Book excerpt: Closed Sea weaves together a colorful history of whalers and pirates, Revolutionary patriots and loyalists, fishermen and loggers, iron masters and life saving crews, sportsmen and holiday makers. Filled with historical anecdote and keen observations of sea and shore, it is a compelling portrait of the Barnegat Bay region and its history. With a naturalist's eye and a sailor's experience, environmental historian Kent Mountford opens our eyes to the Shore's past, its shifting inlets, disappearing islands, dangerous tides and shoals. Moving inland, he documents the Pinelands environment and the industries it has supported over the centuries. Closed Sea tells the remarkable history of a fascinating place, a place of great beauty, danger and opportunity, a place that has cast its spell on generations of people. This book is published with support, in part, from the Ocean County Historical Society, the Barnegat Bay Estuary Program, and the Tuckerton Seaport.