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This portrait of William Dampier hangs in London’s National Gallery in recognition of his contribution to natural history.
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William Dampier - The Pirate Who Collected Plants

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Swimmers brave the waters in the shadow of a coal-fired power plant. Coal plants like this one emit CO2 into our atmosphere which is warming the planet and altering the chemistry of the ocean.
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Climate Change

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Martha Nizinski holds a squat lobster over a petri dish.
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Martha Nizinski and Squat Lobster

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An oil drilling platform in oil-free water two years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Gulf Oil Spill

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On average, Arctic sea ice has decreased by four percent per decade since the late 1970s.
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Sea Level Rise

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Thousands of leaders and activists from across the planet converged at the UN Climate Change Summit in December 2009.
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Climate Change Summit, Copenhagen

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During what is known as the Golden Age of Piracy, pirates reaped great rewards—and, if they were caught, faced terrible punishments. Here are some of the most legendary pirates of that time.
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Dividing Up the Treasure

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The Cook islands banknote
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Sharks and Humans: A Love-Hate Story

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Illustrations of radiolarians from Ernst Haeckel.
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Radiolarians

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Smithsonian scientists race the tide the excavate an ancient whale fossil entombed in rock
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Racing the Tide

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Two Adélie penguins on Paulet Island, Antarctica
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Penguins

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A vaquita swim in the ocean.
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A History Entwined: Vaquita, Totoaba, Fishermen

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