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<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><channel><title>Water | smithsonianmag.com</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/water/</link><description>RSS feed for Water</description><atom:link href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/water/" rel="self"/><language>en</language><lastBuildDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 21:25:06 +0000</lastBuildDate><item><title>An Underwater Robot Explores the Hidden 'Shipwreck City' Beneath the Surface of This Popular Urban Lake in the Pacific Northwest</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-underwater-robot-explores-the-hidden-shipwreck-city-beneath-the-surface-of-this-popular-urban-lake-in-the-pacific-northwest-180988799/</link><description>Using a remotely operated vehicle, researchers are exploring a long-overlooked piece of Seattle’s maritime history</description><pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 21:25:06 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-underwater-robot-explores-the-hidden-shipwreck-city-beneath-the-surface-of-this-popular-urban-lake-in-the-pacific-northwest-180988799/</guid><enclosure length="78482" type="image/webp" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/EuTRzmCSLHWr2_y_iUR0pnPltYY=/420x240/filters:focal(1920x1097:1921x1098)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/a1/08/a108bb08-6683-484f-9279-c78df22bf661/wreck_0020.webp"/></item><item><title>Mediterranean Monk Seals Hide in Underwater 'Bubble Caves' to Avoid Tourists During the Busy Summer Season, a Study Suggests</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mediterranean-monk-seals-hide-in-underwater-bubble-caves-to-avoid-tourists-during-the-busy-summer-season-a-study-suggests-180988775/</link><description>Researchers caught the rare pinnipeds resting and sleeping in a secluded chamber on the Greek islet of Formicula. The findings suggest that these small caves should be included in efforts to protect the animals' habitat</description><pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 14:40:02 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mediterranean-monk-seals-hide-in-underwater-bubble-caves-to-avoid-tourists-during-the-busy-summer-season-a-study-suggests-180988775/</guid><enclosure length="881805" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/wU8tpiYwb5em7LE4303oksP1fco=/420x240/filters:focal(1024x683:1025x684)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/18/01/18014b1c-ce10-4273-bad0-83a2f7608513/53649775536_df31cb8b7d_k.jpg"/></item><item><title>When Did Crabs Evolve Their Iconic Sideways Scuttle? Scientists Traced It to a Common Ancestor That Lived 200 Million Years Ago</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-did-crabs-evolve-their-iconic-sideways-scuttle-scientist-traced-it-to-a-200-million-year-old-common-ancestor-180988765/</link><description>The findings suggest that their famous lateral movement evolved just once. It may have helped the animals rapidly spread and diversify because moving in two directions meant they could easily escape predators</description><pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2026 15:57:11 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-did-crabs-evolve-their-iconic-sideways-scuttle-scientist-traced-it-to-a-200-million-year-old-common-ancestor-180988765/</guid><enclosure length="80942" type="image/png" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/eAm-mg0eKoTIv1SUdmZh_IXg02s=/420x240/filters:focal(250x170:251x171)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/b5/29/b529cc56-9b02-41d9-b165-41fd904dea5f/low-res_tuerkayana_hirtipes_by_tsubasa_inoue_cc_by_40.png"/></item><item><title>Regularly Wearing a Cooling Vest Might Help You Lose Body Fat, According to a New Study</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/regularly-wearing-a-cooling-vest-might-help-you-lose-body-fat-according-to-a-new-study-180988767/</link><description>Participants who were overweight or living with obesity wore the accessories for two hours every morning for six weeks and lost an average of two pounds. The researchers suspect showering or swimming in frigid water could have similar effects</description><pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2026 13:11:48 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/regularly-wearing-a-cooling-vest-might-help-you-lose-body-fat-according-to-a-new-study-180988767/</guid><enclosure length="998141" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/nseck6h1-RJyQxTuswpdJtW4pcU=/420x240/filters:focal(1000x667:1001x668)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/80/20/8020bc92-ba5b-4965-a5b0-63da89c21119/2149177672.jpg"/></item><item><title>These Marine Algae Glow When Waves Disturb Them. Their Bioluminescence Could Power Electricity-Free Lamps of the Future</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-marine-algae-glow-when-waves-disturb-them-their-bioluminescence-could-power-electricity-free-lamps-of-the-future-180988721/</link><description>The