In “Tracking the Golden Isles,” now available in paperback, Anthony J. Martin invites readers to investigate animal and human traces on the Georgia coast and the remarkable stories these traces, both modern and fossil, tell.
First, Martin details a solid but approachable overview of Georgia barrier island ecosystems — maritime forests, salt marshes, dunes and beaches — and how these ecosystems are as much a product of plant and animal behavior as they are of geology. Martin then describes animal tracks, burrows, nests and other traces and what they tell people about their makers. He also explains how trace fossils can document the behaviors of animals from millions of years ago, including those that no longer exist.
Next, Martin discusses the relatively scant history — scarcely 5,000 years — of humans on the Georgia coast. He also describes the human introduction of invasive animals to the coast and their effects on native species. Finally, Martin’s epilogue discusses changing weather patterns and rising sea levels and asks how the traces of the past and present help people to better predict and deal with the future.