The Mediterranean has experienced record sea temperatures this summer: this could devastate marine life

While official data is yet to be released, this year’s Mediterranean marine heatwave will likely have devastating ecological consequences.

John Spicer, Professor of Marine Zoology, University of Plymouth • conversation
Aug. 18, 2022 • ~7 min

How to finance marine conservation without harming local communities

The true cost of marine conservation often falls on vulnerable coastal communities. Can a ‘beneficiary pays’ approach protect both endangered species and the communities dependent on them?

Hollie Booth, Nature Positive Senior Specialist at The Biodiversity Consultancy, and Post-Doc Research Associate, University of Oxford • conversation
Aug. 15, 2022 • ~6 min

Fish passes can reconnect species with habitats blocked by dams – here's how they work

Migratory fish populations have collapsed worldwide in the last 50 years.

Virgilio Hermoso, Investigador distinguido, Universidad de Sevilla • conversation
Aug. 2, 2022 • ~5 min

Why do hammerhead sharks have hammer-shaped heads?

The first hammerhead shark was likely the result of a genetic deformity. A biologist explains how shark DNA reveals hammerheads’ history.

Gavin Naylor, Director of Florida Program for Shark Research, University of Florida • conversation
July 25, 2022 • ~7 min

Meet _Qikiqtania_, a fossil fish with the good sense to stay in the water while others ventured onto land

The newly discovered species – Qikiqtania – highlights evolution’s twisty, tangled path.

Thomas Stewart, Assistant Professor of Biology, Penn State • conversation
July 20, 2022 • ~9 min

When did the first fish live on Earth – and how do scientists figure out the timing?

A biologist explains how researchers nail down the age of ancient fossils thanks to a physical process called radioactive decay.

Isaac Skromne, Assistant Professor of Biology, University of Richmond • conversation
July 18, 2022 • ~8 min

Coastal gentrification in Puerto Rico is displacing people and damaging mangroves and wetlands

Puerto Rico’s tourism industry is booming as nations lift COVID-19 travel restrictions, but development is displacing people who have lived along its coastlines for years.

Hilda Lloréns, Associate Professor, Anthropology & Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island • conversation
June 16, 2022 • ~10 min

Swap salmon for sardines to keep four million tonnes of fish in the sea

Farming shellfish instead of large, predatory fish, is also better for the planet.

David Willer, Henslow Research Fellow, Sustainable Seafood, University of Cambridge • conversation
March 1, 2022 • ~5 min

Why do humans have bones instead of cartilage like sharks?

Hard and strong, or bendy and flexible? A cartilaginous skeleton provides advantages in the ocean, but wouldn’t stand up to life on land.

Michael Heithaus, Executive Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and Professor of Biological Sciences, Florida International University • conversation
Feb. 21, 2022 • ~6 min

How poisonous mercury gets from coal-fired power plants into the fish you eat

The Biden administration is moving to revive mercury limits for coal-fired power plants. A scientist explains mercury’s health risks and the role power plants play.

Gabriel Filippelli, Chancellor's Professor of Earth Sciences and Executive Director, Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute, IUPUI • conversation
Feb. 15, 2022 • ~9 min

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