In September, 2020, as Hurricane Sally battered Florida’s panhandle with a deluge of rain and high winds, some locals said their living shorelines were their best defense against the area’s storm surge. Instead of a hardened seawall aimed at protecting shores from erosion, living shorelines use vegetation and other natural elements like oyster shells to
Like any piece of equipment, following a proper maintenance schedule can greatly extend the life and efficiency of the machine. Proper maintenance also includes winterizing your harvester before storing it for the winter. It is also the ideal time to do any major repairs (engine, pump, leaky motors or rams, cutting head, etc) so that
Pete McGeshick II, 80, a Sokaogon Chippewa tribal member and former Rice Chief, recalls when he and Sokaogon Chippewa tribal members used to harvest wild rice on Spur Lake. The wild rice is all but gone, but DNR ecologists are working to clear Twin Lakes Creek, hoping to revive wild rice on Spur Lake. The
Biologists in Cornwall have found that chemicals released in the ocean from plastic can lead to deformities in marine animals. The study by biologists from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus found that plastics in the ocean can release chemicals that cause deformities in sea urchin larvae. Read More
Seagrass meadows are widespread in shallow coastal waters and are involved in trapping and binding sediment particles that form the seabed. These seagrass meadows also provide important ecosystem services and benefits, such as water quality improvement; CO2 absorption; climate change mitigation; sediment production for seafloor and beach stabilization; coastal protection; nursery and refuge areas for
Our carbon dioxide emissions are making the oceans more acidic. As we pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, a portion dissolves into the world’s oceans. Once there, the carbon dioxide goes through a series of chemical changes that have an acidifying effect on seawater. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and through photosynthesis. Underwater
Benefits of Weed Harvesting Dr. Stephen J. Souza Lake Hopatcong Commission Environmental Consultant One of the most obvious management activities of the Lake Hopatcong Commission is the weed harvesting program. Some may view this as a simple “mowing” of the Lake. However, much more is accomplished than simply opening boating lanes and improving swimming. The
Intensive in-lake and watershed management caused Kohlman Lake, the northernmost lake in the Phalen Chain of Lakes in Minnesota, to go from a relatively turbid to a clear water state. Aquatic plants responded to the clean waters by growing up to the surface. The change in lake state and a comprehensive water quality monitoring dataset