Matthew Russell

Matthew Russell

Matthew Russell is a West Michigan native and with a background in journalism, data analysis, cartography and design thinking. He likes to learn new things and solve old problems whenever possible, and enjoys bicycling, spending time with his daughters, and coffee.

Articles by Matthew Russell

A side-by-side image showing a Coca-Cola bottle on a sandy beach next to a large patch of plastic bottles floating in the ocean.

Coca Cola’s Plastic Bottles Are Choking the Oceans Faster Than Anyone Admits

Coca-Cola’s PET packaging now ranks among the most common forms of plastic pollution found in oceans worldwide, with impacts that extend from coral reefs to the seafood on our plates....

Coca Cola’s Plastic Bottles Are Choking the Oceans Faster Than Anyone Admits

Coca-Cola’s PET packaging now ranks among the most common forms of plastic pollution found in oceans worldwide, with impacts that extend from coral reefs to the seafood on our plates....

A whale shark swims forward with its huge mouth open wide in the blue ocean. A translucent Antarctic krill drifts in dark ocean water with tiny particles floating around it.

Antarctic Krill Collapse Puts the Southern Ocean on the Brink

They are tiny, almost invisible, and absolutely essential. Antarctic krill feed whales, penguins, and seals—and help lock carbon away from the atmosphere. Now scientists warn their populations have dropped to...

Antarctic Krill Collapse Puts the Southern Ocean on the Brink

They are tiny, almost invisible, and absolutely essential. Antarctic krill feed whales, penguins, and seals—and help lock carbon away from the atmosphere. Now scientists warn their populations have dropped to...

Two soldiers in camouflage uniforms participate in a weapon-handling drill outdoors, one holding a rifle steady while the other assists with positioning.

The US Military Finally Walks Away From Shooting Animals in Medical Training

For decades, preparing medics for war came with a hidden cost—live animals shot during training exercises. That practice is now coming to an end.

The US Military Finally Walks Away From Shooting Animals in Medical Training

For decades, preparing medics for war came with a hidden cost—live animals shot during training exercises. That practice is now coming to an end.

The deep-sea sponge stands upright on a long stem as a robotic sampling arm approaches it in the dark, rocky depths.

Scientists Discover Alien-Like Sponge Resembling E.T. Deep Beneath The Pacific Ocean

An alien-like creature was found growing on a section of the Pacific seafloor that dates back as far as 145 million years.

Scientists Discover Alien-Like Sponge Resembling E.T. Deep Beneath The Pacific Ocean

An alien-like creature was found growing on a section of the Pacific seafloor that dates back as far as 145 million years.

An aerial photograph of the Great Blue Hole in Belize, showing a perfect circular dark-blue sinkhole surrounded by turquoise shallows and scattered coral reefs.

Scientists Prepare To Explore One Of The Deepest Blue Holes Ever Found

The Green Banana, located offshore from St. Petersburg, Florida, is a sinkhole, which extends roughly 275 feet deep and resembles an inverted, hourglass-shaped, 20-story building anchored in the ocean floor.

Scientists Prepare To Explore One Of The Deepest Blue Holes Ever Found

The Green Banana, located offshore from St. Petersburg, Florida, is a sinkhole, which extends roughly 275 feet deep and resembles an inverted, hourglass-shaped, 20-story building anchored in the ocean floor.

Scientists Discover Massive ‘Silly String’ Creature in Deep Sea

Scientists Discover Massive ‘Silly String’ Creature in Deep Sea

Earlier this year, scientists at the Schmidt Ocean Institute captured footage of a massive siphonophore in the Indian Ocean. Siphonophores are closely related to jellyfish, and this individual may be...

Scientists Discover Massive ‘Silly String’ Creature in Deep Sea

Earlier this year, scientists at the Schmidt Ocean Institute captured footage of a massive siphonophore in the Indian Ocean. Siphonophores are closely related to jellyfish, and this individual may be...