• Caspian Sea evaporating as temperatures rise

    Earth’s largest inland body of water has been slowly evaporating for the past two decades due to rising temperatures associated with climate change, a new study finds.

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  • Methane can naturally contaminate groundwater, researchers find

    A team of researchers from the University of Windsor and the University of Saskatchewan have discovered that methane can naturally migrate upwards through shale over millions of years and reach groundwater without any industry influence.

    “Upward migration of methane through low-porosity zones raises awareness that groundwater wells can be naturally contaminated by deeper sources of methane,” says Scott Mundle, an assistant professor of chemistry in the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research. “This is an important consideration when investigating potential causal links between fracking and an impacted water well.”

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  • Record-low salmon monitoring

    The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is not monitoring enough spawning streams to accurately assess the health of Pacific salmon, according to a new study led by Simon Fraser University researchers Michael Price and John Reynolds.

    The study, published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, reveals that the DFO does not have enough data to determine the status of 50 per cent of all managed salmon populations along B.C.’s north and central coasts.

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  • Climate May Drive Forest-Eating Beetles North, Says Study

    Pines in Canada and Much of U.S. at Risk.

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  • Dispersants Improved Air Quality for Responders at Deepwater Horizon

    A study published Aug. 28, 2017, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesadds a new dimension to the controversial decision to inject large amounts of chemical dispersants immediately above the crippled oil well at the seafloor during the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010. The dispersants likely reduced the amount of harmful gases in the air at the sea surface—diminishing health risks for emergency responders and allowing them to keep working to stop the uncontrolled spill and clean up the spilled oil sooner.

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  • Country's largest estuary facing increasing acidification risk

    Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States and one of the largest in the world, is facing new risks from a layer of highly acidified water some 10 to 15 meters below the surface, a new study has found.

    This “pH minimum zone” is 10 times more acidic than the bay’s surface waters and may pose a risk to a variety of economically and ecologically important marine species, including oysters, crabs and fish, the researchers say. A decline in the number of calcium carbonate-shelled organisms – particularly oysters – may be hampering the bay’s ability to deal with the increase in acidity, they add.

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  • USGS Installs Storm-tide Sensors along Texas Coast prior to Harvey's Arrival

    Storm-tide sensors are being installed at key locations along the Texas Gulf Coast by the U.S. Geological Survey in advance of Hurricane Harvey.

    Storm surge, coastal erosion and inland flooding are among the most dangerous natural hazards unleashed by hurricanes, with the capacity to destroy homes and businesses, wipe out roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, and profoundly alter landscapes. The USGS has experts on these hazards, state-of-the-science computer models for forecasting them, and sophisticated equipment for monitoring actual flood and tide conditions.

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  • Warmer waters from climate change will leave fish shrinking, gasping for air

    Fish are expected to shrink in size by 20 to 30 per cent if ocean temperatures continue to climb due to climate change.

    A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia provides a deeper explanation of why fish are expected to decline in size.

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  • University of Saskatchewan, NASA team up on global water survey

    Pardon the pun, but Canada is practically overflowing with freshwater.

    And, believe it or not, that abundance causes problems for water researchers.

    “Canada is blessed with more freshwater than anywhere else in the world, but there’s no way you can put sensors in to monitor everything,” said Al Pietroniro, executive director of National Hydrological Services, an adjunct professor with the University of Saskatchewan and member of the Centre for Hydrology. “It’s too big.”

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  • Manganese in Underground Drinking Water is Cause for Concern

    Study on U.S. Glacial Aquifer and 3 Asian countries suggests officials should monitor manganese as a possible public health threat.

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