Fabien Cousteau, a filmmaker, oceanographic explorer and grandson of Jacques Cousteau, and marine toxicologist Susan Shaw talk about the health of the oceans and conservation. Susan dove into the BP oil slick in May 2010 to assess the impact of oil and the chemical dispersants used to clean the spill, which had a devastating impact on marine life in the Gulf and human health.

Thanks to humans, the world's oceans today are noisier than ever: Submarine sounds created by commercial ships, air guns and torpedoes have become a major issue -- particularly for mammals like whales and dolphins.

Many art galleries, and artists, suffered severe damage during Sandy, and in the wake of the storm, teams of conservators have rushed in to help them recover, and save as much of the artwork as possible. Jim Coddington, MoMA's chief conservator, Lisa Elkin, Chief Registrar and Director of Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History, and Cindy Albertson, conservator at MoMA and the FAIC (Foundation for the American Institute for Conservation) Sandy Volunteer Coordinator, talk about what can be done to conserve damaged artworks.

In this short, costumed scientists create a carefully choreographed childhood for a flock of whooping cranes to save them from extinction. It's the ultimate feel-good story, but it also raises some troubling questions about what it takes to get a species back to being wild.

Jim Sterba explains how Americans came to live in closer proximity to more wild animals and birds in the eastern United States than we have in 400 years. In Nature Wars: The Incredible Story of How Wildlife Comebacks Turned Backyards into Battlegrounds, Sterba looks at how how efforts to protect animals allowed wild populations to burgeon out of control, causing damage costing billions, degrading ecosystems, and touching off disputes that polarized communities.

Our nation's water system generally works so well that for many, it's invisible. The pipes lay hidden beneath the ground and when Americans turn on their faucets, the water flows at little cost. How can a drought help us re-imagine the way we pay attention to, use, and conserve water?

While the detonation of the atomic bomb in 1945 brought about death and destruction, the labs that created this bomb remain quiet and peaceful, albeit largely unseen. A bill in Congress may make these sites national parks, upping their tourism value and ensuring their preservation.

President Teddy Roosevelt, prior to his political life, briefly led the life of a rancher. The land left a lasting impression on him, which eventually influenced his conservationist policies. Because of his efforts, national parks have become a part of the United States' identity. Today the great-grandson of President Roosevelt discusses his quest to preserve the Elkhorn Ranch, where Teddy Roosevelt had lived as a rancher.

The World Wildlife Fund has released its new Living Planet Report. Kate Newman, the Managing Director of Public Sector Initiatives and Field Programs at the WWF, assesses the state of global biodiversity.

On today’s first Backstory, Ofir Drori talks about his fight to protect apes from extinction, and discusses the endangered worlds in Africa—not just of animals but of people. He’s the author of The Last Great Ape: A Journey Through Africa and a Fight for the Heart of the Continent.

Actor Ted Danson is having a phenomenal year on television. He has hit roles in three hot series: HBO's "Bored to Death" which he stars alongside Jason Schwartzman and Zach Galifianakis. He shows up every now and again on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and shares the screen with Glenn Close in "Damages." But our beloved "Cheers" bartender is mostly fired up about his latest off-screen project, ocean conservationist. He has co-authored a book that looks at the state of the oceans and how we can save them. He says he loves the ocean and wants to make it easy for anyone to help.

In the last century, the worldwide population of tigers shrank by almost 97%. At the International Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg this week, countries with wild tigers are pledging to double their numbers by 2022. John Platt, writer of Scientific American's Extinction Countdown, discusses what some have called a last-ditch effort to save the species. 

A new study finds that more than 50 species are at risk for extinction each year. Environmental conservation programs have succeeded in preserving wildlife in some areas, including humpback whales, white rhinos and dozens of others. Why do some conservation efforts succeed while some fail?

The Cathedral of Sainte Trinité sits among the hundreds of ravaged structures that teeter dangerously on the streets of Port-Au-Prince. Built in 1924, on the site of an 1860s church that was founded by African-American Episcopalians fleeing slavery, Ste. Trinité housed an extraordinary series of murals, executed in the late 1940s and early 1950s by artists who made up what is known as the Haitian Painting Renaissance.

The treasury department announced yesterday that it will start sending the majority of its 136 million benefit checks through a system of direct deposits, eliminating the use of paper checks and postage. The move will likely save the U.S. government approximately $303 million during the first five years after the switch, and about $49 million dollars in postage.

American conservators are helping Haitians salvage their heritage from the rubble of churches and museums.

The biggest threat to endangered species may not be loss of habitat or illegal poaching. Conservationists are concerned that the internet currently poses the biggest single threat to endangered species.

Image courtesy of Cornell University

That's the sound of an endangered blue whale singing only 70 miles off of New York City's coastline. The whale was on its way to Maine for the summer, ...