Shipboard Swarm on the High Seas

A throng of unexpected visitors to a navy ship sheds light on insect migration.

Dec 30, 2019 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

The South Pointing Spoon

One of the world’s first compasses was a magnetized spoon.

Dec 20, 2019 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

A High-Pressure Job

What construction workers, scuba divers, and a risqué dance have in common.

Dec 17, 2019 | 4 min 20 sec

From Berth to Death

The history of influenza as a global disease is inextricably tied to steamships and the expansion of world trade. A war demonstrated how big a pandemic could get.

Nov 19, 2019 | 4,200 words, about 21 minutes

The Ants That Picnic on the Beach

A barren Brazilian beach offers a window into how ants forage.

Sep 25, 2019 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

Belugas’ Downward Spiral

The Arctic mammals are losing ground. This warming world is beating them down.

Jul 24, 2019 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

Why Ocean Shores Beachcombing Is a Blast

Collectors at this year’s beachcombing fair in a Washington town had something surprising to put on display.

May 28, 2019 | 6 min

The Baffling Case of the Belugas that Won’t Bounce Back

What’s keeping Cook Inlet belugas from thriving?

May 21, 2019 | 4,500 words, about 23 minutes

Two Flies Walk into a Barnacle

Then they mate and their babies eat the barnacle. Seriously.

May 9, 2019 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

Killer Whales Are Insufferable Gossips

With new technology, scientists eavesdrop on the private conversations of these blubbery blabbermouths.

Apr 1, 2019 | 100 words, a quick read

Fish in Tubes

The salmon cannon is just one place where fish go tubular.

Mar 13, 2019 | 900 words, about 4 minutes

Humpback Moms Need a Quiet Place to Nurse

Ship noise and development could disturb nursing humpbacks during a crucial time.

Mar 6, 2019 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

This Snail Fights Sea Stars with Fancy Frills

New research investigates why some sea snails use precious resources to make their shells extra fancy.

Feb 15, 2019 | 500 words, about 2 minutes

The Stories Whale Lice Tell

Humpbacks can’t tell you who they hang out with. But their lice can.

Jan 2, 2019 | 750 words, about 3 minutes

Okay Google, Let’s Map Some Mud

A massive new map of the world’s mudflats may help save critical shorebird habitat.

Dec 19, 2018 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

Imploding Kelp

The answer to the pressing question of how low kelp can go.

Oct 12, 2018 | 450 words, about 2 minutes

Playing Viking Chess with Whale Bones

Game pieces made of whale bone may be evidence of the emergence of industrial whaling in ancient Scandinavia.

Sep 25, 2018 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

Nudibranchs: Armed and Fabulous

These marine mollusks seem to tempt fate with their lack of shell and come-hither colors, but there’s danger in that decoration.

Sep 19, 2018 | 1,700 words, 14 photos

Detecting Pregnancy by Proxy

Subtle changes in how long northern elephant seals dive show when they’re pregnant.

Jul 20, 2018 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

Greenland Sharks Undeterred by Shark-Repelling Hooks

To the shark’s detriment, its vacuum-like feeding technique allows it to bypass the repelling effect of magnetic fishing hooks.

Jul 12, 2018 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

Porpoises Flee from Noise Pollution

Toothed whales, which communicate at higher frequencies than their baleen brethren, are also disrupted by artificial noise.

May 23, 2018 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

Fish on Acid Have Their Senses Confused

Acidic water affects how one fish species parses sight, smell, and sound—a potential sign of neurological disruption.

May 4, 2018 | 600 words, about 3 minutes

The Intertidal Architects of the Coast

Some of the coastline’s most diligent designers are marine invertebrates.

Apr 26, 2018 | 900 words, about 4 minutes

Melting Glaciers Do More Than Raise Sea Levels

The movement of meltwater from ice to the ocean carries some surprising cargo.

Mar 9, 2018 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

Why Scientists Should Do It in the Dark

Sample zooplankton, that is.

Mar 5, 2018 | 500 words, about 2 minutes

Are Scientific Tracking Tags Hurting Wild Animals?

New research shows telemetry tags may force seals to work harder and swim slower.

