Dr. David E. Guggenheim preparing for launch in the DeepWorker submarine

Book Cover: "The Remarkable Reefs of Cuba: Hopeful Stories from the Ocean Doctor"

Healthy Elkhorn Coral and a Trumpet Fish in Cuba's Isle of Youth

Guggenheim's New Book Covers More Than 20 Years Working in Cuba Uncovering Cuba's Mysteries and Finding Unexpected Hope in a World of Coral Reefs Dead and Dying

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, May 30, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- On Tuesday, June 20 at 7:30pm, the Free Library of Philadelphia hosts a presentation and book signing with Dr. David E. Guggenheim, Philadelphia native and author of the recently-released book, "The Remarkable Reefs of Cuba: Hopeful Stories from the Ocean Doctor."

Since 1970, the world has lost half its coral reefs. Marine scientist and conservation leader Dr. David E. Guggenheim has had a front-row seat to this disaster. After years of watching reefs deteriorate, Guggenheim was astonished to come face-to-face with Cuba’s remarkably healthy coral reefs. His new book reveals the hidden lessons of Cuba’s reefs that could help rescue coral reefs around the world.

"The title of the book is a bit misleading. Certainly, it does tell a remarkable story about coral reefs off Cuba. But that is really only one part of a book that is everything from an autobiography of a life spent in service to the world’s oceans…to a very accessible explanation of the delicate balance required to maintain undersea ecosystems, to a history of post-Castro Cuba’s politics and agriculture, to an at times hilarious explication of the Kafka-like bureaucracies one encounters as a U.S. citizen trying to work in Cuba." writes Michael Hill in the just-released featured book review in the Johns Hopkins University Arts & Sciences Magazine.

The book has earned praise from famed ocean explorer Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, founder of Mission Blue; Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, founder and cochair of the Senate Oceans Caucus; Céline Cousteau, environmental activist, filmmaker and author; and Jeff Orlowski, director and producer of the Emmy award-winning documentaries, "Chasing Coral" and "Chasing Ice."

Why are Cuba’s ocean waters so healthy while just 90 miles away the reefs of the Florida Keys are 80 to 90 percent dead? The answer is, in part, an accident of history, deeply entwined with Cuba’s extraordinary and singularly unique history. But it is also the result of the country's strong environmental laws, influenced by an unlikely partner: Jacques Cousteau. Guggenheim's book also considers U.S. environmental history, the state of U.S. coastal waters and how the U.S. failed its coral reefs. Philadelphia's own Schuylkill River makes a brief but important appearance in the book.

Dr. Guggenheim is an ocean explorer, conservation leader, marine scientist, submarine pilot, educator and author. He is the founder and president of the Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization Ocean Doctor, dedicated to protecting and restoring the world's oceans. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University where he authored and teaches the university's first graduate-level course on ocean stewardship and conservation. Guggenheim has worked in Cuba for more than 20 years leading collaborative research and conservation efforts focused on coral reef ecosystems. He has been featured on 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, PBS NewsHour, NPR and in the New York Times.

Previously he served as Vice President of the Ocean Conservancy, President and CEO of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Co-Chair of the Everglades Coalition, ­­­President of the Friends of Channel Islands National Park and Board Chair of the Great Whale Conservancy. Guggenheim was inducted into the Explorers Club as a National Fellow in 2008. He is a Philadelphia native and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania where his book was recently featured in the "Pennsylvania Gazette."

The event is free and open to the public and takes place on June 20 at 7:30pm at the Free Library of Philadelphia's historic Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine Street (between 19th and 20th Streets on the Parkway), Philadelphia, PA 19103. For event information and tickets, please visit: https://freelibrary.org or call 215-567-4341. For more information about Dr. Guggenheim and his new book, visit: https://remarkablereefs.com.

David E Guggenheim
Remarkable Reefs of Cuba
+1 202-297-8892
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