured, for reasons unknown. It was not made for, or most likely used for Militaristic purposes. The map is centered on the Caribbean Sea, but not any specific country in it. This map has no rapids, underwater canyons, or things of such a nature. Since Lithography only became commercially popular in the 1820’s, & the map was made in 1807, lithography had not become commercially popular yet. Lithography was invented in 1798, so there is still a chance that it was made using that technique. The first technique it could have been made with was lithographic printing. In this method the artist will draw directly onto a printing surface, such as zinc, or copper, until they are satisfied with the drawing. After this, the surface will be covered with a chemical etch, which will bond it to the surface. With this process, the blank areas will attract moisture to the plate & repel the lithographic ink, while the areas that are drawn on will hold the ink. Water is then wiped onto the unpainted areas to help prevent the ink from deviating. After the map wanted is inked, the paper is laid over it & covered with a tympan, & the tympan is pressed down. Finally, these materials pass through the scraper bar of the litho press. Afterwards, an exact copy of whatever was supposed to be printed is revealed. The second method possible, is the engraving Method. This method was not to traditional at the time, though it could be done, it was not as common. In this technique, there are 5 jobs, the mapmaker, the engraver, the printer, the papermaker, & the colourist. The first step in this process is that the mapmaker will go out & make a hand-drawn map of the area where the map will encompass. Effectively, the mapmaker is the informant who makes the first copy. After this, the engraver will create a design of the map in reverse on a metal, usually copper, surface. Usually there would only be 1-2 plates used, however it differs depending on the size of the map. After the copper plate is made, the printer will heat the copper panel, & then proceed to lather it with ink. They will then wipe the copper panel down to the point where ink is only on the grooves of the panel. Then after this, the printer will press damp paper onto the ink, & hang it up to dry. To conclude, the colourist will touch up the map & decorate it by adding in details, such as shorelines & shoals. The first technique is more likely, as it could be done more easily & in higher quality. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, any other maps, or any other cartographic objects, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

This article is the fourth instalment in the Ode to Oceanography series. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the time period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying time periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s map up for analysis, is a antique nautical map of the New Haven Harbour. New Haven has expanded since the maps making in 1847, & unfortunately for this reason we cannot say the exact length of the coast. The map is in very good condition, however it does look like parts of the border of the map are dirty, & the map has somewhat yellowed with time. In this article we will discuss the map itself & the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface level analysis on this antique nautical map. With that being said, let us delve into the waters of New Haven. The Map Since this chart is in english, there is no reason to translate it into english. This map is centered on the New Haven Lighthouse. An Analysis of this Nautical Chart We found this map through Maps Of Antiquity. This map was made by the United States Coastal Survey. It was made in the United States. This map is extremely accurate for the time, & the proportions of the map are shockingly correct. This map has no specific name, though it may belong to a specific volume of surveys. This map has no wind patterns, nor does it have any wave patterns on it. This map was most likely made to be uncoloured, so that it could be easily mass printed. There are no topographical features outlined on the map, as there are no mountains close-by the harbour. It was most likely used for military purposes, but it might not have been made for purely militaristic purpose. This map most certainly wasn’t hand drawn. There are 2 possibilities as to how the map was made, & the first of the 2 is more likely. The first method would be through lithographic printing. In this method the artist will draw directly onto a printing surface, such as zinc, or copper, until they are satisfied with the drawing. After this, the surface will be covered with a chemical etch, which will bond it to the surface. With this process, the blank areas will attract moisture to the plate & repel the lithographic ink, while the areas that are drawn on will hold the ink. Water is then wiped onto the unpainted areas to help prevent the ink from deviating. After the map wanted is inked, the paper is laid over it & covered with a tympan, & the tympan is pressed down. Finally, these materials pass through the scraper bar of the litho press. Afterwards, an exact copy of whatever was supposed to be printed is revealed. The second method possible, is the engraving Method. This method was not to traditional at the time, though it could be done, it was not as common. In this technique, there are 5 jobs, the mapmaker, the engraver, the printer, the papermaker, & the colourist. The first step in this process is that the mapmaker will go out & make a hand-drawn map of the area where the map will encompass. Effectively, the mapmaker is the informant who makes the first copy. After this, the engraver will create a design of the map in reverse on a metal, usually copper, surface. Usually there would only be 1-2 plates used, however it differs depending on the size of the map. After the copper plate is made, the printer will heat the copper panel, & then proceed to lather it with ink. They will then wipe the copper panel down to the point where ink is only on the grooves of the panel. Then after this, the printer will press damp paper onto the ink, & hang it up to dry. To conclude, the colourist will touch up the map & decorate it by adding in details, such as shorelines & shoals. The first technique is more likely, as it could be done more easily & in higher quality. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, any other maps, or any other cartographic objects, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors Our Loyal Patrons Ms. Paloma Rodriguez Ochoa

This article is the third instalment in the Ode to Oceanography series. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the time period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying time periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s map up for analysis, is one of the first ever marine surveys ever taken of the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean measures at approximately 965,300 square miles (2,500,115.52 square kilometers), which is a lot of area to encompass. It showcases the northern areas of Africa, & the Black sea. This map is a genuine, Heather, Mediterranean map. This map is in extraordinary condition, aside from the paper being slightly yellowed by time. In this article we will discuss the map itself & the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface level analysis on this antique nautical map. With that being said let us delve into the Mediterranean Sea. The Antique Map This map is in English, so there is no need for translation into English. We unfortunately, are unable to translate this into any other European language, unless we forego complete accuracy. This map has an incredible accuracy, even compared to modern day charts. There are very few islands left off off of this, & the coastline is very accurate. All countries directly bordering the Mediterranean, are extremely clearly labelled. This map is uncoloured, most likely to cut down on production time. Overall, this chart is pristine. An Analysis Of The Map This map was made in the year 1812, but was revised in 1818. It is unknown where exactly this map was found, or who was the original owner of it. This map was originally made by William Heather, a British nautical cartographer, but it was revised by John William Norie, a British hydrographer. This map was not made for military purposes, & was not used for such purposes either. The map unfortunately has no legends, or areas with marine creatures outlined on it. This chart does not have a specific name. This map does not have any topographical feautures outlined on the map. Though we cannot for certain say which technique this was made with, the most likely method is the engraving method, which was the most common & traditional at the time. In this technique, there are 5 jobs, the mapmaker, the engraver, the printer, the papermaker, & the colourist. The first step in this process is that the mapmaker will go out & make a hand-drawn map of the area where the map will encompass. Effectively, the mapmaker is the informant who makes the first copy. After this, the engraver will create a design of the map in reverse on a metal, usually copper, surface. Usually there would only be 1-2 plates used, however it differs depending on the size of the map. After the copper plate is made, the printer will heat the copper panel, & then proceed to lather it with ink. They will then wipe the copper panel down to the point where ink is only on the grooves of the panel. Then after this, the printer will press damp paper onto the ink, & hang it up to dry. To conclude, the colourist will touch up the map & decorate it by adding in details, such as shorelines & shoals. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, any other maps, or any other cartographic objects, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

