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

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Viral Fame Exposes the Harsh Reality of Life for Punch the Macaque

He clung to a stuffed toy because he had no mother to hold. Punch, a young Japanese macaque abandoned at birth, became an internet sensation after videos showed him dragged and...

Viral Fame Exposes the Harsh Reality of Life for Punch the Macaque

He clung to a stuffed toy because he had no mother to hold. Punch, a young Japanese macaque abandoned at birth, became an internet sensation after videos showed him dragged and...

Turquoise water laps against a wide, sandy beach backed by rugged brown mountains and arid terrain stretching inland.

How Cold Seas and Crushing Winds Create Bone Dry Wastelands on the Water’s Edge

In Chile and Namibia, waves crash ashore beside landscapes that rarely see rain. The answer isn’t simple. Cold ocean currents choke off moisture. Global wind belts push dry air downward....

How Cold Seas and Crushing Winds Create Bone Dry Wastelands on the Water’s Edge

In Chile and Namibia, waves crash ashore beside landscapes that rarely see rain. The answer isn’t simple. Cold ocean currents choke off moisture. Global wind belts push dry air downward....

Close-up of a snorkeler underwater with mask and snorkel, arm extended toward the camera, rocky ocean floor visible below.

Man Drops Camera Into Bali Sea and Captures Creature Never Seen Alive Before

A simple camera. A 200-meter drop into the Bali Sea. What came back has experts talking.

Man Drops Camera Into Bali Sea and Captures Creature Never Seen Alive Before

A simple camera. A 200-meter drop into the Bali Sea. What came back has experts talking.

Large coral formation rising from the seafloor, surrounded by dozens of small orange fish swimming in clear blue water.

Coral Supports 25% Of All Marine Life And Its Collapse Is Putting Millions of Lives at Risk

Fish, crustaceans, and countless organisms rely on reefs for breeding grounds and shelter. Remove the reef, and the food web fractures. Coastal fisheries shrink. Families lose a steady protein source...

Coral Supports 25% Of All Marine Life And Its Collapse Is Putting Millions of Lives at Risk

Fish, crustaceans, and countless organisms rely on reefs for breeding grounds and shelter. Remove the reef, and the food web fractures. Coastal fisheries shrink. Families lose a steady protein source...

Detailed close-up of a tortoise’s face and textured front leg resting on grass, bits of vegetation on its mouth.

Lost Galápagos Giants Reclaim Their Island and Revive a Fragile Sea

Conservationists released 158 young tortoises bred from rediscovered genetic lineages once thought lost forever. These slow-moving giants do more than graze. They spread seeds, reshape landscapes, and help restore ecosystems...

Lost Galápagos Giants Reclaim Their Island and Revive a Fragile Sea

Conservationists released 158 young tortoises bred from rediscovered genetic lineages once thought lost forever. These slow-moving giants do more than graze. They spread seeds, reshape landscapes, and help restore ecosystems...

Split image showing a close-up of an octopus on the left and a sea turtle swimming over plastic waste on the right.

How Plastic Pollution Hijacks Octopus Instincts and Scrambles Ocean Survival

Plastic waste in the ocean is everywhere. Hard plastics, fishing gear, bags, and microplastics float in gyres and wash along coasts. Sea life encounters them constantly. This pollution doesn’t just...

How Plastic Pollution Hijacks Octopus Instincts and Scrambles Ocean Survival

Plastic waste in the ocean is everywhere. Hard plastics, fishing gear, bags, and microplastics float in gyres and wash along coasts. Sea life encounters them constantly. This pollution doesn’t just...