The Philosophy of This Internet Site

Salt marshes are beautiful and complex environments. They have many striking examples of how organisms are adapted to living in a difficult environment. They are home to many unique organisms that are found only in salt marshes. They have a wide range of interactions among the organisms and the environment that serve to illustrate important biological principles. In Biology 207 the salt marsh was selected as a recurring theme to help explore organisms and their adaptations. This internet site was constructed for Biology 207 to serve as an introduction to the organisms and biology of salt marshes. The course will involve a field trip to a salt marsh at Marshlands Conservancy. This internet site provides background information that should be useful both before and after the field trip. The site is fairly long and has lots of graphics. It was not designed to be looked at and digested in one setting. It has lots of scientific names scattered about. They are there to specifically identify what organisms are being described. There are many brief examples used to illustrate ideas. In most cases these examples barely touch on the intimate and delicate ways that organisms live their lives. These examples should be viewed as the start of ideas. The ultimate goal of this internet site is to stimulate interest in how organisms function and interact with their environment.