Fledging the nest!
Pufflings fledge around the time they reach six weeks old. Burfle, this year’s explore.org burrow cam puffling, fledged from the burrow just a day shy of its six-week birthday.
Quinn Burkhart Writer
writer + science communicator + outdoor adventurer
Baubles, Bangles, and Bands!
Inquiring minds want to know – how does banding a seabird impact their conservation? The research team on Pond Island NWR took some time to break down the process and explain the importance of this vital conservation tool.
Not with a Bang, but with a Fish!
On July 4, 1981, Evie Weinstein could hardly believe her eyes. An adult puffin had just returned to Eastern Egg Rock with fish in its bill. This was the signal that somewhere beneath the island’s granite boulders, a hungry puffin chick – or “puffling” – had hatched and was waiting for a meal. This meant that Project Puffin was a success!
Peak Hatch: Take 2!
Peak hatch comes in waves, and island research teams are reporting that “Wave Two” is well underway. With more fuzzy chicks being found each day, island teams are monitoring what they eat and how well they’re growing.
Soaring into the 2025 Seabird Season
It’s been a very soggy spring along Maine’s coastline. Not the type to let wet weather dampen their spirits, intrepid biologists have returned to seabird islands to listen to what birds tell us about their changing environments, and enthusiastic educators are sharing these stories and inspiring new audiences to act on behalf of birds and people.
Scientists use Summit supercomputer to explore exotic stellar phenomena | ORNL
Understanding how a thermonuclear flame spreads across the surface of a neutron star — and what that spreading can tell us about the relationship between the neutron star’s mass and its radius — can also reveal a lot about the star’s composition. Neutron stars — the compact remnants of supernova explosions — are found throughout the universe. Because most stars are in binary systems, it is possible for a neutron star to have a stellar companion. X-ray bursts occur when matter accumulates on the...
CyberShake study uses Summit supercomputer to investigate earthquake hazards
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Researchers at the Statewide California Earthquake Center, or SCEC, are unraveling the mysteries of earthquakes by using physics-based computational models running on high-performance computing systems at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The team's findings will provide a better understanding
Researchers at the Statewide California Earthquake Center, or SCEC, are unraveling the mysteries of earthquakes by using physics-based computational models running on high-performance computing systems at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The team's findings will provide a better understanding
Urgent Science | Chesapeake Bay Magazine
Citizen science, education, and crucial research come together along the Rhode River at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
By Marty LeGrand
The band on Sally Lechner’s floppy, broad-brimmed hat has sweated through. Her twin neckerchiefs barely absorb the effects of an afternoon in the mid-90s. But as she wipes her eyeglasses, the Edgewater resident looks as happy as a clam at high tide. “Look, look at what we’re standing on,” she says of the catwalk where researchers perch as t...
By Marty LeGrand
The band on Sally Lechner’s floppy, broad-brimmed hat has sweated through. Her twin neckerchiefs barely absorb the effects of an afternoon in the mid-90s. But as she wipes her eyeglasses, the Edgewater resident looks as happy as a clam at high tide. “Look, look at what we’re standing on,” she says of the catwalk where researchers perch as t...
May the Forest Be with You—SERC’s ForestGEO Census
We’ve known for years that many of Earth’s forests are dying out and struggling to replenish their populations. At the Forest Global Earth Observatory, or ForestGEO, scientists are attempting to get to the root of this issue. A global network of research sites and scientists, ForestGEO studies how climate change is affecting tropical and temperate forests globally. Worldwide, ForestGEO examines how forests are changing over time at 67 sites in 27 countries. This totals to about 12,000 species an
The Scientists’ Time Machine—Otherwise Known as Ginkgos
When the word fossil comes to mind, the first thing many people think of are dinosaurs. Of course, dinosaurs are long extinct. Yet, as crazy as it sounds, we can find ourselves walking under the shade of a special fossil that grew in the age of the dinosaurs too. We call this “fossil” a ginkgo tree–an ancient plant giving us a glimpse into the future.
All summer long, three passionate interns at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) have been hard at work studying a large plot of
All summer long, three passionate interns at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) have been hard at work studying a large plot of
The Invisible Flood: When We Can't Tell We're Drowning
Most people need to visit the ocean to get their sea water fix. But beneath their feet, those waters may already be closer than they think. “Saltwater intrusion,” which occurs when the sea level rises and pushes large amounts of saltwater onto the coast, is one of the most prominent—and least talked about—effects of climate change. Its influence on the Chesapeake Bay, one of the lowest regions in the United States, is gaining traction.
As the planet heats up, ice melts and warming water expands
As the planet heats up, ice melts and warming water expands
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