Marsh Madness 2015: Elite Ate

Instant replay still

While the NCAA final may be over, the long time scale of function in the Everglades means we're just begining the Elite Ate. In the last round, the alligator trumped the spoonbill and the ibis blew away the crocodile. The feral cat continued its siege on the 'Glades, shutting out the once-feared Brazilian pepper.The island apple snail held on against water hyacinth. Floc flopped against sawgrass, the alligator flea forced down the dragonfly, and the mosquito took down the no-see-um.

HOWEVER, one match continues in a battle beyond our one-week time scale. Periphyton (3) and Red mangroves (2) remain locked in a vicious tredecuple overtime (i.e. the votes were tied, and I know no one would believe me if periphyton won the coin toss). THEREFORE, this Swamp Sixteen battle rages on, and we need YOUR votes to decide who goes on to face the lean, green, fighting machine of sawgrass. WHO will it be? MORE CAPS FOR THE SAKE OF IT.

Periphyton sweaters
seem to be creeping in

Voting is now open for the Elite Ate, which determines the representatives from each of the groupings. Feel free to vote for one organism per matchup on the poll.

In Vertebrates, the 'gator (1) faces the ibis(10) (a.k.a. UF vs. UM) in a match of mascots, morphology, and mortality.

So, yeah, this is a thing? Original program cover
art from the 1959 UF (23) v. UM (14) - winner got
the Seminole War Canoe Trophy 

In Invasives, the Cinderella story of the ECS Feral Cats (16) may come back down to reality against the Escargot Island Apple Snails (3).

Due to overtime competition, Sawgrass (1) builds is biomass as it awaits the victor of Pair o' Fightin' Periphyton (3) vs. Blood Red Mangroves (2) in the Primary Producers, etc. bracket.

And in invertebrates, the long-expected and fearsome battle of your nightmares begins between the Flee the Alligator Flea (1) and the needs-no-moniker mosquito (2).

SWAMP SIXTEEN TREDECUPLE OVERTIME

ELITE ATE