Coast

golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana)—Endangered

Betting on Conservation

As extinction rates climb, we have a responsibility—to our own species and to others—to work toward reversing the trend.

Latest in Coast
Little auks (Alle alle) flock to Hornsund each summer to nest and feed on a tiny, fat-filled crustacean called Calanus glacialis. The copepod lives in cold Arctic waters, often near the edge of the sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. Photograph by Hannah Hoag
Sea Change

The Arctic Ocean is beginning to look and act more like the Atlantic. It's a shift that threatens to upend an entire food web built on frigid waters.

A non-operational fishing boat heads out of Cordova harbor. Photograph by Julia Rosen
Boom and Busted

In trying to untangle a mysterious herring collapse from the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, scientists in Prince William Sound are revealing just how resilient—and unpredictable—marine ecosystems can be.

An arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) standing next to a reindeer skull on Wrangel Island.
High Stakes in the High North

A remote island that harbored the world’s last mammoths is becoming a holdout for Arctic wildlife once again.

Southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus), scavenging on seal carcass, South Georgia, January.
Fight or Forage

At the bottom of the Earth, this dauntless bird finds calories wherever it can.

Embracing Hope—and a Carbon Tax

To curb climate change, step one is imagining a sustainable future; step two is paying for it.

The Big Picture

A showcase of amazing creatures and gorgeous environments—some threatened, some thriving—from around the globe

Marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) feeding in deep water to find algae, off the coast of Fernandina island on Galapagos. April 2016. Much of the algae on coast and at shallower depths have been killed by unusually warm El Nino weather.
Survival of the Smallest

When El Niño hits the GalĂ¡pagos Islands, marine iguanas struggle to find enough food—then they undergo a remarkable transformation.

The roots of mangroves provide critical structure along tropical coastlines, stabilizing the shoreline, absorbing the damaging energy of storms, and providing critical habitat for many ocean creatures. Photograph by Danita Delimont/Getty
Model Island

New work in the Bahamas proves that economic prosperity and ecological health can go hand in hand.

Venomous Weaponry

Nature’s arsenal contains thousands of venomous creatures and a diverse array of armaments that are as brilliant, varied, and surprising as the creatures that wield them.