Months After It Was Accepted, a Lauded Agreement to Protect Indian Ocean Tuna Is Falling Apart

Championed by conservationists and coastal nations, the plan restricts the use of fish aggregating devices—tools that enable massive catches. To much fanfare, it was accepted. Now, the agreement’s future seems bleak.

May 29, 2023 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

Flags of Convenience: Could the Threat of Lawsuits Put an End to the Practice?

Some countries are hands-off in policing their fishing fleets, forcing other countries to step in. Researchers think shifting the costs back to flag states could force them to reform their laissez-faire attitudes.

Jul 25, 2022 | 1,100 words, about 5 minutes

British Fishermen Feared Pro-Brexit Campaigners Would Betray Them—and They Did

Fishermen overwhelmingly supported Brexit, and it came back to bite them.

Apr 13, 2022 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

Female Seahorse: “We Were on a Break!”

Seahorses’ famous pair bonds aren’t as strong as you think.

Jan 19, 2022 | 500 words, about 2 minutes

How Marine Protected Areas Can Pay for Their Own Protection

The area right next to a marine protected area is a prime fishing spot—and researchers think fishermen will pay to access it.

Dec 22, 2021 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

Climate Change Is Kicking up the Difficulty on Baby Shark Hide-and-Seek

Warming temperatures look set to reduce the effectiveness of embryonic catsharks’ defensive freezing.

Oct 23, 2021 | 450 words, about 2 minutes

On the Trail of the Giant Squid

Advances in genetic research are creating new ways to hunt for this most mysterious of creatures.

Dec 7, 2020 | 950 words, about 4 minutes

Owl Limpets Struggle to Keep a Grip

Warmer weather may be making it harder for the gastropods to hold onto the shore—and easier for birds to pluck them off.

Oct 5, 2020 | 450 words, about 2 minutes

These Crabs Are Unexpectedly Chatty

Paddle crabs communicate by making at least three sounds.

Jan 24, 2020 | 600 words, about 3 minutes

The Secret of This Puffin’s Big Beak

The tufted puffin’s big, beautiful, orange beak bucks the trend.

Jan 16, 2020 | 400 words, about 2 minutes

The Secret to Making a Fish Swole

Fish on an exercise regimen go faster, higher, stronger.

Dec 9, 2019 | 750 words, about 3 minutes

The Fight Over a Shitty Rock

A tiny, uninhabitable islet in the North Atlantic has become an unlikely battleground in the fight for fishing rights.

Oct 29, 2019 | 2,200 words, about 11 minutes