Critters (Other than Sharks)

From sea turtles to tree frogs to naked sea butterflies, we’ve published material on all kinds of critters. And there’s much more in our Sharks section, too.

Ecology, Psychology, and the Art of Being You
An Interview with Dr. J. Drew Lanham, MacArthur Fellow
in the Summer 2023 issue
“There’s an art to being who you are. And there’s a science to it.”

Naturalist’s Notebook
Who Wants to See a 30-Foot Jellyfish?
in the Summer 2023 issue
Could personal subs help locate an elusive species?

3D Research
Who Wants to Look at a Dead Whale?
in the Spring 2023 issue
New tech can access animal remains in remote areas.

Emerging Contaminants
The Autoimmune Effects of Exposure to PFAS
in the Spring 2023 issue
Why Do These Alligators Have Infections?

Science & Social Media
Twitter and the Red Tides
in the Spring 2023 issue
Can social media provide a real-time map of red tide events?

News in Archeology
Neanderthals Cooked and Ate Crabs 90,000 Years Ago
in the Spring 2023 issue
Even cave dwellers loved seafood.

Naturalist’s Notebook
Hurricanes, People, and Piping Plovers
in the Spring 2023 issue
A new study looked at the long-term mating habits of these birds before and after protective measures went into effect.

Healthy Ecosystems
How Much Ocean Floor Do Natural Reefs Occupy?
in the Spring 2023 issue
And how much more territory belongs to natural reefs than to artificial reefs?

Our Coast, Our Future:
The 2022 North Carolina Coastal Conference
videos, photos, resources
in the Winter 2022 issue
They came to Raleigh from across North Carolina, discussed urgent and emerging issues affecting our coast, forged new ties, and literally devoured new research for lunch — and you can watch it here.

Naturalist’s Notebook
Saving the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
with “This Bird Still Needs Our Help,” a video from Sci NC
in the Winter 2022 issue
Currently, 63 out of 124 known red-cockaded woodpecker populations are vulnerable to hurricanes, with 56 of those populations having low or very low ability to withstand environmental or demographic changes.

Sea Science
The Sound of the Drum
in the Winter 2022 issue
Can the calls of courting fish predict the numbers of new offspring? Listen to silver perch, spotted sea trout, and red drum.

Healthy Habitats:
How Do Restored Oyster Reefs Compare to Live Oyster Reefs?
in the Autumn 2022 issue
Restored oyster reefs become more similar to live reefs over time.

Sea Science:
Climate Change and the Northern Migration
in the Summer 2022 issue
Warming waters mean that more animals — including sea turtles, manatees, and sharks — will be on the move.

Are Warming Seas affecting how Blue Crabs escape Predators?
in the Spring 2022 issue
Along much of the North Carolina coast, seagrasses are a critical habitat for juvenile blue crabs, providing a refuge from predators.

Wings of Change
The Impacts of a Warming Climate on Birds of North Carolina
in the Spring 2022 issue
Extinction will threaten about two-thirds of America’s bird species if temperatures rise by 5.4 F before the turn of the century.

Podcasting a Wide Net
in the Winter 2021 issue
Student Journalists Offer Coastal Voices on Climate Change to a Worldwide Audience
“Our imaginations are broader than we think.”

Sea Science
How Do Humpback Whales Behave Around Busy Atlantic Seaports?
in the Winter 2021 issue
Research reveals what happens when humpback whales and boats of all sizes frequent the same high-traffic areas.

Naturalist’s Notebook
What’s the Status of American Eels in North Carolina’s Tidal Creeks?
in the Winter 2021 issue
Scientists looked at whether development on tidal creek terrain affected the survival rate of yellow-phase American eels.

This Wet and Water-Loving Land
Excerpts from Bland Simpson’s North Carolina: Land of Water, Land of Sky
in the Fall 2021 issue
“…the ibises kept on flying in, some just above the water, some suddenly lifting above it to five and even ten feet…”

Invasion on the Mudflats
in the Fall 2021 issue
New research reveals the impact of the invasive seaweed Gracilaria on hard clams and other intertidal bottom-dwellers.

Hook, Line, & Science
Oyster Reefs, Self-Releasing Hooks, and the Mysterious Wanderings of Southern Flounder
in the Fall 2021 issue
Creating no-harvest zones on oyster reefs also helps the fish and crustaceans that live on the reefs.

Naturalist’s Notebook
Do Water Snakes Get Thirsty?
in the Fall 2021 issue
A research team enters swampy terrain to hand-capture snakes and measure the reptiles’ sensitivity to dehydration.

Above and Below
in the Summer 2021 issue
Two projects explore very different effects of weather on surface water and groundwater in coastal NC.

The Butterfly Effect
in the Summer 2021 issue
A native Crystal Coast species inspires backyard stewardship.

Skedaddling Sea Turtles
in the Summer 2021 issue
Not only do the turtles dive longer and change locations, but their new behaviors linger after the storms have passed.

Sea Science: Crabitat
in the Spring 2021 issue
Blue crabs go through drastic changes in body shape and location as they age.

Sparrows and Rising Seas
in the Winter 2020 issue
Two coastal study sites now support hundreds of saltmarsh and seaside sparrows but might only provide habitat for 25 by 2060.

More Than Sand Dollars
in the Autumn 2020 issue
Beachcombers prize the iconic skeletons, but these creatures were masters of their environment when they were alive.

Is Climate Change Affecting Sea Turtle Hatchlings?
in the Autumn 2020 issue
Research shows that warming temperatures cause loggerheads to give birth mostly to female offspring.

Blood Draw at the Horseshoe Corral
in the Autumn 2020 issue
An essential medical safety test used around the world depends on horseshoe crab blood, and scientists may have discovered the key to a sustainable supply.

In Search of Ancient Oysters
in the Summer 2020 issue
Can the fossil record suggest how to protect a modern-day species?

An Underwater Soundscape Is Worth a Thousand Words
in the Spring 2020 issue
What can we learn by eavesdropping on the underwater conversations of fish?

The Greatest Show on the East Coast
in the Spring 2020 issue
The Outer Albemarle Peninsula offers some of the darkest skies on the U.S. Atlantic seaboard and a nightscape full of wildlife.

You Say Starfish, I Say Sea Star
in the Winter 2019 issue

Returning to Shore
in the Summer 2018 issue

Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex in the Sea
in the Summer 2017 issue

Restoring Our Oysters: Dealing with the Sponge Problem
in the Summer 2017 issue

Leave It To Beaver (Dams)
in the Autumn 2017 issue