Resources - Aquarius-Systems

Aquarius Resource Center

Our up-to-date library of topics affecting lakes, reservoirs, and watersheds.

Wisconsin DNR Works to Restore Wild Rice Habitat on Spur Lake

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

Published in Lake & Waterway Management, Resources

Tagged under: cultural heritage, DNR, freshwater ecosystems, habitat restoration, Ojibwe, shoreline restoration, tribal stewardship, waterway restoration, wetlands, wild rice, wild rice restoration, Wisconsin

Study Finds Plastic Chemicals in the Ocean Can Cause Deformities in Marine Life

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

Published in Resources, Water Quality & Pollution

Tagged under: environmental impact, marine debris, marine life, microplastics, ocean pollution, plastic pollution, sea urchins, toxic chemicals, water contaminants, water quality

Seagrass Meadows Improve Water Quality and May Help Reduce Marine Plastic Pollution

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

Published in Resources, Water Quality & Pollution

Tagged under: carbon storage, climate change mitigation, coastal ecosystems, coastal protection, fisheries habitat, habitat restoration, marine plastic pollution, seagrass meadows, sediment stabilization, shoreline protection, water quality

Seagrass and Kelp Can Help Reduce Ocean Acidification by Absorbing Carbon Dioxide

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