single-celled organisms usually shimmer for mere milliseconds, but researchers figured out how to sustain their illumination. The technology could one day be used to light robots' ways in the deep sea or space</description><pubDate>Wed, 13 May 2026 15:43:33 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-marine-algae-glow-when-waves-disturb-them-their-bioluminescence-could-power-electricity-free-lamps-of-the-future-180988721/</guid><enclosure length="1295798" type="image/png" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/ISKstgaJl2NTvMHQZQJEooUcZPI=/420x240/filters:focal(750x500:751x501)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/75/41/7541498c-b336-4ab9-a9d5-6e7ffd5c6d19/algae.png"/></item><item><title>Here's What Underwater Robots Are Finding at France's Deepest Shipwreck, a 16th-Century Merchant Vessel Resting at the Bottom of the Mediterranean</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-what-underwater-robots-are-finding-at-frances-deepest-shipwreck-a-16th-century-merchant-vessel-resting-at-the-bottom-of-the-mediterranean-180988685/</link><description>Known as the "Camarat 4," the ship was loaded with cannons, cauldrons and hundreds of ceramics—which are still visible on the seafloor. Researchers are surveying the site and carefully recovering a small selection of artifacts</description><pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-what-underwater-robots-are-finding-at-frances-deepest-shipwreck-a-16th-century-merchant-vessel-resting-at-the-bottom-of-the-mediterranean-180988685/</guid><enclosure length="1911822" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/mQDCPzPazu3hJ22h8WOc2eXE64c=/420x240/filters:focal(2890x1927:2891x1928)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/b2/d7/b2d7aee9-5e52-4b50-8839-66f7d811025b/gettyimages-2272969088.jpeg"/></item><item><title>This Island in Scotland Is Actually a Man-Made Mini Landmass Resting on a Wooden Platform, New Discovery Shows</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-island-in-scotland-is-actually-a-man-made-mini-landmass-resting-on-a-wooden-platform-new-discovery-shows-180988674/</link><description>Scientists made significant advances in underwater archaeology techniques and photogrammetry while investigating the crannog site</description><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 15:16:48 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-island-in-scotland-is-actually-a-man-made-mini-landmass-resting-on-a-wooden-platform-new-discovery-shows-180988674/</guid><enclosure length="3847373" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/BnHQBc3QagqCtkX3BpREA1-u784=/420x240/filters:focal(2115x1511:2116x1512)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/a6/57/a657059c-e370-4cb1-a902-e21e567cf6e4/crannog_-_loch_of_wasdale_-_geographorguk_-_3279733.jpg"/></item><item><title>These 15 Majestic Photographs Showcase the Beauty of the Great Lakes and Will Make You Fall in Love With the Natural Wonders</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/these-15-majestic-photos-showcase-inherent-beauty-great-lakes-will-make-fall-love-natural-wonders-180988655/</link><description>The images of Lakes Huron, Erie, Superior, Michigan and Ontario are pulled from submissions to the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest</description><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 15:44:29 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/these-15-majestic-photos-showcase-inherent-beauty-great-lakes-will-make-fall-love-natural-wonders-180988655/</guid><enclosure length="1754149" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/9gTaNuL4dqM5b_hjmwPKf7RrAUk=/420x240/filters:focal(1704x779:1705x780)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/26/a8/26a8b975-94d1-4112-9e1a-cad937fbeb1f/26144e81-a549-462a-8181-37ddf69a9b08.jpg"/></item><item><title>Scientists Found This Mysterious Golden Orb on the Seafloor Nearly Three Years Ago. Now, They Finally Know What It Is</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-found-this-mysterious-golden-orb-on-the-seafloor-nearly-three-years-ago-now-they-finally-know-what-it-is-180988624/</link><description>After a long, winding road of tests, researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and other institutions determined that the strange blob once attached a large sea anemone to a rock</description><pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-found-this-mysterious-golden-orb-on-the-seafloor-nearly-three-years-ago-now-they-finally-know-what-it-is-180988624/</guid><enclosure length="11434850" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/M6c6duSR_uKK-ZM3zsMU-nK-qyM=/420x240/filters:focal(2736x1824:2737x1825)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/e0/e7/e0e7259c-b3c6-4123-8482-7d8cb289af4c/golden-orb.jpg"/></item><item><title>Beavers Are Ecosystem Engineers—and They Might Be Helpful Allies in the Fight Against Human-Caused Climate