Light at the End of the Tunnel

Millions of killer culverts lurk beneath North American roadways, strangling populations of migratory fish. Now with a nationwide project, the United States is trying to fix them.

Mar 26, 2024 | 2,500 words, about 12 minutes

How Far Will Salmon Swim for a Craft Beer?

In Oregon, researchers hope a surprising aroma will lure stray salmon back to their home hatcheries.

Jul 6, 2023 | 900 words, about 4 minutes

Gone to the Dogs

Man’s best friend is a shorebird’s worst enemy. What will it take to control beach dogs—and, more importantly, their owners?

Apr 4, 2023 | 2,400 words, about 12 minutes

The Eternal Life of Beached Whales

Sure, they stink, but when we hastily dispose of dead whales, we’re depriving myriad organisms and the coastal environment of the ecological gifts the carcasses deliver.

Sep 9, 2022 | 2,600 words, about 13 minutes

When Is It Time to Give Up on Doomed Fisheries?

Climate change means that Rhode Island’s winter flounder might never recover. Is it better to let them go?

Aug 8, 2022 | 1,200 words, about 6 minutes

How Microfishing Took the Angling World by (Very Small) Storm

Around the world, fishers are embracing tiny quarry. Is microfishing a celebration of biodiversity or a sign of collapse?

Apr 13, 2021 | 3,400 words, about 17 minutes

Gods of the Storm

Two books offer perspectives on how humans shape the fate of whales and influence the weather.

Dec 8, 2020 | 1,300 words, about 6 minutes

The Gnawing Question of Saltwater Beavers

Scientists have long overlooked beavers in the intertidal zone. Now they’re counting on the freshwater rodents to restore Washington’s coastal ecosystems.

Jan 29, 2019 | 3,000 words, about 15 minutes

When Disaster Strikes, Go Fish

A study suggests that fishing can help communities recover from extreme events—if foreign fleets don’t interfere.

Oct 24, 2018 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

New Genetic Research Shows the Legacy of Fish Farm Escapees

A study suggests that escaped farmed salmon are breeding in Newfoundland’s rivers—with dire consequences for wild fish.

Sep 17, 2018 | 850 words, about 4 minutes

How Do Herring Learn to Migrate? Go to Schools

The lack of big chiefs could doom Pacific herring.

Jun 13, 2018 | 950 words, about 4 minutes

A Fish Called Rockweed

In Maine, a strange legal debate is raging over rights to the state’s most important seaweed.

May 29, 2018 | 2,300 words, about 12 minutes

Getting Caught Can Induce Labor in Sharks and Rays

The lost offspring could be affecting the health of vulnerable populations.

Mar 23, 2018 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

What’s the Future of Fishways?

A fish passage expert argues that science needs to catch up with practice.

Jan 29, 2018 | 1,100 words, about 5 minutes

Are Excluder Devices Saving Sea Lions or Covering Up Their Deaths?

A new study blames the fishing industry for the New Zealand sea lion’s decline, but some scientists have doubts.

Jan 4, 2018 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

Proposed Policies Could Make America Overfished Again

A new “fish bill” could weaken regulations that have helped fisheries recover across the United States.

Feb 22, 2017 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

Urbanization Might Give an Unexpected Boost to Biodiversity

A new study uses environmental DNA to open a genetic window on urban coastlines.

Oct 18, 2016 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

The Curious Case of Bermuda’s Mysterious Turtle

Operation Green Turtle was considered one of the most audacious failures in the history of conservation biology—until a stunning nest inspired scientists to reconsider its legacy.

Oct 4, 2016 | 2,200 words, about 11 minutes

Book Review: What a Fish Knows

From using tools to faking orgasms, fish can do more than most people realize.

Sep 30, 2016 | 500 words, about 2 minutes

Cracking Open the Tuna Code

Ecology is only part of the equation when it comes to understanding bluefin tuna.

Feb 9, 2016 | 2,300 words, about 12 minutes

Underestimating Turbines’ Death Toll

Some turbines are more dangerous than others, but a bias in research means scientists know the least about the deadliest—and most common—type.

Feb 3, 2016 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

Sea Turtles Won’t Stay Where You Put Them

Don’t count on translocation to save ailing sea turtle populations.

Jan 26, 2016 | 600 words, about 3 minutes

Turning Parrotfish into Proxyfish

Measuring parrotfish gives a quick and easy way to estimate fishing intensity.

Dec 2, 2015 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

Talkin’ Turtles: the Politics of Sea Turtle Conservation

Size matters when it comes to protecting Turks and Caicos’ sea turtles.

Aug 19, 2015 | 750 words, about 3 minutes

Lessons from the Bohemian Salmon

How central Europeans tried, and failed, to stop the local extinction of the Atlantic salmon.

Jul 15, 2015 | 850 words, about 4 minutes

Defenders of the Forgotten Fish

Tribes of the Columbia River watershed are hustling to keep the Pacific lamprey alive, one fish at a time.

Jul 13, 2015 | 2,500 words, about 13 minutes