Eating Insects Makes Tasty Crabs Tastier

Chinese mitten crabs fed the larvae of black soldier flies contain more of the molecules that make food delicious.

Jun 7, 2023 | 500 words, about 2 minutes

Alaskans Have Been Photographing This Volkswagen Beetle–Sized Boulder for 33 Years

In 1990, a scientist began visually documenting Prince William Sound’s recovery from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. When funding ran out, volunteers took over.

Jun 1, 2023 | 850 words, about 4 minutes

Weird, Rare, and Everywhere

In the bogs of Hecate Island, British Columbia, a writer and novice naturalist joins researchers for a glimpse of a multiyear biodiversity mission—and gets acquainted with some odd organisms.

May 24, 2023 | 4,400 words, about 22 minutes

Preparing for the Worst with a Kelp Seed Bank

In Washington State, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s new preservation facility offers a back-up plan for an uncertain future.

May 23, 2023 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

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

Bleaching, It’s Not Just for Corals

Giant clams suffer similar struggles with warming water, though the consequences don’t seem quite as dire.

May 10, 2023 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

The Foul Chartreuse Sea

Researchers in Kotzebue, Alaska, are investigating why their town is increasingly playing host to harmful cyanobacteria.

May 2, 2023 | 2,000 words, about 10 minutes