State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Mesoscope

  • Eavesdropping on the Ocean’s Mighty Microorganisms

    Eavesdropping on the Ocean’s Mighty Microorganisms

    Now, nearing the end of our three-week cruise of the North Pacific off Hawaii, we are working to understand how these tiny bacteria connect and communicate with one another.

  • Deep thoughts from the Deep Blue Sea

    Deep thoughts from the Deep Blue Sea

    The sea is a deep blue, so clear that you might think it was devoid of life. We have seen only a few seabirds circling the ship and playing in the air currents we generate. We haven’t seen any whales or sharks, only an occasional flying fish taking to the air in front of our…

  • Setting Off to Explore the Depths

    Setting Off to Explore the Depths

    Yesterday, we set sail at 8am, rounded the Island of O’ahu, and headed north into the blue waters of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.

  • Racing time to Explore Ocean Ecosystems: A Mother’s Work

    Racing time to Explore Ocean Ecosystems: A Mother’s Work

    Scientists like myself are in a race against time to understand the fundamental drivers of ocean ecosystems before climate change pushes them towards a new unknown state.

Columbia Climate School Giving Day on October 28, 2026, featuring students and renewable energy imagery

October 28, 2026 is Columbia Giving Day! Your gift to Columbia Climate School helps advance interdisciplinary research, educate the next generation of leaders, and transform bold ideas into real-world solutions for climate, Earth, and society.

  • Eavesdropping on the Ocean’s Mighty Microorganisms

    Eavesdropping on the Ocean’s Mighty Microorganisms

    Now, nearing the end of our three-week cruise of the North Pacific off Hawaii, we are working to understand how these tiny bacteria connect and communicate with one another.

  • Deep thoughts from the Deep Blue Sea

    Deep thoughts from the Deep Blue Sea

    The sea is a deep blue, so clear that you might think it was devoid of life. We have seen only a few seabirds circling the ship and playing in the air currents we generate. We haven’t seen any whales or sharks, only an occasional flying fish taking to the air in front of our…

  • Setting Off to Explore the Depths

    Setting Off to Explore the Depths

    Yesterday, we set sail at 8am, rounded the Island of O’ahu, and headed north into the blue waters of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.

  • Racing time to Explore Ocean Ecosystems: A Mother’s Work

    Racing time to Explore Ocean Ecosystems: A Mother’s Work

    Scientists like myself are in a race against time to understand the fundamental drivers of ocean ecosystems before climate change pushes them towards a new unknown state.