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High Country News

High Country News

A nonprofit independent magazine of unblinking journalism that shines a light on all of the complexities of the West.

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Ocean

Posted inArticles

How an unexpected storm reshaped Alaska’s west coast

by Emily Schwing August 7, 2024August 8, 2024

Disaster recovery is a long game and the boats and driftwood that pepper Western Alaska’s tundra are the perfect reminder.

Posted inJuly 2024

The California artists illuminating kelp

by Kate Fishman July 1, 2024June 28, 2024

How art and science can build hope for a threatened underwater species.

Posted inMay 2024: A River Returns

An all-lady seal-hunting crew

by Laureli Ivanoff May 1, 2024April 30, 2024

Seeking sustenance from the sea.

Posted inArticles

When dams come down, what happens to the ocean?

by Natalia Mesa April 19, 2024August 8, 2024

A long-term study of the Elwha River Delta reveals lasting change — and a healthier ecosystem.

Scene through end of a pipe.
Posted inArticles

Fixing culverts can save migratory fish

by Ben Goldfarb March 27, 2024March 27, 2024

A billion-dollar program is unblocking millions of killer culverts across the nation to help fish get to spawning grounds.

Posted inJanuary 11, 2024: The Creatures in Our Midst

Reviving the Samish Tribe’s kelp

by Natalia Mesa February 1, 2024February 6, 2024

Researchers are documenting the decline of once-plentiful kelp beds in an effort to reverse the trend.

Posted inJanuary 1, 2024: January 2024

Defending the Tijuana Estuary

by Ruxandra Guidi January 1, 2024April 22, 2024

Stewardship saved a Southern California estuary from development. Climate change is the next challenge.

Posted inJanuary 1, 2024: January 2024

Big-eared bats, badass boulders and very determined hikers

by Tiffany Midge January 1, 2024February 6, 2024

Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.

Posted inJanuary 1, 2024: January 2024

How 3 Indigenous women are leading the way on climate change

by B. ‘Toastie’ Oaster, Anna V. Smith and Joaqlin Estus December 28, 2023January 31, 2024

These experts bring knowledge and justice to the climate conversation.

Posted inJune 1, 2023: Seen and Unseen

Ferry felines, ornithopters and Tokitae going home at last!

by Tiffany Midge June 1, 2023January 24, 2024

Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.

The northern Pacific Ocean, from the NOAA Bell M. Shimada by Dr. Laurie Weitkamp.
Posted inArticles

Will the new U.N. High Seas Treaty help protect Pacific salmon?

by Sarah Trent April 13, 2023January 24, 2024

In March, conservationists worldwide celebrated the historic agreement, which governs the ocean waters where salmon spend most of their lives.

Posted inArticles

The terrible toll of the cruise ship industry

by Andrew Engelson March 29, 2023January 24, 2024

Noise pollution, mounds of trash and an inordinate influx of humanity damage ecosystems from Washington to Alaska.

Posted inMarch 1, 2023: Moving Parts

A little pickle, a fireball and an Indigenous astronaut

by Tiffany Midge March 1, 2023January 24, 2024

Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.

Posted inFebruary 1, 2023: The Reveal

This Washington experiment could rebuild eroding coastlines

by Sarah Trent January 27, 2023January 24, 2024

In 2016, David Cottrell dropped $400 worth of rock on Washaway Beach to see what would happen. Now engineers are watching, too.

Posted inDecember 1, 2022: Beyond Illusion

What emerges at low tide

by Sabrina Imbler December 1, 2022January 24, 2024

Queer history is all around us, even if it is obscured from sight.

Posted inJanuary 1, 2023: Ripple Effects

Why the country’s largest shellfish farm is struggling to hire and retain workers

by Mara Kardas-Nelson October 3, 2022January 26, 2024

And how it’s dealing with climate change and housing costs to make back-breaking work a little easier.

Posted inArticles

Returning sea otters to Oregon could revive kelp forests

by Sarah Trent August 17, 2022January 24, 2024

Reintroduction of the marine mammals may restore coastal ecosystems but also threatens shellfish industries and tribal self-governance.

Posted inArticles

Alaska environmentalists disappointed by Inflation Reduction Act compromise

by Avery Lill August 16, 2022January 24, 2024

The bill includes historic investments in climate programs — and expands oil and gas leasing in Alaska’s Cook Inlet.

Posted inArticles

Deep-sea mining creates a ‘cylinder of sound’ risking impacts on marine life

by Karen McVeigh July 12, 2022January 24, 2024

A new report shows that noise from just one mine could travel more than 300 miles across the ocean.

Posted inArticles

Snail scars provide insight into crab population changes

by Marina Wang May 18, 2022January 24, 2024

Small chips in snail shells provide a 100,000-year record on California’s crustaceans.

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