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Ever wonder why you find so many dead crabs on the beach during the summer?  Most of these “dead crabs” are actually crab molts.  A molt is an exact copy of a crab, complete with gill coverings, without the actual animal in it!  In order to grow, crabs have to shed their hard outer shell, [...]

During the summer, thunderstorms occur more frequently due to warm, moist air.  Approximately 1,800 thunderstorms are occurring at any given time.  They usually last about 30 minutes and are typically 15 miles in diameter.  Lightning occurs in all thunderstorms.
Viewer Tip: Lightning strikes the Earth 20 million times per year!  The best place to be [...]

Have you ever wondered what causes the different-colored tints in the ocean or freshwater lakes? This colored water – whether red, brown, green or yellow – is commonly known as a “red tide” or a harmful algal bloom. Blooms are formed by single-celled photosynthetic organisms that can sometimes be harmful to humans, wildlife and the [...]

The sun emits radiation in the form of ultraviolet (UV) light, which is classified into three types by wavelength: UVA, UVB, and UVC. In the stratosphere, the ozone layer blocks UVC light (shortest wavelength), but UVB and UVA light can pass through the atmosphere.
How Does UV Affect You? UVA penetrates deeply into the skin and [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 84 lakes in the Xeric Region (covering portions of 11 western states and all of Nevada) to characterize the condition of more than 802 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

37 percent of lakes in the Xeric Region are in good [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 155 lakes in the Western Mountains Region (covering the Cascade, Sierra Nevada and Pacific Coast ranges, the Gila Mountains, and the Bitterroot and Rocky Mountains) to characterize the condition of more than 4,100 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

More than [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 65 lakes in the Northern Plains Region (covering western North and South Dakota, eastern Montana, northeast Wyoming and a small part of northern Nebraska) to characterize the condition of more than 2,600 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

Just one percent [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 128 lakes in the Southern Plains Region (covering central and northern Texas, western Kansas and Oklahoma, and parts of Nebraska, Colorado and New Mexico) to characterize the condition of more than 3,100 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

Only 34 percent [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 137 lakes in the Temperate Plains Region (covering eastern North and South Dakota, Iowa, western Minnesota, parts of Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska, western Ohio, central Indiana, Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin) to characterize the condition of more than 6,300 lakes throughout the area. [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 148 lakes in the Upper Midwest Region (covering northern and southeastern Minnesota, two-thirds of Wisconsin, northern Indiana and most of Michigan) to characterize the condition of more than 15,500 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

More than 90 percent of lakes [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 116 lakes in the Coastal Plains Region (covering the Mississippi Delta, north along the Ohio River, Florida, eastern Texas and the Atlantic Seaboard to New Jersey) to characterize the condition of more than 7,000 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

47 [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 116 lakes in the Southern Appalachians Region (covering ten states from northeastern Alabama to southern Pennsylvania and highland parts of Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma) to characterize the condition of more than 4,600 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

42 percent of [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 93 lakes in the Northern Appalachian Region (covering all of New England, most of New York, the northern half of Pennsylvania and northeast Ohio) to characterize the condition of more than 5,000 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

More than half [...]

During nice, warm weather, people become more active outdoors…and so do ticks! Ticks tend to live in moist environments, especially near wooded or grassy areas. They attach themselves to skin or clothing and take a free ride home with humans or pets.  Unfortunately, ticks can transmit several different diseases, including Lyme disease and [...]

Litter that is dropped onto streets, sidewalks or driveways is often washed into our storm drains and eventually ends up on our beaches and in rivers and lakes.  Some of the most common litter items found include plastic bags, glass bottles, gum and cigarette butts. This debris can be harmful to humans, degrade water [...]

Did you know that almost 60 percent of Americans live an area with unhealthy levels of air pollution? Just like a recipe, the atmosphere needs all the right ingredients to make ground-level ozone – a harmful air pollutant that is common during the summer months.  When the temperature rises and the sun is shining, heat [...]

Although thunderstorms impact relatively small areas when compared to winter storms or hurricanes, they are still dangerous.  Thunderstorms can be accompanied by hail, strong winds and flash flooding; every thunderstorm is accompanied by lightning.
Viewer Tip: In 2010, there have been eight lightning fatalities to date – all of them were outside when struck. Lightning [...]

During the 2009 beach swimming season, more than 3,800 beaches were monitored for possible swimming risks – 43 percent of those beaches had at least one swimming advisory or closure. Beach advisories and closures often follow heavy rainfall, when sewer overflows may occur and rain water can wash trash and other pollutants into swimming areas. [...]

Summer makes for nice hiking weather and many of us head into the great outdoors with our pet companions. With many summer activities taking place near streams and ponds, you may think you don’t need to worry about drinking water for your animals. But on warm, sunny days, you need to be careful to avoid [...]

Did you know that you can help the Gulf of Mexico without traveling beyond your driveway? Our region is part of the Texas Gulf Coast watershed, an area of land that drains rain water and river water into the Gulf of Mexico. When it storms here, rainwater carries pollutants like fertilizer from farms and lawns, [...]