Documenting our planet’s ecosystems — wildlife, forests, oceans, climate change, and conservation. Stories from the frontlines of nature and environmental science.
What’s Happening Beneath the Surface The world’s coral reefs are in the grip of the most extensive bleaching event ever recorded. Since January 2023, bleaching-level heat stress has reached 84 percent of the planet’s coral reef areas, according to NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch. At least 83 countries and territories have documented mass bleaching within their…
In October 2025, marine scientist Zoe Richards waded into the shallows of Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef and found a scene she later described as “comparable to a bushfire aftermath.” Of 1,600 corals counted at eight survey sites in March, only 600 were still alive seven months later. The reef had lost more than 60 percent…
Thirty thousand fires. Two point four million acres burned. And summer hasn’t even started. The numbers coming out of the National Interagency Fire Center this June are staggering. Through early June 2026, wildfire counts are running 140% above the 10-year average. Acreage burned? A hundred ninety-five percent of normal. The agency’s June 1 outlook doesn’t…
Why Oceans Matter for Weather: The Hidden Engine of Our Climate When you think about what controls the weather, you probably think about the atmosphere — clouds, wind, pressure systems. But the real engine sits below the surface. Oceans cover 71% of the Earth’s surface. They absorb, store, and move more heat than the atmosphere…
Thousands of Fireflies Flash in Perfect Unison Every June — Here’s the Science Behind It For two weeks every year, something almost supernatural happens in a forest in Tennessee. The sun sets. The woods go dark. And then — one by one, then hundreds, then thousands — fireflies light up. But these aren’t the random,…
How Forests Make Rain: The Hidden Connection Between Trees and Weather You probably learned in school that rain comes from the ocean. Water evaporates, forms clouds, and falls as rain. That is true. But it is only half the story. The other half is happening right now in forests around the world — and it…
One of Europe’s Rarest Predators Was Saved From Extinction. Now It’s at Risk Again. In the remote forests of Sweden, a quiet conservation success story is unravelling. Key Takeaway Sweden’s wolverine population, saved from extinction by strict protection, is declining again. Rising poaching, conflicts with reindeer herders, and climate-induced snow reduction are threatening their survival…
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