Water science news, explainers, and statistics covering freshwater, hydrology, lakes, rivers, groundwater, ice, and Earth’s connected water systems.
The world’s highest tides surge into Canada’s Bay of Fundy, where the sea can climb more than a four-story building between low and high water. Burntcoat Head in Nova Scotia holds the leading average range in NOAA’s global comparison, at about 38.4 feet. Spring tides deeper in the Minas Basin can reach roughly 50 feet…
More
A marsh organ is an outdoor experiment that lets scientists test how tidal wetland plants respond to different flooding levels. Rows of vertical PVC pipes resemble the pipes of a musical organ, which gives the device its name. Each pipe holds marsh soil and plants at a measured elevation relative to the tide. The design…
Eutrophication is the enrichment of water with nutrients that increases the production of algae and aquatic plants. The process occurs naturally as lakes age and accumulate material, but human nutrient inputs can accelerate it dramatically in lakes, estuaries and coastal seas. Rapid eutrophication can block light, alter food webs and consume dissolved oxygen when organic…
Nutrient pollution occurs when excess nitrogen or phosphorus enters water and accelerates the growth of algae and aquatic plants beyond what an ecosystem can absorb. Both elements are essential to life. The problem begins when their concentration and delivery upset the balance among producers, consumers and decomposers. Runoff from farms and cities is a major…
