DETRITUS	


1
And now his path was blocked by a final obstruction, not the most daunting
he'd faced but nonetheless serious: this blackwater sump, a zone of
intermittently flooded forest converted to finger lake by the seasonal
rains. Soaked leaf litter and other detritus had yielded the usual
tannin-rich tea, and the water's sleek surface was dark as buffed ebony,
punctuated sparsely by large trees, their roots and buttresses submerged.
Quamman, D. (2001). End of the line: Megatransect part 3. National
Geographic. August 2001, p. 75-97.


2
The birds alert nearby anglers that a massive school of menhaden is under
attack by bluefish.

The razor-toothed blues tear at the menhaden like piranhas in a killing
frenzy, gorging themselves, some killing even when they are too full to eat,
some vomiting so they can eat again. Beneath the blues, weak fish begin to
circle, snaring the detritus of the carnage. Farther below, giant striped
bass gobble chunks that get by the weak fish. From time to time a bass
muscles its way up through the blues to take in whole menhaden. On the
seafloor, scavenging crabs feast on leftovers.

Franklin, H.B. (2001). The most important fish in the sea. Discover,
September 2001, p. 44-50.


3
Dense schools of menhaden swimming with their mouths open slurp up enormous
quantities of plankton and detritus like gargantuan vacuum cleaners. In the
Chesapeake and other coastal waterways, the filtering clarifies water by
purging suspended particles that cause turbidity, allowing sunlight to
penetrate to greater depths. This encourages the growth of plants that
release dissolved oxygen as they photosynthesize. The plants also harbor
fish and shellfish.

Franklin, H.B. (2001). The most important fish in the sea. Discover,
September 2001, p. 44-50.



4
Although each [Long Term Ecological Research] site has a different
investigator-driven mission, several measurements are made at each site
every year. The results, which include estimates of primary production,
nitrogen mineralization rates, standing crop, abundances of most soil
cations [positively charged ions], detritus production, and censuses
[counts] of dominant plant species, are available in standard form. 

Ecological indicators for the nation (2000). Commission on Geosciences,
Environment, and Resources. National Academy Press, Chapter 2.



5
A mature coral reef is poised in the balance of the forces of erosion and
the forces of calcification. Corals die and pieces break off and fall in the
sediment. This sandy detritus in turn serves to fill holes in the coral
structures. The framework rises. Worms, crabs, and bivalves seek shelter
within and on the surface of the coral. They bore into it and destroy it in
part. These are the eroders. Reef corals adapt to inhabitants both within
and without in a most generous and accommodating way, creating and
sustaining a rich variety of life.

Reefscape: Reflections of the Great Barrier Reef (2001). Joseph Henry Press.
National Academy Press, p. 69.


6
Remote recoveries of females [sea turtles] tagged in Florida indicate that
many migrate to the Gulf of Mexico, often to the turbid, detritus-laden,
muddy-bottom bays and bayous of the northern gulf coast. Others apparently
occupy the clear waters of the Bahamas and Antilles, with sandy bottoms,
reefs, and shoals that constitute a totally different type of habitat.

Decline of the sea turtles: Causes and prevention (1990). Commission on Life
Sciences. National Academy Press, Chapter 2. 



7
But he [John Rodgers] was also a humanist. Amid the detritus of his
apartment, which was cluttered with old scientific journals and papers, he
had a Steinway grand piano, on which he played Bach fugues and Chopin etudes
very beautifully with his strong geologist's fingers. 

Zinsser, William (1988). Writing to learn. New York, NY: Harper and Row.

"Detritus" Passages		CVA Think-Aloud Protocols