Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features smoke hovering over the Butler Fire in Six Rivers National Forest. The fire was sparked by lightning on July 1 before quickly spreading to the east of Orleans, California.&nbsp;



By July 16, the Butler Fire had burned more than 9,000 acres and was zero percent contained.&nbsp;



Fueled by triple-digit temperatures and low humidity, the fire produced massive smoke plumes that drifted westward, impacting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-are-changing-the-quality-of-our-air/">air quality</a> across the region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-california-fires-ignited-by-lightning">California fires ignited by lightning</h2>



About 75 miles southeast of the Butler Fire, the Green Fire has been burning for weeks near the Pit River arm of Shasta Lake. The fire was also ignited by lightning.&nbsp;



By mid-July, the Green Fire had scorched over 15,000 acres and was only 13 percent contained.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154554/wildfire-smoke-billows-over-northern-california">NASA</a>, the fire’s rapid spread was driven by similarly extreme conditions - temperatures above 100°F and humidity levels below 20 percent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-california-s-intense-2025-fire-season">California’s intense 2025 fire season</h2>



California’s 2025 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/">wildfire season</a> started early - and with alarming intensity. In January, Southern California endured destructive fires that were fueled by strong Santa Ana winds.&nbsp;



Most notably, the Palisades and Eaton Fires burned over 57,000 acres, destroyed thousands of homes, and resulted in around 30 fatalities.&nbsp;



Through mid-July, more than 4,195 wildfires had scorched over 201,000 acres statewide. This is nearly triple the area burned in the same period in 2024 and well above the five-year average.&nbsp;



Among these fires, the massive Madre Fire in San Luis Obispo County alone had burned more than 80,000 acres by early July, making it the largest wildfire of the season.



California is entering the peak of its fire season amid worsening climate-driven hot and dry weather, with fire agencies forecasting above-normal fire potential through August and September.&nbsp;



Firefighters and communities are facing increasingly complex and dangerous conditions, including extreme heat, dry vegetation, and low humidity. These factors are making wildfires harder to predict and control.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-intense-fire-seasons-ahead">More intense fire seasons ahead</h2>



Looking ahead, California’s wildfire seasons are expected to grow longer and more intense as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">climate change</a> continues to reshape the landscape. 



Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and shrinking snowpacks are drying out forests and grasslands earlier in the year, creating dangerous conditions months before the traditional fire season.&nbsp;



Scientists warn that even in wetter years, vegetation growth can provide abundant fuel that dries out quickly under warming trends. This increases the risk of fast-moving, high-intensity fires.&nbsp;



The state is also seeing more fire activity in regions once considered low risk, including coastal areas and higher elevations.



In addition to fueling larger and more frequent fires, climate change is complicating response and recovery efforts. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">Smoke</a> from massive wildfires can impact extensive regions, posing serious health risks and straining public health systems.&nbsp;



Ultimately, experts agree that without significant action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the pace of global warming, wildfires will remain one of the most visible and destructive symptoms of a <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/earth/explore/wildfires-and-climate-change/">changing climate</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-living-with-fire">Living with fire</h2>



As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-wildfires-are-gaining-even-more-speed/">wildfires</a> become a more permanent fixture of life in California, residents are adapting to new realities. From packing emergency “go bags” in spring to installing air purifiers and fire-resistant landscaping, preparedness is becoming part of everyday life.&nbsp;



Schools and workplaces now routinely factor wildfire smoke into closure plans, and emergency drills are no longer seasonal but year-round.



For people on the front lines - firefighters, emergency responders, and healthcare workers - demands will only get worse and more support is needed. Many are calling for improved pay and benefits, as well as mental health services to cope with repeated trauma.



Living with fire in California means balancing resilience with action. Communities must prepare for fire, recover from fire, and push for climate policies that may prevent a future defined by ever-worsening wildfire seasons.



