Photo of the Day 277

Spawning Salmon, Alaska, 1999

Photograph by Karen Kasmauski

Salmon en route to spawning grounds struggle up an intertidal stream on a stretch of Alaskan coastline once fouled by millions of gallons of crude oil from the infamous Exxon Valdez. Today, a visitor would be hard pressed to find evidence of the spill. But studies show lingering effects to regional wildlife.

(Photo shot on assignment for "In the Wake of the Spill: Ten Years After Exxon Valdez," March 1999, National Geographic magazine)