This article is a part of the Ode to Oceanography Series. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the time period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying time periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Todays Map being analyzed is a map of the coast of New England, circa 1757. This map encompasses the entirety of coastal New England, & the entirety of Nova Scotia. This map is one of the few preserved maps of its time, & it has never once been restored. Since Nova Scotia has coastline approximately 13,000 kilometers (8077.8255 miles) of coastline, Maine has a coastline of approximately 3,478 miles (2161.75 kilometers), & the rest of New England has approximately 2,033 miles (3271.7964 kilometers) of coastline. That gives this map approximately 13,588.8255 miles of coastline. In this article we will discuss the map itself & the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface level analysis on this antique nautical map. With that being said let us delve into the New England Coastline. The Map Itself This map is incredibly detailed, with an impressive amount of depth. Since there is french on it, it is our duty to translate the article into English. The top emblem says in its first half, “Carte Reduite des Costes Orientales de l'Amerique Septentrionale”, which translates to “Reduite map of the Eastern Costes of North America”. In its second half, it is much to blurry to make out what it actually states. It does outline a few topographical features, such as mountains, along with a few valleys as well. An Analysis Of The Map This map was made in the year 1757, which would have been during the time when America, was not yet its own country. It is currently unclear where exactly this map was found, or made which country this map was made in. Since the map is in french, it was most likely made in Canada, or Paris, as Paris was the core city of cartography at the time. It is also unclear who exactly this map was made by, though it was most likely British, rather then American sailors. This map encompasses the entirety of New England, as well as Nova Scotia. It unfortunately has no sea monsters, or things such as the legendary Champ monster, outlined on the map. The map is extremely accurate, aside from a few minor proportional issues in relation to a few New Englander islands. This map does not have an official name, but the top piece of the emblem could be interpreted as a name, or title of sorts. There are no wave, or wind patterns on this map, though that is to be expected due to the time of the maps making. There are one of 2 ways this map could have been made. Either, it was directly hand drawn & coloured, meaning that it is one of kind, which is quite plausible to the many overlapping lines, & extraordinary detail. Alternatively, it could have been made the traditional way, & been mass produced. In this technique, there are 5 jobs, the mapmaker, the engraver, the printer, the papermaker, & the colourist. The first step in this process is that the mapmaker will go out & make a hand-drawn map of the area where the map will encompass. Effectively, the mapmaker is the informant who makes the first copy. After this, the engraver will create a design of the map in reverse on a metal, usually copper, surface. Usually there would only be 1-2 plates used, however it differs depending on the size of the map. After the copper plate is made, the printer will heat the copper panel, & then proceed to lather it with ink. They will then wipe the copper panel down to the point where ink is only on the grooves of the panel. Then after this, the printer will press damp paper onto the ink, & hang it up to dry. To conclude, the colourist will touch up the map & decorate it by adding in details, such as shorelines & shoals. Out of the 2, it seems that it was hand drawn, & it is one of a kind or one of very few ever made. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, & any other maps, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors Our Loyal Patrons Ms. Paloma Rodriguez Ochoa

Ode To Oceanography: An Antique Map Of Saint Lawrence River This article will be the first article in the “Ode To Oceanography” Series. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the time period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying time periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s Map that will be analyzed, is an antique nautical map of the Saint Lawrence River, located in Quebec Canada. This river runs from the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to above the province of Quebec, it is also in french so we will attempt to decipher it. In this article we will discuss the map itself & the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface level analysis on this antique nautical map. With that being said let us delve into the Saint Lawrence River. The Map On the large emblem on the map, it reads “Carte Du Cours Du Fleuve De S’Laurent, Depuis son embouchure jusqu'au dessous Québec.” Which translates to “Map Of The Course Of the S’Lawrence River, From its mouth to below Quebec.” It is extremely hard to decipher, as the handwriting has blurred with time, & it is of course in French. It also reads on the river “Fleuve De S’Laurent” which translates to “Lawrence River”. On the map you can see mainland Quebec, & labelled as “Isle De’Anticosti” is Anticosti island. You can also see the Gaspé Peninsula, labelled in french as “Gaspesie”. On this peninsula you can see mountains drawn, you can see mountains drawn down all of New Brunswick. There are many labels in french for various parts of the river, & parts of the coast, but they are much to small to decipher. An Analysis Of The Map This map was made in the year 1758. It is unknown where this map was found exactly, but it can only be assumed that it was in found Quebec, as the map is in french. The map is of the Saint Lawrence river, from its mouth to just Below Quebec. This map has no particular name. The map has no sea monsters, legends, or anything of that nature labeled on the map, that I am able to tell. The mountain of known as Mont Jacques Cartier is outlined on the map very prominently. There are no wind patterns shown on the map, or wave patterns. The map is surprisingly accurate, & very few small islets were left off the map. This map was most likely printed using the engraving technique. This is a technique which was the most popular at the time, & the easiest way to mass produce maps. In this technique, there are 5 jobs, the mapmaker, the engraver, the printer, the papermaker, & the colourist. The first step in this process is that the mapmaker will go out & make a hand-drawn map of the area where the map will encompass. Effectively, the mapmaker is the informant who makes the first copy. After this, the engraver will create a design of the map in reverse on a metal, usually copper, surface. Usually there would only be 1-2 plates used, however it differs depending on the size of the map. After the copper plate is made, the printer will heat the copper panel, & then proceed to lather it with ink. They will then wipe the copper panel down to the point where ink is only on the grooves of the panel. Then after this, the printer will press damp paper onto the ink, & hang it up to dry. To conclude, the colourist will touch up the map & decorate it by adding in details, such as shorelines & shoals. Directories / Credits All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, & any other maps, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them. Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors Our Loyal Patrons Ms. Paloma Rodriguez Ochoa

A photograph of gorgeous coastal cliffside Orkney, Scotland. Credit to theasis. Today’s article shall discuss the complex & intriguing history of Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. Mainland is an island located in the Orkney Islands Archipelago approximately 6 miles off the coast of Scotland. It is the largest island in the Orkney Archipelago, & the tenth largest island in the British Isles, at approximately 202 square miles. It holds the bulk of Orkney's population in its main settlement, Kirkwall, with a population of 10,020. Known for its vast biodiversity of both terrestrial & marine life, peaceful coastal communities, & rolling green hills, Mainland is a picturesque island. The Orkneys have a rich & complicated history, at one point being colonized by Norwegian Vikings. The history of Mainland goes back to the Mesolithic, with evidence of human populations on the island for at least 8,500 years. It seems the earliest settlers arrived around 6000 BC, having immigrated from Scotland proper. In today’s article, we shall discuss the documented history of Mainland, the most destructive disasters to affect Mainland, & the economy of Mainland. With that being said, let us delve into this fascinating isle in the North Atlantic! The Documented History of Mainland Before Colonization (6000 BC to 750 AD) As mentioned before, the history of the Orkneys stretches back approximately 8,500 years. Around 6000 BC, nomadic Mesolithic hunter-gatherers arrived on the island as the last glacial maximum came to a close, causing glaciers to rapidly retreat. Evidence of these early settlers can be seen in the form of flint tools, & shell middens, which are large piles of discarded shells from shellfish that were consumed. It is believed that they hunted local seabirds, as well as seals. Around 3000 BC, civilization on Orkney transformed, & became more organized. Structured farming & herding communities grew, leaving behind some of the most important prehistoric settlements in the world. The builders of these magnificent structures aligned them with the solstices, lunar rise, changing seasons, sun, & moon. Skara Brae was a Neolithic village constructed overlooking the Bay of Skaill approximately 5,000 years ago. The settlement consists of 8 homes clustered together, connected via passageways. Each home has artfully constructed beds, dressers, seats, storage spaces, & a central hearth. A photograph of the Neolithic Scottish settlement of Skara Brae. Credit to VisitScotland. The Standing Stones of Stenness are a series of massive stones all aligned in a circle. Though it is believed that there were 12 original stones, only 4 remain standing today. Fires may have been lit in the center of these stones. There is also evidence that animal sacrifices may have taken place. These stones were believed to be aligned with the sky, & to provide insight on the place of the sun & moon when viewed from various points throughout the year. Stones range from 15 to 19 feet (4.5 to 5.7 meters). The diameter of the circle that they make is approximately 100.06 feet (30.5 meters) in diameter. A gorgeous photograph of the Standing Stones of Stenness under the midday sun. Credit to Nick Munton. The Ring of Brodgar is another stone circle, spanning a massive 426.5 feet (130 meters) in diameter. It is the third-largest stone circle in the UK. It is also believed to be astronomically aligned, with the sun setting perfectly between two stones during the summer solstice, & rising on the perfect opposite side during the winter solstice. Evidence suggests that animal & human sacrifice may have taken place during ceremonies. A photograph of the Ring of Brodgar. Credit to northlinkferries.co.uk. Maeshoe is a Neolithic mass tomb made of stone. It is located inside a small grassy knoll. It is approximately 15 meters in diameter, with 5-meter high ceilings. Three small chambers extend from a central chamber, which is believed to be where people were interred. Strangely, when the site was first excavated in 1861, no human bones were discovered. A photograph of the entrance to Maeshowe. Credit to Getty Images. In these Neolithic communities, a rudimentary sewer system flushed by a stream existed beneath villages, an engineering marvel for its day. By 2500 BC, metalworking had been brought from mainland Europe, kickstarting the Bronze Age. Though the usage of bronze & ceramics was popular in Britain, they seem to have been less common in Mainland, being used as status