The image was captured on July 13, 2025 by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the <a href="https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/satellites/landsat-8/">Landsat 8 satellite</a>.&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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California's extreme fire season rages on

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features smoke hovering over the Butler Fire in Six Rivers National Forest. The fire was sparked by lightning on July 1 before quickly spreading to the east of Orleans, California.&nbsp; By July 16, the Butler Fire had burned more than 9,000 acres and was zero percent contained.&nbsp; Fueled by triple-digit temperatures and low humidity, the fire produced massive smoke plumes that drifted westward, impacting air quality across the region. California fires ignited by lightning...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features Abell S1063, a massive galaxy cluster located about 4.5 billion light-years from Earth. The galaxy cluster was captured by the Webb telescope in stunning detail.



According to <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/05/Webb_glimpses_the_distant_past" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>, the image is what’s known as a deep field - a long exposure of a single area of the sky, collecting as much light as possible to draw out the most faint and distant galaxies that don’t appear in ordinary images.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxies-of-the-early-universe">Galaxies of the early universe </h2>



Composed of nine separate snapshots taken at different near-infrared wavelengths over roughly 120 hours, this image represents Webb’s most detailed and deepest view of a single target so far.&nbsp;



Thanks to the gravitational lensing effect of Abell S1063, astronomers can peer deeper into the past than ever before - possibly viewing some of the universe’s very <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-galaxies-formed-from-the-earliest-elements-in-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first galaxies</a>.



“The eye is first drawn, in this new NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month, to the central mega-monster that is galaxy cluster Abell S1063. This behemoth collection of galaxies, lying 4.5 billion light-years from Earth in the constellation Grus (the Crane), dominates the scene,” noted ESA.



“Looking more closely, this dense collection of heavy galaxies is surrounded by glowing streaks of light, and these warped arcs are the true object of scientists’ interest: faint galaxies from the universe’s distant past.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-galaxy-cluster">What is a galaxy cluster?</h2>



Galaxy clusters are the largest known gravitationally bound systems and include not just galaxies, but also vast amounts of hot, X-ray-emitting gas and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-true-nature-of-dark-matter-may-be-revealed-in-a-supernova/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark matter</a>.&nbsp;



The galaxies within a cluster move through this hot intracluster medium, and their interactions can lead to phenomena like galaxy mergers or the stripping of gas from galaxies.&nbsp;



Galaxy clusters are important for studying the large-scale structure of the universe, the behavior of dark matter, and the evolution of galaxies over cosmic time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hundreds-of-galaxies-bound-together-nbsp">Hundreds of galaxies bound together&nbsp;</h2>



As one of the most densely populated clusters known, Abell S1063 contains hundreds of galaxies bound together by gravity.&nbsp;



Its immense mass makes it an excellent example of a gravitational lens - a cosmic phenomenon where the cluster’s gravity bends and magnifies the light from galaxies far behind it.&nbsp;



This effect allows astronomers to observe incredibly faint and distant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-like-galaxies-were-present-in-the-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> that would otherwise be beyond our detection limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-galaxy-evolution">Studying galaxy evolution</h2>



The cluster has been the focus of several major observational campaigns. It was prominently featured in the Hubble Space Telescope’s Frontier Fields program, which used its gravitational lensing power to study the early universe.&nbsp;



“The new imagery from Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) takes this quest even further back in time,” said ESA.



“This image showcases an incredible forest of lensing arcs around Abell S1063, which reveal distorted background galaxies at a range of cosmic distances, along with a multitude of faint galaxies and previously unseen features.”



