The Coolest Library on Earth

At the University of Copenhagen, researchers store ice cores that hold the keys to Earth’s climate past and future.

Jun 13, 2023 | 2,900 words, about 14 minutes

On Mauritius, an Invasive Tree Boosts an Endangered Bird but Threatens the Wider Ecosystem

Conservationists helped the Mauritius kestrel dodge extinction once. Now, experts worry about putting the bird at risk to save other species.

Apr 27, 2023 | 850 words, about 4 minutes

Calling in the Seabirds

A tiny Hawaiian island is finally free of invasive rats. Now scientists are trying to coax back lost seabird colonies.

Apr 10, 2023 | 750 words, about 3 minutes

One Great Shot: The Art of Eating

Grazing snails create kelp lace.

Mar 31, 2023 | 150 words, 1 photo

Banking on the Seaweed Rush

Seaweed farmers promise to feed us, combat climate change, support coastal communities, provide wildlife habitat, and more. Can seaweed do it all?

Mar 14, 2023 | 2,800 words, about 14 minutes

In India, Sacred Groves Are Helping Resurrect a Near-Extinct Forest Ecosystem

Botanists and community stewards from Auroville, Tamil Nadu, are using scattered patches of native forest as a blueprint to revive the tropical dry evergreen forest ecosystems of coastal India.

Mar 2, 2023 | 1,700 words, about 8 minutes

Worried about Sea Level Rise? Look for the Lichens.

One of the great infrastructure challenges of the next few decades is to figure out which coastal sites should be abandoned and which can be saved. Lichens can help.

Feb 28, 2023 | 900 words, about 4 minutes

Philadelphia’s Diatom Archive Is a Way, Way, Wayback Machine

A cache of phytoplankton held at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is helping to reconstruct historical coastlines.

Sep 20, 2022 | 2,500 words, about 12 minutes