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Tim Vernimmen

Tim Vernimmen is a freelance science journalist based near Antwerp, Belgium.

An old oyster bed now lying exposed on a beach in South Carolina. The oysters are no longer alive, but many shells remain in their original position.

Shucking the Past: Can Oysters Thrive Again?

Dredging and pollution devastated the once-bountiful reefs. Careful science may help bring them back.
These fossilized foraminiferan shells, dating back 35 to 45 million years, were found in Tanzania. They all belong to species that are now extinct. The largest are about half a millimeter in diameter.

The History of the Ocean, as Told by Tiny Beautiful Fossils

Bountiful remains of foraminifera reveal how organisms responded to climate disturbances of the past. They can help predict the future, too.