These observations are helping scientists probe the Cosmic Dawn era - the period shortly after the Big Bang.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploring-the-cosmic-dawn-nbsp">Exploring the Cosmic Dawn&nbsp;</h2>



The Cosmic Dawn refers to a time in the history of the universe when the first stars and galaxies began to form and shine. This pivotal era occurred roughly between 100 million and 1 billion years after the Big Bang.&nbsp;



During the Dark Ages, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fastest-feeding-black-hole-found-in-the-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a> had cooled enough for neutral hydrogen to form, but no luminous objects yet existed to light it up.&nbsp;



The birth of the first stars - often massive and short-lived - marked the beginning of the Cosmic Dawn. These stars emitted intense ultraviolet radiation, which gradually ionized the surrounding hydrogen gas in a process known as reionization.&nbsp;



This transformed the universe from a cold, opaque environment into one that was transparent to light, enabling the large-scale structure of the cosmos to take shape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-constellation-grus">The constellation Grus</h2>



Grus is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-jupiter-discovered-in-the-great-bear-constellation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">constellation</a> in the southern sky, its name derived from the Latin word for "crane," a type of large, graceful bird.&nbsp;



It was introduced in the late 16th century by the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, during an era of celestial charting tied to European exploration of the southern hemisphere.&nbsp;



Grus is part of a group of constellations known as the "Southern Birds," which also includes Phoenix, Tucana, and Pavo.



This constellation lies near the celestial south pole and is best seen from the Southern Hemisphere during the months of August through October.&nbsp;



Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA &amp; CSA, H. Atek, M. Zamani



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Hundreds of galaxies illuminate the early universe 

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

"Next year is very important for my family," Christopher told the Twitter universe. "I have made several commitments, which I cannot risk missing. I'm not going anywhere – I'm just not going to space next year," he said, for those worried he was leaving Boeing — and space — altogether. Photo Credit: NASA

An Important Time

"Next year is very important for my family," Christopher told...

It was true: The Ferguson family had important milestones coming up, including the wedding between Christopher's daughter and her fiancé. Wanting to see the blushing bride, Christopher felt torn between his dedication towards his country and his dearly beloved family. The reactions to his announcement were unexpected. Photo Credit: Reddit

Future Endeavors

It was true: The Ferguson family had important milestones coming...

Even with how important Boeing's space mission is, people wholeheartedly understood where Christopher was coming from and even praised his choice. Some talked about the importance of family, others about safety and the concerns of Boeing's failing technology. Boeing, however, was left scrambling. Photo Credit: NASA

Surprise Reaction

Even with how important Boeing's space mission is, people wholeheartedly...

Already behind SpaceX in the private space launch, the manufacturer needed to replace their commander STAT, or else they would fall flat in this modern-day space race. Officials needed to pick someone close to the Starliner program, and they knew who to look to. Photo Credit: NASA

SpaceX Pressure

Already behind SpaceX in the private space launch, the manufacturer...

A new commander was chosen for the mission: NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore. "Having had the chance to train alongside and view this outstanding crew as backup," he said. "has been instrumental in my preparation to assume this position, will be in Ferguson's place." They had a special role for Christopher, too. Photo Credit: NASA

Setting The Future

A new commander was chosen for the mission: NASA astronaut...

Christopher Ferguson would serve as the director of Mission Integration and Operations, ensuring systems perform to the expectations of NASA's astronauts and support them as they complete their training. The team had been reshuffled successfully — but then Boeing got terrible news. Photo Credit: NASA

Continued Dedication

Christopher Ferguson would serve as the director of Mission Integration...

In November 2020, SpaceX officially won the unofficial space race, launching a spacecraft with four American and Japanese astronauts to the ISS; even worse, another unexpected competitor was making headway in the space travel game. Photo Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

SpaceX Wins

In November 2020, SpaceX officially won the unofficial space race,...

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features a bullseye-shaped cloud hovering over the island of La Palma, where the Cumbre Vieja volcano has been erupting since September 19, 2021.



On October 2, the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute (INVOLCAN) reported an increase in explosive activity. Despite this increase, Cumbre Vieja’s explosivity is ranked as “moderate” - a 2 out of 8 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index.



