#brackish – @earthstory on Tumblr

natgeoVideo: @andy_mann // Cuba’s rare crocodiles are in trouble. Primarily preferring freshwater over saltwater, the Cuban Crocodile (critically endangered) is the most terrestrial of all croc species and it's slightly larger neighbor, the American Crocodile (seen here with @natgeo photographer @cristinamittermeier) is moving in. With healthier populations, and preferring saltier water, The American Crocodile's range is increasing as sea levels rise and Cuba’s freshwater habitats become more and more brackish. We had the unique opportunity to spend several days in the water with this beautiful specimen: gently floating along the surface, gliding through the seagrass or squeezing in and out of the mangroves. After learning our boundaries and taking the time to observe this individual's behavior, we were over-joyed to have such a close working proximity well into the evening hours. What an honor and privilege to be working in “Garden’s of the Queen” Cuba, have such a powerful experience and to be able to share it here with our followers.

#Cuba #Cuban #Crocodile #Animal #wildlife #water #salt #sea level rise #brackish #video #instagram #national geographic #animaly #the earth story

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natgeotravel Photos by @CarltonWard // Here's a time lapse of yesterday's sunset in Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, where the Everglades meets the Gulf of Mexico. South Florida boasts the largest contiguous protected mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. On World Mangrove Day, let's commit to protecting and restoring more of this endangered ecosystem. Throughout the world, mangroves are critical for fisheries, wildlife, and local communities. Mangroves also help combat climate change.

#Timelapse #Everglades #Florida #Gulf of mexico #Mangrove #swamp #brackish #Water #video #sunset #nature #landscape #national park #National wildlife refuge #Ten thousand island #the earth story #national geographic

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Salt kill

This cluster of dead trees is one of many found in the New Jersey and Chesapeake Bay areas, killed by changes in the ocean.

Sea levels are rising globally, but they don’t rise at the same rate everywhere. Sea level increase occurs because of melting glaciers and temperature increase – as waters heat up they expand. Since waters don’t heat up evenly everywhere around the world, sea level rise won’t be the same from place to place.

On top of that, as the world warms, wind currents and ocean currents are shifting as well. The Gulf Stream, the major current that carries warm water along the eastern shore of North America, is shifting to the north, pushing water up against the Atlantic Coastline. As a consequence, sea levels along the Atlantic are seeing some of the most rapid increases globally. As the salt water hits the tree roots, the end result has been the death of an estimated 40,000 hectares of coastal forest in recent decades.

-JBB

Image credit: Ted Blanco, Climate Central http://bit.ly/2cxGITa http://bit.ly/2cRYFs0

Source: facebook.com

#Salt #Sea level #Geology #New jersey #Brackish #Water #Estuary #Climate change #the earth story

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Watling’s Blue Hole

This tiny lake is a feature on the Bahamanian island of San Salvador.

Watling’s blue hole is a karst feature, produced by the erosion of limestone. Limestone is made of calcium carbonate, a mineral that can dissolve in water, particularly in acidic water. The weird thing though is…when limestone dissolves, it gives off carbonic acid. In other words, when a bit of limestone dissolves, it makes the water more acidic and even more able to dissolve limestone. One bit of limestone dissolves, the rest around it suddenly dissolves more, and the end result here is the formation of a deep hole around the spot where the limestone first began dissolving.

Watling’s blue hole has an interesting water chemistry. On small islands, there is interplay between rainwater and seawater – fresh rainwater falls on islands and pushes the denser seawater out of the way, but also leaves mixed, brackish water in-between. Despite sitting on a rainy tropical island like that, Watling’s blue hole has no fresh water anywhere, not even a tiny lens on top, so this hole must link all the way to the ocean to let salt water flow in constantly to dominate the system.

-JBB

Image credit: James St. John https://flic.kr/p/q9spdK

Read more: http://www.msaag.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/7_Vermette_Hudson.pdf

Source: facebook.com

#Bahamas #Nature #Landscape #Science #San Salvador #Ocean #Island #Brackish #Chemistry #Geology #Erosion #Karst #the earth story

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Galápagos Lagoon Staring out from the ocean like a bright blue eye is Galápagos Lagoon located on Rocas Baimbridgen Island. The pink hue to the island, seen in the image below comes from large amounts of iron contained in the rock. The lagoon is brackish, but the island teems with life including ducks, flamingos, pelicans, boobies and 9 species of finch. -LL Image by Bobby Haas.

http://www.nationalgeographic.it/wallpaper/2014/01/18/foto/la_vita_a_colori_il_blu_nelle_grandi_foto_della_settimana-1968556/10/

#Nature #Environment #lagoon #Galápagos #Galapagos #Rocas Baimbridgen Island #Island #brackish #Science #Geology #The earth story