Hakai Magazine Audio Edition

by Brandon Keim • Little-appreciated, semiaquatic, and cute-as-hell, muskrats can survive almost anywhere. So where are they? The original story can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Paul Greenberg • As the Great Salt Lake in Utah shrinks, locals are working to preserve its critical brine shrimp fishery—along with the other entities that flourish in the lake’s strange, saline beauty. The original story, along with photos and video, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Ben Goldfarb • Millions of killer culverts lurk beneath North American roadways, strangling populations of migratory fish. Now with a nationwide project, the United States is trying to fix them. The original story can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Tommy Trenchard • Villagers hang onto the last patch of Sierra Leone’s Nyangai Island, knowing that their home may soon disappear. The original story, along with many photos, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Trina Moyles • Active in daylight during the Arctic summer and hibernating during the long winter nights, Alaska’s little brown bats are a unique population. Can their niche lives help them avoid white-nose syndrome? The original story, along with photos, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Moira Donovan • As dams come down on the Skutik River, the once-demonized alewife—a fish beloved by the Passamaquoddy—gets a second chance at life. The original story, along with photos, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Brian Payton • How scientists, volunteers, and incarcerated women are finding hope and metamorphosis through supporting a struggling butterfly. The original story, along with gorgeous photos, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Marina Wang • With little enforcement or legal culpability, social media helps wildlife trafficking thrive in plain sight. The original story, along with photos, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Megan Gannon • In Alaska, residents are negotiating a contentious relationship with musk oxen, which were introduced to the area decades ago without local consent. This story was originally published by High Country News, a magazine about the American West’s environment and communities, and is reproduced here with permission.

by Santiago Flórez • The rich fossil deposits in Colombia’s mountains could unlock a deeper understanding of ancient oceans—and the country’s paleontologists are struggling to do them justice. The original story, along with photos, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Brendan Borrell • The Pacific coast’s only native oyster is making a comeback, but it still needs a little help from its friends. The original story, along with photos, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Jeremy Miller • Diseases from land animals are killing marine mammals at an alarming rate. Can we stem the flow of feces? The original story, along with photos, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

In May 2021 Hakai Magazine published a five-episode mini podcast called The Sound Aquatic. While our team has a break over the holidays, we’re bringing you that series. Here’s the final episode, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.” By now, we know the ocean is anything but silent. Fish grunt, whales moan, reefs roar with the deafening sound of snapping shrimp, and even natural sounds like waves and rain can be heard throughout the ocean. But people have taken it to the next (decibel) level, with global shipping, oil and gas rigs and exploration, sonar, and fishing and recreational boats. Can we learn to be good neighbors and turn the noise down? On this final episode of The Sound Aquatic, we try to find out. Find show notes and a transcript at hakaimagazine.com/the-sound-aquatic.

In May 2021 Hakai Magazine published a five-episode mini podcast called The Sound Aquatic. While our team has a break over the holidays, we’re bringing you that series. Here’s the fourth episode, “Learning to Speak Whale.” “Culture” is a tricky thing to define—anthropologists still don’t totally agree what comes under its umbrella. But by any measure, it’s getting clearer and clearer that humans aren’t the only ones who have it. And below the waves you’ll find some of the most famous and mysterious nonhuman cultures of all. Find show notes and a transcript at hakaimagazine.com/the-sound-aquatic.

In May 2021 Hakai Magazine published a five-episode mini podcast called The Sound Aquatic. While our team has a break over the holidays, we’re bringing you that series. Here’s the third episode, “Plenty of Fish.” Ah, l’amour. Finding a mate is a big part of life for all animals and those beneath the waves are no exception. Of course, this search for love often involves—you guessed it—sounds. From the booming grunt of a fish trying to lure a lucky lady to his lair, to the mournful moan of a whale, sending out deep, loud sounds across ocean basins to potential mates from far, far away, this episode of The Sound Aquatic listens in on love beneath the waves. Find show notes and a transcript at hakaimagazine.com/the-sound-aquatic.

In May 2021 Hakai Magazine published a five-episode mini podcast called The Sound Aquatic. While our team has a break over the holidays, we’re bringing you that series. Here’s the second episode, “How Not to Get Lost in the Ocean.” Sound travels far underwater. And it travels fast, too—about four and a half times faster than it does through air. So it’s no wonder animals use sound to find their way around. Imagine being able to “see” your way through pitch black depths just by listening to the waves, other creatures, or even ambient noise, such as mudslides; or being able to make clicks and use their echoes to build a picture of the space around you. In this episode, we look at how marine animals from whales to fish (and even tiny fish larvae) use sound to navigate their world, using it for everything from finding a good place to call home to the next bite to eat. Find show notes and a transcript at hakaimagazine.com/the-sound-aquatic.

In May 2021 Hakai Magazine published a five-episode mini podcast called The Sound Aquatic. While our team has a break over the holidays, we’re bringing you that series. Here’s the first episode, “Can You Hear Me Now?” When Elin Kelsey and the producers of The Sound Aquatic podcast first gathered in early 2020 to create a podcast about ocean sounds, they had no idea what an amazingly unique year 2020 would be for anyone listening in on the ocean. In this episode, Elin takes a deep dive into the wonderful world of fish sounds and finds out what makes the Anthropause—as some experts are calling it—the world’s most expensive experiment. Find show notes and a transcript at hakaimagazine.com/the-sound-aquatic.

by Adam Robertson Charlton • As conflict rages around them, Ukrainian conservationists persevere in restoring the Danube Delta, one of Europe’s most prized ecosystems. The original story, along with photos, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Moira Donovan • In a dark, unexplored layer of ocean, a hidden cache of fish might play an unexpected role in our climate’s future. It seems like a bad time for a new fishery. The original story, along with photos, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.

by Brian Payton • Canada jays thrive in the cold. The life’s work of one biologist gives us clues as to how they’ll fare in a hotter world. The original story, along with photos, can be found on hakaimagazine.com.