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Native Knowledge of the Narwhal

The narwhal is an elusive mammal. During the winter months they feed in the deep...

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Brittle Star Splits

Splitting your body in two is a feat only a few animals can complete, and now...

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The Story of Stashed Whale Baleen

In 2012, John Ososky, a specimen preparator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum...

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Citizens of the High Seas

In a world where land is partitioned into countries with defined borders, the ocean...

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Sickness in the Sea: A Coral Plague Hits Florida

Florida corals had a rough 2014. During that year higher than normal ocean...

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A Century of Whales at the Smithsonian

Whales have been at the heart of Smithsonian research since 1850, when Spencer...

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The Evolution of a Reef Aquarium

In the late 1970s, Walter Adey, a paleobiologist and coral reef researcher at the...

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Ocean Objects of Wonder

As humans, we are constantly learning. Not only as individuals from the moment we...

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Flippers or Feet? An Extinct Mammal May Have Been Replaced By Today's Sea Cows

In the seagrass beds and kelp forests of the Oligocene-Miocene transition, nearly...

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Whale Earwax: What You Can Learn From Strange Collections

Ever collected something a bit strange? Snow globes, pens, stamps and coins are...

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Why the Littlest Fish Matter a Whole Lot

Top predators along the California coast are having a rough year. Recently starving...

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Keeping An Ear Out For Whale Evolution

Large whales are notoriously hard to study. Except when rising to breathe, they...