Elusive Partners

Contemporary Anthropological Perspectives on Marine Species

The ocean and its biodiversity have been attracting increasing interest from a humanities perspective over the last decades. The book Elusive Partners aims to provide a valuable insight into this research work on marine species, with a specific focus on the French-speaking world. Taking its inspiration from an interdisciplinary dialogue developed over several years at the Muséum national d Histoire naturelle (Paris), this book highlights the need for comparative and long-term research on the most contemporary issues associated with marine species, particularly those related to conservation policies. Algae, cetaceans, seabirds, pinnipeds, turtles, corals and fish, but also more unexpected travellers - such as elephants or mice - compose a bestiary whose versatility and social, historical and political import are fully restored.