(birds chirping)
(waves rolling in)
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>> I'M DR. WAYNE MCALISTER.
I'VE BEEN A BIOLOGIST FOR OVER
30 YEARS.
I WORK FOR THE U.S. FISH
AND WILDLIFE SERVICE HERE
ON MATAGORDA ISLAND
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.
THIS ISLAND REALLY PROVIDES ME
WITH A PARADISE FOR STUDYING
MOTHER NATURE.
THIS IS JUST THE IDEAL FOR ANY
WORKING PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGIST
IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS.
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MATAGORDA ISLAND IS ONE OF
THE FIVE MAJOR BARRIER ISLANDS
ON THE TEXAS COAST.
AND THEY'RE CALLED BARRIER
ISLANDS BECAUSE THEY'RE
OBSTACLES TO THE TREMENDOUS
ENERGY THAT COMES IN OFF
THE GULF OF MEXICO,
BETWEEN IT AND THE DELICATE
WETLANDS AND THE MAINLAND.
WE GET ABOUT 500 WAVES AN HOUR
COMING IN ON THE BEACH.
EACH WAVE BRINGS TONS OF WATER
AND TONS OF SAND.
SAND IN, SAND OUT,
WATER IN, WATER OUT.
IT NEVER ENDS.
LIFE LIKES TO CONCENTRATE AT
THE EDGES,
AND THERE IS NO MORE PROLIFIC OR
MORE INTERESTING EDGE IN ALL THE
WORLD THAN THE EDGE OF THE SEA.
LOOKING THROUGH THE SEAWEED,
PART OF THE FUN IS,
YOU NEVER KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING
TO FIND ANYTHING,
AND IF YOU DO YOU DON'T KNOW
WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE.
HERE FOR INSTANCE,
TWO LITTLE CRITTERS,
A COQUINA CLAM FROM OUT OF
THE SAND AND A WEIRD LITTLE
SARGASSUM SHRIMP THAT SPENDS HIS
WHOLE LIFE FLOATING IN THIS
SARGASSUM WEED.
(waves rolling in)
THE BACK BEACH IS BACK
WELL AWAY FROM THE WATER LINE.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF CRITTERS LIVE
BACK HERE AND ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT ONES,
SHOWS US EVIDENCE OF HIS LITTLE
HOUSE RIGHT HERE WITH THIS MOUND
OF SAND AND LITTLE HOLE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO DIG DOWN
THERE AND SEE IF WE CAN UNCOVER
THIS LITTLE GHOST CRAB THAT
LIVES IN THIS LITTLE BURROW.
NOW, ONE OF THE SMARTEST THINGS
HE DOES OUT HERE IS DIG THIS
BURROW DOWN IN THE SAND
EVERY MORNING,
AND HE SITS DOWN THERE IN NICE
AIR CONDITIONED COMFORT ALL DAY
LONG WAITING FOR THE NEXT NIGHT
WHEN HIS ACTIVITY WILL
START UP AGAIN.
AND THERE WE GO.
OKAY, HERE HE IS.
LOOK WHO LIVES DOWN IN
THE BURROW, A GHOST CRAB.
ONE OF THE NEATEST LITTLE
CRITTERS ON THE BACK BEACH...
OUCH!
HE ALSO PINCHES WITH THOSE
FRONT PINCHERS.
NEAT LITTLE EXOSKELETON COLORED
JUST LIKE THE SAND.
LOOK AT THOSE BEAUTIFUL LITTLE
PERISCOPE EYES POP UP AND DOWN.
HE'S GOT NEAT LITTLE POCKETS
THERE TO PUT THE EYES DOWN
WHEN HE GOES IN THE BURROW.
THEY'RE BASICALLY A SCAVENGER,
THEY FEED ON MOST ANYTHING LIVE
OR DEAD THEY CAN RUN ACROSS.
BUT THEY'RE ALSO
LITTLE PREDATORS, THEY KNOW
HOW TO GET CLAMS, LITTLE FISH
AND THINGS IN THE SURF.
AND WE'RE READY NOW TO TURN HIM
LOOSE AND LET HIM GO BACK HOME.
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IF YOU LOOK AT A CROSS SECTION
OF A BARRIER ISLAND
YOU'LL FIND IT'S MADE UP
OF SIX PARTS ALWAYS IN
THE SAME SEQUENCE.
FIRST THERE'S
THE GULF OF MEXICO,
THEN THE SANDY BEACH,
THEN THE LINE OF SAND DUNES.
BEYOND THAT THE BARRIER
FLAT WITH ITS GRASSLANDS,
THEN THE TIDAL FLATS AND THEIR
COASTAL MARSHES,
AND FINALLY THE QUIET BAY.
NOW, THE REALLY WONDERFUL PART
OF THIS ECOSYSTEM IS NOT
THE SEPARATE ZONES BUT
THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THEM.
WHAT BETTER ANALOGY OF MOTHER
NATURE ON A BARRIER ISLAND THAN
A SPIDER WEB.
SYMMETRICAL, BEAUTIFUL,
EFFICIENT, RESILIENT THOUGH
NOT TOTALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE,
AND WITH CONNECTIONS RADIATING
OUT IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
(bird chirping)
A GRASSLAND IS ESSENTIALLY
THE CENTRAL PART
OF A BARRIER ISLAND.
