02488cam a22003373u 4500 32124 UtSlPG 20260610133731.0 m cr n 260607r2010||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS Bone, Jesse F. (Jesse Franklin), 1916-2006 To Choke an Ocean Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2010 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Produced from the September, 1960, issue of If. Release date is 2010-04-24 E-text prepared by Robert Cicconetti, Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) "To Choke an Ocean" by J. F. Bone is a science fiction story likely written in the early 1960s. The book narrates the interstellar challenges faced by the Terran Confederation and its interactions with the native inhabitants of the planet Niobe, focusing on the consequences of introducing an alien species—oysters—into a new ecosystem. The title suggests themes related to environmental balance and the unintended repercussions of human actions. The plot centers around Lanceford, a consular official who recounts the events leading to Niobe's entry into the Confederation. Initially a celebratory banquet, where oysters were introduced to the dish repertoire of the Niobians, it turns into a calamity as the oysters breed uncontrollably, threatening to destabilize the local marine ecosystem. With the help of biologist Heinz Bergdorf, they discover that the oyster infestation could lead to ecological disaster, prompting urgent measures. As the Niobians establish a blockade in response to protect their world, an improbable government emerges, emphasizing the need for environmental safeguards against foreign biological threats. The story culminates in a humorous take on bureaucracy, as the newly formed customs agency ironically reflects the very systems that once put them in jeopardy. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified Science fiction Wood, Wallace, 1927-1981 Produced from the September, 1960, issue of If. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32124 72970 72970