Covering 7.5 percent of Acadia National Park, lakes here are unique for their coastal mountainous setting. Scant minerals shed by granite foundations are supplemented by infusions of sodium and calcium from ocean wind, rain, and fog. Protected forests surrounding the lakes filter water, while providing carbon-rich food to the aquatic food web.
Six lakes supply drinking water to thousands of residents and the millions of people who visit Acadia each year. Protecting water supplies was one of the early motivations for land conservation on Mount Desert Island, and remains of utmost importance to local residents.
Research by Second Century Stewardship Fellows, supported by Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, shows how Acadia’s lakes are ever-changing, reflecting whatever is happening in the atmosphere above them and the communities around them.
Read about the lakes, the researchers, and what they are finding in the May/June issue of Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors.
Catherine Schmitt 