Joe Spring
@joespring.bsky.social
Science journalist, Field and Lab Newsletter https://joespring.substack.com/ / Formerly Smithsonian Magazine, Outside Magazine, NOAA, USFWS, National Park Service / https://joespring.com/
There are a lot of insights in this conversation with @davidepstein.bsky.social that can benefit readers. joespring.substack.com/p/science-jo...
Science Journalist David Epstein Explains How Limits Can Help Us
His new book, Inside the Box, is packed with compelling stories of people and companies that benefited by having boundaries
joespring.substack.com
On Midway Atoll, mice have been eating nesting albatross alive. When an attempt to eradicate the rodents failed, this scientist wanted to find out why. joespring.substack.com/p/could-midw...
Could Midway Atoll’s Mice Offer a Window Into a Looming Conservation Problem?
The invasive rodents are eating nesting albatross alive on the atoll. Did a recent eradication attempt fail because the mammals are resistant to rodenticides?
joespring.substack.com
Last week the bioGraphic team learned that, owing to an ongoing financial deficit, the California Academy of Sciences—where we’ve made our home for the past decade—will no longer be able to provide us with financial support, including support we were expecting this year.
My latest for @sierramagazine.bsky.social is on a team of scientists who predicted scorpion distribution in Morocco. The researchers hope their efforts will aid public health. www.sierraclub.org/sierra/these...
These Scientists Just Mapped Scorpion Hot Spots. Here’s Why You Should Care.
An international team working in Morocco produced findings that could have implications for public health
sierraclub.org
A mixtape of some of my favorite sports and adventure docs... joespring.substack.com/p/the-25-bes...
The 25 Best Sports and Adventure Documentaries of the 21st Century
My favorite films on climbing, basketball, soccer, surfing, and more
joespring.substack.com
A veteran marine biologist has a theory as to what's causing Hawaii's October uptick in shark bites. joespring.substack.com/p/is-hawaiis... @thesundaylongread.bsky.social
Is Hawaii’s October Spike in Shark Bites Driven by Postpartum Females?
New research suggests a seasonal increase in adult female tiger sharks in the Main Hawaiian Islands—and the body condition of some new mothers—may lead to more bites on humans
joespring.substack.com
Shark bites in Hawaii are rare, but happen more often in October than any other month. A veteran shark researcher just released a new study offering explanations why. Here's his story... joespring.substack.com/p/is-hawaiis...
Is Hawaii’s October Spike in Shark Bites Driven by Postpartum Females?
New research suggests a seasonal increase in adult female tiger sharks in the Main Hawaiian Islands—and the body condition of some new mothers—may lead to more bites on humans
joespring.substack.com
Polynesian navigator Nainoa Thompson is one of the most revered Hawaiians. This moment captures his early passion for learning how to navigate using the stars. joespring.substack.com/p/one-sure-s...
One Sure Sign You’re Dedicated to Celestial Navigation
In Hawaiki Rising, Sam Low tells the story of Polynesian navigator Nainoa Thompson and the oceangoing canoe Hōkūleʻa
joespring.substack.com
This feature on the impacts of recent cuts at NASA is alarming www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202... @thesundaylongread.bsky.social By @theatlantic.com @rossandersen.bsky.social
An Act of Cosmic Sabotage
How Donald Trump tried to ground NASA’s science missions
theatlantic.com
New research shows other sharks stay away when tiger sharks are on the prowl. www.sierraclub.org/sierra/when-... @sierramagazine.bsky.social
When Tiger Sharks Show Up to Hunt Seabirds, Other Sharks Steer Clear
Smaller Galápagos and gray reef sharks change their behavior, likely to reduce competition or out of fear
sierraclub.org
Exceptional story about a lead surgeon’s first infant heart transplant. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/w... @thesundaylongread.bsky.social @nytimes.com By Simar Bajaj
90 Minutes to Give Baby Luna a New Heart
nytimes.com
How do you simulate a tree well burial to study the body’s response to hanging upside down in snow? Here’s how these scientists did it. open.substack.com/pub/joesprin...
Would You Let Someone Bury You Upside Down in Snow for an Hour?
What about for science?
open.substack.com
I’m coming to this one late, but what a stellar longform feature on an overlooked sports journalist. @emilysohn.bsky.social’s @longlead.com story on SI’s Virginia Kraft is great. thecatch.longlead.com
Sports Illustrated's Forgotten Pioneer
In the Mad Men era of magazine journalism, Virginia Kraft was a globe-trotting writer and a deadly shot with a rifle. Why hasn't anyone heard of her?
