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The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Photo © Christine Griffiths

This year marks the 60^th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. In this Pulitzer Prize-winning novella, Hemingway uses the natural setting – the Gulf of Mexico – as a main character to illuminate the inextricable link between man and nature.

Using his trademark terse prose, Hemingway was skilled at crafting visually compelling descriptions of far away lands and waters.

He looked across the sea and knew how alone he was now. But he could see the prisms in the deep dark water and the line stretching ahead and the strange undulation of the calm. The clouds were building up now for the trade wind and he looked ahead and saw a flight of wild ducks etching themselves against the sky over the water, then blurring, then etching again and he knew no man was ever alone on the sea.

In honor of the 60^th anniversary of The Old Man and the Sea’s publication, The Nature Conservancy asked its scientists working in the Gulf of Mexico about the books that have left an indelible impression on their lives.

Listen to our Gulf scientists, from Florida to Texas, share stories of books that have influenced their lives, their careers and their view of nature.

What books have inspired you? Join the discussion and share your favorite books on our Gulf of Mexico Facebook page, or upload your own video response on YouTube.

by Christine Griffiths