May 14, 2013 | 275 notes

Amazing Sea Butterflies Are the Ocean’s Canary in the Coal Mine Most climate change discussion focuses on the warmth of the air, but around one-quarter of the carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere dissolves into the ocean. Dissolved carbon dioxide makes seawater more acidic—a process called ocean acidification—and its effects have already been observed: the shells of sea butterflies, also known as pteropods, have begun dissolving in the Antarctic. But some pteropod species are proving to do just fine in more acidic water, while others have shells that dissolve quickly. So why do some species perish while others thrive? - Continue reading at Smithsonian.com. Photo: © Karen Osborn

Amazing Sea Butterflies Are the Ocean’s Canary in the Coal Mine

Most climate change discussion focuses on the warmth of the air, but around one-quarter of the carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere dissolves into the ocean. Dissolved carbon dioxide makes seawater more acidic—a process called ocean acidification—and its effects have already been observed: the shells of sea butterflies, also known as pteropods, have begun dissolving in the Antarctic.

But some pteropod species are proving to do just fine in more acidic water, while others have shells that dissolve quickly. So why do some species perish while others thrive? - Continue reading at Smithsonian.com.

Photo: © Karen Osborn

May 6, 2013 | 169 notes

Grand Prize Winner of Smithsonian Magazine’s 2012 Photo Contest The morning this photo was taken was unusually quiet, Olesen says. “I was about to pack my bags I heard this juvenile Spectacled Spiderhunter (Arachnothera flavigaster) calling ‘chi-chit, chi-chit,’ trying to attract the attention of its parents above while flapping its wings.” Olesen snapped as many shots possible before the bird flew away seconds later. “[It was] the highlight of my Borneo Trip.”Taken with a Nikon D3. Photo by Bjorn Olesen. Wallpaper download: Desktop | iPad Ed note: Check out the category winners from our photo contest here.

Grand Prize Winner of Smithsonian Magazine’s 2012 Photo Contest

The morning this photo was taken was unusually quiet, Olesen says. “I was about to pack my bags I heard this juvenile Spectacled Spiderhunter (Arachnothera flavigaster) calling ‘chi-chit, chi-chit,’ trying to attract the attention of its parents above while flapping its wings.” Olesen snapped as many shots possible before the bird flew away seconds later. “[It was] the highlight of my Borneo Trip.”

Taken with a Nikon D3. Photo by Bjorn Olesen.

Wallpaper download: Desktop | iPad

Ed note: Check out the category winners from our photo contest here.