Introduction

Abstract

We begin this book during the Fourth of July weekend, 75 days after the Deepwater Horizon exploded, burst into flames, and sank, killing 11 men. In the wake of this accident came the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. The starting date of our writing is significant because this is a weekend when normally thousands of people would descend on the beaches and restaurants of the Gulf Coast. The Gulf is a place of great bounty. A couple of hours with some traps produces enough blue crabs to make a cauldron of gumbo that can feed a family and guests for days. Order crayfish (“crawdads”) at the right season and your table will be piled high with them. All of this, and the livelihoods that depend on it, is now lost over large areas.