About

Ret Talbot is an award-winning freelance journalist who covers ocean issues and fisheries at the intersection of science and sustainability. His work can be found in publications such as Discover Magazine, National Geographic, Mongabay, Ocean Geographic, Coral Magazine, and Yale Environment 360. His books include Banggai Cardinalfish (Reef to Rainforest 2013) and the forthcoming Chasing Shadows written with shark biologist Greg Skomal (July 2023). Talbot lives on the coast of Maine with his wife, scientific illustrator Karen Talbot.

Featured Work

Great white sharks have returned to New England

2020

National Geographic | July 29, 2020 | Maine's first fatal shark attack on record is further evidence of their comeback. It's both a conservation success and a public safety concern—though attacks remain extremely rare.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/07/maine-shark-attack-public-safety-issue-conservation-success/

Other Works

  • Chasing Shadows (William Morrow/HarperCollins)

    2023

  • As Disease Ravages Coral Reefs, Scientists Scramble for Solutions (Yale e360)

    2019

  • Maine's lobster fishermen are running out of bait. Is Salmon the Answer (NatGeo)

    2019

  • ‘Holy Grail' Test for Illegal Cyanide-Caught Aquarium Fish May Be Fatally Flawed (NatGeo)

    2018

  • New ways to fight human-rights abuses in the global seafood industry (Mongabay)

    2016

  • 'Dory' Bred in Captivity for First Time (NatGeo)

    2016

  • Sustainability is Not a Club (Triple Pundit)

    2015

  • Mysterious Predators (Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors)

    2015

  • The Mercury-Laden Fish Floated for School Lunches (Discover Magazine)

    2014

  • Marine Tourism and the Aquarium Trade (Ocean Geographic)

    2014

  • Banggai Cardinalfish (Book)

    2013

  • Bayonets and Blood (The Hummingbird Review)

    2013

  • Wyoming Range at Risk (Fly Fisherman)

    2008

  • Catch-and-kill: a conservation ethic that can help preserve our fisheries (Fly Fisherman)

    2001