We sat down with Richard Artz, environmental scientist at NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory, to learn more about the new global assessment of air pollutants that fall to the earth in precipitation and in dry form. The assessment is available online in the journal Atmospheric Environment.
Independence Day is right around the corner, and Michigan's Lake St. Clair residents and tourists are gearing up for a holiday weekend filled with fishing, swimming and boating activities. Beach managers can now view NOAA water quality predictions in real-time, instead of waiting 24 hours as before, to make timely decisions to safeguard public health and avoid unnecessary beach closures.
Finding caffeine in waters just off a coastline heavy with coffee shops may not be surprising. A NOAA-funded study suggests that traces of caffeine in Pacific Northwest waters come from septic tanks and sewer overflows.
Visitors to Lake Huron this summer may have a unique opportunity to glimpse science in action. During July and September, scientists will crisscross Thunder Bay, Saginaw Bay, and the open waters of Lake Huron, collecting samples of sediment, water, mussels, microscopic organisms, and fish.