Explore the causes and effects of water contamination, including microplastics, chemicals, and stormwater runoff. Learn how to protect lakes, rivers, and freshwater resources.
The City of Cape Canaveral, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Stetson University, along with city and county partners are working on a solution to help stop flooding and improve water quality in Cape Canaveral. Researchers say plans include designing and building special channels called bioswales that to redirect stormwater that would cause flooding. Native, water-friendly plants
Marine debris is a global problem that threatens the health and safety of oceans and coastal waterways. Marine debris can damage sensitive habitat that supports fisheries and can harm protected species. Marine debris also has economic impacts. These impacts are felt by those whose livelihoods are linked to the sea, yet in many cases the
A new study from researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology says that nearly 22 million pounds of plastic debris are entering the Great Lakes from the U.S. and Canada each year. Half of that plastic is going into Lake Michigan, followed by Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron and Lake Superior. The amount of
The “pristine” Charleston estuary waters in South Carolina, are in worse shape than most people think. At least 7- ½ tons worse. That’s how much plastic is estimated to be breaking down in the tide and waves of Charlestown Harbor, its tidal rivers and creeks. The total comes from a study by a research team
Around the world, people dump about 20 million tons of plastic into the ocean every year, much of it in the form of flyaway plastic bags. This waste doesn’t get magically swallowed by the ocean–it lingers indefinitely, posing a threat to marine life and to human health. Picking up garbage in the ocean is an
Located near the tip of the Big Island of Hawaii, the southernmost point of the United States, lies Kamilo beach. Due to the unique currents that run near there, marine debris such as animal carcasses and logs would wash up, making it a prime spot for the native Hawaiians to collect logs for dugout canoes.
A vast majority of the gunk collected by the city in Queensway Bay, from the Catalina Terminal to the Shoreline Marina, comes from the Los Angeles River in California. Starting as far north as the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach’s waters long have been plagued by the urban runoff from cities upstream. In the last
Petrochemical manufacturer Formosa Plastics has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a lawsuit in which a judge ruled the company illegally dumped billions of plastic pellets and other pollutants into Lavaca Bay and other Texas waterways, according to the settlement. In addition to the financial settlement, the company agreed to comply with “zero discharge”
Florida Gulf Coast University researchers are looking for answers to what is potentially causing female mosquito fish to develop male characteristics, prevent potential harm to people and find deeper answers to water quality issues in Southwest Florida. Dr. Nora Demers, an FGCU professor, told us chemicals found in herbicides, pesticides, medications and shampoos may affect
North Prairie, WI; January, 2023 — Aquarius Systems, a leader in mobile marine debris capture equipment, won an EPA Grant to design and build a new in-water floating debris collection and removal system. Aquarius Systems, the world’s leader in mobile marine trash skimmers, designs and manufactures the Trash Hunter, which intercepts and captures garbage and