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Aerial view of the National Petroleum Reserve in northwestern Alaska

The Biden Administration Protects Millions of Acres of Arctic Alaska

April 19, 2024 Latest NewsAlaskaJenny Shalant

The new Special Areas Rule in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska could boost biodiversity and empower Indigenous Peoples to defend the lands they’ve relied on for generations.

Two adults and a child walk along a sandy shoreline

“Forever Chemicals” Called PFAS Show Up in Your Food, Clothes, and Home

April 10, 2024 ExplainerUnited StatesMolly M. Ginty, Courtney Lindwall

These toxic chemicals are so common in consumer products and manufacturing that they’re everywhere—including inside our bodies.

A river with green trees on either side, with yellow hills in the background

In Planning for Climate Change, Native Americans Draw on the Past

March 11, 2024 ExplainerUnited States, CanadaTim Vanderpool

Across North America, Indigenous tribes and nations are consulting their traditional ecological knowledge to help prepare for a warming world.

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Shared Knowledge Is Power in the Northern Mariana Islands

May 22, 2023 DispatchInternationalShelia Hu

As Indigenous groups seek to comanage the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, elders help the next generation find opportunity on the islands in science and conservation.

In the Melting Arctic, a Reckoning to Save Indigenous Culture, Narwhals, and a Silent Sea

September 22, 2022 DispatchArcticBill Donahue

As a mining company seeks to ship millions of tons more of iron ore through caribou and narwhal habitat, good science requires the input of the Inuit.

The Biden Administration Cancels Its Offshore Drilling Plan for Alaska’s Cook Inlet—Let’s Keep It Off the Books

May 13, 2022 DispatchAlaskaSusan Cosier

The lease sale would have endangered Indigenous communities, threatened rare whales, added to the Far North’s climate crisis, and gambled with a 20 percent chance for a large oil spill.

Oysters: Raw Bar Delicacy or Climate Warrior?

October 18, 2021 DispatchNorth CarolinaJodi Helmer

The mighty bivalves are both, and this former schoolteacher and bartender seeks to inspire a new generation of aquaculturists while putting North Carolina oysters on the map.

The Mission to Save Florida’s Reefs

September 23, 2021 Latest NewsFloridaCourtney Lindwall

Here’s how a sweeping reef restoration plan in the Florida Keys hopes to transform an ecological disaster into a great American comeback story.

A Race to Track the Southern Seas

May 13, 2021 Latest NewsInternationalBrian Palmer

To help prepare coastlines for the worsening effects of the climate crisis, scientists need more historical sea level records from the Global South—and they’re looking everywhere, from libraries to attics.

How to Start Saving the Planet in 100 Days: the Joe Biden Edition

January 25, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Here’s what we want to see from our new president on the environmental front between now and May.

Why Florida Needs an Offshore Drilling Ban—One That’s Permanent

December 9, 2020 DispatchFloridaRobynne Boyd

While the state can take solace in the recent moratorium extension, its waters are still at risk from the devastating impacts of seismic testing.

A Massive Surge in Plankton Has Researchers Pondering the Future of the Arctic

September 9, 2020 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Phytoplankton blooms are growing faster and thicker than ever seen before—with potential consequences for climate, wildlife, and the fishing industry.

Mussels Help Keep Watch on Pollution in Puget Sound

August 20, 2020 DispatchWashingtonStarre Vartan

The humble bivalves, which concentrate everything from heavy metals to cancer drugs in their tissues, provide an ideal way for scientists to monitor nearshore water health.

The Mother Who Became a Voice for the Gulf

April 6, 2020 DispatchLouisianaNicole Greenfield

After the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Kindra Arnesen went to the mat to help heal and protect her southeastern Louisiana community and the fishery it relies on. Ten years later, she’s still fighting.

How Plastic Bottles Become Death Traps for Hermit Crabs

February 3, 2020 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste.

The Surprise Middleman in the Illegal Shark Fin Trade: The United States

November 20, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

A new report finds that huge shipments of shark fins are smuggled through U.S. ports on the way to their final destinations.

The Fate of This Coral Species Rests in a Dark Room in Tampa

October 28, 2019 Latest NewsFloridaJason Bittel

Scientists have coaxed Atlantic pillar corals to spawn in captivity for the first time—a breakthrough that could save the species from extinction.

The Fight to End Offshore Drilling Is Bipartisan

September 9, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

Because everyone can stand behind clean beaches, thriving coastal economies, and healthy fisheries.

Could the Climate Crisis Spell the End for Maine Lobster?

August 19, 2019 DispatchMaineNicole Greenfield

The state’s thriving lobster industry owes a lot to smart fishery conservation measures implemented over the past three decades. But given the Gulf of Maine’s rapid warming, how far can these interventions go?