2024 Science Story

For centuries, seaweed has been treasured in kitchens in Asia and neglected almost everywhere else. Today, seaweed is suddenly a hot global commodity. It’s attracting...

For centuries, seaweed has been treasured in kitchens in Asia and neglected almost everywhere else. Today, seaweed is suddenly a hot global commodity. It’s attracting new money and new purpose in all kinds of new places because of its potential to help tame some of the hazards of the modern age, not least climate change. In London, a start-up is making a plastic substitute out of seaweed. In Australia and Hawaii, others are racing to grow seaweed that, when fed to livestock, can cut methane from cow burps. Researchers are studying just how much carbon dioxide can be sequestered by seaweed farms, as investors eye them as a new source of carbon credits for polluters to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. And in South Korea, one of the most established seaweed growing countries in the world, farmers are struggling to keep up with growing export demand. But even as its champions see it as a miracle crop for a hotter planet, others worry that the zeal to farm the ocean could replicate some of the same damages of farming on land. Much is unknown about how seaweed farms, particularly those far offshore, can affect marine ecosystems. Seaweed is having its moment in the sun. It's being reimagined as a plastic substitute, even as cattle feed. But can seaweed thrive in a warming world? Seaweed farmers harvesting their crop on the sea near Geumdang Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea on Mar. 24th, 2022. What used to be mainly a relatively small Asian industry is now coveted by the West. Far beyond South Korea, new farms have cropped up in Maine, the Faroe Islands, Australia, even the North Sea. Globally, seaweed production has grown by nearly 75 percent in the past decade. [Story first published March 16, 2023]

A crew of Kim Nam-hoon, a seaweed (Undaria, called ‘Miyeok’ in Korea) farmer, cut the leaves of Miyeok as they harvested Miyeok, on the sea...

A crew of Kim Nam-hoon, a seaweed (Undaria, called ‘Miyeok’ in Korea) farmer, cut the leaves of Miyeok as they harvested Miyeok, on the sea near Geumdang Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on March 24th, 2022. [Story first published March 16, 2023]

Workers harvested Seaweed near Soan Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea on Mar. 25th, 2022. The nets shake and drop the seaweed into...

Workers harvested Seaweed near Soan Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea on Mar. 25th, 2022. The nets shake and drop the seaweed into the boxes after they were brought up from the sea. [Story first published March 16, 2023]

Kim Nam-hoon, a seaweed (Undaria, called ‘Miyeok’ in Korea) farmer harvesting Miyeok (under the sea) in the sea near Geumdang Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla...

Kim Nam-hoon, a seaweed (Undaria, called ‘Miyeok’ in Korea) farmer harvesting Miyeok (under the sea) in the sea near Geumdang Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on March 24th, 2022.[Story first published March 16, 2023]

After harvested seaweed has been auctioned, workers pack it up on Soan Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea on Mar. 25th, 2022. “Seaweed...

After harvested seaweed has been auctioned, workers pack it up on Soan Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea on Mar. 25th, 2022. “Seaweed protagonists believe seaweed is a cure to everything, that seaweed is a magical panacea for climate problems,” said David Koweek, chief scientist for Ocean Visions, a consortium of research organizations studying ocean-based interventions for the climate crisis. “Seaweed antagonists think seaweed is completely overhyped.” [Story first published March 16, 2023]

Farmers bring their seaweed harvests to be auctioned at Soan Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea on April 21st, 2022. [Story first published...

Farmers bring their seaweed harvests to be auctioned at Soan Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea on April 21st, 2022. [Story first published March 16, 2023]

Seo Dong-jun, top, a seaweed (Pyropia, called ‘Gim’ in Korea) farmer and his crew harvested on the sea near Seonjae-do, or Seonjae Island in Incheon-si...

Seo Dong-jun, top, a seaweed (Pyropia, called ‘Gim’ in Korea) farmer and his crew harvested on the sea near Seonjae-do, or Seonjae Island in Incheon-si or Incheon City, South Korea, on March 22nd, 2022. [Story first published March 16, 2023]

Kim Nam-hoon, a seaweed (Undaria, called ‘Miyeok’ in Korea) farmer driving the boat. With his crews, they harvested Miyoek on the sea near Geumdang Island...

