California’s tidepools are breathtaking, fleeting worlds that appear at low tide, teeming with sea slugs, anemones, kelp, and all kinds of fantastical creatures. But as Vox science reporter Byrd Pinkerton reports in the cover story for Vox’s latest issue of The Highlight, these ecosystems are changing fast.
Marine heatwaves and a devastating sea star disease have thrown the intertidal food web off balance. Scientists like zoologist Rebecca Johnson are racing to track species shifts, restore lost predators, and protect these fragile habitats. Still, there’s magic here. In her deeply personal, visually rich piece, Pinkerton captures the wonder of tidepools — and the urgency of saving them.
You can support journalism like this by becoming a Vox Member today. If you love science, climate stories, or just want to be awed by nature, this is a must-read.
—Paige Vega, climate editor
