Kakuloa — Alastair Mayer

Tree squids! Kakuloa, a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri, is the only known source of an anti-aging drug. Ellie Greystone, a young marine biologist, specializes in cephalopod behavior. Just the person Kakuloa needs to find a way to keep marauding tree squids from destroying the berry crop that is the drug's source. William Blake, planetary administrator for the pharmaceutical companies vested in Kakuloa has the tasks of keeping the berries flowing without letting anything disrupt the ecology that produces them, and of keeping visiting marine biologists out of trouble. And oh yes, dealing with a developer who thinks the Hawaii-like beaches near the berry groves would be perfect for his next tourism and gambling resort. Effectively the fourth book in the Alpha Centauri trilogy, this book is also the first in the Kakuloa series, which bridges the gap to the Carson & Roberts novels (starting with The Chara Talisman) set later in the T-Space universe. Join the adventure. Explore T-Space!