Life Aquatic

– interesting things people do in and around water

Oceans of Therapy
While most people are familiar with the pleasure and excitement of time spent in the company of seas and oceans, far fewer are aware that seawater and its constituents have a long history of specific therapeutic benefits, and have led to an entire category of luxurious and healthful spa treatments – with a very fancy name. ...
Blistering Ocean Temps Break Records
The water temperatures of the world’s oceans are rapidly on the rise. The result of elevating atmospheric carbon dioxide levels that are causing a host of extreme weather conditions the world over. Ocean-temperature rise is accelerating at unprecedented rates with a host of serious possible ramifications in its wake. ...
Feeding Lake Mead
Managing water levels and flow through rivers systems and reservoirs might rightly be considered watershaping on the grandest possible scale. That unique skillset has come into play in a big way recently as refreshened water resources are distributed through drought-worn Colorado River system. ...
Chance Inventions
Toys that feature getting wet have a history of becoming iconic to the point it’s hard to imagine summer without squirt guns, water balloons or flotation devices. It may come as a surprise that some of the most popular water toys were not planned by their inventors, but instead were inspired by random observations. ...
In the Company of Jellyfish
Jellyfish are among the oldest and most diverse creatures on earth, and among the most mysterious, occupying a unique niche in the animal kingdom since the dawn of life. Both beautiful and potentially dangerous, science continues to learn evermore fascinating aspects of these translucent denizens of the water. ...
Beholding a Concrete Stream
Appreciating water doesn’t always require sweeping ocean vistas or cascading streams, explains writer and naturalist, Jamie Nestor. As he points out in this personal essay, the beauty and fascination of aquatic environments sometimes exist in surprising places, but can be no less inspiring. ...
Beaver Believers
Beavers are among the most industrious and environmentally impactful animals on earth. Perhaps second only to humans, beavers are born to control their environment, and they are extremely good at it. One might even say, beavers are nature’s watershapers. ...
The Canal that Built a Nation
As we celebrate our nation’s independence, here’s an inspiring look at one of the most transforming examples of ingenuity in U.S. history – the Erie Canal. Connecting eastern cities and ports with the Great Lakes, the Erie Canal gave rise to an economic surge and geographic integration that propelled westward expansion. ...
In Search of Solace
As the world spins off the rails in a variety of unsettling directions, the need for comfort and tranquility has never been greater. Is this where the power of nature and aquatic environments comes the most into play? Has there never been a better time to seek refuse at the water’s edge? Eric Herman thinks so. ...