COVER PHOTOGRAPH AND FRONT MATTER: ST. MARKS WILDLIFE REFUGE AND LIGHTHOUSE, FLORIDA, U.S.A.

St. Marks Wildlife Refuge and Lighthouse, Florida, U.S.A. The wildlife refuge was established in 1931 to provide wintering habitat for migratory birds. It covers 70,000 acres along the Gulf Coast of northwest Florida, which provides home to a diverse community of plant and animal life. The refuge includes wetlands, coastal marshes, islands, tidal creeks and estuaries of seven north Florida rivers, which serves as a good field study site for coastal ecosystem and environmental research. The St. Marks Lighthouse was built in 1842 (current tower) and is still in use today. (Photo was taken by Wenrui Huang in 2011.)