Spoorthy Raman
I love words. I admire science. I put them together to be a science writer. I evolved into a journalist. Now, I write about science, the environment and everything in between for readers big and small.
I also fact-check, edit and teach the craft of science writing.
My Latest Work
About Me
I'm an award-winning science and environment journalist based in St. John's, Canada. My words have been published in many national and international media outlets.
How I Work
My Ethos
My ethos lie in treating people and their lived experiences with respect, bringing diverse perspectives in my stories, strengthening relationships with my sources and building communities.
Get in Touch
Liked my stories? Have a story tip? Want to tell me about a cool project you are working on (Scientists, looking at you!)? Interested to work with me? Want me to speak at an event? Let's talk!
My Articles
Chatterbox chimps converse just like humans (but with more gestures)
“This took a lot of hard drives,” says primatologist Gal Badihi from the University of St. Andrews in the U.K., talking about the largest ever database of chimpanzee conversations. With this treasure trove of data, Bad...
Regions with highest risks to wildlife have fewest camera traps, study finds
Diatoms: Storytellers of the past
Sierra Leone cacao project boosts livelihoods and buffers biodiversity
Along the park’s fringes, 122 communities own small patches of the jungle within the four-kilom...
Conservationists welcome new PNG Protected Areas Act — but questions remain
In a significant push to conservation, the country’s parliament passed the Protected A
Finding a lost turtle by tapping into people’s wisdom
Local ecological knowledge is the knowledge people h
No joking: Great apes can be silly and playfully tease each other, finds study
In a recent study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal So
Culture and conservation thrive as Great Lakes tribes bring back native wild rice
‘Shocking’ mortality of infant macaques points to dangers of oil palm plantations
What principles should define natural climate solutions? A new study has some answers
Birders find help in artificial intelligence
When birding began a
In PNG, researchers record 9 new species of predatory hermaphroditic land snails
Worldwide, more 30,000 land snail species
Study: Singapore biodiversity loss is bad — but not as bad as previous estimate
A new study estimates t
India's grasslands in peril
The study found a steep decline in plant species growing in altered landscapes compared to old-growth savannas, with agricultural lands recording the least. Tillage agricultural land also had the fewest native
Logging, road construction continue to fuel forest loss in Papua New Guinea
Tracing turtle trafficking routes in India
A recent study by researchers at the Wildlife Conservation Society - India (WCS-India
To keep track of salmon migrations in real time, First Nations turn to AI
So for a recent study, marine scientists, computer scientists and conservation practitioners partnered with Indigenous-led fisheries or
Outrage: Great Green Wall crumbling
But as human-induced activities such
Study: Despite armed conflicts, Indigenous lands have better environment quality
For them, the forests their ancestors once stewa
Big promises to Indigenous groups from new global nature fund — but will it deliver?
About 1,500 delegates representing environmental ministries, youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, and civil society gathered in the coastal city to promise a slew of actions to save the planet’s biodiversity. One of them came
Expected ship traffic to LNG Canada port could see whale deaths also rise
Moon’s spine was crooked and her back half was paralyzed, probably after bei
How to make the leap into industry after a PhD
Spoorthy Raman is a freelance science and environment journalist in St. John’s, Canada.
Landing that first job in industry requires planning, homework and networking — and a bit of soul-searching.
Melanie Zeppel stepped off the academic path to become a data scientist in industry. Credit: Stephen Jackson
Plant physiologist Melanie Zeppel had heard that hard work, a good publication list and securing highly competitive postdoctoral
Progress is slow on Africa’s Great Green Wall, but some bright spots bloom
Snakebite: India’s silent killer
Studies estimate that each year, about five million snake bites occur around the world, while 8