Born from irritation and intrusion, luminous and complex, surprisingly durable: pearls are rich with symbolism and saturated with pain.
Marine Biology
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Fish That Gave Too Much
The history of colatura — a fermented anchovy-based sauce produced in Italy — goes back millennia. Now, overfishing and rapidly warming waters threaten its future.
Posted inFeatured, Quotes, Science & Nature
What Is the Hot Commodity, Exactly?
You say seaweed, I say fish, let’s call the whole harvest off. Welcome to the most interesting article on legal tensions around seaweed harvesting in Maine you’ll read all week, and maybe ever.
Posted inQuotes, Science & Nature
Death By Tchotchke
Plastic is everywhere: bottles, toys, cars, and, increasingly, in oceans and rivers so clogged with plastic that you can walk on them.
Posted inFeatured, Nonfiction, Quotes
Corals and Crabs Get Moonstruck, Too
For many marine species, moonlight is both aphrodisiac and metronome. Yet scientists have only recently started to study it seriously.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Lunar Sea
What do humans and corals (and numerous other marine creatures) have in common? We all seem to find the moon irresistibly romantic.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Blood of the Crab
Horseshoe crab blood is an irreplaceable medical marvel — biomedical companies bleed 500,000 of them every year. Can this creature that’s been around since the dinosaurs be saved?
Posted inFeatured, Nonfiction, Quotes
Science vs. the Jellyfish! (Hint: the Jellyfish Are Winning)
Jellyfish: we can’t predict where and when they’ll appear, we can’t anticipate where they’ll go, and they can shut down an aircraft carrier. Tamar Stelling looks at these amazingly resilient sacks of goo.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Jellyfish Are Coming: Brace Yourself for Goo-mageddon
Endless streams of jellyfish are taking a bite out of fish stocks, clogging water pipes, and scuppering seaside vacations. What to do: destroy them, control them, or just leave them be?