ABSTRACT
Today, wetlands are on everyone's tongue, but just 20 years ago only a few biologists knew of the term and fewer wetland specialists partially understood these complex systems. Now, even U.S. Presidents proclaim their dedication to preserving these important resources, a fashionable restaurant on Hudson Street in downtown Manhattan is named "Wetlands" and the U.S. Senate has a Wetlands Subcommittee. In fact, the term has only recently come into common usage to provide a generic, all encompassing word that includes virtually all types of shallow water environments.