symbols rather than practical objects. Gradually, bronze fell out of fashion, being replaced by iron, sparking the Iron Age. This era was marked by a temporary Roman occupation. Tall circular stone towers known as Brochs, now popular tourist attractions, were built during this era, spiralling some 13 meters high. Underneath these brochs, metalworking stations were constructed. Trade routes were vibrant, with pottery being imported from continental Europe. During Roman occupation, burial customs shifted, with bones being interred in homes or lovingly buried. During the Iron Age, a group of nomadic peoples known as the Picts, Latin for painted peoples, lived on the island. They were first encountered by Roman settlers in 297 AD, before disappearing from the historical record in 843 AD. Very little is known about them, though they seem to have exchanged culture, artistic motifs, & jewelry with the Romans. They are best remembered for their silver jewelry, intricately carved stones, & depictions of religion as well as the natural world. After Colonization Norse Period (750 AD to 1468 AD) During the mid-700s, Norwegian Viking Raiders came to the island, & colonized it as a part of Norway. The island was officially incorporated into an earldom under the Norwegian Crown in the 800s, remaining as such until it was pledged to Scotland as a part of a dowry from King Christian I of Denmark & Norway for his daughter Margaret’s marriage to James III, King of Scots, in 1468. After this, it was incorporated into Scotland, & has remained as such ever since. It was officially pledged as collateral for the payment of 58,000 florins, & Margaret’s marriage to James III. Although the pair wed, the 58,000 florins were never paid, & the islands were absorbed into Scotland. Scottish Period (1468 AD to Present) Although the island was now a part of Scotland, many customs remained from the Norse Period. The primary language remained Norn (an extinct language derived from Old Norse spoken in the Orkneys) until the 1700s, place names remained distinctly Scandinavian, & the odal / udal landholding system remained in place. In the early Scottish Period, 2 skirmishes occurred between Orcadian clans & Scottish rulers, respectively known as the Battle of Summerdale & the Siege of Saint Magnus Cathedral. A photograph of Saint Magnus Cathedral. Credit to Stevekeiretsu. During the 1600s, 1700s, & 1800s, the island was an important stop on the trade routes for many sailors in the North Atlantic. Though many of these sailors were legitimate, many engaged in piracy, shifting stolen goods across the sea. One such gentleman was John Gow. John Gow was born in Wick, Scotland, in 1697. His family would move to Stromness during his childhood, after which he would run away to become a sailor. He rose to second mate aboard a ship named The George by 1724. When sailing aboard the Santa Cruz on November 3rd, 1724, he, along with a small group of sailors, mutinied, took power over the vessel, & renamed it Revenge. They raided coastal areas of Spain, Madeira, & Orkney, raiding the houses of the local Gentry. While raiding Carrick House on Eday, his ship ran aground, & he was captured by local law enforcement. He was later tried & executed by hanging in London. Another such gentleman of ill will was Captain John Fullarton. According to author Ernest Marwick, John Fullarton was a privateer for the Royal Navy who came from Stromness. A privateer is similar to a pirate, except they are state-sponsored, & are permitted to rob enemy commercial ships at sea. He was allegedly very greedy, & through his acquisition of wealth, he was able to acquire an estate on Orkney for his family. While out raiding, he boarded Scottish merchant vessel The Isabella, & killed the commander, Captain Jones. He was promptly shot by Mary Jones, the wife of Captain Jones. After this, she was known as Mary Jones the Pirate Slayer. As a result of this unsavoury activity, finding bootlegged alcohol was not very difficult on Mainland. In fact, up until 1860 you could purchase counterfeit gin over the counter from at least one bank in Kirkwall. From the early to mid 1800s, the herring population off the coast of Orkney soared. As a result, many fishermen moved to the island, causing more infrastructure to be built on Mainland, & Stronsay. During both World Wars, the island was critical in Britain’s defence of the North Atlantic as well as the North Sea, favoured for its calm waters & the fact that it was surrounded by other islands, making defence easier. As World War I came to a close, British forces rounded up 74 German ships, & anchored them at Mainland. Upon leaving, the German commander ordered them to scuttle every ship rather than allow them to fall into the hands of the British. As they had not technically surrendered, no British officers were present. When the British forces returned, 52 German ships had sunk to the bottom of the bay. Many were later salvaged for scrap, though occasionally German artifacts still wash up on shore. During WWII, on October 14th, 1939, the German submarine U-47 invaded Scapa Flow (a body of water between Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay, & Hoy), sinking the HMS Royal Oak under the cover of night. Over 830 seamen passed away as a result, many of whom were young cadets. The site is presently designated as a war grave, with a ceremony occurring each year to honour the lives lost. As a result of this horrific tragedy, Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered Italian Prisoners of War to construct 4 causeways linking the Southern Orkney Islands together. The Most Destructive Disasters to Affect Mainland Disaster No. 1: The Sinking of the HMS Hampshire The HMS Hampshire was a 325-foot-long Devonshire Class armed cruiser first launched from Elswick on September 24th, 1906. Prior to her fatal June voyage, she had been used to patrol various parts of Japan, China, & Hong Kong. On June 5th, 1916, she set sail at approximately 4:30 for Russia, carrying 749 passengers & crew. At approximately 8:30 PM, crew members heard an ear-shattering bang. They had hit a sea mine, one recently laid by German submarine SM U-75. The mine struck the port side, just below the engine room. Suddenly, she lost power as all electrical systems failed on board. Waves battered the ship, with water rushing in through the gaping hole that was left as a result of the explosion. Due to electrical failure, larger life ships could not be launched. A handful of small ships were successfully lowered, but many of them were immediately overturned by the massive Atlantic swells, while others were knocked against the side of the HMS Hampshire. At Mainland, Orcadians were treated to the terrifying sight of the massive ship sinking, & survivors being tossed around by the ocean. Messages were sent to Stromness about this spectacle unfolding before them. Unfortunately, lifeboats were not sent out that evening, causing controversy later on. It is heavily debated if lifeboats would have been able to reach considering the conditions at sea. At approximately 9:45 PM, the Flying Kestral, Northward, & Renzo were sent out to pick up survivors. Unfortunately, it was too little too late. No survivors were rescued by these ships. Survivors had to battle the frigid black North Atlantic water all evening. Many survivors were slowly pushed towards the barren rocky cliffs of the Orkneys, either smashing against the side of these rocks, drowning, or succumbing to hypothermia. The HMS Hampshire took just 20 minutes to sink. All told, there were only 12 survivors of the 735 crew-members & 14 passengers on board. That means that of everyone on board, approximately 98.4% were killed. These survivors all washed up ashore on rudimentary Carley floats, a kind of invertible life raft made of cork. The men who died that night included the Right Honorable Earl Horatio Herbert Kitchener, Secretary of State for War at the time of his passing. For days after the incident, bodies of men who had passed kept washing up on shore. Many were taken to Lyness to be given a proper burial. An artistic interpretation of the HMS Hampshire sinking in the North Atlantic. Disaster No. 2: The Sinking of the HMS Royal Oak The HMS Royal Oak was a Revenge-class battleship built & launched from Devonport in 1914. The ship had a crew of approximately 1,200 men. Prior to her watery demise, she was used in WWI. She was stationed in Scapa Flow during the early days of WWII, & was a part of the effort to find the German battleship Gneisenau. On the evening of October 14th, 1939, she was stationed in Scapa Flow. The German submarine U-47snuck quietly into the area under the cover of night, & at 12:58 AM it fired several torpedoes at the HMS Royal Oak. Though most missed, one hit its target successfully, marking the beginning of the end for the HMS Royal Oak. Surprisingly, this first attack was written off by many crew members. At 1:16 AM, 3 more torpedoes hit the side of the ship, causing the ship to begin listing towards its starboard side. Chaos soon erupted on deck, with fire spreading across the ship. Many were plunged into the bitingly cold & unforgiving waters of the North Atlantic. Of the 1,284 men stationed on board, 450 were rescued, & 834 were killed. The men who tragically died included 100 boy seamen, who were young men under the age of 18 undergoing naval training. That means that of everyone on board, approximately 64.95% were killed. The wreck is presently a designated war grave. An annual commemoration of this horrific tragedy occurs every year at the wreck site. A photograph of the HMS Royal Oak at anchor in 1937. Disaster No. 3: The Great Chicken Disaster of 1952 On January 15th, 1952, a fierce windstorm hit the Orkneys. Loose structures were ripped from the ground, trees were broken in half, & animal enclosures were broken. The losses amounted to approximately £512,213, 7 shillings, & 3 old pence. That is equivalent to approximately £12,262,293.75 in 2023, or $14,830,018.06. One of the most significant losses from this was the chickens kept in the Orkneys for their blossoming egg industry. Approximately 86,679 hens were lost, & 7,154 hen houses were destroyed. In addition to this, 529 agricultural buildings were fully or partially destroyed, 1,664 agricultural buildings were fully or partially unroofed, 234 domestic houses were fully or partially destroyed, & 1,247 domestic houses were unroofed. The Economy of Orkney The Orkney Islands have a vibrant economy. They are well known for their oil, gas, agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, manufacturing, sustainable energy, & tourism industries. Agriculture, fisheries, & aquaculture are all incredibly important to both the Orcadian economy & identity. A unique breed of sheep known for their seaweed-based diet is reared in North Ronaldsay, an island north of Mainland. Fisheries are estimated to support approximately 90 local businesses, or 5% of the local economy. Shellfish is one of the biggest seafood exports from