According to NASA, the eruption has not been energetic enough to inject large amounts of ash and gases into the stratosphere, where they can have strong and lasting effects on weather and climate.&nbsp;



The image was captured on October 1 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cumbre Vieja eruption continues in the Canary Islands

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

Plants can’t pull carbon from the air without nitrogen in the ground. A new global study finds that forests, prairies, and other natural areas are receiving far less new nitrogen than scientists previously believed. This shortfall could weaken nature’s ability to slow climate change.



Meanwhile, farms worldwide are increasing biological nitrogen inputs to boost crop growth. But when those nutrients spill over, they threaten water, air, and biodiversity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-study-was-conducted"><a></a>How the study was conducted</h2>



The analysis was led by Carla Reis Ely while she was a postdoctoral scholar in the <a href="https://www.forestry.oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University College of Forestry</a>. The project involved 24 scientists from around the world.



The team re-examined field measurements of biological nitrogen fixation, the microbial process that turns <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nitrous-oxide-emissions-erupt-from-farms-in-unpredictable-bursts/">nitrogen gas</a> in the air into plant‑usable forms. In doing so, they uncovered a major blind spot.



Past studies focused on places where nitrogen‑fixing organisms were especially common. These hotspots were represented in the data about 17 times more often than they occur across natural ecosystems globally. Correcting for that bias drove estimated natural nitrogen inputs sharply downward.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nitrogen-fuels-plant-growth">Nitrogen fuels plant growth</h2>



Nitrogen makes up more than three‑quarters of Earth’s atmosphere (most of the rest is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oxygen-detected-in-the-most-distant-and-primitive-galaxy-ever-analyzed/">oxygen</a>), yet most organisms can’t use it in that gaseous form (N₂).



Nitrogen‑fixing bacteria step in. They convert N₂ into ammonia and related compounds that plants can take up through their roots. 



Plants need nitrogen to build proteins and chlorophyll - the green pigment that powers photosynthesis. This allows them to grow, stay healthy, reproduce, and convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into biomass.



“In natural ecosystems, nitrogen fixation improves soil fertility and supports plant growth, thereby increasing carbon storage,” said Reis Ely.



“However, our new estimate of natural nitrogen fixation, based on improved scientific understanding, suggests less new nitrogen enters natural ecosystems.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-nitrogen-less-carbon">Less nitrogen, less carbon</h2>



If soils in wild landscapes are getting less fresh nitrogen, plants in those systems may be more nutrient‑limited than expected. That could mean slower growth and, over time, less CO₂ capture than many global carbon budgets assume.



According to Reis Ely, one implication of the revised numbers is that natural ecosystems may take up less carbon dioxide than scientists had projected, which in turn lowers the expected capacity of unmanaged lands to buffer climate change.



While nature’s nitrogen input shrinks on paper, agriculture’s slice is growing. Farmers are planting more legumes - soybeans, alfalfa, peanuts, and clovers - that host nitrogen‑fixing bacteria in root nodules. 



That living fertilizer reduces the need for synthetic nitrogen, supports yields, and can help rebuild tired soils.



“Using nitrogen-fixing crops in rotation can support long-term soil health and reduce environmental damage from chemical fertilizers,” Reis Ely said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farms-flood-soil-with-nitrogen">Farms flood soil with nitrogen</h2>



There is a tipping point, though. Reis Ely explained that too much nitrogen can throw off the overall balance of nutrients in the soil, and excess nitrogen can leach into groundwater or run off into lakes and streams, causing algae blooms and harming aquatic life.



Surplus nitrogen can also transform into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nitrous-oxide-is-a-growing-threat-to-human-and-planetary-health/">nitrous oxide</a>, a potent greenhouse gas, and can tilt plant communities toward fast‑growing invasive species that crowd out natives and reduce biodiversity.



“High agricultural nitrogen fixation is a complex issue. We do benefit from it, but along with applications of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, it contributes to nitrogen pollution and climate change,” noted Reis Ely.



