Conservation (Page 16)

Protecting natural resources—from sea to sky—is about much more than planting a few trees.

Latest in Conservation

America’s been rolling back natural land protections since 1892—but never like this

America’s been rolling back natural land protections since 1892—but never like this

By Marion Renault

The hidden fish keeping coral reefs alive

The hidden fish keeping coral reefs alive

By Marlene Cimons

chinook salmon ear stone otolith

The secret to saving salmon is lodged in their ears

Plastic chemicals could harm the ocean bacteria that produce 10 percent of our oxygen

Plastic chemicals could harm the ocean bacteria that produce 10 percent of our oxygen

Meet the ‘Oyster Wench’—a single mom fighting pollution with the power of clams and kelp

Meet the ‘Oyster Wench’—a single mom fighting pollution with the power of clams and kelp

By Marlene Cimons

Europe’s ban on palm oil might actually hurt the environment

Europe’s ban on palm oil might actually hurt the environment

By Elizabeth Robinson and Herry Purnomo/The Conversation

Old mascara wands are saving adorable Appalachian animals

Old mascara wands are saving adorable Appalachian animals

By Alex Schwartz

Why these towns are trying to save an ‘agricultural pest’

Why these towns are trying to save an ‘agricultural pest’

Watch ‘giant pill bugs’ burrow inside this alligator carcass for legitimate scientific reasons

Watch ‘giant pill bugs’ burrow inside this alligator carcass for legitimate scientific reasons

By Sara Chodosh

A mysterious disease is ravaging Florida’s coral, and now it might be spreading elsewhere

A mysterious disease is ravaging Florida’s coral, and now it might be spreading elsewhere

10 GIFs Of Deep-Sea Creatures Encountering A Sub

10 GIFs Of Deep-Sea Creatures Encountering A Sub

By Rose Pastore

Hōkūle‘a Polynesian origins voyage explorer Sea People

On board the canoe that proved ancient Polynesians could cross the Pacific

By Christina Thompson

The Great Lakes may be souring just like our oceans

The Great Lakes may be souring just like our oceans

By Tiffany Chen

‘Mermaid tears’ are killing our oceans

By Claire Gwinnett/The Conversation

Bighorn Joshua Tree National Park California

The biggest public lands bill in a decade has something for everyone

death valley national park

Some national parks won’t recover from the government shutdown for decades

This robot plants heat-resistant corals to save endangered reefs

This robot plants heat-resistant corals to save endangered reefs

By Marlene Cimons

Why some coastal regions flood more easily than others

Why some coastal regions flood more easily than others

By Marlene Cimons

broken ice over the ocean

In 2018, Alaska’s Bering Sea was all out of whack.

By Jillian Mock

An inside look at the first solo trip to the deepest point of the Atlantic

An inside look at the first solo trip to the deepest point of the Atlantic

Oceans are losing a football field of seagrass every 30 minutes

Oceans are losing a football field of seagrass every 30 minutes

By Marlene Cimons

As oceans grow more acidic, they’re eating away at their protective floors

As oceans grow more acidic, they’re eating away at their protective floors

By Marlene Cimons

Humans have altered almost the entire planet—we need to save what’s left

Humans have altered almost the entire planet—we need to save what’s left

The ocean floor is littered with adorable octopuses (and actual garbage)

By Sara Chodosh

Brazil’s new president plans to plunder the Amazon, which is bad news for all of us

Brazil’s new president plans to plunder the Amazon, which is bad news for all of us

This headless chicken is the deep-sea ‘monster’ of our dreams

This headless chicken is the deep-sea ‘monster’ of our dreams

By Sara Chodosh

vents of white bubbles rising up from ocean floor

NASA is preparing for future space missions by exploring underwater volcanoes off Hawaii

By Shannon Stirone

A glowing green worm

You can set your watch to this glowing green worm orgy

By Neel V. Patel

The secret origins of blue diamonds are finally coming to the surface

The secret origins of blue diamonds are finally coming to the surface

Warming seas are robbing some fish of their vital sense of smell

Warming seas are robbing some fish of their vital sense of smell

By Marlene Cimons

stack of green books

18 water-themed books to dive into this month

By Mary Beth Griggs

Mark the Shark Quartiano

The U.S. protects alpha predators, but its most famous shark hunter isn’t out of business yet

By Andrew Zaleski

Scientists learn to repair human bones by studying coral reefs

Scientists learn to repair human bones by studying coral reefs

By Marlene Cimons

Coral reef ecosystem.

