Biodiversity and the Future

So just about every year now my family has a big family reunion on Cape Cod in July. I remember when I was 10 or 12 I went to a beach to walk the tide pools. There were shells everywhere. There were great stretches of seaweed, and huge spider crabs walking through all the seaweed. We visit the same tide pool beach every year now, and I'm finding it quite depressing. There is no more algae. There are no more spider crabs. It used to be there were so many hermit crabs you had to watch where you were stepping. plenty of basic rock type crabs too. Now you're lucky if you see 2 dozen hermits on your walk to the ocean. The most common site is strings of discarded beheaded striped bass still tied together and left to rot on the beach. There are almost no shells left. I brought back dozens of perfect scallop shells, big clam shells, and slipper shells when I was younger. Now there is nothing. I just keep thinking my 10 yr old cousin is visiting this beach, and he thinks this is what it's supposed to look. No critters, some dead fish and stretches of barren sand. No shells. No spider crabs. No algae. No wonder the next generation isn't screaming about all the animals that are dying. They never got to see them in the first place. Enjoy nature while it lasts.