“Measuring and monitoring biological nitrogen fixation need to be ongoing to help us ensure we have all the nitrogen in the ground that we need without it becoming too much of a good thing.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-math-needs-updating">Carbon math needs updating</h2>



The study’s recalibration matters beyond academic interest. Governments and companies are banking on land-based carbon removal - through reforestation, restoration, and soil carbon programs - to help meet climate targets.



Those plans rest on assumptions about how much <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-plants-produce-their-own-nitrogen-fertilizer/">plants</a> can grow under rising CO₂. If nitrogen limits are tighter, projected carbon gains may need adjusting. 



Likewise, nutrient management rules, water quality programs, and climate policies that address nitrous oxide all depend on accurate knowledge of nitrogen levels. It's essential to know where nitrogen is scarce and where it exists in excess.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-keep-nitrogen-on-the-farm">Keep nitrogen on the farm</h2>



The path forward is not to abandon nitrogen‑fixing crops but to use them wisely. Better crop rotations, timing, and residue management can keep nitrogen cycling on the farm and out of rivers.



Cutting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-has-a-surprising-impact-on-climate-change/">food waste</a> - one of the biggest hidden sources of nitrogen loss across the production‑to‑plate chain - would reduce pollution pressure without sacrificing food supply. 



In addition, continued monitoring of biological nitrogen fixation in both natural and managed systems will help keep the global nitrogen ledger in balance.



Nature’s soils seem to be running leaner than we hoped; our farms, richer than we can afford to waste. Bridging that divide - feeding people while protecting water, air, and climate - will require paying closer attention to the invisible flow of nitrogen that underpins life on Earth.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09201-w">Nature</a>.



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Soil is losing nitrogen, along with its climate-fighting power

Plants can’t pull carbon from the air without nitrogen in...

Americans throw away staggering amounts of food waste. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 30 to 40 percent of the nation’s food supply never gets eaten. Much of it winds up in landfills, where it rots and releases methane and carbon dioxide.



At the same time, the world is drowning in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-is-changing-the-entire-earth-system/">plastic</a>. Bottles, bags, and film break apart into microplastics that seep into water, soil, and eventually - us.



Now, imagine diverting even a slice of that wasted food and using it to make biodegradable plastic that won’t linger for centuries. In a new study, a research team at Binghamton University (<a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/">SUNY</a>) demonstrates that this future is within reach.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-purpose-for-waste">A new purpose for waste</h2>



The project was led by graduate researcher Tianzheng Liu, working with Professor Sha Jin and a team in the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science.



Jin’s interest in food waste sharpened in 2022 after she received a New York State grant to explore new uses for discarded food.



“We can utilize food waste as a resource to convert into so many industrial products, and biodegradable polymer is just one of them,” she said.



“We’re aiming not only to valorize food waste but also to reduce manufacturing cost of this eco-friendly polymer. There are also different options, like generating biofuels and biochemicals.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-from-food-and-bugs">Plastic from food and bugs</h2>



Making biodegradable plastics today is often expensive. Producers typically start with refined sugar feedstocks and grow microbes in pure cultures - steps that add cost and limit scale. 



The Binghamton team took a different approach. The researchers fermented food waste to produce lactic acid (a carbon source) and added ammonium sulfate for nitrogen. 



The resulting broth was fed to Cupriavidus necator, a bacterium known for stockpiling carbon as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA).



The cells build PHA as internal storage granules. Researchers can recover roughly 90 percent of what the microbes produce and form it into films, packaging, or molded items that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-future-of-plastic-biodegradable-durable-and-even-edible/">biodegrade</a> under the right conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-stem-cells-to-sludge">From stem cells to sludge</h2>



Liu came to the project with a stem cell background, so pivoting to industrial microbiology meant a steep learning curve. "The bioconversion of food waste into organic acids was a relatively easy one," he said. 



"Cultivation of the plastic-producing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-bacteria-get-hungry-they-turn-on-each-other/">bacteria</a> was hard, because at the beginning I didn’t have experience with bacteria fermentation for producing biopolymer. At every move, I felt like something was not what I expected.”



