15 Apr Book Launch: Ebb and Flow: Immersions into Artisanal Diving
Led by researchers from SECOS, CAPES, and The Nature Conservancy Chile, this publication brings together more than 30 testimonies from men and women who safeguard the country’s food sovereignty and coastal identity through diving. The launch will take place on Thursday, March 12, at the Biblioteca del Parque Bustamante in Santiago.
What does it feel like to descend for the first time into the silence of the ocean floor? How do the body and mind transform for those who harvest food from the depths? These and other questions lie at the heart of Ebb and Flow: Immersions into Artisanal Diving, a book that goes beyond academic study to immerse itself in the living memory of one of the most emblematic—and risky—occupations along Chile’s coasts.
The book will be presented on Thursday, March 12 at 6:30 PM at the Biblioteca del Parque Bustamante in Santiago, in an event open to the public organized by the Coastal Socio-Ecological Millennium Institute (SECOS), The Nature Conservancy Chile (TNC), and the Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES UC).
A narrative woven from the depths
Written by anthropologist Susana Cárcamo (CAPES), marine biologist Stefan Gelcich (SECOS/UC), and sociologist Rodrigo Estévez (SECOS/UST), the book is the result of rigorous fieldwork conducted between 2023 and 2025. Through more than 30 testimonies collected from northern Chile to the far south, the publication reconstructs the experience of artisanal shellfish divers using in-depth interviews and participant observation, including audiovisual records captured during fishing operations.
“The fascination with the sea is the main stage on which our protagonists unfold,” the book notes in one of its passages, highlighting the deep bond between divers and the marine environment. From this everyday relationship with the ocean emerges an ancestral practice that intertwines knowledge, labor, and coastal culture.
The book also explores how artisanal diving is part of a productive system that sustains the food supply and economy of many coastal communities. The resources harvested by divers—shellfish, seaweed, and other benthic species—represent an important source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential micronutrients in the human diet.
The publication is complemented by photographs taken during fieldwork, archival images, and materials shared by the interviewees themselves. These visuals capture moments ranging from the departure of boats to the return with quiñe or chinguillo nets filled with marine resources that, just moments before, lay several meters beneath the surface.
In this way, the launch aims to open a space for dialogue about the cultural, social, and ecological value of this occupation, as well as the knowledge that coastal communities have developed through their relationship with the ocean.
The event is free of charge, but space is limited and prior registration is required via an online form.
📍 Biblioteca del Parque Bustamante (height 50), Santiago
🗓️ Thursday, March 12
🕡 6:30 PM
Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kShk0ohho__7WxZAWQJno_G9n3Fn8P1Rp5KeMcuF94E/edit