23 Items Tagged

Algae

Meet the Algae and Other Microbes in Your Neighborhood

All you need is a jar of local water and a microscope—you may even find new species. Welcome to Algae Obscura.

Julia Van Etten August 15, 2023

A bald eagle catches a coot in its talons at Orlando Wetlands Park in February 2023. The park—a natural wastewater treatment facility—attracts more than 230 bird species, as well as alligators, turtles, bobcats, and other wildlife.

This Orlando Water Park Is Wild. No, Really.

At Orlando Wetlands Park, water goes for a ride—through a natural filtration process—and attracts birds, gators, and more.

Gemma Tarlach May 9, 2023

In the Caribbean's Lesser Antilles archipelago, this aerial shot from April 2015 shows sargassum seaweed creeping toward a beach on Grande-Terre, which is part of the island of Guadeloupe, one of France's overseas <em>départements</em>.

10 Photos of Seaweed Blobs That Will Blow Your Mind

As a supersized sargassum bloom heads toward Florida and the Caribbean, we take a closer look at past big blobs.

Sarah Durn April 5, 2023

By the beginning of June, sea snot was thick off the coast of Turkey.

What in the World Is Sea Snot?

And why is it fouling the coast around Istanbul?

Jessica Leigh Hester June 4, 2021

The slight crunch underfoot is a biocrust—critical to healthy ecosystems.

Biocrusts Are an Entire World Beneath Our Feet

New research in Brazil highlights how distinctive the "living skin" of the planet can be.

Ellie Shechet February 17, 2021

An elephant sits in the waters of the Okavango Delta in September 2019.

Botswana Says It's Solved the Mystery of a Mass Elephant Die-Off

Conservationists were baffled when hundreds of elephants died in the Okavango Delta this summer.

Atlas Obscura September 21, 2020

U.K. researcher Andrew Gray geotags snow algae blooms on Anchorage Island, Antarctica.

In Antarctica, It's Not Easy Being Green

Yet vegetation persists there. And as the first large-scale algae map reveals, "green snow" acts as a carbon sink.

Luna Shyr June 1, 2020

Don't eat it!

Antarctica's Pretty Pink Snow Is Brought to You By Algae and Penguin Poop

“One animal’s waste is another animal’s banquet.”

Jessica Leigh Hester February 28, 2020

Checking In on the Algae of a Brooklyn Reservoir With a Microbiologist

Sally Warring knows a lot about what we can't see.

Sabrina Imbler December 10, 2019

Avshalom Cave.

Avshalom Cave

This amazing ancient cave was kept secret for seven years to protect it from the public.

The vibrant colors are enchanting but they may in fact be a sign of pollution.

China’s Dead Sea Is a Visual Feast

Yuncheng Lake is one of the country's oldest salt-production sites.

Reina Gattuso November 27, 2019

A pink boat for a pink lake. The water's color changes based on weather patterns and times of day.

The 'Dead Sea of Senegal' Is a Shocking Shade of Pink

Colored by algae and beloved by bathers, Lake Retba is a prime source of salt—and backbreaking labor.

Peter Yeung September 23, 2019

A beautifully red sheet of Welsh <em>Porphyra</em>, nori's British cousin.

How Pink Slime Saved Sushi

Kathleen Drew-Baker’s study of British algae helped rescue Japan's nori industry.

Sabrina Imbler July 18, 2019

A Divine Pine oyster from N. SEA. Oyster Company in Topsail Sound, North Carolina.

How North Carolinians Learned to Love Their Green Oysters

The seasonal delicacy was discarded for decades.

Jennifer Rice April 29, 2019

What is manna?

The Very Real Search for the Bible's Mythical Manna

Scholars, soldiers, and scientists have long puzzled over the supernatural substance.

Erica X Eisen March 18, 2019

Oh, the things that hit our earholes.

Overheard at Atlas Obscura in 2018

From bioluminescent fungus to random bone houses, here's what we talk about at the office.

Ella Morton December 27, 2018

Marimo balls in an aquarium.

An Adorable Algae Ball Mystery Has Been Solved

Sometimes marimo float, and sometimes they sink. But why?

Cara Giaimo August 22, 2018

Video • PinDrop

Why Is This Lake in Australia Bright Pink?