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(ener)gae
The word “algae” refers to a large group of organisms, but typically account for plant-like aquatic organisms that generate energy through photosynthesis, but lack roots, stems, leaves and vascular tissue. It is an organism that exists worldwide, occurring in both fresh and salt waters; and is an essential part of many oceanic animal’s diet. Unicellular […]
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ecology of:river DELTA formation
Delta definition: Coastal accumulations, both subaqueous and subaerial, of river-derived sediments adjacent to, or in close proximity to, the source stream, including the deposits that have been secondarily molded by various marine agents, such as waves, currents, or tides. In layman’s terms: A landform created at the mouth of a river where the river empties […]
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Water Flow
WATER FLOW Speed: At the headwaters of the Mississippi, the average surface speed of the water is near 1.2 miles per hour – roughly one-third as fast as people walk. At New Orleans, on 2/24/2003, the speed of the river was 3 miles per hour.
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Levees as Infrastructural Ecological Systems
Humans have attempted to conquer the problems of changing water levels for thousands of years. One of the oldest weapons they’ve used against the rivers and oceans is the levee, also known as a dike. A levee is simply a man-made embankment built to keep a river from overflowing its banks or to prevent ocean waves […]
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{saltwater intrusion} lake pontchartrain
Saltwater intrusion is the influx of saline water into freshwater ecosystems. It can be caused by natural or human-induced events such as hurricanes, coastal wells, navigation channels, or oil field canals.
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Brackish Marsh. revisited
In Louisiana, brackish marshes have declined from roughly 750,000 acres (pre-settlement) to half of that amount today. This loss can be attributed to a combination of sea level rise, and manmade land disturbances, such as dredging and levee and canal building, which have resulted in a loss of sediment deposition and increased soil erosion. However, […]
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{ecology of oil & gas industry}
The ecology of the oil and gas industries includes the physical elements of pipelines, wells, canals, and spill banks. This infrastructure has a significant and often devastating impact on surrounding wetlands. Canals cut through the fabric of the wetland ecosystem, which fragments the plant life and allows water to rapidly flow through the environment.
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Brackish Marsh
Brackish Marsh refers to a type of coastal wetland characterized by salinity levels ranging from 3-15 parts per thousand (ppt), and are irregulary tidally flooded. Brackish Marshes are part of the estuarine system and commonly occur upstream from salt marshes, near the mouths of coastal rivers where a significant influx of freshwater dilute the seawater to brackish salinity levels. Low […]
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Sources of Pollution
In order to develop robust wetland treatment systems it is necessary to define and categorize the types of wastewater a system can treat. Stormwater – typically runoff of mineral and organic materials with intermittent flows. Agricultural Wastewater – runoff from intense agriculture with continous/intermittent flows. Industrial Wastewater – runoff and leachates from industrial processes with […]
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Treatment Wetlands
The term treatment wetlands refers to a constructed system of water bodies used to clean or filter pollutants from water. Typically the system is used to cleanse stormwater runoff or effluent. Types of Treatment Wetlands: Naturally Occuring and Constructed – Surface Flow – In surface flow wetlands water typically moves horizontally across the medium. Subsurface […]