Orkney. Oil & gas are extremely important as well, with the Flotta Gas Terminal employing approximately 156 people. During its prime, the gas terminal processed an astounding 400,000 barrels of oil per year. Tourism is gradually increasing as more people recognize the beauty of the islands. As of 2026, the Orkney Islands bring in over a hundred cruise ships annually, being one of the most popular cruise destinations in Scotland. The unemployment rate is approximately 1.7%, while the employment rate is 88.3%. The median annual salary in Kirkwall, Mainland, Orkney is £32,723 as of 2026, or $43,872.84. The average cost of living in Orkney is approximately $2,275.10 monthly, or $27,301.20 annually. Both of these figures include rent. Directories / Credits Citation No. 1: “The History of Orkney & Shetland”, Written by Ben Johnson, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-History-of-Orkney-Shetland/ Citation No. 2: “A Beginner’s Guide To Orkney History”, Written by Magnus Dixon, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by NorthLink Ferries. https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/orkney-blog/a-beginners-guide-to-orkneys-history/ Citation No. 3: “Orkney Islands History: From Stone Age to World Wars”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Experience Orkney. https://experienceorkney.com/blog/orkeny-islands-history/https://experienceorkney.com/blog/orkeny-islands-history/ Citation No. 4: “Discover Over 5,000 Years of History on the Isle of Orkney, Scotland”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published Experience Scotland’s Wild. https://www.scotlandswild.com/experience-scotlands-wild-blog-posts/5000-years-of-history-in-orkney-the-ancient-sites-you-must-see Citation No. 5: “The Remote Rewards of Scotland’s Orkney Islands”, Written by Rick Steves, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Rick Steves Europe. https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/orkney-islands-scotland Citation No. 6: “The Viking Spirit of a Remote Scottish Archipelago”, Written by Karen Gardiner, & Published on July 7th, 2023. Published by the BBC. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230706-the-viking-spirit-of-a-remote-scottish-archipelago Citation No. 7: “Heart of Neolithic Orkney”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by UNESCO. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/514/ Citation No. 8: “Pirates & Privateers”, Written by Dusty, & Published on May 19th, 2011. Published by Orkney Archive. http://orkneyarchive.blogspot.com/2011/05/pirates-privateers.html?m=1 Citation No. 9: “The Great Chicken Disaster of 1952”, Written by David, & Published on January 15th, 2024. Published by David at the Hall of Einar. https://www.thehallofeinar.com/2024/01/the-great-chicken-disaster-of-1952/ Citation No. 10: “Hugh O’Beirne and the sinking of the HMS Hampshire: a diplomat remembered”, Written by Dr. Richard Smith, & Published on June 6th, 2016. Published by history.blog.gov.uk. https://history.blog.gov.uk/2016/06/06/hugh-obeirne-and-the-sinking-of-hms-hampshire-a-diplomat-remembered/ Citation No. 11: “HMS Hampshire”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Scottish Shipwrecks. https://www.scottishshipwrecks.com/hms-hampshire/ Citation No. 12: “The Sinking of the HMS Royal Oak”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Royal Navy Museum. https://www.royalnavymuseums.org.uk/news/sinking-hms-royal-oak Citation No. 13: “Economy”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by orkney.com. https://www.orkney.com/life/live/economy Citation No. 14: “Orkney Islands Economic Review”, Written by Mairi Spowage, Graeme Roy, Adam McGeoch, & Ben Cooper, & Published in August 2020. Published by the University of Strathclyde Fraser of Allander Institute. https://fraserofallander.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2020-09-18-Orkney-islands-review.pdf Citation No. 15: “Orkney Economic Review 2023”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Orkney Island Council. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/media/rfpiuao0/orkney-economic-review-2023.pdf Citation No. 16: “Orkney Islands - Local Statistics”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by UKAreaStats. https://ukareastats.co.uk/area/orkney-islands/ Citation No. 17: “Non-Linked Isles: A Profile of the Isles”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by The Orkney Partnership. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/media/rtghixo5/i08_app1_locality_plan_non-linked_isles_appendix_2.pdf Citation No. 18: “Cost of Living in Orkney Islands, United Kingdom in 2026”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Living Cost Index. https://livingcostindex.com/regions/orkney-islands-gb/ Citation No. 19: “Employment, unemployment and economic inactivity in Orkney Islands”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Office of National Statistics. https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/labourmarketlocal/S12000023/ Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

Introduction The invention of the light bulb brought massive changes to society. Suddenly, we were no longer inhibited by the hours of daylight or seasonal darkness. Building lights and giant screens made cities become beacons of light. Today, lights from cars, towns, and billboards block out the darkness for miles and even outshine the stars at midnight. However transformational people thought the lightbulb would be, it is unlikely they realized the effect it would have beyond our city limits, even far out at sea. How could these sources of light disturb nature anyway? In this article, we’ll explain what light pollution is exactly, how it affects marine life, and what can be done to address this disaster. The Disaster: Light Pollution Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a widespread pollution occurring all around the world. Studies show that 22% of the world’s coastal waters are exposed to ALAN – an area equivalent to roughly half the size of China. This light pollution has many sources from cities to offshore oil rigs to seafaring vessels. 22% of the world’s coastal waters are exposed to artificial light at night (ALAN). Photo credit: Smooth Water/Flickr. The strongest effects are felt within the first 100 meters of shoreline but light pollution can in some cases reach far beyond this, even miles offshore, particularly on cloudy days or in areas where the water is especially clear. While natural light typically fades rapidly through the water column, ALAN (particularly blue-light) can reach much deeper, up to 40 meters down. Therefore, not only is ALAN creating light at abnormal times, but also in abnormal spaces, brightening otherwise dark hours and places. Additionally, while natural light gradually increases and fades with sunrises, sunsets, and weather patterns, artificial light can instead switch on and off abruptly. Marine organisms have adapted to the patterns and intensities of natural light, basing their behavior and lifecycles on it. The introduction of artificial light pollution therefore has major implications for many ocean animals. Impacts The prevalence of ALAN around the globe has significant effects on the marine life it shines on, affecting animal behaviors by disrupting lifestyle habits. This is because many marine species use natural light as cues and/or guides. Light is often used for navigation. The marine animal most strongly affected by light pollution is the sea turtle, which uses moonlight to navigate after hatching. Sea turtle eggs are laid on dark, sandy beaches. Once hatched, the baby sea turtles find their way to the open sea using the reflection of moonlight on the water as their guide. With ALAN however, sea turtles are guided away from the water. Bright city lights confuse the hatchlings and lead them to their death. With so much coastal development, it has become harder and harder for sea turtles to find suitable natural beaches for their nests. Seabirds also use natural light to guide their flights, and can become lost by artificial lighting. This may lead them to fly into buildings or boats. Sea turtles use moonlight to navigate from their nests to the ocean. ALAN draws them away from the water, often resulting in death. Photo credit: Blair Witherington / Dark Sky For some animals, lighting plays a role in their reproduction. Coral reef reproduction follows the light cycle of the moon and can also be disrupted by artificial light. Corals release their sperm and eggs based on the moon cycle, which ensures synchronized spawning. When artificial light outshines moonlight, the release of coral gametes can be delayed or unsynchronized, significantly decreasing reproductive success. Several marine species use natural light cues for sleeping and eating, with ALAN disturbing these activities along with their associated cycles. One study showed that clownfish exposed to artificial light had shorter lifespans (44% lower survival rate) and grew smaller than clownfish living in natural light conditions. Clownfish rely on anemones and coral reef ecosystems, the majority of which are in shallower coastal waters which are more likely to experience ALAN. This makes them particularly vulnerable to light pollution. In another study, sea urchins were found to eat more kelp under ALAN conditions. For penguin colonies, coastal lights interfere with nightly feeding and chick survival as the penguins avoid coming ashore. A photograph of a clownfish belonging to the species Amphiprion ocellaris. Due to their preference for shallow coastal waters, clownfish are on the frontlines when it comes to light pollution. According to a study from the University of Melbourne along with Flinders University, it was found that clownfish eggs exposed to light pollution did not hatch at all, resulting in zero survivorship. To read this full study, please visit https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsbl/article/15/7/20190272/34722/Artificial-light-at-night-causes-reproductive. Credit to photographer Nick Hobgood. From navigation to reproduction to the daily habits of marine organisms, light pollution greatly disturbs their life, leading to physical harm and even death. Now that we’ve shed some light on the issue, it’s time we take the steps necessary to flip the switch and protect our seas from light pollution. Recovery While it’s not feasible to simply turn off all our city lights, there are many solutions to the problem of light pollution. For example, coastal developments can opt for warm-colored lights to avoid the more intensive blue light that shines deeper in water. They can also shield their lights by directing them away from the ocean. Of course, turning off all unnecessary lights helps even more. In some areas, dark sky marine reserves have been proposed to protect ocean life. These areas would have greater restrictions on artificial light at night as a conservation tactic for the species in the area. Conclusion While the lightbulb revolutionized human society, it also led to a major pollution problem for wildlife. From baby sea turtles to migratory birds to coral reefs, marine species around the world are negatively impacted by light pollution. Going forward, implementing lighting restrictions could create a brighter (darker) future for marine life. Directories / Sources Citation No. 1: “Into the blue: Understanding marine light pollution”, Written by Megan Eaves, Published on June 6th, 2025. Published by Dark Sky. Retrieval Date: August 13th, 2026. https://darksky.org/news/into-the-blue-understanding-marine-light-pollution/ Citation No. 2: “Bathed in a Sea of Artificial Light”, Written by Unknown, Published on March 2nd, 2022. Published by NASA. Retrieval Date: August 13th, 2026. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/bathed-in-a-sea-of-artificial-light-149518/ Citation No. 3: “From the beach to the seafloor, light pollution interferes with marine life”, Written by Natasha Chortos, Published on June 8th, 2024. Published by Dark Sky. Retrieval Date: August 14th, 2026. https://darksky.org/news/from-the-beach-to-the-seafloor-light-pollution-interferes-with-marine-life/ Citation No. 4: “Light pollution at night severely disrupts the reproductive cycle of corals”, Written by Bar-Ilan University, Published on November 8th, 2020. Published by Science Direct. Retrieval Date: August 14th, 2026. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201105113014.htm