Kim Nam-hoon, a seaweed (Undaria, called ‘Miyeok’ in Korea) farmer driving the boat. With his crews, they harvested Miyoek on the sea near Geumdang Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on March 24th, 2022. [Story first published March 16, 2023]

Soon-ok Goh, a slight 71-year-old, swims soundlessly in the shallow waters of Gijang, on the southern coast of South Korea on April 23rd, 2022. Ms....

Soon-ok Goh, a slight 71-year-old, swims soundlessly in the shallow waters of Gijang, on the southern coast of South Korea on April 23rd, 2022. Ms. Goh is among the last practitioners of a vanishing trade. Since the end of the 7th century, women like her have foraged for wild seaweed, along with other seafood, in the chilly waters around the Korean Peninsula. Her grandmother taught her the trade, Ms. Goh said, which is known as haenyeo, or the “sea women.” She has been diving since she was 9 years old. “People who do this kind of work are disappearing,” she said. “When I’m done, no one will do it.” With demand rising, old practices are getting pushed into the past. [Story first published March 16, 2023]

Workers at the auction on Soan Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. The seaweed is itself feeling the impact of climate change, particularly...

Workers at the auction on Soan Island in Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. The seaweed is itself feeling the impact of climate change, particularly in Asia. The water is warming and cold water varieties have a shorter growing season, so South Korean scientists are racing to breed strains that can thrive in warmer waters. [Story first published March 16, 2023]

Workers dry seaweed (Undaria, called ‘Miyeok’ in Korea) in the traditional way in Gijang-gun, near Busan-si or Busan City, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea on...

Workers dry seaweed (Undaria, called ‘Miyeok’ in Korea) in the traditional way in Gijang-gun, near Busan-si or Busan City, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea on Mar. 27th, 2022. [Story first published March 16, 2023]

Divers with FIRA, Korea Fisheries Resources Agency, move gamtae (a vareity of seaweed) and ecklonia cava (a type of algae) to their ship in Jeju...

Divers with FIRA, Korea Fisheries Resources Agency, move gamtae (a vareity of seaweed) and ecklonia cava (a type of algae) to their ship in Jeju Island, South Korea, on Nov. 9th, 2022. They are working on a sea reforestation project. Researchers say that gamtae can serve as a carbon dioxide sink. [Story first published March 16, 2023]

Estevão Santos, backdropped by one of his preferred mountains, points his binoculars looking for birds at the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Thursday....

Estevão Santos, backdropped by one of his preferred mountains, points his binoculars looking for birds at the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Thursday. April, 6, 2023. His deep sense of place and interest in all things of Cerrado transformed him in a an advocate for the endangered biome.

Estevão Santos, an 18 year old prodigy, amateur, self taught poet and naturalist roams through the cliffs, patches, gallery forest and savanic plains as he...

Estevão Santos, an 18 year old prodigy, amateur, self taught poet and naturalist roams through the cliffs, patches, gallery forest and savanic plains as he has been doing since he is 8 years old, in the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Thursday. April, 6, 2023 His deep sense of place and interest in all things of Cerrado transformed him in a an advocate for the endangered biome and its bird species.

Estevão Santos makes a pause under a beloved cave during a downpour in the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Thursday. April, 6, 2023....

Estevão Santos makes a pause under a beloved cave during a downpour in the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Thursday. April, 6, 2023. His poems, written while walking and observing species and ecosystem interactions, cultivate a deep sense of place and connection to it on a sensory level that rivals his own scientific methods of noting down every detail of bird behavior he can. He became one of the youngest amateur ornithologists in the country respect by academics and bird watchers and will launch his first poem book in 2024.

A Cliff Flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea) dives after flies on a lower level from a rock at the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Friday....

A Cliff Flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea) dives after flies on a lower level from a rock at the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Friday. April, 7, 2023. A mix of ancient rocky mountain ranges, cliffs and dense gallery forest valleys the park is home for endemic species under threat from the enclosing agricultural activity.

Estevão Santos finishes up one of the drawings in his notebook while roaming through the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Thursday. April, 6,...

