Dolphins Shrug Off Hot Sauce–Spiked Nets

Fishing nets laced with spice did nothing to deter hungry dolphins, leaving fishers searching in their bid to beat depredation.

Nov 21, 2022 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

How Giant Isopods Got Supersized

Scientists are diving into the genome of an overgrown crustacean to understand how some deep-sea creatures got so big.

Aug 31, 2022 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Outer Coast Killer Whales

Off the United States west coast, an assemblage of outer coast killer whales hunt from deep-water canyons.

Oct 4, 2021 | 900 words, about 4 minutes

The Gull Next Door

Your obnoxious neighbor or just a misunderstood, displaced seabird?

Jun 22, 2021 | 3,300 words, about 17 minutes

Clever Cuttlefish Have Passed the Marshmallow Test

Cuttlefish show they can be patient and ignore a snack that’s right in front of them to hold out for a more tantalizing treat.

Mar 2, 2021 | 900 words, about 4 minutes

The Infinitesimal Life Aboard Sea Turtles

Sea turtles carry far more hitchhikers than scientists expected.

Jul 15, 2020 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

What Drifting Car Tires Can Tell Us about Dead Sea Otters

Scientists finally unveil the results of an experiment left to languish for 25 years.

Jan 3, 2020 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

Fighting Penguins Lead with Their Left

Like humans and a range of other animals, Magellanic penguins have a dominant side.

Jul 18, 2019 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

The Precarious Protection of Alaska’s Ringed Seals

The State of Alaska is petitioning the federal government to take ringed seals off the endangered species list. Others say not so fast.

Jun 5, 2019 | 850 words, about 4 minutes

Bearded Seals Are Maturing Younger and Having More Pups

Both are signs of a healthy population—but scientists caution these Arctic animals are no champions of climate change resilience.

May 6, 2019 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

Parasite-Eating Lumpfish Are Being Put to Work, but First They Need to Be Kept Alive

Scientists are experimenting with anesthetic to prevent tiny lumpfish from dying as they’re transported from farm to farm.

Apr 11, 2019 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

British Columbia Humpbacks Try Out a Mellow New Hunting Strategy

With a little help from their avian friends, humpbacks off Vancouver Island hunt by using their mouths as giant fish traps.

Dec 14, 2018 | 750 words, about 3 minutes

Photosynthesis Makes a Sound

The ping of algae turning sunlight into energy adds to the soundscape of marine ecosystems.

Nov 29, 2018 | 600 words, about 3 minutes

Sea Lamprey Love That New Baby Smell

Scientists discover larval sea lamprey release a pheromone that attracts invasive adults, opening the door to a new management technique.

Oct 26, 2018 | 850 words, about 4 minutes

Scientists Discover an Underwater Pollinator

A first of its kind, this marine plant is pollinated by zooplankton and invertebrates.

Nov 15, 2016 | 500 words, about 2 minutes

These Whales Suffocated When Fish Got Lodged in Their Blowholes

Blowhole in one.

Nov 25, 2015 | 600 words, about 3 minutes

Virgins Gone Wild

No need for males: wild sawfish can reproduce asexually.

Jun 1, 2015 | 550 words, about 2 minutes