A distinguished photograph of William Healey Dall. Credit to the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. This article is part of our Marine Hall of Distinction collection. In this special collection, we discuss the marine scientists who we feel have contributed the most to marine biology & oceanography. We do this to commemorate these marine scientists & show gratitude for everything they have contributed to our oceans. Today's marine scientist is William Healey Dall. William Healey Dall is an American malacologist, conchologist, & naturalist. He is best known for his work organizing scientific expeditions to Alaska, his work on abyssal mollusks, & his association with the Smithsonian Institution. In today’s article, we will delve into his formative years, education, personal life, career, achievements, accomplishments, awards, & legacy. With that being said, let’s plunge into the extraordinary life of William Healey Dall! His Education & Formative Years William Healey Dall was born William Healey Cranch Dall in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 21st, 1845. He was born to Charles Appleton Dall, a Unitarian Minister, & Caroline Wells Healey, a schoolteacher, notable transcendentalist, reformer, & early feminist. At the age of 10, his father took a missionary position in India, returning home only for brief visits. During one of these visits, his father introduced him to various naturalists who were associated with Harvard University, his father’s alma mater. This sparked a young Dall’s interest in the natural world, particularly marine mollusks, a fascination that would stay with him for the rest of his life. Dall remained in Boston with his brother & mother while he finished his education. He received his secondary education from The English High School in Boston, often colloquially referred to as “Boston English”. He graduated in 1863, quickly becoming a student of Louis Agassiz at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. During this time, he also studied anatomy & medicine under Jeffries Wyman. A photograph of a 19-year-old William Healey Dall, dressed in his expedition uniform during his Dean of Alaska Expeditions. This photograph has been dated to July 9th, 1865. Credit to the Smithsonian Institution Archives. His Career & Personal Life Upon finishing high school, Dall moved to Chicago for a job as a clerk in the Land Office of the Illinois Central Railroad. It was here that he would make frequent visits to the Chicago Academy of Sciences Museum, & have a fateful meeting with Robert Kennicott. In 1865, Kennicott would organize a series of scientific expeditions to the far north reaches of Alaska. Kennicott organized the scientific corps of the Western Telegraph Union Expedition, recruiting Dall as their resident fish & invertebrates expert. The official goal of the expedition was to scout a path to & later build a telegraph line from Alaska to Russia through the Bering Strait. The crew set sail in mid-1865 aboard the Nightingale under the skillful guidance of esteemed whaler, naturalist, & author Charles Melville Scammon. Points of interest in the expedition included Sitka, Unimak Island, St. Michael, Plover Bay, & Petropavlovsk. On this expedition, he collected numerous specimens, & met with local Indigenous tribes, taking notes on their language & vocabulary. These meetings with the local indigenous populations would give him a rich understanding of native art, handicrafts, language, & culture. Dall returned aboard the Nightingale in 1866, exploring the coast of Siberia, with points of interest including Plover Bay, Siberia, & St. Michael, Alaska. Unfortunately, while stopped in St. Michael, Dall learned of the tragic untimely death of his dear friend & collaborator Robert Kennicott. Kennicott had passed suddenly on an expedition in Yukon, Canada after suffering from chronic illness all his life. The now 21-year-old Dall was thrust into the position of director of the expedition’s scientific corps, forcing him to both figuratively & literally change course. Dall was now bound for the Yukon River. He wintered along the riverbanks, & worked until summer of 1867, when he received word the expedition was cancelled due to the successful placement of a trans-Atlantic cable by the SS Great Eastern. Despite this, Dall stayed on the riverbanks until fall of 1868, studying the various aquatic fauna inhabiting the area at his own expense. These early days set the foundation for his illustrious scientific career, allowing him to hone his natural & curation skills, & increase his zoological knowledge. Sketches from the diary of William Healey Dall of the forts in Yukon, dated 1867. Credit to the Smithsonian Archives. Upon completion of the Yukon project, he left for the Smithsonian. It was here that Dall would curate the thousands of specimens he had collected. After 3 years, he published his first book focused on his early Yukon expedition, the geography of Alaska, the ecosystems of Alaska, & the fauna that make up these ecosystems in “Alaska and Its Resources”. The same year, he was appointed as acting assistant to the United States Coast Survey, which would later be known as the United States Coast & Geodetic Survey. This position would establish a long-lived scientific relationship between him & the institution. A photograph of a now antique chart showcasing the distribution of Indigenous tribes in Alaska, then referred to as Washington Territory. Credit to the Linda Hall Library. Between 1871 & 1874, Dall conducted several missions to Alaska aimed at surveying the Alaskan Coast, & acquiring specimens. He & his crew collected numerous molluscs, echinoderms, & fossils, which later were shipped to the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology to be studied by Louis Agassiz. In addition to this, he also acquired archaeological artifacts (which went to the Smithsonian), & various plants (which went to Asa Gray at Harvard for study) while voyaging. In August 1878, the 48th meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Dublin was soon to commence. The United States Coast & Geodetic Survey & Smithsonian decided to send Dall. Dall decided to spend the summer trekking around Europe visiting mollusc collections, & meeting malacologists from various European Universities. The 35-year-old Dall met & married Annette Whitney in 1880. The pair would have 4 children together, Marcus, William, Charles, & Marion. The newlyweds promptly relocated to Washington D.C. where they would remain for the rest of their lives. They honeymooned across Alaska, finally stopping in Sitka, where Annette went home & Dall began his final survey season aboard the Yukon. Dall left the United States Coast & Geodetic Survey in 1884, having written over 400 papers with the agency since his book. He transferred to the newly established U.S. Geological Survey, & was awarded the position of paleontologist, focusing on molluscs through the ages. He would remain in this position until 1925, 2 years before his death. As a part of his work, he made numerous trips to study geology as well as fossils throughout the US. These trips primarily focused on the Northeast, though he also made expeditions to Florida & Georgia. Dall was a member of the notable Harriman Alaska Expedition in 1899. He contributed heavily to several malacological reports which came out of the expedition, including a chapter “Description and Exploration of Alaska”, & Volume 13 “Land and Fresh-water Mollusks”. Around this time, he also spent 2 months in Hawaii at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu examining their collection of shells. This shell belongs to the species Megastraea turbanica, described by William Healey Dall in 1910. Credit to https://www.schnecken-und-muscheln.de. Unfortunately, Dall passed away on March 27th, 1927, at the age of 81. He is remembered for his numerous scientific contributions, collaborative leadership style, honesty, & work on the American Frontier. His enduring body of scientific work has stood the test of time, & continues to be a valuable asset to scientists today. A photograph of a young William Healey Dall. Credit to ansp.org. His Achievements, Accomplishments, & Awards 1. He published over 1,600 reviews, scientific papers, articles, & commentaries throughout the course of his life. 2. He was an Honorary Curator at the Smithsonian’s Division of Mollusks & Tertiary Fossils from 1868 to his death in 1927. 3. For his illustrious scientific career, he was awarded several honorary degrees. These include an honorary Master’s degree from Wesleyan University in 1888, an honorary doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1904, & an honorary law doctorate from George Washington University in 1916. 4. He personally described approximately 5,427 species, & 354 genera. 5. He was one of the founders of the National Geographic Society. 6. For his scientific contributions, he was awarded the Gold Medal by the Wagner Free Institute of Science in 1888. Directories / Credits Citation No. 1: “Dall, William Healey (PhD)”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Conchology Inc. https://www.conchology.be/?t=9001&id=14091 Citation No. 2: “William Healey Dall”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by PBS. https://www.pbs.org/harriman/1899/1899_part/participantdall.html Citation No. 3: “William Healey Dall: Alaskan Explorer”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Smithsonian Institution Archives. https://siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/stories/william-healey-dall-alaskan-explorer Citation No. 4: “William Healey Dall”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Linda Hall Science Library Arboretum. https://www.lindahall.org/about/news/scientist-of-the-day/william-healey-dall/ Citation No. 5: “Record Unit 7073 Dall, William Healey, 1845-1927 William Healey Dall Papers, circa 1839-1858, 1862-1927”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Smithsonian Institution Archives. https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_217231 Citation No. 6: “William Healey Dall”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Notable People Project. https://notablepeopleproject.org/william_healey_dall Citation No. 7: “Sense and the science of nineteenth-century environmental determinism”, Written by Brooke Penaloza-Patzak, & Published on May 23rd, 2026. Published by History of Science. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00732753251408130 Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa

