The thick swarms of algae appear as brown and red tides which choke fish, plants, and even birds. Ward says that certain types of bacteria might be able to process some of the excess nitrogen, in effect softening humanity's careless blow. For watching the interplay of nitrogen and bacteria, there is no better venue than the salty confines of Lake Bonney . Other scientists are watching Ward's work in Antarctica, hoping it will reveal the private inner workings of the oceans. One lobe of Lake Bonney provides an example of chemistry and bacteria in harmony, while the other provides an example of what can go wrong.
Nitrous oxide is the most alarming of the east lobe's wealth of nitrogen-based chemicals.
A bucket of water from the east lobe contains 5,000 times more nitrous oxide gas than a bucket of ocean water. The lake holds so much nitrous oxide and other gases that the water bubbles when Ward and her colleagues haul it to the surface. By analyzing chemicals deposited deep in Antarctic glaciers, scientists have found that the atmosphere contains more nitrous oxide today than it has for the last 45,000 years. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas, meaning it contributes to global warming. Though carbon dioxide is at least 50 times more abundant, nitrous oxide packs more of a warming punch in each molecule.