Michael Perelman wrote:
Franklin, H. Bruce. 2007. The Most Important Fish in the Sea (Washington, DC: Island Press) tells the gruesome tale of the depredation of world's supply of menhaden, a fish that represents the basic feedstock for the carnivorous fish and which keep the overgrowth of algae in check.
I reviewed Franklin's book here: http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/05/28/the-most-important-fish-in-the-sea/ I really can't recommend it highly enough. It is a pinnacle of environmental history while at the same time a work of literature showing the influence of Melville, as Franklin was past president of the Melville Society.
