National Geographic Society

Congratulations to wildlife and conservation scientist Justin Brashares! 🎉 Brashares has been named a #NatGeoExplorer in Residence to support Blue Boundaries, a partnership between the National Geographic Society and the Chubb Charitable Foundation that aims to build lasting resilience in the critical ecosystems where land meets water. “Blue Boundary environments are vital to the planet, providing essential services that support both people and nature. Through this program, we aim to understand the delicate balance of these ecosystems and identify scalable solutions to protect and restore them,” Brashares shares. Brashares joins a celebrated group of Explorers in Residence, including renowned storytellers Tara Roberts and Kirsten Elstner, paleoanthropologist Lee R. Berger and marine conservationist Enric Sala. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/etpGvpvF. Photo of Justin Brashares holding a trail camera courtesy of the Regents of the University of California

Pop quiz. Did you know: 🐝 There are over 20,000 different species of bees. 🍯 They create more than honey. These architects also build, bore and burrow their shelters.  💡 They can also perform cognitive feats like identifying human faces and planning for the future. These tiny creatures are not only fascinating but also vital to our survival. That’s why National Geographic is uncovering their secrets for its May cover story: https://lnkd.in/estt3MeQ Inside, meet the scientists working to understand bees and uncover strategies to protect them, including two #NatGeoExplorers: Entomologist Melanie Kirby, MSc. is learning that honeybees are far more resilient and adaptable than we thought. By breeding bees that have proven their ability to survive harsh climates and other threats, she’s charting a path forward for the species. Animal behavior biologist Felicity Muth is studying bumblebee cognition and uncovering remarkable intelligence in the queens, likely because queens have to set off on their own to establish new hives. Many thanks to the Templeton World Charity Foundation for supporting Felicity’s work as part of the Wildlife Intelligence Project, inspired by Jane Goodall and the Templeton Prize. 🐝 Earth Month may be coming to an end, but here at the National Geographic Society, we’re committed to supporting Explorers who are protecting pollinators all year round. Ready to find your spark? You can help at natgeo.org/earthmonth 📸 Photo by Karine Aigner

Bees may be small, but their impact is huge. 🐝 #NatGeoExplorer and urban ecologist Christopher Schell shares how bees, as a keystone species, help ecosystems thrive. Their work supports not just what we eat, but the environments all species call home. Stay tuned as we pass the National Geographic Society flag to the next Explorer before it makes its way back to the National Geographic Museum of Exploration, opening June 26, in Washington, D.C. #PassTheFlag 🟦🟫🟩

Bottom trawling in Europe's waters costs society up to €16 billion annually, a new National Geographic Pristine Seas study found. The destructive fishing practice, which drags heavy nets across the seafloor to catch bottom-dwelling species, is responsible for injecting up to 370 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere every year. The study is the first to measure the full economic value of bottom trawling in Europe's waters. The research shows that atmospheric CO2 emissions from disturbed seafloor sediments are the major contributor to these costs. The study concludes that the net costs of bottom trawling to society are 90 times greater than the €180M profits raked in by the fishing industry each year. Reducing bottom trawling inside and outside of Europe's marine protected areas could unlock benefits to taxpayers, fishers and the climate. Read the study co-authored by Pristine Seas Founder Enric Sala. https://lnkd.in/e_DsmcDE

Bee-lieve it or not, bees follow the beat to find the bloom! 🐝💃 To the untrained eye, it looks like a frantic shimmy, but for a honeybee, this "waggle dance" is a high-speed data download. This figure-eight maneuver is one of nature’s most sophisticated examples of symbolic communication, allowing a single forager to share the exact GPS coordinates of a prime nectar source with the rest of her hive. 📍Direction: The bee communicates the direction of the flowers in relation to the sun. If she shimmies at a 45-degree angle to the right of vertical, her sisters know to fly 45 degrees to the right of the sun once they exit the hive. 📏 Distance: The duration of the waggle phase correlates directly to the distance of the flight. For every second she shakes her abdomen, she’s signaling a distance of roughly one kilometer. ⭐ Quality Control: The bee even factors in the "rating" of the food — the more vigorous the dance, the higher the nectar's sugar concentration. Most impressive is the bee’s internal circadian clock, which allows her to adjust the angle of her dance to account for the sun’s movement across the sky while she’s inside the dark hive. Graphic by Jasmine Henderson, National Geographic Society. Sourced from: Secrets of the Bees, copyright (c) 2026, NGC Network US, LLC.

They're tiny but mighty. And together, we can protect them. 🐝 From decoding bee intelligence to investigating pollinator pandemics, #NatGeoExplorers are making remarkable discoveries about these extraordinary insects. And they need our help. This Earth Day, join us in celebrating how the smallest creatures — and the smallest actions — can inspire a chain reaction of good for our planet. Discover your spark and translate wonder into action by supporting the work of Explorers and our mission programs at natgeo.org/earthmonth.

In San Francisco, California, #NatGeoExplorer Christopher Schell is exploring how wildlife thrives in urban environments. But beyond the science, it’s the stories from people that stay with him — stories that highlight our shared connection to the natural world, even in the heart of a city. Stay tuned as we pass the National Geographic Society flag to the next Explorer before it makes its way back to the National Geographic Museum of Exploration, opening June 26 in Washington, D.C. #PassTheFlag 🟦🟫🟩

Have you heard all the buzz? 🐝 Get a bee's-eye view at stunning pollinators in their habitat and the #NatGeoExplorers whose work puts a spotlight on them. The socially intelligent pollinators are a keystone species crucial to the health of ecosystems and food security across the world. Explore more breathtaking photos: https://lnkd.in/e7UYiuMY. Photos by Krystle Hickman (1) and Lucas Ninno (2-4)

Blue Boundaries, a partnership between the National Geographic Society and the Chubb Charitable Foundation, is driving transformational change where land meets water in three newly-announced regions worldwide. The first phase of the program centers on freshwater wetlands and will champion scientific research and scalable conservation efforts in North America and Asia. The first focus locations include: • Wetlands of Southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala • Wetlands of the Lower Mekong Basin • Wetlands of the Mississippi River Launched in 2025, this multiyear global initiative focuses on safeguarding three of Earth’s most vital ecosystems – freshwater wetlands, coastal systems and reefs — through high-impact, science-driven efforts to conserve, protect and restore these critical environments. Explore more: https://lnkd.in/emN7wqrS. Photo by Le Van Dung

Dive into the waters of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) to see how the National Geographic Pristine Seas team is documenting life beneath the surface.🪸🦈🪼 The Pristine Seas team returned to this island nation at the invitation of the RMI government and in partnership with the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority. While there, the team is working alongside local leaders and scientists to survey seven atolls across the Ralik and Ratak chains: Erikub, Ailuk, Taka, Ujelang, Ailinginae, Jemo and Enewetak. The insights gathered will directly inform Reimaanlok — RMI’s national framework for community-based conservation. Meaning “look towards the future,” the Reimaanlok process is a powerful example of how traditional knowledge and cultural insights can drive modern environmental protection. Learn how this team is inspiring the protection of the ocean's vital places. https://lnkd.in/eeXhdWPh Photos by Iñigo San Félix