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The Coastal Naturalist

A science-grounded voice explaining the ecology, marine biology, and natural systems of the Andaman coast

46 articles

Articles by The Coastal Naturalist

Smithsonian’s Shimmering Ammonite Shells Turn Ancient Seas Into Something You Can See

Smithsonian’s Shimmering Ammonite Shells Turn Ancient Seas Into Something You Can See

A new Smithsonian display makes one deep-time lesson instantly vivid: some ammonite shells still flash rainbow color 69...

The Deep Ocean Opens a Window in the Cook Islands This July

The Deep Ocean Opens a Window in the Cook Islands This July

A 26-day NOAA and Cook Islands expedition is turning one of the Pacific’s least-seen seafloors into a live public classr...

Goblin Sharks Step Into View as Scientists Film Them Alive in the Deep Ocean

Goblin Sharks Step Into View as Scientists Film Them Alive in the Deep Ocean

Two rare sightings have given scientists their first clear look at goblin sharks alive where they truly live. The footag...

Ocean Census Turns 1,121 New Sea Creatures Into a Living Field Guide

Ocean Census Turns 1,121 New Sea Creatures Into a Living Field Guide

A joyful year of Ocean Census expeditions has added 1,121 newly discovered marine species to science, from ghost sharks...

Deep-Sea Pressure Turns Marine Snow Into a Tiny Feast

Deep-Sea Pressure Turns Marine Snow Into a Tiny Feast

A new marine-science study shows how intense pressure can squeeze carbon and nitrogen from sinking “marine snow,” giving...

Ocean Census Turns New Sea Life Into Names We Can Share

Ocean Census Turns New Sea Life Into Names We Can Share

In July 2026, Ocean Census scientists are gathering in Buenos Aires to study deep-sea finds from Argentina’s Mar del Pla...

Fourteen Green Turtles Make the Andaman Sea Feel Brightly Alive

Fourteen Green Turtles Make the Andaman Sea Feel Brightly Alive

A small group of green sea turtles released into the Andaman Sea turns into a joyful lesson in coastal care, seagrass ec...

Shells Are Tiny Maps of Ocean Discovery

Shells Are Tiny Maps of Ocean Discovery

A fresh wave of ocean discovery is making shells feel even more magical. From deep-sea mussels to Andaman beach finds, e...

Tiny Worms in a Glass Castle Make the Deep Sea Feel Wonderfully Alive

Tiny Worms in a Glass Castle Make the Deep Sea Feel Wonderfully Alive

A Japan deep-sea expedition has confirmed 38 new species, including two tiny worms living inside a translucent glass spo...

Two Hundred Baby Sharks Are Quietly Bringing the Andaman Reefs Back to Life

Two Hundred Baby Sharks Are Quietly Bringing the Andaman Reefs Back to Life

Since 2018, a Khao Lak conservation team has bred and released 200 brownbanded bamboo sharks into the Andaman Sea — smal...

1,121 New Sea Creatures Make the Ocean Feel Wonderfully Alive

1,121 New Sea Creatures Make the Ocean Feel Wonderfully Alive

Ocean Census scientists have added 1,121 newly identified marine species in a single year. For shell lovers on the Andam...

The Ocean Just Added 1,121 New Pages to Its Living Library

The Ocean Just Added 1,121 New Pages to Its Living Library

Scientists are documenting ocean life at an astonishing pace, from transparent midwater animals off Brazil to tiny speci...