Floating Wetlands to Reduce Runoff

Waterways are being filled with chemicals from crop runoff as well as pharmaceutical leftovers. This causes a disruption in our ecosystems by reducing fish population, and disrupting the ecosystem in the water. This then causes a chain reaction to our food chain. Floating wetlands are a solution to this problem. Floating wetlands are plants that are placed on a floating mesh in the middle of a pond or lake. As the plants start to grow, the roots will grow into the water. The roots then allow for a biofilm to grow where the majority of nutrient uptake and degradation occurs.

How can floating wetlands help increase the bee population?

• As you look at the photo, what do you notice?
• Why place plants floating on top of the water?
• How do floating wetlands reduce the effect of runoff?
• How do floating wetlands affect different ecosystems?

Students could: 

• Create a flow chart of how wetlands affect water quality which in turn affects the ecosystem in the water.
• Research how a floating wetland works and then make changes to the layout to increase effectiveness.
• Create miniature floating wetland working models in the classroom (lab based activity) & monitor the water quality over time. This can be added to a fish tank already present in the classroom.
• Use this as an example of a cause and effect relationship from how micro scale changes cause macro changes.

• BioHaven | Floating Wetlands for Habitat: Seven positive examples of how floating wetlands impact wildlife.
• Maryland Department of the Environment | Improved Water Quality: How wetlands improve water quality.