At an Indian Ocean marine refuge, tides drive cold water laden with nutrients onto the tops of underwater mountains, where it sustains a long food chain that culminates in sharks, tuna, and seabirds.
animals
Posted inResearch Spotlights
One of World’s Oldest Animals Records Ocean Climate Change
Researchers probe millennia-old deep-ocean sponges for links between ocean nutrients and climate.
Posted inNews
New Postage Stamps Focus on Bioluminescent Marine Life
The stamps help draw attention to the wonders of creatures that generate their own light and to the environmental problems that threaten them in marine habitats, scientists say.
Posted inNews
Calm Waters off Hawaii Harbor a “Nursery” of Sea Life
Ocean slicks—naturally occurring bands of smooth water—are home to an astounding diversity of fish larvae and other marine life, researchers show.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Critical Role of Grazing Animals in an Ecosystem
Scientists model the effect of horses, cattle, sheep, and goats on local environments and global climate.
Posted inNews
Modern Chemicals from Mystery Source Taint Fish in Utah Lake
Utah Lake’s fish contain high levels of a potential carcinogen. Could removing some bottom-feeders reduce this contamination?
Posted inNews
Boiled or Raw, Snail Shells Keep an Environmental Archive
Snail shells discovered at archaeological sites might still accurately record past weather and vegetation despite being the leftovers of a past meal.
Posted inNews
Fossils Provide New Clues to Tibetan Plateau’s Evolution
The bones of ancient rhinos, elephants, and fish constrain when the Tibetan Plateau rose high enough to prevent migration, a move that forced animals to adapt to high-altitude conditions.
Posted inFeatures
Hunting Rare Fossils of the Ediacaran
The search for fossil imprints and casts of squishy organisms takes time, perseverance, and sometimes a sprinkle of luck.
Posted inNews
Sooty Bird Bellies Yield Insights into Historical Air Pollution
A new study mined museum collections to investigate just how sooty the air in the United States has been for the past 135 years.