From 7 Wolves to 23 Pups: The World’s Only Wild Red Wolves Just Had Their Best Spring in Years
Six years ago, only seven red wolves were known in the wild and none were breeding. This spring, four wild families in North Carolina had 23 pups.
Children Walked Here 23,000 Years Ago: The White Sands Footprints Reveal the World They Lived In
New research at White Sands National Park finds human footprints on 20 layers, many from children, and reconstructs the sudden Ice Age drought those travelers lived through.
A Dying Star May Have Built a Brand-New Planet, and the Clue Sat in Hubble Data for Over 25 Years
In 1999, Hubble recorded about 100 chemical fingerprints from a dead star that nobody could identify. A Warwick PhD student finally cracked them, and the answer points to a planet that may have formed from its star’s own ashes.
Georgia’s Sea Turtles Just Had a Record Year: 4,292 Nests, Up From 358 in 2004
Loggerhead sea turtles laid a record 4,292 nests on Georgia beaches in 2026, up from just 358 in 2004. Here’s how volunteers, night patrols, and a clever fishing-net escape hatch helped.
Thought Extinct Twice, Black-Footed Ferrets Are Back on Arizona’s Prairies — 43 More Released in 2026
Arizona released 43 endangered black-footed ferrets in 2026. Here is how a ranch dog, 18 last survivors, and even a cloned ferret got this species back on the prairie.
From a Dozen Pairs to a Record Year: The Great Lakes Piping Plover Comeback
By 1990, only about a dozen pairs of Great Lakes piping plovers were left. In 2026, 99 pairs nested on all five Great Lakes and a record 184 chicks took flight.
Divers Rode a “Coral Torpedo” Into the Deep Gulf to Replant a Broken Reef
In spring 2026, a NOAA ship crew and technical divers outplanted propagated mesophotic corals on seafloor habitat still healing from the Deepwater Horizon spill — and photographed every step.
Four Astronauts Flew Around the Moon — and Brought Home Photos of Earth Rising Over Another World
In April 2026, Artemis II became the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years. NASA’s public-domain images from the voyage are as stunning as the milestone itself.
When Arctic Air Hit Florida, Rescuers Saved More Than 600 Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles
In February 2026, a historic cold snap left green turtles floating helpless in St. Joseph Bay. NOAA and partners pulled more than 600 to safety — and brought most of them home.
He Opened His Eyes Between Two Carcasses: How Alaska Saved Walrus Calf Annautaq
Near Point Lay, Iḷisaġvik intern Violet Anniskett saw a walrus carcass move — and found orphaned calf Annautaq. True story with authentic USGS public-domain photos.