Coral reefs face yet another threat: island rats depleting their poop supply

By Jan A. Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams/The Conversation

It’s time to take a more holistic view of coral reef health

It’s time to take a more holistic view of coral reef health

the great blue hole

Here’s some rare good news about coral reefs

By Neel V. Patel

manta ray swims through Flower Garden Banks

Why biologists are so excited to find a bunch of puny manta rays

Koko, the beloved gorilla who communicated through sign-language, dies at age 46

Koko, the beloved gorilla who communicated through sign-language, dies at age 46

Your efforts to save water are actually making a difference

Your efforts to save water are actually making a difference

A snake with blue eyes

These snakes slurp snails, and that’s great for farmers

The genes of many marine creatures are patented—and one company owns half of them

The genes of many marine creatures are patented—and one company owns half of them

a hydrogen balloon on its side

The weirdest things we learned this week: underwater horse videos, the call of the void, and an ill-fated, icy balloon trip

By Rachel Feltman

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a drone that loves trash!

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a drone that loves trash!

New eco-friendly microbeads could save oceans, rather than destroy them

New eco-friendly microbeads could save oceans, rather than destroy them

By Kate Baggaley

a degraded coral reef

A healthy reef is alive with music, but the chorus fades as the coral dies.

There’s still time for us to save the Great Barrier Reef

There’s still time for us to save the Great Barrier Reef

We’re ruining Walden Pond just like we ruin everything beautiful in this world

We’re ruining Walden Pond just like we ruin everything beautiful in this world

By Sara Chodosh

a northern white rhino

The last male northern white rhino just died, but science could still make him a daddy

By Rachel Feltman

The critters of the deep sea may thrive on calamari

The critters of the deep sea may thrive on calamari

By Kate Baggaley

Venus flytraps know not to eat the insects that pollinate them

Venus flytraps know not to eat the insects that pollinate them

By Jessica Boddy

How polar animals cope with frigid darkness for months at a time

How polar animals cope with frigid darkness for months at a time

By Kate Baggaley

Deep-sea robots are scoping out the secret origins of algae blooms

Deep-sea robots are scoping out the secret origins of algae blooms

By Marlene Cimons

This tiny shark eats grass and it’s doing just fine

This tiny shark eats grass and it’s doing just fine

By Kate Baggaley

The Montecito mudslide is a tragic reminder to respect our soil

The Montecito mudslide is a tragic reminder to respect our soil

By Eleanor Cummins

Corals grow in patterns, even if we can’t always see them

Corals grow in patterns, even if we can’t always see them

By Kate Baggaley

California’s wildfires are affecting the oceans—and these researchers are the first to study it

By Nicole Wetsman

These aquatic creatures eat in seriously strange ways

By Sara Chodosh

You have to admit that this horseshoe crab looks just like Darth Vader

You have to admit that this horseshoe crab looks just like Darth Vader

By Mary Beth Griggs

Cecil the Lion’s infamous death didn’t actually do much to change trophy-hunting laws

Cecil the Lion’s infamous death didn’t actually do much to change trophy-hunting laws

By Kate Baggaley

Preventing deforestation might be expensive, but it will cost us more if we don’t

Preventing deforestation might be expensive, but it will cost us more if we don’t

By Marlene Cimons

Wild turkeys are in trouble

Wild turkeys are in trouble

By Kate Baggaley

The ocean harbors unimaginable secrets, but we need to explore them responsibly

By Laurence Publicover/Katharine Hendry/The Conversation

Eleanor the sea turtle swam through a tropical storm and survived

Eleanor the sea turtle swam through a tropical storm and survived

By Marlene Cimons

Limpets are common herbivores on rocky shores. Here, one searches for food at low tide.

Very hungry snails are guarding coastal ecosystems against climate change

By Marlene Cimons