A delightful portrait of Elaine M. Alexander with her book Anglerfish: The Sea Devil of the Deep. Credit to Elaine M. Alexander. Recently, our head writer was lucky enough to sit down for an interview with Science Communicator, Librarian, & Children’s Book Author Elaine M. Alexander. Elaine M. Alexander is a Science Communicator, Librarian, & Children’s Book Author known for her books Anglerfish: The Seadevil of the Deep, Death at Deacon Pond, & Giant Cuttlefish: Chameleons of the Sea. In today’s interview, we sit down with Elaine M. Alexander to discuss her career, books, manuscripts, writing process, fascination with the sea, & advice to young ocean-oriented authors looking to make their way in the world. Before delving into today’s comprehensive 18-question interview, please note that everything said has been edited for clarity, & that the opinions of our interviewee do not necessarily reflect the opinions & values of our organization. With that being said, let us delve into the contents of the interview! Contents of the Interview Questions About Her Career No. 1: What sparked your passion for the ocean? I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean. I think I like the duality of it. It can be dark & mysterious, but in the sunlight it can glitter & sparkle. It’s very powerful. It’s dangerous sometimes, & destructive, but it can also be calming. We listen to ocean waves & it’s calming. I love the variety of creatures inside the ocean. I read somewhere that we maybe know about or we’ve explored about 5% of the ocean. I don’t know if that’s an accurate assessment, but I wouldn’t be surprised. To me, it’s as vast as space. Maybe that’s not quite as accurate, space is always growing & I don’t know if our oceans are, but it seems like that to a little small person like me. I just am always curious about it, & wonder what the scientific community will discover as they’re always discovering more. I’m a little afraid of it at times. I’m in New England, & you can’t always see more than a few inches down in the water, so I remember as a kid when you’re swimming, & something would touch your leg, you’re like, what was that?! It has that dark & mysterious thing about it, but it’s also teeming with life, & it’s just an amazing ecosystem, or many ecosystems I suppose. No. 2: Was there any particular person, place, media franchise, or event which assisted in sparking your passion for the undersea realm? It started for me with this book series I’m doing with Candlewick, it started as a homework assignment. I love telling kids that when I go to schools, it really did! I was taking a creative writing class with Dr. Lisa Rowe Fraustino, & we all had to write a nonfiction piece suitable for ages four to ten. On top of that, my son had just seen Finding Nemo with the scary fish. He, like a lot of kids, was totally freaked out. I thought, two birds, one stone, if we went to the library & we got some books on Anglerfish, it would sort of demystify it, & I would also get material I needed for my assignment. I found a little bit, but what I found was that they didn’t know much about anglerfish at all. It’s a mystery. So, I said, let’s keep digging, & I did. I wrote this piece & my teacher was saying “Wow, this is really good! You should consider starting to submit it & get it out into the world.” So I did! It took me a long time to find the right place for this manuscript. Once I started researching & finding out what books in what areas of the library didn’t have a lot of information, or didn’t have books, I saw an opportunity to write about an area that there was obviously a deficit, that would maybe increase my chances to get the book out there. I also thought, how cool! This is a mystery, there is a strange-looking fish, how does it live way down there, seemingly all alone? I was intrigued. Once I found out it was all females, I thought she’s just this beautiful, powerful, kind of strange-looking creature, but I thought that was beautiful in its own way. I like the oddities in life, & she certainly is. I was kind of hooked. Once I had completed that, I got advice from different editors who became interested in the manuscript, but ultimately passed, saying that I should write a series on other ocean creatures. I thought about that for a little while. What would I write? That’s kind of how I got started on it. There wasn’t any particular person, place, or thing, but sort of a kismet of things coming together. I love a good mystery, so even if I got to do some research to unearth that mystery, it’s okay by me. No. 3: What sparked your passion for writing? Well, I’ve got to give credit to my fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Demosey. She integrated writing into as much classroom work as she possibly could. She had us writing everything, poems, short stories, limericks, haiku, you name it! What I liked about her was that she told us we could all be writers, & I really believed her. It’s a lesson I brought with me forever. I got back into writing when I finished my undergraduate degree, & I started taking classes with Dr. Fraustino, who is a published writer herself, in addition to being a professor. It helps you be in a group where you’re all striving to get your work as good as it can be, & you learn how to give good feedback to one another. I always think when you’re doing that, it helps spark your own interest. Somehow, it works. It’s like a magical thing. That’s how I got back. I always liked writing as a kid though. I remember as a kid I wrote a report on every single planet in the solar system. I was really into space, I think some of them were for extra credit. I enjoyed it. There’s something about trying to not only create but make it better that is very hard, but, very worthwhile. No. 4: What sparked your passion for working with youth? I think for me, becoming a parent made a difference for me. I didn’t really see myself working with kids for a long time, but I became a parent & you change. You’re trying to give your child enriching experiences. Once I started working at a public library, I was thrown into it. I think I really enjoy the magical way young children, babies, toddlers, & preschoolers see the world. First of all, they’re very honest. They’ll tell you everything, no secrets with a preschooler. I enjoyed connecting with those young kids & their parents, & helping spark their interest in reading. I saw story time as a good way to set a good tone & get parents to see the value of reading at home. I’m hoping that by continuing programs like that, you grow a lifelong reader. I think it helps build that foundation. I’ve been doing it long enough, I just saw that one of the kids that was coming to my story time graduated as the salutatorian. That was a library kid! I love that. I’m not saying there weren’t many other things in between, but I really think it can build a good foundation. The more exposure to books & educational opportunities kids have at a time when their curiosity is huge, the better chances they have. They are so honest, I love their honesty. They’re not as bogged down by concerns about what people think about them. They are straight up honest, especially the four-year-olds & under. They’re not afraid to be silly, they’re not afraid to laugh. Once you start to get older, you start to get a little more sophisticated, you’re in different learning environments, & we change. They lose some of that. I wish we could hold on to as much of that as possible as we age. No. 5: What is your favourite species of marine or terrestrial animal? Why? I hate picking favourites, this is a really tough one for me. I like all the oddities in life, no matter how strange, because one of the things I liked about these odd creatures is that no matter how strange we think they are, they’re perfectly constructed for the environments that they’re in. I think that’s amazing. If I have to pick something marine, I might pick a seal. They kind of remind me of a marine version of a dog. I’ve seen too many at the aquarium, they’re trained, but there’s something very playful about them. I think they’re adorable. A photograph of a baby seal on pack ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This seal belongs to the species Phoca groenlandica. Credit to Rolf Hicker. On land, I love elephants. They’re very protective of their young. They build lifelong friendships with their females. I think that’s so cool! As for domestic animals, I’d probably say dog. They’re loyal, & they’re happy to see you no matter what. You can’t beat that! Questions About Her Career: No. 6: Which university did you attend for your bachelor’s degree & was there any particular reason for you choosing that institution? Not really. I went to Eastern Connecticut State University. That’s where I finished my degree. I started at UConn, & made some switcheroos. All were financial decisions for me. The main thing was cost. I finished my degree a little later, I wanted to attend the best school for the most reasonable cost. I really believe education should be accessible. I’m very practical about matters like that. To get some of my credits, I did an independent study, & I did some classes at Three Rivers Community College to get all the credits I needed to graduate. I got my master’s degree at Texas Woman’s University, which was all online. That was the cheapest place to get your Master of Library Science at the time that I was looking. I think classes are what you make of them. I thought both programs were great. I had a lot of great teachers at Eastern Connecticut State University. I consider myself pretty fortunate that we’re in an area with so many great schools, you really can’t go wrong. No. 7: How did you enter the field of library science? After I finished my undergrad degree, I was writing for a local paper. It was okay, but I was looking for a change. