Tag Archives: Islands

The New York Times 9:00 am on May 24, 2021
Tags: , , , , Islands, ,   

The Perilous Hunt for Coconut Crabs on a Remote Polynesian Island

On Makatea, an uplifted coral atoll marred by decades of mining, searching for crabs often requires gambling with the treacherous terrain.

#coconuts, #crabs, #french-polynesia-france, #hunting-and-trapping, #islands, #mines-and-mining, #travel-and-vacations

Ars Technica 4:52 pm on April 29, 2021
Tags: , , , , Islands, ,   

Want to save an island’s coral reefs? Get rid of invasive rats

The stark surface of Redonda Island is turning green again.

Enlarge / The stark surface of Redonda Island is turning green again. (credit: Invertzoo)

Hundreds of years ago, Europeans were sailing the globe and “discovering” new parcels of land—and rats came along with them as stowaways. As crews made landfall on many islands, rats hopped off and made themselves new homes.

The rats prospered, outcompeting, eating, or otherwise driving off native species, and fragile island ecosystems suffered. However, new research suggests that these remote, isolated ecosystems can bounce back relatively quickly after conservation groups eliminate the rats, a practice that is becoming increasingly common. And the changes caused by the rats’ removal are even felt in offshore ecosystems.

Rats actually harm coral

Rats are not picky when it comes to food. They’ll happily chow down on fruit, seeds, nuts, insects, and almost anything else they can stomach. This has a notable impact on the islands’ terrestrial habitats. But in a stark yet roundabout way, rats also harm marine habitats.

Read 26 remaining paragraphs | Comments

#biology, #birds, #coral, #ecology, #islands, #rats, #science

The New York Times 10:00 am on December 28, 2020
Tags: , , , , Islands, , , , , , , , , , ,   

Revisiting the Unseen Corners of the World

During a year with limited travel possibilities, our World Through a Lens series offered Times readers a weekly escape. Here are some of the highlights.

#ecuador, #forests-and-forestry, #georgia, #great-britain, #islands, #karbala-iraq, #maine, #national-parks-monuments-and-seashores, #nuns, #photography, #quebec-province-canada, #road-trips, #rural-areas, #safaris, #sea-lions, #travel-and-vacations

The New York Times 8:56 pm on November 25, 2020
Tags: , , , Islands, , , , , ,   

Hawaii’s Fresh Water Leaks to the Ocean Through Underground Rivers

If the water could be pumped to the surface, it could help alleviate shortages on the island.

#aquifers, #geology, #hawaii-the-big-island, #islands, #oceans-and-seas, #research, #rivers, #science-advances-journal, #water, #your-feed-science

The New York Times 6:54 pm on November 24, 2020
Tags: , , , , , Islands, , , , , , , ,   

How to Pretend You’re in Hawaii Tonight

With a few easy-to-find items, you can discover the archipelago’s breathtaking biodiversity, savor its flavors and music, even delight in an island-inspired Thanksgiving.

#art, #beaches, #books-and-literature, #cooking-and-cookbooks, #hawaii, #islands, #movies, #museums, #music, #quarantine-life-and-culture, #surfing, #thanksgiving-day, #travel-and-vacations, #volcanoes

The New York Times 9:00 am on October 19, 2020
Tags: , , , , Islands, , , , , , , ,   

A 30-Mile Canoe Trip Through Alaska’s Tongass National Forest

The Honker Divide Canoe Route draws intrepid travelers through the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest. But the lifting of logging restrictions may indelibly alter its character.

#alaska, #canoes-and-canoeing, #forests-and-forestry, #geese, #islands, #juneau-alaska, #roads-and-traffic, #tongass-national-forest-alaska, #travel-and-vacations, #travel-warnings, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #wilderness-areas

The New York Times 9:00 am on August 24, 2020
Tags: , , , , Islands, , , ,   

Roaming Through Lanzarote’s Otherworldly Vineyards

The desolate beauty of the winemaking tradition on Lanzarote, the easternmost of the Canary Islands, is evidence of human resilience in the face of adversity.

#canary-islands, #drought, #europe, #grapes, #islands, #shakespeare-william, #travel-and-vacations, #volcanoes, #wines

The New York Times 10:02 am on August 4, 2020
Tags: , , , Islands,   

The Caribbean Dilemma

Many islands are open to American travelers. Going could mean bringing coronavirus to places ill prepared to deal with it. Not going could mean deepening economic woes. How do you choose?

#caribbean-area, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #coronavirus-reopenings, #islands, #travel-and-vacations

The New York Times 9:00 am on July 27, 2020
Tags: , , Islands, , , , , ,   

On the Lookout for Moose on Michigan’s Isle Royale

The remote Isle Royale, tucked away in the northern reaches of Lake Superior, is one of America’s least visited national parks.

#camps-and-camping, #historic-buildings-and-sites, #islands, #moose, #national-park-service, #national-parks-monuments-and-seashores, #parks-and-other-recreation-areas, #photography, #travel-and-vacations

The New York Times 9:00 am on June 8, 2020
Tags: , Islands, , , , ,   

Shearing Sheep, and Hewing to Tradition, on an Island in Maine

In a remote area of Maine, the Wakeman family maintains the traditions of island shepherding, the cycles of which have been largely unchanged for centuries.

#historic-buildings-and-sites, #islands, #lamb, #maine, #photography, #sheep, #wool-and-woolen-goods

The New York Times 9:00 am on May 20, 2020
Tags: , Islands, , ,   

A Visual Dispatch From One of the World’s Most Remote Islands

The inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha, which sits in the remote waters of the South Atlantic, are insulated from the coronavirus by an immense moat.

#coronavirus-2019-ncov, #islands, #photography, #quarantines, #travel-and-vacations

The New York Times 4:12 pm on May 5, 2020
Tags: , , Islands, , , ,   

Madagascar: A Cornucopia of Beauty

Join us for a visual tour of the island nation of Madagascar, about 90 percent of whose flora and fauna is found nowhere else on Earth.

#africa, #biodiversity, #islands, #lemurs, #madagascar, #photography, #travel-warnings

The New York Times 5:37 pm on April 28, 2020
Tags: , , , Islands, , , ,   

Reveling in the Enigmatic Beauty of Easter Island

Some 2,200 miles off the coast of Chile, Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is among the world’s most remote — and mysterious — inhabited islands.

#archaeology-and-anthropology, #chile, #easter-island, #islands, #photography, #polynesia, #rock-and-stone, #travel-and-vacations

The New York Times 9:04 pm on April 17, 2020
Tags: , Bryan, Albert V, , , Islands, , ,   

Moored in a Fragile Paradise

Hundreds of boaters stuck in the Caribbean have converged on the U.S. Virgin Islands, but there are fears that their safe haven comes at a cost for residents.

#boats-and-boating, #bryan-albert-v, #caribbean-area, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #islands, #sailboats-and-sailing, #virgin-islands-us, #waste-materials-and-disposal