. Atoll research bulletin. Coral reefs and islands; Marine biology; Marine sciences. 195 following the Darwin trail. I, on the other hand, have always liked to keep both feet anchored in reality, examining organisms and communities in situ and refining laboratory techniques, determining morphological structures and functional mechanisms, analyzing environmental needs and influences, and experimentally testing ideas on interrelations derived from observations in nature. I may also have found a niche as a guide and facilitator in a down-to-sea marine research program. Our research station may ne
. Atoll research bulletin. Coral reefs and islands; Marine biology; Marine sciences. 195 following the Darwin trail. I, on the other hand, have always liked to keep both feet anchored in reality, examining organisms and communities in situ and refining laboratory techniques, determining morphological structures and functional mechanisms, analyzing environmental needs and influences, and experimentally testing ideas on interrelations derived from observations in nature. I may also have found a niche as a guide and facilitator in a down-to-sea marine research program. Our research station may never become as famous as the Stazione Zoologica di Napoli, but it will be remembered as an efficient and highly productive operation located at the heart of a coral reef ecosystem rather than on the flank of some polluted city harbor, as many marine stations are. My research may not have broken any scientific sound barriers, but it has been, and continues to be, an honest attempt at understanding and recording conditions and processes in nature and compiling useful information about sponge biology. I hope that my practical approach has enabled me to make reasonable decisions about scientific priorities, to act as a catalyst for fruitful disciplinary collaboration, and to provide efficient facilities for all those who study biology more in praxis than in Figure 12. It's over! With the Carrie Bow Marine Field Station rededicated, Klaus Ruetzler looking forward to another 30 years of research on the barrier-reef complex of Belize. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My career owes much to many friends, teachers, and sponsors. Indeed, the list is too long to itemize here. The people mentioned above are but a small sample, and I apologize to those I have left out. I am particularly grateful to my long-time research assistant Kathleen Smith and my close current collaborators Mike Carpenter, Michelle Nestlerode, and Marsha Sitnik. Pictures shown here were contributed by Mike Carpenter (Fig. 11 bo
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