Those frustrations led to tweaks in nutrient balance, fermentation timing, and downstream recovery that now form the backbone of the team’s published method.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dining-halls-join-the-mission">Dining halls join the mission</h2>



Binghamton University Dining Services and food contractor <a href="https://www.sodexo.com/">Sodexo</a> supplied the waste stream that fed the experiments. 



“I talked to the sustainable officer at the university and learned that SUNY doesn’t allow landfill food waste - that’s the policy,” she said. “Each campus is expected to solve the problem. At Binghamton, the dining halls give wasted food to farmers to feed their livestock."



"I thought maybe we could try to directly convert that food waste into biodegradable plastic. There was little information from research publications about the feasibility of this idea, so we felt like maybe that was the gap we could work on.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-food-waste-proves-dependable">Food waste proves dependable</h2>



Industrial recycling projects live or die on logistics. The team tested whether they needed to process the collected food scraps right away. 



The results showed that the material can sit for at least a week without harming the bioconversion, giving haulers and processors some breathing room.



“We discovered that the process is very robust, as long as we have different types of food mixed in at the same ratio,” Jin said. “We control the temperature and the pH during fermentation, and those conditions encourage organic acid-producing bacteria to grow.”



Fermenting food produces solids as well as acids. Rather than discard the leftover paste, Jin’s group is developing it into an organic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fertilizer-reduces-plant-damage-caused-by-droughts/">fertilizer</a> that could replace some synthetic blends. 



Closing that loop would squeeze yet more value from campus scraps while cutting chemical inputs on fields.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lunch-today-package-tomorrow">Lunch today, package tomorrow</h2>



The lab results are promising, but the real impact depends on scale. Jin’s next goal is to ramp up the process and confirm that yields, costs, and product quality hold steady in larger reactors and more variable waste streams.



For that, the group will seek additional grants or an industry partner ready to turn cafeteria leftovers into packaging that composts instead of persisting.



Food waste and plastic waste are two massive problems. This work hints that, with the right microbes and engineering, yesterday’s lunch could become tomorrow’s earth‑friendly packaging.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960852425006856?via%3Dihub">Bioresource Technology</a>.



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Food waste can be used to make biodegradable plastic

Americans throw away staggering amounts of food waste. The U.S....

Coral reefs in the Florida Keys, Hawaii, and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are showing alarming signs of stress. Where bright, living structures once stretched across the seafloor, many now appear ghostly and drained of color. 



The vivid greens, yellows, and blues of the corals have faded. What remains looks more like underwater ruins than living ecosystems. This phenomenon, known as coral bleaching, happens when climate-driven <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-are-rising-faster-than-expected-and-likely-to-accelerate/">ocean warming</a> disrupts the delicate relationship between coral and the algae that live inside them.



Though the organisms remain alive, bleaching makes them vulnerable - to disease, starvation, and eventually, death.



But recent research out of <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>, in collaboration with Duke University and the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, has uncovered something hopeful: certain corals can pass their heat tolerance to their offspring. This finding could help protect reefs around the world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-corals-under-climate-stress">Corals under climate stress</h2>



Coral reefs support nearly a quarter of all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/body-size-of-85000-marine-species-mapped-in-new-database/">marine species</a>. They also protect coastlines and help sustain millions of people globally. 



Recently, researchers discovered that resistance to heat isn’t just a fluke of one generation - It can be inherited.



“The Coral Resilience Lab in Hawaii has developed amazing methods to breed and rear corals during natural summer spawning,” said study co-author Rob Quinn.



“This is a true scientific collaboration that can support coral breeding and reproduction to cultivate more resilient corals for the warming oceans of the future.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-color-behind-the-corals">The color behind the corals</h2>



In exchange for shelter and nutrients, the algae use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-finally-decoded-the-process-of-photosynthesis/">photosynthesis</a> to produce sugars that feed their host - providing up to 95 percent of the energy it needs. It’s a tight-knit relationship. But when water gets too warm, that partnership breaks down.



