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Since 1910, overall precipitation in the lower 48 states has increased by ten percent, and the region with the largest increase in rainfall is the Mississippi River Basin. Because of fertilizer use on farms, lawns, and gardens in the Basin, wet years mean that more nitrogen (an ingredient in fertilizer) is carried with rainwater into [...]

Prior to European settlement, Longleaf Pine forests covered a 140 million square mile area that runs along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from Southern Virginia to Texas. Frequent, low-intensity fires, which traditionally happened every two to four years and would sweep across the forest floor like a broom without killing the Pine trees themselves, keeping [...]

Coral reefs provide food for billions of people. All of the benefits of coral reefs are being threatened by two trends: increasing ocean temperatures and increasing ocean acidity. Between 1955 and 199, world ocean heat content rose by 0.037 degrees Celsius. While this number may seem small, the same amount of energy it would take [...]

Just seaward of the Florida keys lies a 130 mile long coral reef that extends from Miami to the Dry Tortugas. This reef provides habitat for over 5,500 marine species and buffers Florida and the Keys from storm surges. A combination of rising ocean temperatures, increases in ocean acidity, and runoff from farms and developments, [...]

In the Florida Keys, water temperatures fluctuate annually between about 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. While coral polyps can only survive in warm waters, if these waters become too warm, algae which the coral polyps need to absorb nutrients begin to die, and an event known as coral bleaching occurs. Coral bleaching events in the [...]

Water has high thermal conductivity, meaning that it is able to take in lots of energy before it gets hotter or lose energy and maintain a stable temperature. This is important in oceans because it enables the temperatures to be relatively stable for long periods of time. This quality of water is also important because [...]

One of the most important properties of water is that it is the most universal solvent. It is able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid. Unfortunately, this property means that water can carry many pollutans into ocean waters – oil, pesticides, fertilizers, pet wastes, and others. These pollutants can harm ocean ecosystems, close [...]

When soil particles or other organic particles are suspended in water, it can become brown and murky. Scientists measure turbidity to find out how clear the water is. High turbidity brown, murky water can block sunlight. Soil particles suspended in water also absorb heat, which can cause water temperature to rise, and particles can become [...]

Because of their structure, coral reefs provide shoreline wave protection from tropical storms and hurricanes. Several million people in the U.S. live in coastal communities near coral reefs. Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter (Source: NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program: http://www.coralreef.noaa.gov. International Year of the Reef 2008: http://www.iyor.org/reefs/benefits.asp.)

Temperature tells you how warm or cold the water is. All marine life has a temperature range in which it can live. High water temperatures can make it hard for some aquatic wildlife, insects and plant species to survive. Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter (Source: America’s Clean Water Foundation. 2005 (Beta Version) World Water Monitoring [...]

Have you ever wondered why some oceans are a dark greenish-blue color and why other oceans are colored a cyan blue? The reason is because the things living in the water reflect and absorb light. Water does a good job absorbing all colors except light blue, and because the atmosphere contains a lot of water, [...]

In the oceans, tiny creatures known as plankton ultimately feed all other ocean life. These plankton are classified as one of the following: phytoplankton, which are tiny, single celled creatures that rely on the sun’s light for energy; zooplankton, which are the microscopic grazers that feed on these phytoplankton; and bacterioplankton, which are single celled [...]

The salt found in sea water is sodium chloride, which is the same compound as table salt. The typical salinity, or salt content, in surface sea water is 33 to 37 grams of salt per liter of water. Salinity varies in different parts of the ocean; sea water at the equator and the poles tends [...]

Sandy shores, common in the Gulf of Mexico, are home to a wide diversity of worms, clams, snails and other creatures that live in the sand or mud. These species also provide food to large numbers of shorebirds, who often stop by sandy beaches during their migrations. The sand dunes that form inland from the [...]

Have you heard of marine snow? It consists of minute fragments of dead plants and animals that fall to the sea floor and provide nutrients to marine animals. These tiny particles feed numerous animals and are mostly consumed before they reach the bottom of the sea floor. The animals that live on the ocean bottom [...]

By measuring dissolved oxygen, scientists determine how much oxygen is available in water. Aquatic animals depend on dissolved oxygen for survival. Warm water holds less oxygen that cold water, and water with ample oxygen will support a wide variety of aquatic animals. Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter (Source: America’s Clean Water Foundation. 2005 (Beta Version) [...]

Testing water for pH measures the alkalinity or acidity of water (an example of an alkaline substance, or base, is bleach; an example of an acidic substance, or acid, is vinegar). PH is measured on a scale of one to 14, one being the most acidic, and 14 being the most basic. High or low [...]

Excess noice from human activity, such as shipping, oil exploration, and military functions, may be harming marine species. Loud noises are thought todisrupt feeding, mating and migration, drive species away from their habitats, and can even cause deafness. Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter (Source: World Wildlife Fund. Windows on the Wild: Oceans of Life, An [...]

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) that gets taken up by the ocean makes the ocean more acidic. The ocean absorbs about one million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each hour, maintaining Earth’s critical carbon balance. The average pH of all of earth’s oceans is 8.4, and has dropped about 0.1 (meaning it has become more acidic) [...]

Marine Protected Areas are regions in the ocean that are protected more than surrounding areas. There are a variety of ways these areas are managed, but the main idea is to conserve and protect the animals and diversity of life within them. Protected Areas include the open ocean, coastal areas, inter-tidal zones, estuaries, and the [...]