Rootless plants that grow in estuaries and “feed” on nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) in the water.

Excessive algae growth that occurs when too many nutrients are present in the water.

Fish that spend most of their lives in saltwater, but migrate into freshwater tributaries to reproduce (spawn).

Water that is absent of dissolved oxygen, which can result in significant, adverse ecological effects in the bottom water habitats of the Sound.

A structure built to allow fish to swim around a barrier (such as a dam) in a stream during migration from saltwater to freshwater.

Process by which contaminants in the air return to the earth’s surface. Air pollution washed out of the sky by rain or snow is called “wet deposition.” When air pollution deposits without benefit of r [..]

Fish species that live primarily in freshwater, such as lakes, ponds and rivers, but migrate to sea to spawn.

A pigment in plants that is used to turn light energy into food. Chlorophyll also gives plants their green color.

The law that establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into waters of the United States. The Clean Water Act prohibits unpermitted discharges of any pollutant from a poin [..]

Each of the National Estuary Programs (NEPs) is required to develop a Plan that identifies the specific commitments and recommendations to maintain and improve the waters of their estuary. LISS’s CCMP [..]