Secrets Of the Salt Marsh

A general overview of salt marsh ecology, Secrets of the Salt Marsh is a nicely filmed, fairly straightforward nature film that observes the wildlife (since marsh grass is pretty uninteresting) over the four seasons. Viewers will see egrets fishing, fiddler crabs dueling, baby turtles hatching, and, of course, animals eating other animals, as well as get a rudimentary lecture on how a salt marsh operates. Often lovely to look at, the film's old-fashioned format (nature shot/audio description) is unlikely to woo the young adult audience at which it's aimed. Still, for someone who can afford $150 for a pleasant 20 minutes, this one's pretty. Recommended, with major reservations. (R. Pitman)