Change</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/beavers-are-ecosystem-engineers-and-they-might-be-helpful-allies-in-the-fight-against-human-caused-climate-change-180988609/</link><description>New research suggests that wetlands created by the industrious rodents are carbon sinks, meaning they store a lot of heat-trapping carbon dioxide—the human-produced gas largely responsible for today's global warming</description><pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:36:06 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/beavers-are-ecosystem-engineers-and-they-might-be-helpful-allies-in-the-fight-against-human-caused-climate-change-180988609/</guid><enclosure length="5533089" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/nadM9ILmV3qyixOdjbW475mJWHY=/420x240/filters:focal(1749x1216:1750x1217)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/4e/a1/4ea1e962-53fb-4b95-aaf6-4b7c4f6088ae/beaver.jpg"/></item><item><title>Cocaine Pollution Seems to Make Salmon Swim Farther Than Usual. Scientists Don't Know the Long-Term Consequences</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cocaine-pollution-seems-to-make-salmon-swim-faster-and-farther-than-usual-scientists-dont-know-the-long-term-consequences-180988600/</link><description>The illegal drug’s main byproduct, benzoylecgonine, caused more robust effects than cocaine itself. Wastewater treatment plants often don't fully process such metabolites, so they are frequently found in bodies of water at higher concentrations than their parent drugs</description><pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cocaine-pollution-seems-to-make-salmon-swim-faster-and-farther-than-usual-scientists-dont-know-the-long-term-consequences-180988600/</guid><enclosure length="1314318" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/eT0aja7VRN6uEROLSAyrwrh43u8=/420x240/filters:focal(1750x1167:1751x1168)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/bd/7a/bd7a7348-9371-4105-8133-eafdc452f764/atlantic_salmon_group_-_credit_jorgen_wiklund.jpg"/></item><item><title>New Archaeological Discoveries Reveal How San Antonio's Earliest Settlers Irrigated Crops and Accessed Drinking Water</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-archaeological-discoveries-reveal-how-san-antonio-colonists-irrigated-crops-and-accessed-drinking-water-180988571/</link><description>While preparing for school renovations, researchers in Texas found remnants of the historic San Pedro acequia, a centuries-old technology that provided water to the burgeoning village</description><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:26:48 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-archaeological-discoveries-reveal-how-san-antonio-colonists-irrigated-crops-and-accessed-drinking-water-180988571/</guid><enclosure length="1139774" type="image/png" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/LtVC0frbKDvMNHuMct4aAb_g5uY=/420x240/filters:focal(500x281:501x282)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/7a/29/7a29855e-24a9-4a9c-aae9-7efbf6302f17/large_acafe56c-aa33-4a9b-a27f-0ffe403d73a8.png"/></item><item><title>This Ancient God’s Name Was 'Mud.' Archaeologists Discovered a Water-Filled Temple Possibly Tied to Him in Egypt</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-gods-name-was-mud-archaeologists-discovered-a-water-filled-temple-possibly-tied-to-him-in-egypt-180988581/</link><description>A structure blending Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles was discovered in the ancient city of Pelusium at the edge of the Nile Delta</description><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:59:49 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-gods-name-was-mud-archaeologists-discovered-a-water-filled-temple-possibly-tied-to-him-in-egypt-180988581/</guid><enclosure length="877674" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/SER8XwcTGTT09AG8ocrPKpgS47E=/420x240/filters:focal(622x414:623x415)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/64/34/64343c99-d995-4690-b189-7f85a77fb252/668902634_1361513572676852_2842786792514138907_n.jpeg"/></item><item><title>'Fresh Eyes on Ice' Teaches Kids to Collect Vital Ice Data in Remote Alaskan Communities</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/fresh-eyes-on-ice-teaches-kids-to-collect-vital-ice-data-in-remote-alaskan-communities-180988556/</link><description>Students measure ice thickness and monitor spring break-up to help save lives in areas where frozen rivers are used as roadways</description><pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:10:43 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/fresh-eyes-on-ice-teaches-kids-to-collect-vital-ice-data-in-remote-alaskan-communities-180988556/</guid><enclosure length="2748965" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/SqcbOpdAQCbA1BgK4BjXIeMRZ40=/420x240/filters:focal(1200x800:1201x801)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/b8/5d/b85d6c70-9747-4395-a923-b2d3c577acee/jr-19-6177-78.jpg"/></item><item><title>A