Conservation (Page 16)

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

Latest in Conservation

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

Looking for bats in all the wrong places

Looking for bats in all the wrong places

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

A clownfish can take on a shark, but this predicament may prove harder to handle

A clownfish can take on a shark, but this predicament may prove harder to handle

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

The world’s fastest shark is in trouble

The world’s fastest shark is in trouble

By Kate Baggaley

purple sea cucumber

Mysterious sea monsters that wash ashore are rarely mysterious (and never monsters)

By Sara Chodosh

Octlantis: Where octopuses buck tradition and live in groups

Octlantis: Where octopuses buck tradition and live in groups

By Rachel Feltman

Fish might be shrinking

Fish might be shrinking

By Marlene Cimons

Why fish can’t help but eat our plastic garbage

Why fish can’t help but eat our plastic garbage

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

City-dwelling sea snakes are changing colors for a strange reason

City-dwelling sea snakes are changing colors for a strange reason

By Mary Beth Griggs

This engineer has a wild plan to save coral reefs from climate change

This engineer has a wild plan to save coral reefs from climate change

By Marlene Cimons

httpswww.popsci.comsitespopsci.comfilesimages201707woman_-_beach_clean_up.jpg

Guess how many giant patches of garbage there are in the ocean now?

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Discarded oyster shells can help us grow food, make cement, and fight climate change

Discarded oyster shells can help us grow food, make cement, and fight climate change

By Marlene Cimons

Sea spiders use their guts to pump oxygen through their freaky little bodies

Sea spiders use their guts to pump oxygen through their freaky little bodies

fluorescent coral

Scientists may finally know why these magnificent corals glow in the dark

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Pandas, which are basically giant poop machines, may inadvertently help save other species

Pandas, which are basically giant poop machines, may inadvertently help save other species

By Rachel Feltman

Researches installed artificial coralline algae to test their ability to attract marine micro-fauna.

Artificial algae could help save our oceans

By Marlene Cimons

The Australian Eastern Abyss is a treasure trove of strange, often penis-shaped animals

The Australian Eastern Abyss is a treasure trove of strange, often penis-shaped animals

By Sara Chodosh

Dams on the Amazon River could have widespread, devastating impacts—and we keep building more of them

Dams on the Amazon River could have widespread, devastating impacts—and we keep building more of them

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Gray seals are making a huge comeback

Gray seals are making a huge comeback

Coral reefs show signs of climate stress, but there’s still hope

Coral reefs show signs of climate stress, but there’s still hope

By Marlene Cimons

Celebrate World Ocean’s Day with these gorgeous photos of the sea

Celebrate World Ocean’s Day with these gorgeous photos of the sea

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Early signs of mortality on bleached coral colony.

Hawaii’s most popular coral reefs are in big trouble

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Hyalinobatrachium yaku glassfrog from beneath

This tiny frog has transparent skin to show its organs off to the world

By Sara Chodosh

How one community rallied to save turtles from becoming roadkill

How one community rallied to save turtles from becoming roadkill

By Mary Beth Griggs

Turtle hatchling close-up, Texas

It’s World Turtle Day, so here are a bunch of adorable turtles

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Why Hawaii is trying to ban a common sunscreen

Why Hawaii is trying to ban a common sunscreen

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

orange spiky sea cucumber in the water

Sea cucumbers have a secret superpower

Researchers drag horrifying new species of nightmare monster from lagoon

Researchers drag horrifying new species of nightmare monster from lagoon

By Rachel Feltman

stockton rush and macklemore board the antipodes

Deep sea tourism could become a thing soon

Hydrothermal vent

There’s a treasure trove on the seafloor—and that could be a bad thing

By Sara Chodosh

The Great Barrier Reef’s latest unprecedented bleaching event could spell the end

The Great Barrier Reef’s latest unprecedented bleaching event could spell the end

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Hundreds of icebergs are suddenly invading shipping lanes

Hundreds of icebergs are suddenly invading shipping lanes

By Mary Beth Griggs

Bottlenose dolphin

Dolphins beat up octopuses before eating them, and the reason is kind of horrifying

By Sara Chodosh

The Great Barrier Reef had a pretty terrible year

The Great Barrier Reef had a pretty terrible year

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

You really can help save bees by planting wildflowers

You really can help save bees by planting wildflowers

Pandas have cute markings because their food supply sucks

Pandas have cute markings because their food supply sucks

By Sara Chodosh

Resurrecting extinct animals might do more harm than good