Otter Bones Provide a Clue to an Enduring Conservation Mystery

Nearly fifty years after a failed reintroduction, a local nonprofit wants to try again—but first, they’re going back in time.

Jun 7, 2019 | 800 words, about 4 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

How a Far-Flung Group of Scientists Claimed the Ocean Discovery XPRIZE

Advances made to win XPRIZE will help with the quest to map the seafloor—an effort with scientific and industrial appeal.

Jun 5, 2019 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

The Hotel California of Fossilized Worms

Off the California coast, researchers have discovered a new species of worm that thrived in the chemical soup of deep-sea seeps.

Jun 3, 2019 | 500 words, about 2 minutes

Sea Urchins Stress Out

Handling and tagging an urchin for research can impair its ability to avoid predators.

May 30, 2019 | 400 words, about 2 minutes

Feeling the Heat in Winter

This year in Alaska, an abnormal rise in temperature has, like in much of the north, disrupted isolated communities, upset subsistence hunting patterns, and even led to some deaths.

May 29, 2019 | 950 words, about 4 minutes

Boat Motors Speed Up Metabolism in Fish Embryos

Noise pollution interrupts the normal growth and development of fish embryos.

May 27, 2019 | 600 words, about 3 minutes

Midnight Sun Could Keep Predatory Fish Out of the Arctic

While climate change might let some fish move north into warming waters, extreme days and nights could be an invisible barrier.

May 24, 2019 | 650 words, about 3 minutes