#mussels

A mussel's hard outer shell already provides it with lots of protection, but Elliptio spinosa takes it to the next level! Altamaha spinymussels grow up to 5 spines in a row down the center of their shells, some of which can reach up to 2.5 cm (0.98 in) in length! In addition to extra predator deterrent, the spines also help the mussels to anchor themselves along the sandy river bottom.

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1. The world just gained a marine protected area the size of France

“The French Polynesian government announced that 520,000 square kilometers (200,000 square miles) of ocean surrounding the Austral and Marquesas Islands — two of the most biologically rich archipelagos on Earth — would receive the highest level of protection, where no mining, trawling or industrial fishing is permitted. [… These waters] host marine species found nowhere else on Earth, such as the Marquesan domino damselfish. They are also critical habitat for endangered sharks, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, as well as a key spawning ground for tuna.”

2. Minnesota now has a wind-powered green ammonia plant

“If the process can be scaled up, it could help ensure farmers have cheap, reliable fertilizer. […] As a stable, efficient carrier of hydrogen, the homegrown ammonia could eventually supply raw material for other types of fertilizers, transportation fuels, and high-temperature industrial processes like ironmaking. “It’s about 100 times cheaper to store and transport ammonia than hydrogen[….]””

3. A 5.3-million‑year‑old whale graveyard has been found on the floor of the Indian Ocean

“The site […] dates back more than 5 million years and is one of the deepest known whale-fall ecosystems in the world. [… It spans 746 miles and] contain[s] 476 whale fossils as well as five active whale falls[… which] were teeming with many strange-looking creatures, including jellyfish, brittle stars and bone-boring worms—many of which may be new to science, according to the researchers.”

4. Why Building Transmission Along Highways is Better for Birds

“[Audubon has] helped pass legislation allowing transmission lines to be built alongside highways in Minnesota, Colorado, and most recently Iowa. […] Utilizing existing corridors for new transmission lines is generally better for birds than building on previously undeveloped land, [because… since they] have already been cleared and managed for infrastructure like highways and railways, they reduce the risk of additional habitat loss and fragmentation.”

5. First Live White Abalone Found in 5 Years During Channel Islands Survey Sparks Hope for Recovery

“On May 12th, 2026, a research mission aboard the [NOAA] research vessel Shearwater identified a living white abalone as part of the Wanted Alive! White Abalone campaign that engages citizen scientists and recreational divers to record potential sightings of the creature. […] The team also successfully deployed the new eDNA sampler and collected samples for future analysis.”

Pham Van Huong is a particularly resourceful 71-year-old farmer in Vietnam.

Tide-pooling at Botanical Beach, Port Renfrew, BC