Jan 22, 2018 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

Climate Change Is Good for These Crabs’ Genitals

We always knew there would be winners and losers.

Jan 18, 2018 | 600 words, about 3 minutes

Shellfish Can’t Say No to Drugs

Unfortunately for them. But it is teaching scientists about the consequences of pharmaceutical pollution.

Jan 5, 2018 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

Hatchery Fish Often Fail in the Wild. Now We Might Know Why

Epigenetics explained, with help from ’80s pop.

Dec 21, 2017 | 850 words, about 4 minutes

Actually, Dolphins Don’t All Look the Same

Humans are more than capable of telling individual dolphins apart just by their faces.

Dec 13, 2017 | 450 words, about 2 minutes

Changes to the Ocean’s Micro Creatures Could Have Macro Effects

The effects of climate change reverberate through the ocean’s food webs.

Nov 27, 2017 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

Fish in Formation

How schools of fish use physics to swim smarter, not harder.

Nov 2, 2017 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

A Hard Shore Is a Dead Shore

How anti-erosion measures hurt fish—and living shorelines may help.

Oct 16, 2017 | 950 words, about 4 minutes

Saving the Ocean One Outfit at a Time

The sea suffers for fashion. Kombucha leather and leased jeans to the rescue.

Sep 26, 2017 | 2,900 words, about 15 minutes

These Cages Save Baby Fish

On developed shorelines, oyster shell “safe houses” offer sanctuary.

Sep 19, 2017 | 900 words, about 4 minutes

The Great Salmon Escape: Is There a Better Way to Farm Fish?

We’ve just seen how open-net fish farms can go wrong. It’s time to look at the alternatives.

Sep 1, 2017 | 600 words, about 3 minutes

Dolphins Master Decapitation

In the Gulf of Mexico, dolphins have learned a deadly new trick.

Aug 17, 2017 | 450 words, about 2 minutes

Ocean Racket Makes for Rascally Wrasses

Motorboat noise spurs rise in fish-on-fish crime.

Aug 4, 2017 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

Why Don’t Whales Get Out of the Way?

Ships are huge and loud, yet they seem to take whales by surprise.

Jul 27, 2017 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

A Healthy Ocean Needs Viruses

And the more we learn about them, the weirder they get.

Jul 21, 2017 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

Not Your Average Beach House

Forget rebar or prestressed lumber—the sea provides a bounty of alternative construction materials.

Jul 6, 2017 | 850 words, about 4 minutes

Putting the Local in Marine Conservation

A new proposal for a code of conduct considers marine protection and the needs of people.

Jun 5, 2017 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

The Shellfish Gene

How shellfish farmers are leaning on genes to unmask the secrets of mussels, scallops, and oysters.

May 23, 2017 | 2,200 words, about 11 minutes

Life Interstitial

What does it take to live between the grains of sand?

Apr 28, 2017 | Interactive infographic

Here Be Tiny Dragons (and Other Micro Beasts)

Researchers reveal the microscopic life in between the grains of sediment.

Apr 18, 2017 | 5 min

Stealing the Slims River

River piracy could become more common in a warming world.

Apr 17, 2017 | 950 words, about 4 minutes

Listen to How Loud the Sea Is

Our interactive sound map explores the busy marine soundscape, from kayaks to cruise ships.

Apr 6, 2017 | Interactive infographic

The Wrong Whale In All The Right Ways

New research reveals how the North Pacific’s wrong whale escaped exploitation during whaling’s heyday.

Apr 1, 2017 | 100 words, a quick read

Rich Dolphin, Poor Dolphin, Beggar Dolphin, Thief

Human activity turns dolphins into beggars and thieves. What does that mean for their social lives?

Mar 23, 2017 | 850 words, about 4 minutes

Luxury Living for Retired Whales

The Whale Sanctuary Project wants to build an ocean home for captive killer whales.

Mar 2, 2017 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

A Renaissance Field Guide to Fantastical Fish

Dutch fisherman Adriaen Coenen’s visual masterpiece chronicled the ocean’s denizens, real and imagined.