thecatch.longlead.com
During several years working as a sea turtle field biologist, I heard a few main calls from Hawaiian monk seals. I had no idea they had such a varied vocabulary underwater. My latest for @sierramagazine.bsky.social... www.sierraclub.org/sierra/growl... @noaa.gov
From Growl-Rumble-Whoops to Moan-Whines: Hawaiian Monk Seals Have a Vocal Repertoire Full of Surprises
The endangered species is the only pinniped known to string together vocalizations with no break
sierraclub.org
Midway Atoll has a new cam that allows you to see intimate moments in the lives of Laysan albatrosses. I wrote an article for @smithsonianmag.bsky.social about what to watch for... @friendsofmidway.bsky.social, @explorerwieteke.bsky.social www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
Stream the Beautiful Highs and Violent Lows of Albatross Life With This New 24-Hour Camera on Midway Atoll
You can see the large white seabirds dancing, preening, feeding and raising young—though the live feed might show a dark side of island living, too, with potential predation from invasive mice
smithsonianmag.com
Grateful @smithsonianmag.bsky.social's Carlyn Kranking let me share a few of my favorite reads for the year end list of the top science books—titles by @carlzimmer.com, Ben Weissenbach, and Alex Hutchinson. www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
The Ten Best Science Books of 2025
From “experimental archaeology” to the mysterious appeal of exploration, the wide-ranging subjects detailed in these titles captivated Smithsonian magazine’s science contributors this year
smithsonianmag.com
Loved this chat with the talented KT Bryden. open.substack.com/pub/joesprin...
Environmental Filmmaker KT Bryden Shares the Story Behind “The Little Brown Bird”
The 31-year-old director, cinematographer, and producer talks about her moving documentary on the Florida grasshopper sparrow
open.substack.com
Some recent classification changes gave me the chance to write about some of my favorite seabirds, the beautiful and quirky white-terns. joespring.substack.com/p/this-ether...
This Ethereal Seabird Recently Became Three Species
Scientists have changed the classifications of white terns, elegant seabirds that inspire awe and amusement
joespring.substack.com
❗Reminder: The application deadline for the @theopennotebook.bsky.social early-career fellowship is this Friday, October 31. This fellowship is: ✅ Paid ($6,600) ✅ Part-time ✅ Remote ✅ Mentored ✅ Open to applicants anywhere in the world Learn more here: www.theopennotebook.com/early-career...
Early-Career Fellowship Program - The Open Notebook
Every year, The Open Notebook offers a paid, part-time fellowship program for early-career science journalists. This ten-month program offers fellows the opportunity to explore their career interests ...
theopennotebook.com
A brief review of the best environmental documentary I've seen this year—which you can watch for free. joespring.substack.com/p/so-much-de...
So Much Depends on a Little Brown Bird
By working to save America’s most endangered songbird, a dedicated team is helping to protect Florida’s dry prairie
joespring.substack.com
It's pub day for The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2025, and the whole Best American series. I'm so proud of this book and all the brilliant, beautiful writing @susanorlean.bsky.social selected for it. bookshop.org/p/books/the-...
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2025
Check out The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2025 - <p>“The best science and nature writing—which these stories represent—reminds us of the wide world and our connection to...
bookshop.org
Another great dispatch here from @aaasmassmedia.bsky.social fellow @amberonradio.bsky.social, on how native species can help Altadena recover after the fires. www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
After the L.A. Fires, Locals Turn to Native Plants to Help Shield Homes From Flames and Clean Contaminated Soil
Scientists and community members in Altadena are testing ways that California species can assist efforts to rebuild
smithsonianmag.com
So cool to see @rudymolinek.bsky.social's @smithsonianmag.bsky.social piece on the long, strange history of Teflon on the notable list for The Best American Science and Nature Writing. Thanks @jaimealyse.bsky.social jaimealyse.beehiiv.com/p/basnw25
Coming soon! The Best American Science & Nature Writing 2025
Discover the 2025 Best American Science & Nature Writing anthology, curated by Susan Orlean and featuring exceptional science writing that explores the wonders of our natural world.
jaimealyse.beehiiv.com
Sometime around the turn of the 20th century, the sea mink disappeared from Maine's coastal waters. Its loss came during a rush of North American extinctions, but many today have never even heard of it. My latest for Smithsonian: #wildlife #maine #extinction www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
The Life, Loss and Lore of the Sea Mink
It might be among the first mammals to go extinct in North America after colonization. But can scientists prove it was even a distinct species?
smithsonianmag.com
Great dispatch here by @jessicaleighhester.bsky.social on how researchers are studying seagull upchuck to learn about human pollution. www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
Gulls’ Spit-Up Gunk Can Help Ecologists Understand Human Pollution
Researchers and student volunteers pick up what seabirds throw up, then examine it for clues about our impact on the environment
smithsonianmag.com
After a fun 5+ years, I'm ending my run as digital science features editor at Smithsonian. I’m so thankful to the talented editors and writers I worked with. I’ll be freelancing, writing a newsletter (below), and more. Please reach out if you have any writing or editing needs. joespring.substack.com
Field and Lab | Joe Spring | Substack
Dispatches on science, sports, adventure, and exploration. Click to read Field and Lab, by Joe Spring, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
joespring.substack.com