Estevão Santos finishes up one of the drawings in his notebook while roaming through the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Thursday. April, 6, 2023.With dozens of notebooks filled with detailed information on the park’s species, including on species he discovered, he became one of the youngest amateur ornithologists in the country respected by academics and bird watchers.

A Yellow-bellied Seedeater perches on a branch while eating in the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Saturday. April, 8, 2023. The Cerrado, biome...

A Yellow-bellied Seedeater perches on a branch while eating in the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Saturday. April, 8, 2023. The Cerrado, biome where the park is located, is one of Brazil’s most imperiled biomes, specially now that the Amazon is under close scrutiny by the new government and a lot of illegal grabbing and clearing is happening in this savanic ecosystem, the world’s most biodiverse. According to DETER, the governamental monitoring device, while in the Amazon deforestation in Decembe 2023 totaled 175 km², confirming the downward trend, in the Cerrado deforestation rose from 220.49 km² in December 2022 to 454.57 km² in the last month.

Estevão Santos makes a pause under a beloved cave during a downpour in the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Thursday. April, 6, 2023....

Estevão Santos makes a pause under a beloved cave during a downpour in the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Thursday. April, 6, 2023. His poems, written while walking and observing species and ecosystem interactions, cultivate a deep sense of place and connection to it on a sensory level that rivals his own scientific methods of noting down every detail of bird behavior he can. He became one of the youngest amateur ornithologists in the country respect by academics and bird watchers and will launch his first poem book in 2024.

A Rufous tailed Jacamar by the margins of the Corumba river near the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Thursday. April, 6, 2023 His...

A Rufous tailed Jacamar by the margins of the Corumba river near the Pireneus State Park in Goias, central Brazil, Thursday. April, 6, 2023 His deep sense of place and interest in all things of Cerrado transformed him in a an advocate for the endangered biome.

The sun sets over the Rocky Mountain ranges of the Pireneus state park while rain pours over crop fields enclosing the park in Goias, central...

The sun sets over the Rocky Mountain ranges of the Pireneus state park while rain pours over crop fields enclosing the park in Goias, central Brazil, Friday. April, 7, 2023. The Cerrado, biome where the park is located, is one of Brazil’s most imperiled biomes, specially now that the Amazon is under close scrutiny by the new government and a lot of illegal grabbing and clearing is happening in this savanic ecosystem, the world’s most biodiverse. According to DETER, the governamental monitoring device, while in the Amazon deforestation in Decembe 2023 totaled 175 km², confirming the downward trend, in the Cerrado deforestation rose from 220.49 km² in December 2022 to 454.57 km² in the last month.

In the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacan (Mexico), a single latecomer joins the others for the night, stretching its wings as it maneuvers in...

In the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacan (Mexico), a single latecomer joins the others for the night, stretching its wings as it maneuvers in an attempt to squeeze into the popular roosting place. The butterflies’ extreme closeness offers protection and warmth.

Butterflies stream through the trees in El Rosario, a sanctuary within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán, Mexico. Migrating monarchs winter in the same...

Butterflies stream through the trees in El Rosario, a sanctuary within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán, Mexico. Migrating monarchs winter in the same oyamel fir groves that sheltered earlier generations.

Ever expanding avocado plantations approach the foothills of Cerro Pelón, a volcanic peak within the core zone of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, in Michoacán...

Ever expanding avocado plantations approach the foothills of Cerro Pelón, a volcanic peak within the core zone of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, in Michoacán (Mexico). Agricultural land use is one of the main threats to monarchs no matter where they live; the changing climate is another.

José Humberto García Miranda of the El Rosario community, at the heart of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán, plants oyamel fir saplings, which...

José Humberto García Miranda of the El Rosario community, at the heart of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán, plants oyamel fir saplings, which eventually will provide a winter home for migrating monarchs. The increased frequency of severe weather events caused by climate change is pushing local communities to experiment with new reforestation techniques in which “nurse plants” grow alongside the saplings to protect them from extreme temperatures.

A Monarch Butterfly caterpillar spends the night under a Milkweed plant close to a corn field in Henderson, Minnesota. Monarch caterpillars’ diet consists solely of...

