Carolyn Sotka

Carolyn Sotka

Carolyn Sotka manages science and policy outreach activities for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Oceans and Human Health Initiative.

The Death and Life of Monterey Bay

A Story of Revival

Anyone who has ever stood on the shores of Monterey Bay, watching the rolling ocean waves and frolicking otters, knows it is a unique place. But even residents on this idyllic California coast may not realize its full history. Monterey began as a natural paradise, but became the poster child for industrial devastation in John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row,and is now one of the most celebrated shorelines in the world.
 
It is a remarkable story of life, death, and revival—told here for the first time in all its stunning color and bleak grays.