Bleached coral has kicked out its algae. It becomes pale. It loses its source of energy. And it starts to struggle.



“Corals are like the trees in an old-growth forest; they build the ecosystems we know as reefs on the energetic foundation between the animal and algae,” said study co-author Crawford Drury.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-lab-to-ocean-collaboration">A lab-to-ocean collaboration</h2>



Michigan State University, far from any tropical reef, brings a unique set of tools to the table. Samples collected from spawning events in Hawaii are sent to MSU, where researchers use a method called metabolomics to study them.



This technique lets scientists see what’s happening inside a coral’s cells at a specific moment. The goal is to find the biochemical fingerprints linked to thermal tolerance.



The experts analyzed sperm, eggs, embryos, larvae, and algae. The results showed that heat resistance comes from both the coral and its algae - and that this resistance successfully passes from parent to offspring.



“HIMB and MSU have developed a really amazing partnership. I’m just happy they’ve let me be a part of it. I can’t wait to see what comes out of it next,” said Ty Roach, a visiting faculty at Duke University and lead author of the new study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-eggs-carry-algae">Coral eggs carry algae</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natural-sunscreen-helps-blue-rice-corals-adapt-to-warming-climate/">Rice coral</a> comes in many forms - some branch out like tiny fingers, others spread flat like layered shelves. But they all share a remarkable feature: little grain-like bumps that inspired the name, and a surprising ability to pass thermal tolerance to the next generation.



Unlike many coral species that acquire algae from surrounding seawater, rice coral packages its eggs with algae from the start. 



This means that both the coral and its symbiotic algae begin their journey together from the very first moments of life. That early partnership offers a head start in facing warming oceans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-heat-in-coral-babies">Studying heat in coral babies</h2>



Quinn and his team used MSU’s advanced instruments to examine the chemistry of each sample. They set out to investigate whether the molecules linked to heat resistance - such as specific lipids - appeared consistently across generations.



The researchers discovered that even embryos and larvae, the earliest life stages, showed chemical signatures tied to their parents’ heat resilience.



“Corals usually spawn based on the lunar cycle; for our experiment, this means late nights around the summer new moons and months of work rearing coral larvae and juveniles,” Drury said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-traits-passed-during-spawning">Heat traits passed during spawning</h2>



One of those long nights left a big impression on MSU graduate student Sarah VanDiepenbos.



“It was such a serene, beautiful experience. The timing is impeccable, as the process only lasts 20 to 30 minutes total,” she said. 



The coral bundles slowly float upward, trying to find another gamete to combine with once they get to the surface. This release is gradual, so they can have a maximum chance of finding spawn from a different coral.



“To have this algae’s thermal tolerance remain through an entire generation and all the stages of coral development - that’s surprising, and promising for the future of coral reefs,” Quinn said. 



“Coral lipid biochemistry is maintained through all stages of development during reproduction. These lipids come from both the host coral and its algal symbiont, indicating there is crosstalk between them to prepare the next generation to resist bleaching.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-resilience-in-a-changing-climate">Coral resilience in a changing climate</h2>



The results don’t just offer insight. They offer an opportunity for action. Understanding how thermal resistance is passed down gives scientists better tools for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/restored-coral-reefs-can-bounce-back-in-just-four-years/">restoring reefs</a>. It also gives them a clearer sense of which corals are worth breeding in a changing climate.



“Our metabolomics research at MSU could support reef restoration efforts at places like the Kāneʻohe Bay by identifying corals that are resistant to bleaching,” Quinn said.



The oceans are changing. But thanks to research like this, we might be ready for what comes next.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61102-8">Nature Communications</a>.



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Baby corals inherit a powerful defense against climate change

Coral reefs in the Florida Keys, Hawaii, and Australia’s Great...

Geologists have stumbled on what they call gigantic fortresses lying almost 1,800 miles below our feet in Earth's mantle. 



