25.       I followed Mister Grouper through Wiggles,

 the seagrass bed. The bay’s clear water turned dirty,

cloudy, and muddy.  Swimming fast and fleeing were

Spots, Flat Face, Speckles, Prickles, Stripes, Pinky,

Grunts and baby groupers.  

            “Why are you fleeing Wiggles, the seagrass

bed?”    

            All fish cried out, “Motor Boats, Motor Boats,

oh, so many Motor Boats!”  

            Soon Mister Grouper and I found Wiggles,

the seagrass in misery. 

            “Mister Grouper, why is Wiggles crying?” 

            Anger shown in Mister Grouper wide mouth

and he said, “Motor Boats, so many Motor Boats.

Their plowing ditches in Wiggles, the seagrass bed.

            “Look, I’m ripped apart. My roots are gone,

my friends are gone. Spots, Flat face, Speckles,

Prickles, Stripes, Pinky, and baby groupers no longer

have a home,” cried Wiggles.  

            “What can we do?”  

            Mister Grouper jaw drooped, “As fish and

seagrass we can do nothing. Marc, when you return

home pass laws protecting seagrass beds. Laws

should read…All boaters must Pole and Troll over

Wiggles, the seagrass. Boaters must learn; when we

lose Wiggles the seagrass; we lose shrimp, crabs, fish

and everything else, because that’s their home.”

            “My Grandpa Boom fishes for snook and red

fish.  But, when I ride in Grandpa’s boat over Wiggles

the seagrass, he always says “Nuts” to [Pole and

Troll] signs.”

            “Marc, your Grandpa Boom is selfish and

cares only about catching fish, not bay habitat where

fish live. When you return home, and all the fish,

birds, and blue crabs leave the bay, tell your

Grandpa Boom, 'It’s because his motor boat plowed

Wiggles, the seagrass bed.”

            Maybe pictures showing ditches plowed

through Wiggles the seagrass; Grandpa Boom will be

more careful when driving his boat.

26.       One day, Mister Grouper and I in our travels

meet Gulp the tarpon and asked, “Where’s Scoot, the

bay scallop?”  

            “Oh, Scoot left the bay gone, long, long ago,”

remarked Gulp. “Scoot lived in Wiggles, the seagrass

bed, go ask Wiggles.” 

            Mister Grouper swam to Wiggles the

seagrass bed and asked, “Have you seen Scoot, the

bay scallop?”  

            Wiggles sadly remarked, “Scoot left the bay,

long, long ago. Scoot and I were best of friends.

Scoot never caused trouble, just like to play and

scoot from one seagrass bed to another.”

            “Why did Scoot leave?”    

            Wiggles replied, “Many years ago, bay water

changed its color from clear to cloudy polluted water.

            Scoot said, “Goodbye Wiggles, I’m leaving

this polluted bay in search of another clean water

bay. If none are found, I’ll scoot to the Gulf’s clean

waters instead.”

            “Now Scoot is gone, gone forever,” said

Wiggles. “Mrs. Pinch. the oyster; Pits. the barnacle,

and I; we’re attached to rocks and sandy bay bottom,

unable to scoot and must drink this filthy, dirty

water.”

            “Marc when you return home. tell your

Mama and Papa, tell the world; pollution is the same,

whether it’s water or air, pollution affects all living

creatures,” said Mister Grouper.