ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



In producing a work such as this pro- 

 file, it is impossible to catalog fully 

 and accurately the individuals that have 

 provided either factual information or 

 intellectual stimulus. Here much of the 

 credit goes to the mutual stimulation pro- 

 vided by my colleagues in the Seagrass 

 Ecosystem Study of the International 

 Decade of Ocean Exploration. Special 

 recognition must be given to the magus of 

 seagrass idiom during those frantic and 

 memorable years, Peter McRoy. 



At one stage or another in its gesta- 

 tion, the manuscript was reviewed and com- 

 ments provided by Gordon Thayer, Richard 

 Iverson, James Tilmant, Iver Brook, and 

 Polly Penhale. Other information, advice, 

 or v.'elcomed criticism was provided by John 

 Oi^den, Ronald Phillips, Patrick Parker, 

 r;obin Lewis, Mark Fonseca, Jud Kenworthy, 

 Brian Fry, Stephen Macko, James Kushlan, 

 William Odum, and Aaron Mills. 



Two of the sections were written by 

 my students, richael Robblee and Mark 

 Robertson. To them and other students, 

 present and past, I must give thanks for 

 keeping life and work fresh (if occasion- 

 ally exasperating). The numerous drafts 

 of this manuscript were typed by Deborah 

 Coble, who also provided much of the edit- 

 ing, Marilyn McLane, and Louise Cruden. 

 OriQinal drafting was done by Rita Zieman, 

 who" also aided in the production of Chap- 

 ter 8, and Betsy Blizard. I cannot thank 

 enough Ken Adams, the project officer, for 

 his patience and help in the production of 

 this work, which went on longer than any 

 of us imagined. 



Thanks are also expressed to Gay 

 Farris, Elizabeth Krebs, Sue Lauritzen, 

 and Randy Smith of the U.S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service for editorial and typ- 

 ing assistance. Photographs and figures 

 were by the author unless otherwise noted. 



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