DAME'S WILD WORLD

Growing up, I always thought zoos and aquariums were just places people visited for fun. You go with your family, look at animals you normally would never see in real life, maybe learn a few facts, and then leave. But the older I got, the more I started thinking about what zoos and aquariums actually are. Are they mainly helping conservation? Or are they mostly entertainment for humans? Honestly, I still think the answer is complicated. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (

If you are learning about oceans, lakes, or other bodies of water, you may have heard about something called a dead zone. A dead zone, also known as hypoxia, is an area of water where oxygen levels become too low for most marine life to survive normally. The more I researched dead zones, the more surprising they became to me. At first, they sound like isolated environmental problems. But many dead zones are actually connected to larger systems involving pollution, agriculture

When people think about marine ecosystems, they usually imagine whales, dolphins, fish, coral reefs, and other animals living underwater. Birds are often overlooked because they spend much of their time above the ocean instead of beneath it. But the more I researched seabirds, the more I realized birds are just as important to marine ecosystems as many underwater species. Even though they may not fully live underwater, seabirds still play major roles in ocean food webs, biodi

Many manmade structures that sink into the ocean are usually forgotten over time. But now, some marine scientists intentionally preserve or place structures underwater in order to create artificial reefs. Artificial reefs are human-made structures designed to support marine ecosystems by creating shelter, attracting marine life, and increasing biodiversity. The more I researched artificial reefs, the more I realized humans are not only affecting ocean habitats. In some cases,

Fishing can be a sport, a hobby, or a way people obtain food. An average person fishing recreationally usually does not heavily affect entire ecosystems. But industrial fisheries and corporations catch huge amounts of fish in order to meet global demand. When fish are removed faster than populations can replenish themselves, it creates a problem known as overfishing. According to the World Wildlife Fund, catching fish is not inherently harmful to the ocean unless fish are cau

Billions of years ago, the Pacific Ocean was a toxic wasteland. Now, it is home to massive ecosystems, marine life, and coastal cultures across the world. The Pacific Ocean is so large that even hundreds of years of research still do not fully cover everything inside it. According to NOAA, the Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean basin on Earth, covering more than 155 million square kilometers and averaging a depth of around 4,000 meters. The more I researched the P

Kelp forests are some of the most important ecosystems on the West Coast. Even though they may not look as colorful or visually dramatic as tropical coral reefs, kelp forests are incredible in their own way. Many people have heard about coral reefs, but some may not even know kelp forests exist despite how important they are to California’s ocean ecosystems. The more I researched kelp forests, the more I realized they function almost like underwater forests filled with life,

Algal blooms are affecting marine mammals in unexpected ways. From toxic waters to unusual behavior, here’s how ocean ecosystems are being disrupted.