Results of the Loblolly Marsh Wetland Preserve BioBlitz, Jay County, Indiana

The term "BioBlitz" was coined by Susan Rudy, a U.S. National Park Service naturalist, while helping to organize the first BioBlitz held at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington D.C. from May 31 to June 1, 1996 (BioBlitz Center 2009, Post 2003). A BioBlitz (also written bioblitz), short for biodiversity blitz, is a rapid assessment of the flora and fauna living in a particular area at a given point in time (Field Museum 2007). It is essentially a "snapshot in time" of the living organisms of a particular site. A full BioBlitz must take place over a full 24-hour period since different organisms will be found at different times of the day. Additionally, it should be noted that since the species pool changes throughout the year, a one day BioBlitz will not produce a complete inventory of the biodiversity of the site. Lastly, the success of the event is based primarily on two factors, i.e., the organization of the event and the team of dedicated scientists, naturalists, and volunteers conducting the surveys.