Seaplants are fascinating subjects for scientific study
Phycology, the
scientific study of seaplants, is an intellectual pursuit that
goes beyond simply being "useful". It is a rewarding field of
endeavour in its own right. We seaplant people realise that these marvelous
photosynthesising organisms are essential to global ecosystems and are
even largely responsible for providing us with the breath of life. This
realisation gives added impetus to our study of how they function.
Along with the study of phycology comes
the appreciation of the aesthetic aspects of seaplants. Most people who
have collected seaplants and mounted them on herbarium paper have
proudly framed mounts of especially attractive seaplants and have placed
them on our walls; or we have mounted seaplants in plastic to create
three-dimensional examples of seaplant art. Some artists have gone
beyond this to create works of art that incorporate seaplants as a
medium.
Another area of seaplant art that is
worthy of note is the field of photography. We have all seen awesome
pictures of "kelp forests" and photos of shorelines that
exhibit the subtle hues of seaweeds in the intertidal zone.
The SuriaLink Associates who create the
content of this site are all seaweed scientists and/or artists. It is
one of our major missions that we develop the site as a comprehensive
source of literature, information and works of art that pertain to
seaplants. In doing so we do not seek to replace; but rather to
complement sites that are pursuing similar mission; one notable example
being the Seaweed Site of Dr. Michael
Guiry where a wealth of information and photographs can be seen and
experienced.
|
