Comprising diverse groups of microbes, isolated but globally scattered mat ecosystems like those in Lake Huron may be analogues of life on early Earth and in other exotic environs.
Great Lakes
Climate Change Threatens the Future of Wild Rice
As a precious plant struggles to thrive in the U.S. Upper Midwest, researchers are taking steps to understand the reasons for its decline.
Analyzing Sources of Pollution in the Great Lakes
Understanding how agriculture and land use affect nutrient flows and concentrations in the vast area of the Great Lakes is an essential step to developing sustainable management strategies.
Lake Michigan’s Salinity Is on the Rise
Road salt is primarily to blame for the shift, though the water remains within safe levels for now.
Drones and Crowdsourced Science Aid Great Lakes Data Collection
Important data collection can aid coastal monitoring and management.
Cyanobacteria Blooms Exceed WHO Thresholds in Midwest Lakes
A study of 369 lakes across the Midwest finds that many of them, especially those close to agriculture, have high concentrations of harmful algal bloom-causing cyanobacteria.
Días más largos probablemente incrementaron el oxígeno temprano de la Tierra
Tapetes microbianos en el sumidero del Lago Huron, combinado con modelado, sugiere que el cambio en duración del día de la Tierra podría haber jugado un rol principal en la oxigenación de la atmósfera.
The Changing Climate’s Snowball Effect
Shrinking snowpack, thawing permafrost, and shifting precipitation patterns have widespread consequences. Can new technologies—and public policies—help communities adapt?
Longer Days Likely Boosted Earth’s Early Oxygen
Microbial mats in a Lake Huron sinkhole, combined with modeling work, suggest that the changing length of Earth’s day could have played a key role in oxygenating the atmosphere.
Lake Erie Sediments: All Dredged Up with Nowhere to Grow
Agriculture is a key contributor to the algae mats that plague Lake Erie. With so many fertilizers entering the lake, could sediment from the lake floor be used to grow crops instead?