Water
Q and A: Jane Lubchenco
The marine ecologist and administrator of NOAA discusses restoring the bounty of the world's oceans
April 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
Beavers: The Engineers of the Forest
Back from the brink of extinction, the beavers of Massachusetts are a crucial component of a healthy ecosystem
March 16, 2010 |
By Jennifer Weeks
Barrow, Alaska: Ground Zero for Climate Change
Scientists converge on the northernmost city in the United States to study global warming's dramatic consequences
March 2010 |
By Bob Reiss
Gumbo: The Superest Bowl of All?
On the list of things that I find exciting, football probably ranks somewhere between infomercials and the molecular structure of dust bunnies. But this year's Super Bowl has increased my interest level by a couple of smidgens, if only because the New Orleans Saints are competing. The team has neve...
February 03, 2010 |
By Lisa Bramen
Salmon Farming Can Be Sustainable
Smithsonian magazine staff writer Abigail Tucker is our guest blogger today.I have avoided eating salmon since the spring of 2008, when I reported on a die-off of West Coast chinooks that shut down much of the California fishery. Unfortunately for me, salmon was the only fish I knew how to cook (in...
January 22, 2010 |
By admin
The Oyster's Ouster From Our World
The world is my oyster, or so a Shakespearean character once said. That old saying, still alive in modern English, makes oysters a metaphor for "something from which a person may extract or derive advantage."And oh, how true that turns out to be in a literal sense.Humans have been extracting advant...
January 19, 2010 |
By Amanda Bensen
A Coral Reef's Mass Spawning
Understanding how corals reproduce is critical to their survival; Smithsonian's Nancy Knowlton investigates the annual event
December 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Making Sense of Sustainable Seafood
"Sustainable seafood" is a buzzword these days, but as I've said before, it can be confusing for consumers. Even if you carry around a list of which species to avoid buying—like the handy pocket guides published by Monterey Bay Aquarium—it's difficult to keep track of all the details, caveats and a...
November 16, 2009 |
By Amanda Bensen
Evolution in the Deepest River in the World
New species are born in the turbulence of the Congo River
November 03, 2009 |
By Kyle Dickman
Nan Madol: The City Built on Coral Reefs
One of the oldest archaeological sites not on a heritage list, this Pacific state, like Easter Island, is an engineering marvel
November 03, 2009 |
By Christopher Pala
Alaska's Great Wide Open
A land of silvery light and astonishing peaks, the country's largest state perpetuates the belief that anything is possible
November 2009 |
By Pico Iyer
A Swim Through the Ocean's Future
Can a remote, geologically weird island in the South Pacific forecast the fate of coral reefs?
September 17, 2009 |
By Christopher Pala
The Cahaba: A River of Riches
An unsung Alabama waterway is one of the most biologically diverse places in the nation, home to rare flora and fauna
August 2009 |
By Michelle Nijhuis
Mad About Seashells
Collectors have long prized mollusks for their beautiful exteriors, but for scientists, it’s what inside that matters
August 2009 |
By Richard Conniff
Cracking into Crabs
I don't think I can claim to be "semi-vegetarian" anymore. Sure, my veggie bin is always well-stocked, I never buy red meat, and I love tempeh and tofu. But last Saturday, my dinner was downright barbaric: I literally tore a creature apart with my bare hands and a mallet. I got guts on my fingers a...
August 11, 2009 |
By Amanda Bensen
Old Bay Spices Up My Life
This summer marks the 70th anniversary of the best spice blend ever known to humankind: Old Bay Seasoning. Mrs. Dash may have low sodium and Emeril may be bam-tastic, but no other spice has the kick and the nostalgia of summers past like Old Bay. According to the Maryland-based company, the history...
August 04, 2009 |
By Brian Wolly
Ancient Cities Lost to the Seas
Dunwich, England, is one of several underwater sites where divers are discovering new information about historic cultures
July 29, 2009 |
By Robin T. Reid
Stopping Sharks by Blasting Their Senses
Chemist and businessman Eric Stroud develops shark repellents to protect sharks from being ensnared in commercial fisheries
July 17, 2009 |
By Joseph Caputo
The Best Fish and Chips in Ireland
After a wonderful wedding and vacation, I'm back, and hugely grateful to Lisa and guest bloggers Abigail Tucker and Ashley Luthern for feeding the blog so richly in my absence!Our honeymoon took us to Ireland and northern Wales, destinations which I confess attracted me in part because they aren't ...
July 16, 2009 |
By Amanda Bensen