THIS IS THE STABLE PART OF
THE ISLAND.
AS FAR AS THE ISLAND IS
CONCERNED,
THIS IS WHAT'S HOLDING THE
ISLAND IN PLACE.
IT'S JUST A WIDE OPEN,
BEAUTIFUL, UNMARRED STRETCH
OF LAND.
OUT HERE IN THE GRASSLAND
THERE'S SO MANY PLACES TO HIDE
YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN
ALL THE TIME.
AH, HERE'S SOMEBODY WAY DOWN
HERE AT THE BASE OF THIS PLANT.
LOOK WHAT WE'VE GOT.
KIDS CALL THESE WOOLY BEARS.
SALT MARSH CATERPILLAR
IS THE PROPER NAME FOR HIM.
HE FEEDS ON THIS BROOM GROUNDSEL
AND IS AN IMPORTANT FOOD ITEM
FOR SEVERAL BIRDS THAT COME
THROUGH HERE.
ALL THE CATERPILLAR DOES IS EAT
AND GROW, EAT AND GROW,
FINALLY THEN METAMORPHOSES
INTO THE WHITE MOTH.
AND THE MOTH'S JOB IS
REPRODUCTION.
THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE JUNGLE
UNDER MY FEET.
YOU HAVE TO WATCH FOR MOVEMENT,
LIKE RIGHT THERE,
SEE THE MOVEMENT?
THAT'S THE WAY TO CATCH A SNAKE
IN GRASS.
ONE OF THE PRETTIEST SNAKES ON
ANY BARRIER ISLAND,
THIS IS A SPECKLED KING SNAKE.
THIS ONE IS ABOUT A QUARTER
GROWN.
AND THIS IS A NON-POISONOUS
SNAKE,
IN FACT HE'S ONE OF THE MORE
DOCILE SNAKES THIS ONE,
THIS SPECIES SELDOM EVEN BITES
WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER IT,
SO HE'S ALTOGETHER A PLEASANT
MEMBER OF THE FAMILY.
(hawk calling)
A LOT OF PREDATORS OUT HERE
IN THE GRASSLAND.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GROUPS
ARE THE HAWKS.
NOW HAWKS HAVE A PROBLEM OUT
HERE WHEN THEY WANT TO NEST,
THEY LIKE TO NEST IN TREES
AND WE DON'T HAVE TREES
IN THE GRASSLAND.
WE DO HAVE LITTLE LOW GROWING
SHRUBS LIKE THIS WEESACH AND
WAY UP IN THE TOP OF THIS ONE IS
THE NEST OF A WHITE-TAIL HAWK.
ONE OF OUR PRINCIPLE RESIDENT
PREDATORS.
AND THERE, WE'VE EXPOSED
TWO BEAUTIFUL BLUE WHITE EGGS,
MOMMA WHITE-TAIL'S SECRET.
OKAY, MOM SPOOKED OFF THIS NEST
WHEN WE CAME UP,
SHE'S UP THERE IN THE SKY
CIRCLING OVER US NOW,
SO WE WANT TO BACK AWAY QUICKLY
SO SHE CAN COME ON BACK
AND BROOD HER EGGS.
WE HAVE LEFT THE GRASSLAND
AND WE ARE NOW IN THE TIDAL
FLAT OF THE BAYSIDE OF OUR
BARRIER ISLAND.
AND THIS IS THE REAL PRODUCTIVE
PART OF OUR ECOSYSTEM FOR ALL
SORTS OF LITTLE AQUATIC
CRITTERS.
AND THIS IS WHERE THEY COME TO
FIND FOOD AND SHELTER,
TO HAVE THEIR BABIES AND
GROW UP, THIS HAS GOT IT ALL.
RUN A DIP NET THROUGH THE SMOOTH
CORD GRASS ON THE BACK SIDE OF
OUR BARRIER ISLAND AND SEE WHAT
WE GET.
GOT WHITE SHRIMP, AND WE'VE GOT
A FEISTY LITTLE BLUE CRAB.
THIS IS OUR NURSERY GROUND,
THIS IS OUR FOOD BASKET,
THESE ARE OUR CRITTERS,
LITTLE CRABS, LITTLE SHRIMP,
LITTLE FISH.
THIS IS WHAT THE BACKSIDE OF
THE BARRIER ISLAND IS ALL ABOUT.
THE REAL ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF
A BARRIER ISLAND IS TO PROTECT
THE DELICATE COASTAL WETLANDS
AND THE MAINLAND,
NOT JUST DURING STORMS,
BUT EVERY DAY.
(waves rolling in, birds chirping)
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AFTER JUST A VERY SHORT TIME
YOU REALLY BEGIN TO FEEL ONE
WITH THIS ISLAND.
YOU BEGIN TO FEEL,
AS THOUGH SOMEHOW YOU'VE ALWAYS
BEEN HERE AND HAVE NEVER BEEN
ANYWHERE ELSE.
THIS ISLAND IS JUST A PARADISE.
YOU KNOW WHERE THE STARS ARE
GOING TO CLEAR THE HORIZON,
YOU KNOW WHERE THE SUN IS
GOING TO COME UP,
IT GIVES YOU A FEELING OF
ONENESS AND CONTENTMENT.
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