With Alien Ocean: Anthropological Voyages in Microbial Seas and The Social Construction of the Ocean on my Amazon wishlist, I thought I'd give a little hello to water news from the last few days:

• Who knew that the Gulf of Mexico has a "deadzone" the size of New Jersey due to runoff from the Mississippi River? Environmental damage and global warming have apparently already drastically altered the chemistry and ecology of ocean waters.

• California residents are increasingly recycling their own"gray water" - a practice that is currently illegal in that state. My two cents: while the actions of these individuals are laudable and important, how effective can any water recycling or conservation efforts at the individual level be when industrial agriculture is the main user and polluter of water in California?

• In local news, WUNC recently held an in-depth panel discussion of water issues in North Carolina. Did you know that South Carolina sued North Carolina over river water? Neither did I until I listened to this great report!