A Decade After Asian Tsunami, New Forests Protect the Coast

The tsunami that struck Indonesia in 2004 obliterated vast areas of Aceh province. But villagers there are using an innovative microcredit scheme to restore mangrove forests and other coastal ecosystems that will serve as a natural barrier against future killer waves and storms.

Italy at Night

On a clear night looking east, the pattern of night lights shows populations concentrated mainly along the coastlines…

The Greenup of the Planet

Primary producers — plant life and ocean phytoplankton — play an integral part of the Earth system; some would say that they drive the entire biosphere. Plants and plankton influence the composition of the atmosphere, play a part in the water cycle, and regulate ocean chemistry.

After Steep Decline, Signs of Hope for World’s Sea Turtles

Nearly all sea turtle species have been classified as endangered, with precipitous declines in many populations in recent decades. But new protections, particularly in the U.S. and Central America, are demonstrating that dramatic recovery for these remarkable reptiles is possible.