Sudden Squall Doomed This Stone-Hauling Vessel in Lake Erie. More Than 150 Years Later, Divers Just Found the Shipwreck</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-sudden-squall-doomed-this-stone-hauling-vessel-in-lake-erie-divers-just-found-the-shipwreck-more-than-150-years-later-180988557/</link><description>The "Clough," a 125-foot-long bark, sank in September 1868 near Cleveland, with just one crew member surviving to explain what had happened</description><pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:35:37 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-sudden-squall-doomed-this-stone-hauling-vessel-in-lake-erie-divers-just-found-the-shipwreck-more-than-150-years-later-180988557/</guid><enclosure length="25334730" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/UPNeMAouVJs7TDwQpqu5yuiWcOM=/420x240/filters:focal(4128x2752:4129x2753)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/18/45/18450960-8ae6-45d7-a1ab-1be02cbc59b5/20240705-udr_2414-papes_2.jpg"/></item><item><title>A Glowing Sphere Towering Over Utah Sent an Urgent Artistic Message: The Great Salt Lake Is Drying Up</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-glowing-sphere-towering-over-utah-sent-an-urgent-artistic-message-the-great-salt-lake-is-drying-up-180988553/</link><description>Olafur Eliasson's latest installation married visuals with a soundscape to draw the public's attention to the plight of the important ecosystem</description><pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:00:17 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-glowing-sphere-towering-over-utah-sent-an-urgent-artistic-message-the-great-salt-lake-is-drying-up-180988553/</guid><enclosure length="6349336" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/j5ULy4brpRNGnKoMMzFX1S0QHJg=/420x240/filters:focal(1917x1278:1918x1279)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/43/f5/43f543b7-d37a-4a14-aaca-c59de8e3aaa8/a_symphony_of_disappearing_sounds_for_the_great_salt_lake_2026_1.jpeg"/></item><item><title>Songkran Is Thailand’s Splashing New Year’s Festival, When Everyone Gets Out a Super Soaker and Prepares to Get Drenched</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-how-thailand-splashes-into-spring-with-songkran-a-new-years-water-festival-starting-april-13-180988536/</link><description>The memorable tradition has a deep cultural history rooted in Buddhism and increasing global notoriety for its rowdy water fights</description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:38:47 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-how-thailand-splashes-into-spring-with-songkran-a-new-years-water-festival-starting-april-13-180988536/</guid><enclosure length="16214054" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/T1ETF5wyUzNZxj7irw6zBtg0Zkg=/420x240/filters:focal(2667x1778:2668x1779)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/fb/1e/fb1e7c3d-0a5e-4d57-9ead-909ef766a1b3/water_gun.jpg"/></item><item><title>What Lies Beyond Artemis 2? These Other Missions Are Setting Their Sights on the Moon This Year—and on a Future With Humans in Space</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-lies-beyond-artemis-2-these-other-missions-are-setting-their-sights-on-the-moon-this-yearand-on-a-future-with-humans-in-space-180988517/</link><description>As the historic lunar flyby comes to a close, space companies and nations around the world are also shooting for the moon. Upcoming landings aim to change the landscape of space exploration</description><pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:02:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-lies-beyond-artemis-2-these-other-missions-are-setting-their-sights-on-the-moon-this-yearand-on-a-future-with-humans-in-space-180988517/</guid><enclosure length="21864" type="image/webp" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/78TPB8fgRhBSe-N7H7yHvF_6Apc=/420x240/filters:focal(2000x1505:2001x1506)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/16/b8/16b8ad0e-652d-49d9-b22e-9fb9bcf133bc/mainimage.webp"/></item><item><title>Freshwater Fish Migrations Are Disappearing Across the Planet, Finds U.N. Report</title><link>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/freshwater-fish-migrations-are-disappearing-across-the-planet-finds-un-report-180988509/</link><description>The assessment identified over 300 species of fish that urgently need international conservation effort</description><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:38:30 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/freshwater-fish-migrations-are-disappearing-across-the-planet-finds-un-report-180988509/</guid><enclosure length="434116" type="image/jpeg" url="https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/dE_vNRIIOlMFZAUYdUKeEfuKnjA=/420x240/filters:focal(600x491:601x492)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/28/2e/282e4f76-1e51-46f8-9f71-19c247773209/cr_mekong_gisnt_catfish_131kg_kampong_cham_mekong.jpg"/></item></channel></rss>