Humpback Mothers Are Being Squeezed from Both Sides

Humpbacks prefer to keep their calves in shallow water, but increasing boat traffic is pushing them out to sea.

May 18, 2022 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

The Swan Song of the Hawaiian Po‘ouli

In the end, the devotion of scientists and determined conservation efforts couldn’t save this rare honeycreeper.

May 12, 2022 | 900 words, about 4 minutes

Snails’ Scars Offer a 100,000-Year Record of Crab Populations

A surprisingly simple technique for studying scars on snails’ shells shows how California’s crab population has changed over millennia.

Apr 27, 2022 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

The Queen Conch’s Gambit

The first and only queen conch hatchery and nursery run by local fishers is poised for duplication across the Caribbean—but even if conch farming can help ease overfishing, can it survive in warming, storm-lashed seas?

Apr 26, 2022 | 4,200 words, about 21 minutes

In Graphic Detail: The Right Whales Aren’t All Right

But the news isn’t all bad.

Apr 22, 2022 | 450 words, about 2 minutes

Mothering Mozambique’s Mangroves Back to Life

Villagers along the Limpopo River are restoring an estuary and securing their food supply, one mangrove at a time.

Apr 21, 2022 | 1,600 words, about 8 minutes

Trouble on the Half Shell

Scientists have discovered a mystery parasite—what will it mean for the future of Washington’s oysters?

Apr 14, 2022 | 1,600 words, about 8 minutes

Viruses Are Not Always the Villain

We can thank microbes for moving carbon to the depths of the ocean, but will our changing world mess with their good work? And should we intervene?

Apr 12, 2022 | 2,400 words, about 12 minutes