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U-M divers retrieve 8,900-year-old piece of wood from Lake Huron
Annarbor.com (12/12)
University of Michigan researchers announced they have found a 5 1/2 foot long, pole-shaped piece of wood that is 8,900 years old in Lake Huron.
RIVERKEEPERS: Tending the waterways
Niagara Gazette (2/6)
The goal of the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper is two-fold: protecting the water quantity and the quality, as well as connecting people to the waterfront.
Internationally renowned ‘Ocean Doctor’ to speak in Grand Rapids
MLive.com (2/3)
Known as the “Ocean Doctor,” David Guggenheim will speak in Grand Rapids, Mich., about the many similarities between the threats to the oceans and to our Great Lakes.
SUNY Fredonia to lead Great Lakes pollution study
Wall Street Journal (2/3)
Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes will be the focus of a study this summer. Led by the State University of New York at Fredonia, researchers will try to quantify the amount of plastic polluting the fresh water Great Lakes.
SSC students taking part in marine science bowl
Arenac County Independent (1/31)
Teams of Michigan high school students will be heading to Ann Arbor this weekend to take part in the annual Great Lakes Bowl, a quiz event that focuses on questions about marine and freshwater systems and biology.
No aquarium for Windsor
CBC News (1/31)
Aquariums in Cleveland, Toledo, and Chicago prove to be too much competition for Windsor.
What's going on in your neighborhood this month? Meet other people and learn together at recreational and educational events! Our new dynamic calendar is updated daily with current educational events.
Common POPs
DDT was a manufactured chemical mainly used as a pesticide on agricultural crops. DDT attacks the nervous system, and many animals, such as birds, died as a result of widespread spraying on fields and trees. Because of the damage to wildlife and the potential harm to human health, DDT was banned in 1972 in the United States. However, the chemical still persists today in soil and water contamination and in the fatty tissues of fish, birds and other animals.
Dioxins are often formed during the chlorination process at paper mills and waste and drinking water treatment plants; there are also released into the air by solid waste and industrial incinerators. Dioxins, like DDT, accumulate in fatty tissues of animals, and have been linked to skin disease, liver damage and cancer in humans.
PCBs have various applications and are poisonous environmental pollutants, which tend to accumulate in animal tissues. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TOSCA, 1976) banned PCBs but, due to the longevity of PCBs, we're still feeling their effects today.
Mercury is a metal that is naturally found in the earth's crust. However, when mercury enters water it can be converted into methyl mercury, a poisonous substance that causes neurological problems and death in wildlife and humans. Mercury is often found in scientific instruments, such as thermometers.
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