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

Close-up of a curious black and white puppy with striking blue eyes behind a fence.

Reform Promises In This State Have Been Broken as Dogs Suffer Behind Kennel Doors

Years after Pennsylvania promised to end its puppy mill crisis, dogs are still suffering in silence. Investigators found animals trapped in sweltering sheds, living in their own waste, and denied...

Reform Promises In This State Have Been Broken as Dogs Suffer Behind Kennel Doors

Years after Pennsylvania promised to end its puppy mill crisis, dogs are still suffering in silence. Investigators found animals trapped in sweltering sheds, living in their own waste, and denied...

A grey-and-white lynx on the left; a spotted lynx on the right in natural surroundings.

Photographer Captures the Ghost Cat No One Believed Existed

In the misty mountains of southern Spain, a “white ghost” has emerged from the shadows—an Iberian lynx unlike any ever seen before.

Photographer Captures the Ghost Cat No One Believed Existed

In the misty mountains of southern Spain, a “white ghost” has emerged from the shadows—an Iberian lynx unlike any ever seen before.

Close-up of a hairy caterpillar clinging to a curved branch.

Mysterious Carnivore Found Rolling in the Depths of the Southern Ocean

Far below the frozen surface of the Southern Ocean, scientists have discovered a creature unlike anything they’ve seen before — a spherical sponge covered in hooks that traps and devours...

Mysterious Carnivore Found Rolling in the Depths of the Southern Ocean

Far below the frozen surface of the Southern Ocean, scientists have discovered a creature unlike anything they’ve seen before — a spherical sponge covered in hooks that traps and devours...

Two whales are swimming in deep green ocean waters, with water spouts visible.

Whales Turn Our Oceans Into Living Farms And We’ve Been Starving Them

Baleen whales don’t just swim through the sea—they feed it. New research shows summering whales recycle more than 800 tons of nitrogen a day in Nordic waters, lifting productivity where...

Whales Turn Our Oceans Into Living Farms And We’ve Been Starving Them

Baleen whales don’t just swim through the sea—they feed it. New research shows summering whales recycle more than 800 tons of nitrogen a day in Nordic waters, lifting productivity where...

Turquoise waves crash against rocks, creating frothy white spray in sunlight.

Ocean Acidity Is Rising And It's Turning The Ocean Into One Big Underwater Amplifier

As the ocean absorbs more CO₂, pH drops—and low-frequency sound doesn’t fade like it used to. Borate-driven absorption weakens, so rumbles from ships and storms can travel much farther.

Ocean Acidity Is Rising And It's Turning The Ocean Into One Big Underwater Amplifier

As the ocean absorbs more CO₂, pH drops—and low-frequency sound doesn’t fade like it used to. Borate-driven absorption weakens, so rumbles from ships and storms can travel much farther.

A small, dark figure resembling a fish swims among shimmering blue beads.

These Tiny Ocean Warriors May Hold The Key To Ending Plastic Pollution Forever

Deep in the ocean, unseen armies of bacteria are evolving to dine on the plastic we’ve left behind.

These Tiny Ocean Warriors May Hold The Key To Ending Plastic Pollution Forever

Deep in the ocean, unseen armies of bacteria are evolving to dine on the plastic we’ve left behind.