Scientists Discover a Labyrinth of Life Hidden in the Deep

A deep-sea expedition in Central America uncovers symbiotic bacteria and tube worm nurseries thriving below the seafloor.

Sep 19, 2023 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

In Graphic Detail: Taam ja’ Blue Hole

In a bay off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula lies the world’s second-deepest hole in the seafloor.

Jun 2, 2023 | 350 words, a quick read

One Great Shot: Gimme Shelter

In the open ocean, where shelter is rare, young fish find safety under stunning blue hydroids.

May 19, 2023 | 300 words, 1 photo

In Chile, an Unknown Coastal Chinchilla

Whether a new subspecies, a species, or just a new population, these coastal chinchillas act in ways scientists have never seen before.

May 18, 2023 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

The Prickly Case of a Cross-Border Garbage Chute

The Motagua River whisks Guatemala’s mounds of trash to Honduras’s shores, polluting waters, evicting locals, and causing diplomatic conflict along the way.

May 5, 2022 | 2,800 words, about 14 minutes

Mangrove Restoration Frustration

These coastal ecosystems are carbon sinks and coastline protectors, and we know how to restore them. Why have we been doing it the wrong way?

Sep 7, 2021 | 2,500 words, about 12 minutes

The Pandemic Poaching Pandemic

In Costa Rica, Panama, and elsewhere, COVID-19 lockdowns caused suddenly desperate people to begin poaching sea turtle eggs and meat, threatening hard-won conservation achievements.

Jul 21, 2021 | 1,400 words, about 7 minutes

The Quest for a Floating Utopia

Can casting away from established society to inhabit sea-based colonies save us from the problems of modern life—or are we bound to repeat our mistakes?

Apr 6, 2021 | 6,200 words, about 31 minutes