Menu Close

Articles on Lakes

Displaying 1 - 20 of 53 articles

The waters of Crawford Lake in Milton, Ont., in July 2023. Crawford Lake was the site of the proposed ‘golden spike’ — the most compelling evidence for the beginning of the geological Anthropocene. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Anthropocene or not, it is our current epoch that we should be fighting for

The recent rejection of the start of the Anthropocene epoch reminds us of the paramount importance of preserving what remains of our current Holocene.
A front-end loader dumps road salt into a truck in Chelsea, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

‘Forever contaminant’ road salts pose an icy dilemma: Do we protect drivers or our fresh water?

Increasing awareness of the dangers ‘forever chemical’ road salts pose to our fresh water systems highlights the urgent importance of finding new approaches to de-icing our roads.
Roads require de-icing strategies in northern regions, but this practice has negative effects on aquatic biodiversity.

Freshwater ecosystems are becoming increasingly salty. Here’s why this is a concern

Although it has been considerably less studied than other environmental problems, salinization presents major challenges for biodiversity in freshwater and coastal areas.
Sunscreens for sale at a Walgreens drug store. Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Do chemicals in sunscreens threaten aquatic life? A new report says a thorough assessment is ‘urgently needed,’ while also calling sunscreens essential protection against skin cancer

Rising concern about possible environmental damage from the active ingredients in sunscreens could have ripple effects on public health if it causes people to use less of them.
The decreasing ice cover in northern lakes will severely impact the lake ecology as well as winter recreation activities in the northern region. (Shutterstock)

Our lakes are losing their ice cover faster than ever — here’s what that means for us

Lakes in the northern hemisphere are rapidly losing their ice cover due to rising greenhouse gas emissions. The only way to preserve lake ice is to limit GHG emissions and slow down climate change.
These insects are basically little machines that convert carbon-rich leaves into nitrogen-rich poo. (John Gunn)

Very hungry caterpillars can have large effects on lake quality and carbon emissions

As environmental engineers, invasive caterpillars can have remarkable effects on water quality and soil conditions. But from a climate perspective they’re pretty much a nuisance.

Top contributors

More