State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Ecology35

  • Navigating the South Pacific Using DNA

    Navigating the South Pacific Using DNA

    I’ve never been good at navigating. When I come out of the subway I invariably turn the wrong direction, even though I already have my nose buried in Google Maps, and then walk around the block to save face.

  • A Swirling Stew of Trichodesmium

    A Swirling Stew of Trichodesmium

    Greetings from the center of that eddy I mentioned in my last post! We’ve been here for five days so far, but tomorrow we are finally moving on.

  • Trichodesmium is Everywhere!

    Trichodesmium is Everywhere!

    We have completed the first two stations of the OUTPACE cruise and we are steaming to Station 3. By noon tomorrow we should be in the center of an eddy that our colleagues back on dry land have used satellite data to identify.

  • Science Nabs Illegal Ivory Sellers

    Science Nabs Illegal Ivory Sellers

    A Toronto-based company has been convicted of selling illegal ivory in the first case to use a technique for dating ivory developed by a scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

  • OUTPACE Cruise: Setting Sail

    OUTPACE Cruise: Setting Sail

    The OUTPACE 2015 cruise has set sail on February 20! We left port in Nouméa at 8:30 a.m. last Friday morning. I lost sight of land around 10 a.m. or so, and I won’t see it again until we return to port in Papeete, Tahiti on April 3.

  • Bonjour de Nouméa!

    Bonjour de Nouméa!

    Scientists from research institutions around the world are participating in a research expedition aboard the R/V L ‘Atalante to study how microorganisms in the South Pacific Ocean influence the carbon cycle. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory graduate student Kyle Frischkorn is among them; this is the first in a series of posts in which Kyle shares what…

  • Summer 2015 SEE-U Study Abroad Experience

    Summer 2015 SEE-U Study Abroad Experience

    Apply now to the Summer 2015 Ecosystem Experiences for Undergraduates program. Undergraduate students of all majors can apply for the opportunity to conduct field work and study unique ecosystems abroad.

  • Toxic Chemicals All Around Us: Is Green Chemistry the Answer?

    Toxic Chemicals All Around Us: Is Green Chemistry the Answer?

    We live in a world filled with synthetic chemicals, many with known or suspected health hazards. Can green chemistry, the design of chemical products without hazardous substances, provide a solution?

  • Exploring Antarctica by Sea, Air and Land

    Exploring Antarctica by Sea, Air and Land

    Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory scientists are among the many researchers currently doing fieldwork in Antarctica. They’re participating in expeditions near, above and on the continent, doing critical studies that will advance understanding of Antarctica’s land and sea processes.

Blue banner with kids and Earth photos. Text: "Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House, Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10am-4pm.

On Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 10am to 4pm, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House—our biggest, best science fun and discovery event of the year—will take place on our beautiful campus in Palisades, NY. Mark your calendar and join us for this free, family-friendly celebration of science! RSVP Today!

  • Navigating the South Pacific Using DNA

    Navigating the South Pacific Using DNA

    I’ve never been good at navigating. When I come out of the subway I invariably turn the wrong direction, even though I already have my nose buried in Google Maps, and then walk around the block to save face.

  • A Swirling Stew of Trichodesmium

    A Swirling Stew of Trichodesmium

    Greetings from the center of that eddy I mentioned in my last post! We’ve been here for five days so far, but tomorrow we are finally moving on.

  • Trichodesmium is Everywhere!

    Trichodesmium is Everywhere!

    We have completed the first two stations of the OUTPACE cruise and we are steaming to Station 3. By noon tomorrow we should be in the center of an eddy that our colleagues back on dry land have used satellite data to identify.

  • Science Nabs Illegal Ivory Sellers

    Science Nabs Illegal Ivory Sellers

    A Toronto-based company has been convicted of selling illegal ivory in the first case to use a technique for dating ivory developed by a scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

  • OUTPACE Cruise: Setting Sail

    OUTPACE Cruise: Setting Sail

    The OUTPACE 2015 cruise has set sail on February 20! We left port in Nouméa at 8:30 a.m. last Friday morning. I lost sight of land around 10 a.m. or so, and I won’t see it again until we return to port in Papeete, Tahiti on April 3.

  • Bonjour de Nouméa!

    Bonjour de Nouméa!

    Scientists from research institutions around the world are participating in a research expedition aboard the R/V L ‘Atalante to study how microorganisms in the South Pacific Ocean influence the carbon cycle. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory graduate student Kyle Frischkorn is among them; this is the first in a series of posts in which Kyle shares what…

  • Summer 2015 SEE-U Study Abroad Experience

    Summer 2015 SEE-U Study Abroad Experience

    Apply now to the Summer 2015 Ecosystem Experiences for Undergraduates program. Undergraduate students of all majors can apply for the opportunity to conduct field work and study unique ecosystems abroad.

  • Toxic Chemicals All Around Us: Is Green Chemistry the Answer?

    Toxic Chemicals All Around Us: Is Green Chemistry the Answer?

    We live in a world filled with synthetic chemicals, many with known or suspected health hazards. Can green chemistry, the design of chemical products without hazardous substances, provide a solution?

  • Exploring Antarctica by Sea, Air and Land

    Exploring Antarctica by Sea, Air and Land

    Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory scientists are among the many researchers currently doing fieldwork in Antarctica. They’re participating in expeditions near, above and on the continent, doing critical studies that will advance understanding of Antarctica’s land and sea processes.