BETA
Chapter 1
An accidental birth in the desert
Chapter 2
The glamorous desert playground
Chapter 3
The unfolding ecological crisis
Chapter 4
The toxic dust and public health
Chapter 5
The rise of Lithium Valley and clean energy
YOUR GOAL
Master of The Salton Sea
Ch 3 · The unfolding ecological crisis
marcus Balance water and salt levels to discover why California's accidental sea is vanishing.
marcus Salton Sea Ecological Crisis
Salton Sea, shores exposed, Toxic dust now blows. Breathing gets harder, everyone knows.
marcus As ocean fish died off, only the highly resilient African tilapia survived the extreme salinity and low oxygen.
marcus Farm runoff sustained the sea for decades but also carried fertilizers that triggered massive toxic algae blooms.
Fun Fact
Salty waters: The Salton Sea is currently about twice as salty as the Pacific Ocean, and its salinity increases by about 3% every year.
Glossary
playa (noun)
A nearly level area at the bottom of an undrained desert basin that temporarily fills with water. Since 2003, the shrinking California lake has exposed toxic playa, triggering severe respiratory illnesses in local communities.
A nearly level area at the bottom of an undrained desert basin that temporarily fills with water. Since 2003, the shrinking California lake has exposed toxic playa, triggering severe respiratory illnesses in local communities.
Quiz
What ecological phenomenon causes millions of fish to die simultaneously in the Salton Sea during hot summer months?
Quiz
Why did the amount of agricultural runoff entering the Salton Sea drastically decrease after 2003?
Quiz
How does the current salinity of the Salton Sea compare to that of the Pacific Ocean?
Quiz
What substance in agricultural runoff causes massive algae blooms by acting as a fertilizer in the water?
Quiz
Which highly resilient fish species became dominant in the Salton Sea after marine species died out?
Quiz
What happens to the oxygen levels in the Salton Sea when massive algae blooms die and decompose?
Quiz
What major migratory route for birds relies heavily on the Salton Sea as a critical stopover?