Since the 1960s, massive herds of poisonous crown-of-thorns starfish have infested many coral reefs around the world, leaving in their wake devastation comparable to a burnt-out rainforest. In What is Natural?, Jan Sapp examines this ecological catastrophe and captures the intense debates about the cause of the crisis, and how it should be handled. Are the outbreaks natural or are they human-induced? What should or could be done about them?

The starfish plagues are arguably one of most mysterious ecological phenomena of this century. In What is Natural? Professor Sapp illustrates the complexity of global environmental issues while probing the most fundamental questions about the relationship between humans and nature.