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A warmer atmosphere results in an amplification of the water cycle. Some areas of the world are net importers of rainfall (such as tropical rainforests), while some are net exporters (such as oceans around the tropics). The “amplification” of the cycle means that dry regions become drier, and wet regions become wetter. During the 20th [...]

A warmer atmosphere results in an amplification of the water cycle. Some areas of the world are net importers of rainfall (such as tropical rainforests), while some are net exporters (such as oceans around the tropics). The “amplification” of the cycle means that dry regions become drier, and wet regions become wetter. During the 20th [...]

A warmer atmosphere results in an amplification” of the water cycle. Some areas of the world are net importers of rainfall (such as tropical rainforests), while some are net exporters (such as oceans around the tropics). The “amplification” of the cycle means that dry regions become drier, and wet regions become wetter. During the 20th [...]

A warmer atmosphere results in an amplification of the water cycle. Some areas of the world are net importers of rainfall (such as tropical rainforests), while some are net exporters (such as oceans around the tropics). The “amplification” of the cycle means that dry regions become drier, and wet regions become wetter. During the 20th [...]

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, [...]

Is it possible for droughts to become more common even if annual rainfall amounts increase. Overall annual precipitation in the lower 48 states has been increasing since the early 20th century, and since the 1970s it has been increasing in the Eastern United States by about one-inch per decade. Over the last forty years, this [...]

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 [...]

The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) is a 65-year cycle during which sea-surface temperatures in the North Atlantic alternate between warm (positive) and cool (negative) phases. The effects of this Oscillation are felt around the World. For example, the Mississippi River Basin has ten percent more water flowing through it when he AMO is at its [...]

Though there are many different types of wetlands, all wetlands have three things in common. Both freshwater wetlands, such as Cypress swamps, and saltwater wetlands, such as saltwater marshes and mangrove swamps, are found in the Gulf states. All wetlands have three physical characteristics in common: water, hydric soil, and hydrophytes. Wetlands are saturated or [...]

Over the course of 100 years, an average water molecule spends 98 years in the ocean, 20 months as ice, 2 weeks in lakes and rivers, and just less than one week in the atmosphere! Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter (Source: The Superior Waters Project. “Freshwater Facts”. 2006. Available at: http://wildernessclassroom.com/superior/2006/07/freshwater_facts.html.)

High winds and heavy rains can allow non-native animals to escape captivity. In Louisiana, the nutria, an invasive marsh rat that eats important marsh grasses, is thought to have been set loose during past hurricanes. Seasons: Summer, Fall (Source: Lousiana State University, Center for the Study of Public Health Impacts of Hurricanes. “Louisiana Coastal Issues: [...]

Erosion is a normal occurrence on any coastal shoreline, but because of the loss of wetlands and other natural guards against erosion, it now poses a risk to homes and coastal communities. In the past, most techniques used to stabilize coastal erosion included the construction of hard structures, such as seawalls and bulkheads, but scientists [...]

Since the 1950′s, when Tampa Bay Watershed’s population really began to boom, about half of the Bay’s marshes and 40 percent of its sea grass beds have disappeared. Marshes and underwater grasses provide vital habitat for aquatic wildlife, help to buffer coasts from storms and help to protect water quality in marine, estuary and freshwater [...]

Did you know that most of the water used by humans in Texas comes from under the ground? Groundwater is stored naturally in aquifers beneath the Earth’s surface and is pumped out to provide water for human use. All of the nine major and 20 minor aquifers in Texas have experienced some form of contamination. [...]

The United States population is growing at an unprecedented rate. On average, our population is growing at the rate of one person every 11 seconds. In 1900, the US was home to around 76 million people and by 2000, this figure had jumped to 282 million. In 2006, our population passed the 300 million mark [...]

Did you know that 41 percent of the United States’ coastal wetlands are in Louisiana and that 40-60 square miles are lost each year due to both natural and human-caused impacts? One of the benefits of wetlands is that their plants and bacteria filter out fertilizers, pesticides and other pollutants found in rain water runoff [...]

Many people are inclined to feed Florida’s resident and migratory water birds, including pelicans, ducks, geese, and others. Not only are human foods bad for these birds, but feeding them has environmental consequences. Feeding waterfowl can cause them to congregate large flocks in small areas, where they can overgraze, degrade the landscape and cause unsanitary [...]

Did you know that roughly half of Galveston Bay is permanently or temporarily closed to shellfish extraction due to bacteria in the water that would be a risk for humans consuming the shellfish? Viewer Tip: Do your part to avoid adding to the bacteria problems and help create an environment that can support healthy shellfish. [...]

Thermal pollution and thermal shocks are caused by increasing or lowering the temperature of water, which can harm aquatic life. Many aquatic animals depend on a particular temperature to reproduce and survive, and they can die even if temperatures change even slightly. Warmer water can also decrease dissolved oxygen levels, making it difficult for some [...]

A major source of water pollution in Louisiana comes from independent home sewage systems. In fact, over 1.3 million people in the state depend on home sewage systems. However, more than 50 percent of those systems are malfunctioning due to incompatible soils or inadequate maintenance. When sewage leaks into the ground, it can contaminate our groundwater and surface [...]