Sippewissett, Or, Life on a Salt Marsh

Science News,  May 19, 2007  

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SIPPEWISSETT, OR, LIFE ON A SALT MARSH TIM TRAVER

The Sippewissett Marsh on Cape Cod represents a microcosm of the planet, environmentalist Traver asserts. The author recounts personal memories as well as environmental-research findings. Scientists including Louis Agassiz and Rachel Carson studied the ecosystem and its wildlife. Traver's own visits have been for both recreation and learning. His stories introduce readers to anglers who attest to declining populations of striped sea bass, bird-watchers looking for golden plovers, and researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Each chapter is devoted to a different, and generally disheartening, aspect of the marsh, from the oysters and clams threatened by pollution to the eroding sand dunes and thinning stands of eelgrass. Finally, he addresses how both spiritual and scientific understandings of the marsh might increase its chance of survival. Chelsea Green, 2006, 250 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $22.50.

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