 Marine Biology is the study of marine organisms, their interactions with the environment and their behaviors. Marine biologist’s study the organisms themselves. Marine Biologist’s also study associated fields of chemical, physical, geological oceanography and biological oceanography to understand marine organisms. Marine biologist spend most of their time outdoors, such as on a boat, underwater, or working among tide pools. In addition, they may spend much of their time indoors in a laboratory or aquarium.

 Emily Davenport has done research on soft shell clams. Soft shell clams inhabit waters along both coasts of North America. They have an relatively thin, whitish shell. Research that she has done included integrated research, education and an outreach program. She studied these clams on Plum Island Sound, just north of Boston. Emily Davenport did this research in Plum Island Sound because it is where their LTER site is, and LTER standing for Long Term Ecological Research.

 Soft shell clams are found on Plum Island Sound and many other places. A lot of the people in the Plum Island Sound area depend on the soft shell clam, so that's where they chose to research them. The Plum Island Sound area is highly populated because it is a very nice area to live. Plum Island Sound where a lot of people work, and also right on the water. That is because there are a lot of houses on the water and there is a lot of runoffs into the water from people's septic systems and fertilizers used on their lawns and gardens. That directly impacts the clam's habitat so that's another reason why they chose to study the clams in this area. Also one of the soft shell clam’s nickname is the Ipswich clam- Ipswich is a town location right on Plum Island Sound, so it makes sense to study the soft shell clams in this area.

 Salt Marshes are an area of coastal grassland that is regularly flooded by seawater. It is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open salt water or blackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. Also salt marshes are transitions from the ocean to the land, where fresh and salt water mix. Salt marshes are made up of a lot of land sticking out into the water and they provide a lot of protection for small animals.

 In salt marshes, seven procedures occur. 1. As the fetch and prevailing winds are from the south-west, material will be moved eastwards along the coast by long shore drift. 2. After headland X the direction of the original coastline changes and larger material is deposited in water sheltered by the headland (B). 3. Further deposition of finer material (sand) enables the feature to build up slowly to sea-level (C) and to extend its length (D). 4. Occasionally the wind changes its direction, comes from the east. This in turn causes the waves to alter their direction approaching from the south east. During this time some material at the end of the spit may be pushed inland to form a curved end (E). When the wind returns to its usual direction the spit resumes its growth eastwards (F). 5 Spits become permanent when sand is blown up the beach, by the prevailing wind, to form sand-dunes. 6 Salt marsh is likely to develop in the sheltered water behind the spit. 7 The spit is unable to grow across the estuary as the river current carries material out to sea. Should there be no river, the spit may grow across the bay to form a bar.

 Estuaries are also where are where a river of freshwater meets the ocean of salt water. Their unique conditions are really great for juvenile organisms like fishes, clams, crabs, etc. They use these areas to raise their babies because the water is usually warm and shallow and is also protected from large predators. Also a lot of sea grass (spartina) grows on the land portion of the salt marsh, which is habitat for land crabs, snails, grasshoppers, etc. The sea grass is great at pulling carbon dioxide out of the air and putting oxygen into the air.

 Thank you to Emily Davenport Thank you to Emily Davenport      