December 18, 2001 - February 8, 2002

Lived here for one and a half months

Simpson Bay Lagoon, St. Martin

Tropical saltwater lagoon

    The plants and animals must be adapted to a saltwater environment, rocky shores along with forested shores, human pollution, and tropical squalls, along with others.

     - Mangrove trees - Transfers salt from seawater to several leaves. Only those few die, instead of the salt poisoning the whole plant

     - Pelicans - After diving into the water to catch a fish, they can drain the water they caught along with it out of their large beaks.

     Interesting fact - We have seen domestic farm goats come down off the hills and drink the lagoon salt water.

Dominant species -

 - Frigate birds

 - Pelicans

 - Mangroves

 - Goats (farmed)

 - Great blue herons

 - Cattle egret

 - Barnacles

 - Upside-down jellyfish

February 10, 2002

1000 - 1230

Rocher Creole, Grande Case, St. Martin

Coral-encrusted rocky outcropping

    Sandy bottom, with manyu small boulders near shore. Several corals surrounding and between rocks. Many tropical fish living in and around the rocks, corals, and sponges.

    Most of the coral in the lagoon was dead, if there was any at all. The coral out here is fully alive, if young, with a lot of variety of types.

    The change in ecoregion was caused by less pollution in the water, and constantly-moving water. Those two are connected slightly as, if there was pollution, the moving water shifted it out.

    The life at Rocher Creole must be adapted to water surges, so they don't hit rocks or coral, or so they can grip onto rocks as a wave passes them. Some must also be adapted to constantly being in and out of the water, as waves roll over partially-uncovered rocks.

     - Lizardfish - Multicolored stripes on this fish's back camouflage it to look like a sandy or rocky ocean bottom

     - Sand-diver - Buries itself in the sand, completely covering itself, hiding from predators or waiting for prey.

Dominant species -

 - Sergeant major

 - Rainbow parrotfish

 - Ballyhoo

 - Fire coral