On small islands scattered across the Pacific, changes in wildlife can be surprisingly easy to notice. A few more birds along the shoreline, coconut crabs appearing where they had become scarce, or native animals moving through places they once avoided can all point to a shift in the balance of an ecosystem. In Tuvalu, that…

A critically endangered female red handfish, Thymichthys politus. (Photo: Joel Sartore) For 20 years, photographer Joel Sartore has been building a huge visual record of the world’s animals. His project, called the Photo Ark, has now reached another major milestone with its 18,000th species- the critically endangered red handfish. The milestone photo was announced by…

For much of the summer, planet watchers have had to contend with bright dawn skies and awkward viewing angles. Several planets are beginning to emerge from the Sun’s glare, yet many remain difficult to pick out before sunrise. Saturn, however, gradually becomes easier to find as July progresses. By the end of the month, the…

Far out in the Atlantic, the concrete base of a floating wind turbine has been given an unusual second role. Instead of serving only as the underwater support for renewable energy equipment, parts of the structure are now carrying ropes, nets and collectors designed to grow marine species. Commercial divers attached equipment for oysters, clams,…