WASHINGTONPOST (Hannah Knowles) - Sea turtle nests in historic first on Southern California coast
The olive ridley sighting was the first “natural nesting” on record for any sea turtle species on the West Coast, officials said.
WASHINGTONPOST (Kyle Melnick) - Scientists heard a knock at the door. It was a pelican in need of help.
“This is kind of just a once-in a-lifetime experience,” said marine researcher Annsli Hilton.
YOUTUBE (CNN) - Lionfish ravage Florida’s reefs. This man has gone to war
Armed with a spear and an underwater camera, Nate Sorensen has made hunting invasive lionfish a social media hit. His viral videos document a growing effort to combat a predator threatening Florida’s coral reefs — one fish at a time. #calltoearth
AMERICANALMANAC (Charles McAdams) - Thousands of tree swallows create a "birdnado" at Massachusetts wildlife refuge
The U.S. Department of the Interior shared video of thousands of tree swallows lifting off in unison at a federal wildlife refuge north of Boston, a spectacle the agency compared to a tornado. The footage, posted Tuesday, captures what the department called a "birdnado" at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Newburyport, Massachusetts. […] The post Thousands of tree swallows create a "birdnado" at Massachusetts wildlife refuge appeared first on American Almanac .
The U.S. Department of the Interior shared video of thousands of tree swallows lifting off in unison at a federal wildlife refuge north of Boston, a spectacle the agency compared to a tornado. The footage, posted Tuesday, captures what the department called a "birdnado" at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Massive flocks of tree swallows swirl skyward from the refuge's marshlands during their annual fall migration, creating a dense, twisting column of birds that looks more like a weather event than a wildlife one. The refuge sits on the North Shore of Massachusetts, about 35 miles north of Boston off the Plum Island Turnpike. Its more than 4,700 acres of wetlands, beaches, dunes, forests,…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Two-headed turtle hatchling discovered at Cape Cod nesting site
A tiny two-headed diamondback terrapin, weighing just 5.2 grams, turned up at a protected nesting site in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and is now under veterinary watch at a Cape Cod wildlife center. The Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable shared a photo of the bicephalic hatchling on Facebook Thursday, drawing immediate attention to what the center called […] The post Two-headed turtle hatchling discovered at Cape Cod nesting site appeared first on American Almanac .
A tiny two-headed diamondback terrapin, weighing just 5.2 grams, turned up at a protected nesting site in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and is now under veterinary watch at a Cape Cod wildlife center. The Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable shared a photo of the bicephalic hatchling on Facebook Thursday, drawing immediate attention to what the center called an uncommon but not unprecedented find. The baby terrapin has two fully formed heads and, according to the veterinary team, both sides appear healthy and functional so far. Diamondback terrapins are classified as a threatened species in Massachusetts, which makes the discovery at a protected nesting site in Wellfleet, a small town on the outer arm of Cape Cod, all the more notable for the…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Antarctic krill found at deep-sea volcanic vents for the first time, raising new questions about ocean life
Scientists discovered egg-laden Antarctic krill thriving nearly 3,600 feet below the surface at hydrothermal vents, a finding that upends long-held assumptions about one of the ocean's most important creatures. A research team operating a remotely piloted submarine off the Antarctic Peninsula in late 2024 spotted the tiny crustaceans drifting through superheated water near a volcanic […] The post Antarctic krill found at deep-sea volcanic vents for the first time, raising new questions about ocean life appeared first on American Almanac .
Scientists discovered egg-laden Antarctic krill thriving nearly 3,600 feet below the surface at hydrothermal vents, a finding that upends long-held assumptions about one of the ocean's most important creatures. A research team operating a remotely piloted submarine off the Antarctic Peninsula in late 2024 spotted the tiny crustaceans drifting through superheated water near a volcanic vent on the seafloor, a place no one expected to find them. The four krill collected were all reproductive females, packed with eggs and apparently feeding on microbes unique to the vent site. The discovery, published in the journal Communications Biology, marks the first confirmed observation of Antarctic krill at a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. The finding…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Mysterious floating island vanishes and reappears in British Columbia's Williston Lake
A massive, tree-covered island drifted into view on British Columbia’s Williston Lake last summer, vanished without a trace, and then reemerged, leaving residents and scientists guessing about its origins and safety risks. In late July 2026, a boater on Williston Lake noticed something unusual: a huge, forested island floating in the vast reservoir. The sight […] The post Mysterious floating island vanishes and reappears in British Columbia's Williston Lake appeared first on American Almanac .
A massive, tree-covered island drifted into view on British Columbia’s Williston Lake last summer, vanished without a trace, and then reemerged, leaving residents and scientists guessing about its origins and safety risks. In late July 2026, a boater on Williston Lake noticed something unusual: a huge, forested island floating in the vast reservoir. The sight stunned locals, as the island appeared to be nearly the size of two football fields and covered in mature trees, with birds and other animals making it their temporary home. Satellite images confirmed its presence on July 21, showing a green mass about 150 yards long and 75 yards wide. Rocky Avery, a local resident and friend of the boater, posted photos and video of the floating…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach hatches seven African penguin chicks in banner breeding year
A South Carolina aquarium is calling it the "Lucky Seven" after hatching seven critically endangered African penguin chicks since May, a bright spot for a species running out of time in the wild. Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach announced that five African penguin chicks hatched in June and July, following two earlier arrivals in May, […] The post Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach hatches seven African penguin chicks in banner breeding year appeared first on American Almanac .
A South Carolina aquarium is calling it the "Lucky Seven" after hatching seven critically endangered African penguin chicks since May, a bright spot for a species running out of time in the wild. Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach announced that five African penguin chicks hatched in June and July, following two earlier arrivals in May, UPI reported . The aquarium's animal care team collectively dubbed the group "the Lucky Seven" in a news release marking the milestone. The first two chicks, named Vic and Chel, arrived in May and were introduced to guests at the aquarium's Penguin Playhouse exhibit. Five more followed over the next two months. Those five had not yet been named as of the September 3 announcement. Seven chicks from one…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - More than 2,000 ocean predators spotted off Cape Cod — weeks after feds reopened the waters to commercial fishing
Scientists captured more than 2,000 marine animals from 15 species feeding together at a protected monument off Massachusetts, raising fresh questions about a federal rollback of fishing restrictions just months earlier. A New England Aquarium survey plane flew over the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument on August 16 and documented a scene researchers […] The post More than 2,000 ocean predators spotted off Cape Cod — weeks after feds reopened the waters to commercial fishing appeared first on American Almanac .
Scientists captured more than 2,000 marine animals from 15 species feeding together at a protected monument off Massachusetts, raising fresh questions about a federal rollback of fishing restrictions just months earlier. A New England Aquarium survey plane flew over the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument on August 16 and documented a scene researchers called extraordinary: dolphins, whales, whale sharks, and manta rays all congregating near the surface of a nearly 5,000-square-mile ocean preserve roughly 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod. The sheer number of animals, and the presence of several species classified as endangered, landed the survey squarely in the middle of a policy fight that has bounced between…Open
NPR (Stina Sieg) - Federal government thins the herds of wild horses in Colorado
U.S. officials say the ever-growing population of wild horses that roam federal lands in Colorado is depleting natural resources. But some activists say efforts to remove the horses are inhumane.