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Each year, World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2nd. Wetlands come in many forms and go by many names – estuaries, bogs, mangrove swamps, vernal pools, marshes, riparian wetlands, cypress swamps, playa lakes and more! Wetland areas improve water quality, provide flood protection and support tons of fish, wildlife and plants. If you’ve been [...]

Fall fishing and ice fishing are popular past times for many in the Great Lakes Region.  As you rig your line in hopes of landing that big catch, think twice about what weights your lure.  Lead has been used for weighting fishing tackle for centuries, but this heavy metal poses a hazard to human and [...]

The current drought that Texas is suffering through is threatening the oysters of Galveston Bay. Galveston Bay needs freshwater to keep the salinity level of the Bay low to protect oyster reefs. Some predators and disease thrive in very salty waters, which can weaken and kill oysters. Oysters are the Bay’s keystone species, providing habitat [...]

One commonly asked question is why oysters are traditionally eaten only during months with an “r” in them. There are two answers. One, earlier times lacked refrigeration and oysters spoil quickly in warm weather (months without an “r”: May, June, July and August) unless they are chilled. And two, oysters just don’t taste as good [...]

Nitrogen and phosphorus are part of healthy aquatic habitats. These nutrients support the growth of underwater plants that provide oxygen and habitat for fish and other animals. They also support algae growth, which is a source of food for many fish and shellfish. Aquatic habitats can become unbalanced, however, when too much nitrogen and phosphorus [...]

More than 85 percent of the Chesapeake Bay’s shoreline is privately owned. And most of that is lined with hardened bulkheads or riprap designed to protect waterfront property from erosion and sea level rise.  These “hardened shorelines” take away from some of the Bay’s most productive acreage: the coastal marsh and intertidal areas that serve [...]

Warm summer days mean lots of people head out to the Great Lakes to go boating and fishing. While you’re on the water, it is important to keep an eye out for silver and bighead carp, which are invasive fish that pose a threat to native Great Lakes species and even boaters. These fish were [...]

When it rains, what goes down the storm drain? As rain water flows over yards, driveways and city streets, it picks up pet waste, fertilizers and pesticides, oil from cars, trash and other pollutants. It’s tempting to think that storm water visits the local waste water treatment plant, but in most communities water that goes [...]

Did you know that many of the insects in your garden are more beneficial than harmful? When gardeners see insects or insect damage on their plants, many reach for pesticides in an effort to eliminate harmful pests. Unfortunately, pesticides can kill valuable garden insects – like ladybugs, assassin bugs and praying mantis – and may [...]

Spring is the best time of year for planting trees, shrubs or other garden plants. Native trees and shrubs are an important part of a healthy Pacific Northwest. In the Pacific Northwest we still have lots of evergreen forests. But in our cities and suburbs, birds, animals and fish can benefit from having more native [...]

Wintertime in the Chesapeake Bay area means snow and ice. Unfortunately, that also means rock salt and other deicers on our streets and highways. On average, the Chesapeake region gets between 10 and 20 million pounds of road salt applied to its roadways every winter. Much of that salt finds its way into urban streams [...]

Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip. A recent study looked at the impacts of driveways, sidewalks, streets and other hard surfaces on life in streams near urban areas across the country. When just 10 percent of a watershed is covered by pavement, aquatic life declines in streams by as much as 33 percent. [...]

A 2009 survey of Texas residents found that four in 10 Texans admitted to littering in the past month. More than half of those people littered while driving or riding in a car; others littered when a trashcan could not be located or when walking or playing outside. Litter is more than an eyesore – [...]

A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey found elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in many streams and groundwater supplies across the country. Elevated levels were most often found in streams near agricultural areas, particularly in the Northeast, Midwest and Northwest, as well as near urban areas. In many cases, concentrations of nitrogen and [...]

If you’ve been to the beach, chances are good you’ve been on a barrier island. Barrier islands are among the United States’ most important coastal features. Running more than 3,500 miles along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, these islands are invaluable buffers, protecting vulnerable shores and inland areas from violent storms and waves. They also [...]

We often think of fall as a time of diminishing resources. Days get shorter. Storms roll through, bringing rain and strong northwest winds. Temperatures fall. But for animals in and around the Chesapeake, autumn is often a time of plenty. In the Bay, rain, wind and falling temperatures add oxygen to the water.  Cooling makes [...]

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 [...]

Are you tempted to clean up fallen trees and branches on your lakeshore property after a storm? Believe it or not, these fallen items are actually important components of lake habitats! Above the water, fallen trees and branches provide a place for ducks and turtles to soak up the sun; they may also be used [...]

Shoreline habitats around lakes – both on land and in shallow water – provide important habitat for fish and wildlife. Healthy plants along shorelines also protect water quality by absorbing and filtering pollutants carried from land by wind and rain. Viewer Tip: When lake shorelines become too developed, they may no longer be able to [...]

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 [...]