A Monarch Butterfly caterpillar spends the night under a Milkweed plant close to a corn field in Henderson, Minnesota. Monarch caterpillars’ diet consists solely of milkweed, and they can consume 200 times their body weight in the toxic plant as they mature. That toxicity is passed on to the adult butterflies and serves as their primary defense against predators.A Monarch Butterfly caterpillar spends the night under a Milkweed plant close to a corn field in Henderson, Minnesota. Monarch caterpillars’ diet consists solely of milkweed, and they can consume 200 times their body weight in the toxic plant as they mature. That toxicity is passed on to the adult butterflies and serves as their primary defense against predators.

Wendy Caldwell, executive director of Monarch Joint Venture, and Timothy Fredricks of Bayer Crop Science (foreground) flag milk­weed near New Germany, Minnesota, as pilots Drew...

Wendy Caldwell, executive director of Monarch Joint Venture, and Timothy Fredricks of Bayer Crop Science (foreground) flag milk­weed near New Germany, Minnesota, as pilots Drew Smith and Christine Sanderson fly drones that survey milkweed abundance. Milkweed is the host plant of the Monarch Butterfly and it is essential for its survival. But this formerly common plant is rapidly disappearing from the prairies. Being able to quickly asses and monitor the population of existing milkweed is key for the Monarch's recovery plan.

Aerial view of restored native “prairie strips” among the soybean fields in Rowley, Iowa (USA). These contour-buffer strips of native plants are inserted into strategic...

Aerial view of restored native “prairie strips” among the soybean fields in Rowley, Iowa (USA). These contour-buffer strips of native plants are inserted into strategic locations within corn and soybean fields to protect the soil, conserve water, and provide habitat for pollinators, including Monarch Butterflies.

A female monarch near Ames, Iowa, forages for nectar sporting a movement-tracking radio transmitter that helps researchers analyze the butterfly's flight patterns and perceptual range...

A female monarch near Ames, Iowa, forages for nectar sporting a movement-tracking radio transmitter that helps researchers analyze the butterfly's flight patterns and perceptual range to see how future habitat plantings could be made more suitable

At Texas A&M University, Dr. Christine Merlin uses a Faraday Cage to test the flight direction of a Monarch Butterfly from her lab-raised colony as...

At Texas A&M University, Dr. Christine Merlin uses a Faraday Cage to test the flight direction of a Monarch Butterfly from her lab-raised colony as part of her research on understanding how the insects sense Earth’s magnetic fields.

Monarch Butterflies perched on trees that are close to a major highway near Monterrey, in Nuevo Leon (Mexico). Roadkill is estimated to kill up to...

Monarch Butterflies perched on trees that are close to a major highway near Monterrey, in Nuevo Leon (Mexico). Roadkill is estimated to kill up to 3% of the Monarchs every year during their fall migration. Light pollution from cities can also affect the insects' circadian clocks, possibly making it more difficult for them to rest at night and fly at the right time during their long migrations.

To celebrate the annual Day of the Dead, Sabino Marín Reyes cleans and decorates the graves of his relatives in Ejido Francisco Serrato, a Mazahua...

To celebrate the annual Day of the Dead, Sabino Marín Reyes cleans and decorates the graves of his relatives in Ejido Francisco Serrato, a Mazahua Indigenous community in Michoacán. The Mazahua believe that monarchs are the souls of their ancestors

Streaked with sunlight and crowded together for warmth in winter, Monarch Butterflies blanket fir trees in El Rosario Sanctuary. I requested special permits to work...

Streaked with sunlight and crowded together for warmth in winter, Monarch Butterflies blanket fir trees in El Rosario Sanctuary. I requested special permits to work outside the sanctuary’s operating hours and made this photograph shortly before sunset. Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Michoacan, Mexico

The remains of a house and cars are entangled in tree limbs in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March...

The remains of a house and cars are entangled in tree limbs in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 25, 2023. - At least 23 people died as violent storms and at least one tornado ripped through the southern US state of Mississippi, tearing off roofs and flattening neighborhoods, officials and residents said Saturday. The state's emergency management agency said at least four people were missing and dozens were injured, while tens of thousands of people in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee were without power.

