News & Commentary

Sea Change

June 1, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Global warming could condense three million years of changes in the oceans into less than one century.

Catching waves while tracking ocean acidification, surfing meets citizen science

May 28, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesPerrin Ireland

A weekly roundup of the best in science journalism, doodled.

A Variation Variable

May 27, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Unraveling the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation will help us better understand climate change.

I Hate Reruns

May 22, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaClara Chaisson

The Santa Barbara coast has yet another oil spill, thanks to a company that screws up royally—repeatedly.

The Science of Sea Spray

May 21, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

The bubbles and droplets on the ocean surface (and what lives in them) may have a big influence on climate.

A Beach of an Oil Spill

May 20, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaClara Chaisson

Santa Barbara’s pristine coastline is now coated in crude.

Down with TPP

May 18, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesAlisa Opar

From fracking to tainted fish, how the Trans-Pacific Partnership could affect the West.

Demand for Sustainable Seafood—Gone Overboard?

April 30, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Consumers want more than fisheries can supply, and certification standards are falling.

Chewing the Cud on Wild Yaks

April 21, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesPerrin Ireland

A weekly roundup of the best in science journalism, doodled.

Hot Tub Time Machine

April 20, 2015 Latest NewsInternationalElizabeth Kolbert

Off the coast of Italy, CO2-spewing vents are giving scientists a glimpse at the acidic oceans of our future. The results are frightening.

Scan ‘Em, Don’t Can ‘Em

April 15, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

New tech allows us to get a peek at the elusive Atlantic sturgeon—and that could help save this ancient fish from extinction.

First, the Good News

April 9, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A new study shows simple fishing restrictions can bring coral reefs back to life—but only if we stop emitting so much carbon dioxide.

Are the Gulf's Marine Mammals Fluked?

April 2, 2015 Latest NewsEastJason Bittel

We’re still coming to terms with what toxins from the BP spill might be doing to whales and dolphins.

Climate Running AMOC

March 25, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A new study suggests that melting ice is slowing the seas’ important thermohaline currents.

How Ancient Sea Creatures Licked Their Way onto Land

March 25, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesPerrin Ireland

A weekly roundup of the best in science journalism, doodled.

Dr. Ruth of the Sea

March 16, 2015 Latest NewsUnited States

Uncovering the secrets to sex on the reef could help conserve a rare species of coral.

Uncharted Waters

February 25, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

Sardines and anchovies are taking to new waters in response to climate change.

The Fishing Industry on Acid

February 23, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Ocean acidification will hit coastal communities like these the hardest.

Back from the Dead Zone

February 23, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

Doing just a little to curb fertilizer pollution in the Mississippi could go a long way to breathing life back into the Gulf.

Shell Game

February 19, 2015 Latest NewsArcticBrian Palmer

The Department of the Interior says there’s a 75 percent chance of a major oil spill in the Arctic—and it’s willing to take that chance.