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to grad school at that point. I was between 2 things, going to school to write children’s literature, or doing an MFA or MLS. So, I got a job at the lowest level at a library I could, library page. The library was a smaller size, & I pretty quickly started learning all the phases of librarianship before I became a librarian. I started working at different-sized libraries, & I decided that enough aligns here, I should take the plunge & get my master’s degree to become a “real librarian”. I was doing pretty much everything anyway, I might as well get the title & the better pay if I could. So I went for it! I’m glad I did it that way, even if it seemed backwards. You can get in there, & you can figure out “Does this suit me? Do I have something to contribute to this industry?” I did, & I do now, & I don’t think I would have known that if I got the degree first & then went into it. No. 8: How did you enter the role of a youth services librarian? My path to youth services was a little different than most. As I said, I met the librarian at my local library through my work writing for a newspaper. We got to talking, she shared with me what librarian work was like, & I talked to her about what going out on assignment was like, writing newspaper articles, et cetera. When that opening came up at my hometown library, I went for it! Even though I was overqualified for the position, it gave me this really good opportunity to start learning from the bottom up. Once I started working for her, I got opportunities to start subbing when someone was out sick, I could do storytime. I love that you never knew exactly what the day was going to bring. You could have an every mundane day shelving books or checking people in & out, or you might be doing storytime! I love that element. It’s kind of funny how it all pans out. As a kid, I always used to ride my bike to the local library. I always felt at home at the library. So, it shouldn’t have been a big surprise, I guess in some ways, it was kind of a surprise how well I fit in. No. 9: How did you begin hosting story-times for children (babies, toddlers, preschoolers, et cetera)? Do you enjoy hosting story-times? I love it! My first introduction was subbing, usually they would have some kind of lesson plan prepared. My director at the time wanted to create what they call a lap sit, or a baby program. Specifically non-walking babies, so usually under the age of 12 months. She gave me a little bit of feedback on how to do it, but I just took what she gave me & went running with it. I developed that program from scratch, & then it became very popular. Before long, she asked me to do a different age bracket, the preschooler set. That became very, very popular. I think I brought to it my love of children. I find a real strong connection with kids. I really enjoy their joy, it feeds me & my creative interest. It gave me a chance to try out different things. I love to integrate music into the programs, & things of that nature. If I’m having fun, & they’re having fun, & we’re all learning together, nothing beats that. That’s really where it comes from. I usually incorporate lots of manipulatives, you know, egg shakers, scarves, clappy hands, anything that can make it fun for them. Hopefully, they get used to routines enough that it sets a structure for them, & it helps them later when they’re entering into preschool. They’ve already had circle time together, & learn how to share things. There’s something comforting in knowing that. I think it big difference. I hear this a lot, & I’ve seen it with my own eyes too, they’re talking about kids’ attention spans not being as lengthy as they used to be. I see that in the length of picture storybooks, there used to be a much higher word count, but now we’re much lower. I don’t expect a toddler to stay still all the time, but anything you can do to encourage that it’s okay to sit back, enjoy this story, look at the pages, point things out to me as you’re seeing them, can help them build more of an interest. Anything we can do to help strengthen that is a positive thing to me. Questions About Her Books: No. 10: Take us through the process of writing your first book, Death At Deacon Pond. What inspired you to write this novel, & what does the novel discuss? A photograph of the cover of Death at Deacon Pond. Credit to Elaine M. Alexander. This was a homework assignment. I was doing an independent study, & I was very interested in learning how to write an entire novel. I’m a big reader, but I wasn’t sure if I had it in me. I started taking this class with another writer who could walk me through the process, & it was an amazing opportunity. I’m very lucky I was able to use it for college credit as well. I have always been a fan of dark & twisty mysteries, & I knew I wanted to write something a little dark & twisty. I added a supernatural element to it because I thought it would be fun. It’s a genre I gravitate to. I kept picturing this scene that’s in the book, where this teen girl is trying to find clues to solve her father’s murder. She thinks she sees a dead body in the water, but you don’t know if she really sees it. She thinks her mind is playing tricks on her. That’s where she discovers that she does, in fact, see things that other people can’t. Of course, no one believes her. As she’s slowly uncovering the truth, every step that she does puts her more, & more in danger. I love that it was set in a small town. I think that people have this impression of a small town that everyone’s safe, & nothing bad ever happens. Of course, that’s not true. That was my inspiration & focus for writing the book. I do want to write longer books, I’m starting to try to write another one now. I have some manuscripts that have not sold, that I hope will sell someday, but in a different genre. Historical fiction is kind of a tough sell. You really do need interest in a subject to sustain you over the long period of time it takes to write something. I have to study for quite some time before I can write about a subject, even for the shorter picture books that I’ve been writing. I’ve got to be interested or hooked enough, or I won’t feel like I can bring it authentically to the page. If it’s a character, then I’ve got to figure out who she or he is, & be ready to be on that journey with them. With Anglerfish, I felt that same way when I wrote. I pictured myself right in her skin, as she’s in the dark part of the sea, in the midnight zone. I felt like I was on the ride with her. That’s kind of how I want it to feel for kids when they’re reading too. No. 11: One of your most recent books, Anglerfish: The Seadevil of the Deep, focuses on a peculiar marine animal known as the anglerfish. Anglerfish are well known for their usage of bioluminescence, as well as their sharp fangs & gelatinous appearance. What inspired you to focus your first children’s book on them? What was your writing process like? A photograph of the cover of Anglerfish: The Sea Devil of the Deep. Credit to Elaine M. Alexander & Fiona Fogg. It was a homework assignment from that super creepy creature in Finding Nemo. I was so interested, it’s poetic, this fish living so far below the ocean all alone, but also not alone. She usually has a few males attached to her. I thought that was so radical, but also very powerful. She’s way bigger than the males. I thought, if I'm curious, kids will be too. Initially, when I gathered information at the library, I really scoured a lot, & they would have one or two sentences. I looked on the internet, & I found some. I went to sites like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which, if I have my information right they were the first to film her underwater. I thought, wow! It was pretty amazing. There wasn’t a lot of information when I started writing the story. I tried to picture what it was like for anglerfish. What’s’s the experience like? You’re all by yourself, sort of, sort of not. I knew I wanted to write a book that felt like a fictional story. Many nonfiction books when I was a kid were very dry, & encyclopedia-like. It was fine, you got facts & you wrote facts out for your schoolwork & such. But I wanted it to be creative nonfiction. I wanted it to read like a story, & to be more accessible to kids than the kind of nonfiction I had growing up. I see tons of it now, nonfiction with a creative element, & that’s what I wanted. There are kids that gravitate to nonfiction, but for kids that don’t gravitate to it, I wanted something that they could appreciate & enjoy too. That’s how I envisioned it. A photograph of a Humpback Anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii) emerging from the abyss to shallow ocean waters. This photograph was taken off the coast of Tenerife, Canary Islands, & briefly went viral on the internet for the peculiarity of the incident. Credit to Condrik Tenerife. When I wrote it, my professor at the time said “This is really good! You should see if you can sell it.” I did try for a while, I took a break for a while too from submitting it & such. It took me quite a while to find a publisher. I finally went to the Rutgers one-on-one conference. It’s a special conference where you have to submit a writing sample to get in. They judge your writing sample on whether or not you can come to the conference. You can’t just pay & go. You still have to pay, but, only the people that they decide can go. I got in, & I got an opportunity to submit my work. One editor was very nice, she said “I don’t work with books like this”, but someone there did, & she had been looking for a manuscript like this. She said she’d pass it on. I’d had a conversation like that with other editors before. I got a little excited, but I also thought “I’ve heard this before”, but it turns out she was serious, & made me an offer. The rest is history. I hope I can keep my momentum up. I think when you’re writing, you hear a lot more no’s then yeses. It’s so magical when it finally happens that you have the right mixture of luck & hard work, & you find the right person for your manuscript. No. 12: Your most recent book Giant Cuttlefish: Chameleons of the Sea takes readers on a journey through the fascinating world of cephalopods. What was your writing process for this book? What about cuttlefish made them an ideal subject for a children’s book? A photograph of the cover of Giant Cuttlefish: Chameleon of the Sea. Credit to Elaine M. Alexander & Mike Orodán. Cuttlefish got on my radar when I read an article about them that called them the “rockstars of the ocean”, it was talking about how they “say it with skin”. They talk through their skin. They communicate moods, & it’s especially true during their mating process. They exhibit certain skin patterns & such. I thought that was fascinating! I thought “Wow! I had no idea. How do they do that?” I decided, just like anything, to see if it sparks my interest by gathering more information. I grabbed books of all sorts, & I started reading about them. I decided that it was too cool not to write about, & again, I saw I didn’t see much in the library that focused on cuttlefish. I had a few, but they mostly lumped them together with