Science

Uncertainty for Alaskan Salmon as Mining Companies Dig In

WILD ALASKAN SALMON are a gold standard for American seafood. The long journey from the river to the ocean and back builds the muscle mass that gives the fish their distinct texture and flavor, and the clean rivers of the north produce seafood with very low levels of mercury and other contaminants. Indigenous communities have been harvesting salmon […]

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Science

For Creatures of the Night, a Growing Threat in Artificial Light

A FEW YEARS AFTER a public-private partnership established the Nature Reserve of Orange County to protect and restore southern California’s rare coastal sage scrub habitat, biologists documented the presence of 35 native reptiles and amphibians on the 37,000-acre site. They also noted two conspicuous absences: the California glossy snake and the long-nosed snake … (READ MORE at […]

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California | Science

The Gold Rush Returns to California

ON THE OUTSKIRTS of the northern California town of Grass Valley, a massive concrete silo looms over the weeds and crumbling pavement. Nearby, unseen, a mine shaft drops 3,400 feet into the earth. These are the remains of Grass Valley’s Idaho-Maryland Mine, a relic from the town’s gold mining past. Numerous mines like this one once […]

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Science

To Save the Redwoods, Scientists Debate Burning and Logging

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE travel to California’s redwood forests every year to marvel at the few remaining stands of old-growth trees. Sequoia sempervirens, or the coast redwood, thrives in the damp climate along the Pacific Ocean. Some are more than 2,000 years old, and the tallest can reach 380 feet. The state is also home to a second […]

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