Earnestine Hilu (C) sits with her family members outside of her destroyed house in Silver City, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area...

Earnestine Hilu (C) sits with her family members outside of her destroyed house in Silver City, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 26, 2023. - At least 23 people died as violent storms and at least one tornado ripped through the southern US state of Mississippi, tearing off roofs and flattening neighborhoods, officials and residents said Saturday. The state's emergency management agency said at least four people were missing and dozens were injured, while tens of thousands of people in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee were without power.

Aaliyah Parker packs clothes out of her destroyed house in Silver City, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 26, 2023. -...

Aaliyah Parker packs clothes out of her destroyed house in Silver City, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 26, 2023. - At least 23 people died as violent storms and at least one tornado ripped through the southern US state of Mississippi, tearing off roofs and flattening neighborhoods, officials and residents said Saturday. The state's emergency management agency said at least four people were missing and dozens were injured, while tens of thousands of people in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee were without power.

A man clears a damaged house in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 26, 2023. - At least 23...

A man clears a damaged house in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 26, 2023. - At least 23 people died as violent storms and at least one tornado ripped through the southern US state of Mississippi, tearing off roofs and flattening neighborhoods, officials and residents said Saturday. The state's emergency management agency said at least four people were missing and dozens were injured, while tens of thousands of people in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee were without power.

Destroyed house of Eddie Jones by a tornado is seen in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25, 2023. At least 23 people died as violent...

Destroyed house of Eddie Jones by a tornado is seen in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25, 2023. At least 23 people died as violent storms and at least one tornado ripped through the southern US state of Mississippi, tearing off roofs and flattening neighborhoods, officials and residents said Saturday. The state's emergency management agency said at least four people were missing and dozens were injured, while tens of thousands of people in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee were without power.

Tracy Harden owner of Chuck’s Dairy Bar cries as she stands near the walking cooler in which she along with 8 other took shelter as...

Tracy Harden owner of Chuck’s Dairy Bar cries as she stands near the walking cooler in which she along with 8 other took shelter as the tornado hit and destroyed her restaurant in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 27, 2023. When the lights at Chuck's Dairy Bar started flickering and the skies suddenly roared, Tracy Harden knew the tornado predicted Friday night in her small Mississippi town was going to be a lot more dangerous than she thought.

A fire fighter walks past a destroyed house of Andrea Larry as it catches fire in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in...

A fire fighter walks past a destroyed house of Andrea Larry as it catches fire in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 26, 2023. - At least 23 people died as violent storms and at least one tornado ripped through the southern US state of Mississippi, tearing off roofs and flattening neighborhoods, officials and residents said Saturday. The state's emergency management agency said at least four people were missing and dozens were injured, while tens of thousands of people in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee were without power.

This aerial view shows the walking cooler (top L) of Chuck’s Dairy Bar in which the owner Tracy Harden along with 8 other people took...

This aerial view shows the walking cooler (top L) of Chuck’s Dairy Bar in which the owner Tracy Harden along with 8 other people took shelter as the tornado hit and destroyed her restaurant in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area, on March 27, 2023. When the lights at Chuck's Dairy Bar started flickering and the skies suddenly roared, Tracy Harden knew the tornado predicted Friday night in her small Mississippi town was going to be a lot more dangerous than she thought.

Family of Phyllis Dawson clean her destroyed house in Silver City, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 26, 2023. - At...

Family of Phyllis Dawson clean her destroyed house in Silver City, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 26, 2023. - At least 23 people died as violent storms and at least one tornado ripped through the southern US state of Mississippi, tearing off roofs and flattening neighborhoods, officials and residents said Saturday. The state's emergency management agency said at least four people were missing and dozens were injured, while tens of thousands of people in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee were without power.

Aerial view of a destroyed neighborhood in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 27, 2023. Mississippi started clean-up operations...

Aerial view of a destroyed neighborhood in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 27, 2023. Mississippi started clean-up operations after a destructive tornado tore across the state, killing at least 25, shredding houses and largely wiping out the small town of Rolling Fork.