octopuses & squids, & I get it. I wanted to just write about one, & I chose the giant ones because I had no idea that there’s a whole industry that evolved around their mating season in Australia. People go out in boats & watch it, I thought that was really cool. When I decided to write about them, I drafted a manuscript, I went through it many times, & I pulled in an expert. I was very fortunate that one of the experts was someone who had done experiments on whether or not cuttlefish could create a preference for which food they liked. She did other experiments to see how wild their patterns could get by putting some kind of pattern up, & seeing how quickly they could blend in. She agreed to look at the manuscript. I thought it was awesome to have someone who had this as her life’s work want to review my writing. She didn’t work with giant cuttlefish specifically, but she could give me excellent feedback. A giant cuttlefish (Ascarosepion apama), swimming near Edithburgh, South Australia. Credit to Fred Bavendam. I thought they were ideal, because there’s just not enough about them. There’s plenty about sharks, dolphins, lovable seals, & other creatures, but I didn’t see much about giant cuttlefish or cuttlefish in general. It’s weird enough, & rare enough. I guess that’s what I’m looking for. No. 13: At present, you have 3 published books. Do you plan to publish any more books & if so, can you share what your next titles will focus on? I have 3 more books that will come out with Candlewick. I’m really excited! The first one is going to be called Firefly: The Femme Fatale of the Night, it focuses on the Photuris firefly. If you know anything about fireflies, everyone loves them. She specifically targets other male Photinus fireflies to get a chemical she needs, Lucibufagin, so she can protect her young. It’s a chemical that wards off other creatures that might eat them, such as spiders. She’s fascinating! Following that, I have one on the Giant Pacific Octopus, who is also a cephalopod. Very cool! I was studying both them & giant cuttlefish at the same time. I thought they were amazing, so I wrote one on the Giant Pacific Octopus as well. They’re very similar. They are also able to say it with skin, & are very intelligent creatures. After that, I did one on eels! I became fascinated by eels after seeing one at a dock. I was like “Wow, what’s that? That’s an eel!” I started reading about them, & I realized that this was in brackish water. Most of the ones in brackish water tend to be males. I started reading about how they go from saltwater to freshwater back to saltwater. That is wild that they can adapt to 2 different communities, & that they change. I don’t know if you’ve read any, but there are 2 big adult books out there on eels. I read both of them. They talked about this history behind the European eel, American Eel, Japanese Eel, & I think there’s one that’s Norwegian. American eels & European eels all come from the same area in the Sargasso Sea. It’s just wild that they go on 2 different trajectories when they go back to the rivers, & live there for many years, before they go back to the sea to breed. It’s an amazing journey. I think it has mystified people for many, many years. That was a cool thing to learn about. I thought that there was no way I’m not going to write about this. I have manuscripts that have not sold. I hope someday to publish them, but, even if not, I learned something. I wrote one on bluebirds, because I have bluebirds in my backyard, & I love to see them nesting. I was curious about why they were here in November, & why they were here before other birds. I found out that there’s stiff competition for nesting cavities. They’re taking a real risk being here so early, they could freeze over. I’ve seen them here as late as November, occasionally they stay all winter. It’s very unusual. I don’t know if that’s a climate change thing, or if they’re just struggling to get first dibs on those nesting cavities. We’ve got a bunch of bird houses out there. We have seen how aggressively other species will go after them, we unfortunately had a couple of fledglings killed by presumably another bird, we’ve seen it in action. I wrote a whole manuscript on it. I haven’t sold it, maybe I never will, but I do learn something in the process no matter what. I have a couple on spiders, two different types. One that lives above water, & one that lives below water, which I think is cool. I just finished one on coelacanths, which I think are fascinating, but no one’s seen that one but me. It was fascinating! It’s a fish that has stayed almost the same for thousands of years. It’s wild! I’m in the process of wrapping that one up. We’ll see. We have to stay curious. What are we here for if we’re not supposed to learn & grow? It’s soul-crushing for me when I hear people are not curious or interested in anything. That’s kind of a bummer. We’ve got to be interested in the world around us. No. 14: Has spending a career working with children influenced your ability to write a piece engaging to young readers? If so, how? I think it helps to connect with them, & feel out what’s important to them. If you want to be a writer, you have to be a reader. I read a lot of books that are written for children, so I can see what other people are writing. It’s not to cheat! It’s to see what’s marketable, what people are checking out, & what they enjoy. You’ve got to read across the spectrum! Being in the library, & providing story-times gives me a lot of exposure to different picture books. I read all over the library. I read adult stuff too, but I can see what engages kids, what doesn’t, & what they gravitate towards. I hear them asking about certain things, axolotls are the top things in the last month or so, they’re going nuts. I can see those market trends, & try to stay on topic if I can. On the catch side, in writing, because it’s so slow to get to publication, I don’t know that following trends will help you to get your manuscript acquired somewhere. I look for where I see a hole in the market, where I have an opportunity to put something in that hole, & hey, you know, kids might want to read about giant cuttlefish. No. 15: What has been your proudest moment or biggest triumph thus far? Even getting published is amazing. It’s so hard to get your work out in front of the right people & get published. Fiona, the illustrator of Anglerfish: The Sea Devil of the Deep, & I were so honoured when we got the Cook Prize for Excellence in STEM Literature. I’m here in Connecticut, our book was nominated for a Nutmeg Award, which is the state award. It was also nominated for one in Louisiana, which I did go & receive, it was the number 2 spot. It was a good reason to go to Louisiana, I’d never been to New Orleans. I also got packets of fan mail, which was so cool from kids. It was awesome! I wrote them a really nice letter back. I loved how inspired they were, & what they liked about the book. You don’t beat that, when you’ve made a connection. That’s pretty awesome. No. 16: Across your career, I’m confident that you have encountered your fair share of hurdles & challenges. What is the largest challenge you have faced across your career? How did you overcome it? For my writing career, definitely trying to break into the business. It’s really tough to get your work out there. I think it’s getting a little harder right now. Literacy rates are unfortunately going down, it’s just tough. When I originally sold Death at Deacon Pond, it was to a very small press, & they are out of business now. It’s tough for small presses. Right after that, I thought, that’s it! I got an agent, I was ready to go out there with other work, but then I didn’t get a quick sale, & my agent dropped me. I was stunned, I thought, this is it. It’s terrible. One thing is to look for other opportunities. I went into that conference. I tried to go in being realistic, but having hope. I look for other opportunities where I could submit my work without an agent. Candlewick is normally a place you need an agent to get your work in. I was so fortunate that I got to the right person with the right manuscript. After Anglerfish: The Sea Devil of the Deep was doing pretty well, I asked “Would you be interested in seeing something else?”, & not only were they interested, but by then I had a new editor who said they would put it as a clause in my contract, that they got first dibs on my work. It doesn’t mean they’ll take it, but still. I found that when you run into obstacles, you can’t let it defeat you. You have to keep growing as a writer. You have to keep faith in yourself, & be persistent. Jane Yolen, may she rest in peace, used to say “Butt in chair!” That means you get in the chair & you write. You keep at it. I loved how she used to share her rejections on her Facebook page, to show that even someone as great as her gets told no. I thought that was very classy, wonderful, & encouraging for those of us who are still in the trenches hoping to get published. I never take it for granted. I always think “Well, if I never sell any more, I’ll have six books in the world.” I hope I do, I’m going to keep trying, No. 17: Do you have any advice for science communicators working with youth, aspiring ocean-oriented authors, or people looking to do science education in a non-academic role? One thing I would suggest for people interested in working with children is to try to engage them, & get them thinking beyond the page, like an interactive activity, or an artistic craft. Passive learning has its place. We all need that sometimes, but I think so much more fun can be had when it’s interactive. I think it solidifies something in their head. With all the technology out there, I think we miss opportunities to develop critical skills. Kids are so curious, take advantage of that, try to meet them where they are, & spark any kind of interest in the world around them. That’s the key in my mind. I always tell kids, “Please stay curious!” We need to remember it sometimes as adults too. Sometimes it’s easy to scroll on your phone, & you’re not really engaging. Do what you can to engage, & have something hands-on. I think it solidifies better in a child’s head. No. 18: Do you have any final words about your books, career, the beauty of the sea, the wonder of cuttlefish, the perplexing nature of anglerfish, or science communication? I hope that if my books do anything, they spark interest in children to be amazed about the world around them, to dive deep into the ocean, & learn more about the fabulous creatures in the sea. I hope that they think about what they can do to help preserve these special ecosystems for future generations. Above all, I hope they stay curious. Directories / Credits https://www.elainemalexander.com Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors SharkedSkooler Marine Enthusiasts Podcast Cash Daniels Tides of Tomorrow The Open Book, Topanga Olivenbaum Music Pitfire Artisan Pizza Three J’s Kitchen Presence News Our Loyal Patrons P. R. Ochoa