Water & Oceans

"A toxic algal bloom is plaguing Tampa Bay and befouling St. Petersburg’s shores. It could stick around for a while."

"Acequias, the fabled irrigation ditches that are a cornerstone of New Mexican culture, have endured centuries of challenges. Can they survive the Southwest’s megadrought?"

"The Environmental Protection Agency said Monday that it’s taking steps to regulate 66 possible contaminants in drinking water, including PFAS chemicals."

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants the Army Corps of Engineers to refuse to issue water crossing permits along the path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Those permits would allow digging and blasting through hundreds of water bodies in Virginia and West Virginia says David Sligh, with the environmental advocacy group, Wild Virginia."

"Wildfires that torched homes and forced thousands to evacuate burned across 10 parched Western states on Tuesday, and the largest, in Oregon, threatened California’s power supply."

"Southern Australia’s sharks and rays face mounting threats as warmer waters push more tropical species southwards and habitats change, exacerbating threats to critically endangered species."

"Hurricane Zeta's surprisingly significant damage to Louisiana, much of it attributed to lost roofing that allowed water damage inside residences, should be seen by property owners as a prompt to take steps now to avoid similar damage in future storms, says Ian Giammanco, a research meteorologist and wind engineer at the Insurance Institute for Building and Home Safety."

"More manatees have already died in 2021 than any other year in state history, as biologists point to seagrass loss in the Indian River Lagoon as a catalyst for starvation and malnutrition."

"A record-shattering heat wave June 26-28 coincided with some of the year's lowest tides on Puget Sound. The combination was lethal for millions of mussels, clams, oysters, sand dollars, barnacles, sea stars, moon snails, and other tideland creatures exposed to three afternoons of intense heat."