Depending on the tone of your magazine, here are several ways to rewrite the headline, categorized by “hook” style:

The “Curiosity” Hook (Focus on the mystery)

• The Missing Link: Scientists Uncover the Secret Source of Nitrogen Choking Fragile Lake Basins
• Hidden in Plain Sight: The Unexpected Culprit Behind Alpine Nitrogen Pollution
• The Invisible Threat: Researchers Identify a Major New Source of Nitrogen in Sensitive Watersheds

The “Punchy & Modern” Hook (Short and direct)

• Found: The Hidden Driver of Nitrogen Pollution in Remote Lakes
• Crisis in the Basin: A New Source of Atmospheric Nitrogen Revealed
• Mystery Solved: Where All That Nitrogen in Our Lakes Is Actually Coming From

The “Academic & Authoritative” Hook (Serious and informative)

• A New Frontier in Ecology: Unmasking the Major Missing Source of Nitrogen Pollution
• Beyond the Expected: Study Reveals Significant Geologic Nitrogen Loading in Fragile Basins
• Mapping the Pollution: New Research Pinpoints Hidden Atmospheric Nitrogen Sources

The “Dramatic/Urgent” Hook (Focus on the environmental impact)

• The Silent Choking of Our Lakes: A Major New Pollution Source Revealed
• A Hidden Danger: Scientists Find Untracked Nitrogen Threatening Vulnerable Ecosystems
• The Missing Piece of the Carbon-Nitrogen Puzzle: New Discovery Warns of Increased Lake Fragility

Which one should you choose?

• Go with “The Invisible Threat” if your audience likes a bit of suspense.
• Go with “Found” if your layout is very visual and you want a bold, minimalist look.
• Go with “Mystery Solved” if the article explains a scientific breakthrough.