The Alewives' Tale ─ The Life History and Ecology of River Herring in the Northeast

Biologist Barbara Brennessel first saw alewives and blueback herrings during their migration upstream on a hiking trip. Over the years she took note of them without any real intention until one day she saw that there was a mercury warning for their pond and the following years signage went up prohibiting the catch of these small fish. As she learned about the biology, ecology, and important environmental link that herrings play, Brennessel became fascinated in their complex plight. This book introduces the herring and their biology and different habitats before exploring the dramatic decline and subsequent efforts to save the herring in the Northeast. Annotation c2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

Barbara Brennessel is professor emerita of biology at Wheaton College. She is author of Diamonds in the Marsh: The Natural History of the Diamondback Terrapin and Good Tidings: The History and Ecology of Shellfish Farming in the Northeast.