Feb 24, 2017 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

Pinch Me

In a Washington State lake, two of the most globally invasive crayfish species are duking it out. Should we step in?

Feb 17, 2017 | 1,600 words, about 8 minutes

The Origins of Ghana’s Iconic Black Star Line

The focal point of the African nation’s flag was inspired by the name of its first shipping line.

Feb 3, 2017 | 400 words, about 2 minutes

The Hunter’s Designer Shades

Yup’ik hunters wore visors decorated with beautiful charms and designs.

Jan 6, 2017 | 500 words, about 2 minutes

Santa Claus Is Coming to Port

Before he was seasonal, he was seagoing.

Dec 22, 2016 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

The Questionable Science of Vancouver’s Port Expansion

A flawed environmental impact assessment may have consequences for the western sandpiper.

Nov 28, 2016 | 5,500 words, about 28 minutes

The 6,000-Year-Old Village

Traditional knowledge meets Western science on the central coast of British Columbia.

Nov 22, 2016 | 7 min 30 sec

The Dark Side of Lighthouses

Mouthfuls of molten lead, wild weather, and insanity: the occupational hazards of an early lighthouse keeper.

Nov 18, 2016 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

Coral, Explained

A little bit algae, a little bit rock, and a lot animal. If you’ve ever wondered about the life of a coral, this photo essay will help.

Sep 1, 2016 | 2,000 words, 13 photos

Bottoms Up

After years on the ocean floor, these five salvaged beverages were still drinkable—for better or for worse.

Jul 15, 2016 | 900 words, about 4 minutes

Captains of Industry

Five seamen who sold the world (cigarettes, rum, and spinach).

Jun 3, 2016 | 900 words, about 4 minutes

Doing Science with Stories

The experiences of people who live close with the land offer a potentially valuable complement to traditional climate change data.

Apr 27, 2016 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

Infographic: Get the Hell Off My Beach

Coastal access laws around the world.

Apr 15, 2016 | Infographic

The Race for Arctic Oil

Oil companies have always looked north for vast oil fields, and they won’t stop any time soon.

Feb 8, 2016 | Infographic

Et Tu, Ocean?

The role of the sea in melting the Arctic.

Feb 2, 2016 | 3 min 15 sec

Old Coast, New Coast: Halifax Harbour

One December morning, the world’s largest explosion tore through the heart of Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia. The city grieved, rebuilt, and carried on.

Nov 4, 2015 | 500 words, about 2 minutes

All Three Sides of the Story

Five geographical triangles that shaped the ocean’s history.

Oct 14, 2015 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

Hazardous Waters

Five perils that you can encounter at sea, and where they’re most likely to strike.

Jul 29, 2015 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

The Captain and the Punch Bowl

Those were the days—when booze and pottery cemented social relationships.

Jun 30, 2015 | 500 words, about 2 minutes

Manjirō Nakahama: From Castaway to Samurai

The first Japanese person to live in the United States, Manjirō’s incredible journeys are seafaring legend.

Jun 29, 2015 | 600 words, about 3 minutes

The Little Post Office That Could

When Britain dubbed Herm Island too tiny to merit a post office, the islanders found a way to get that problem licked.

Jun 15, 2015 | 400 words, about 2 minutes

Navigating a Sticky Situation

People from the Marshall Islands created beautiful, unconventional charts to navigate across the sea.

Jun 5, 2015 | 300 words, a quick read

Five Islands We Are Really Sick Of

An island stay sounds dreamy, but the reality of these five quarantine islands was often a nightmare.

May 29, 2015 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

Global Shipping and Emissions

Shipping traffic has grown rapidly in the past two decades—and so have its emissions. But what does that mean for the atmosphere?

Apr 22, 2015 | Infographic

Coastal Villages that Moved Away

Build a dam, Sam. Set off a bomb, Dom. Block a view, Lou. There are at least 50 ways to move your coastal village, but we’ve narrowed it down to five.

Apr 22, 2015 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

Stefan Drzewiecki, Submarine Tsar

The world’s first submarine fleet was pedal-powered and short-lived. But its design was a game changer for modern warfare.

Apr 22, 2015 | 450 words, about 2 minutes