New seismic evidence shows how these subterranean bulwarks are older and tougher than the cooler debris of dead ocean plates that surround them, turning a long‑running mystery into a concrete data story.



Each fortress spans an area comparable to a continent beneath Africa and the Pacific, and registers hotter than its frigid surroundings. 



<a href="https://www.uu.nl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Utrecht University</a>'s seismologist <a href="https://www.uu.nl/staff/AFDeuss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arwen Deuss</a>, working with colleagues across Europe, Australia, and the United States, led the crew that pieced together the picture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fortresses-in-earth-s-mantle">Fortresses in Earth's mantle</h2>



The scientific shorthand for the fortresses is large low seismic velocity provinces or <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22185-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LLSVPs</a>, continent‑scale masses perched at the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1148028" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">core‑mantle boundary</a> about 1,800 to 1,900 miles down. 



They dampen shear waves and slow them, marking them out as zones of hot, sluggish rock that differs sharply from the stiff material around them.



Seismic tomography first lit them up in global maps during the 1990s. Two hulking blobs emerged, one under Africa and one under the central Pacific, each more than 3,000 miles across.



Later surveys confirmed that the African LLSVP towers roughly 600 miles high while its Pacific twin rises even farther. 



Yet whether they were temporary stains or ancient fixtures remained unsettled, in part because most models assumed vigorous, homogenizing flow in the lower mantle.



Taken together, the two provinces occupy about eight percent of the mantle’s volume, a reminder that Earth’s interior is far from uniform.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-listening-to-the-planet-s-bell">Listening to the planet's bell</h2>



Seismologists treat the Earth like a giant bell that rings when a great quake strikes. The catastrophic <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/95GL01598" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1994 Bolivia event</a> provided tones that hummed for hours, carrying clues from the deepest layers and offering clean, low‑noise data.



“Large earthquakes make the whole Earth ring like a bell with different tones,” said Deuss after reviewing decades of records. 



Her team tuned in not only to the pitch shifts but also to how loudly each mode persisted, a seldom‑used metric called quality factor.



That loudness, known as damping, revealed something odd. Vibrations grew quiet in the cold slab graveyard but stayed loud inside the hot fortresses, implying low internal friction and unexpectedly efficient energy transmission.



Against expectation, the LLSVPs sapped little energy from the waves. The finding overturned the simple view that heat alone controls attenuation, forcing scientists to search for another variable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-texture-tells-a-deeper-story">Texture tells a deeper story</h2>



The key lies in <a href="https://web.mit.edu/hufaul/www/UPubs/JacksonJGR02.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">grain boundaries</a>, the microscopic seams between crystals in mantle minerals. Fewer seams mean fewer places for energy to bleed away, a principle familiar to anyone who has tried to push water through a coarse versus fine filter.



Subducted plates recrystallize into tiny grains as they plunge, multiplying boundaries and soaking up seismic energy. They show up as the quietest patches in the global map, matching the high‑damping ring around the Pacific.



Inside the fortresses, grains have had eons to grow fat. Large crystals line up like chunky bricks, stiffening the rock and letting waves glide through with little loss, a behavior confirmed in high‑pressure laboratory rigs.



Laboratory tests on olivine confirm the trend, showing that doubling grain size can nearly halve seismic attenuation at mantle temperatures. 



That experimental curve fits the numbers seen in the new global model, strengthening the grain‑size explanation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-restless-mantle-and-giant-fortresses">Restless mantle and giant fortresses</h2>



Modeling suggests the grain growth needed to reach that size takes at least 500 million years, perhaps far longer. 



The fortresses, therefore, predate many supercontinents that have since broken apart, including Pangea and its earlier cousins.



Such rigidity helps them ignore the slow churn of mantle convection. They stand their ground while cooler slabs crawl and sink around them, like boulders lodged in a riverbed of flowing rock.



“There is less flow in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sunken-worlds-discovered-under-the-pacific-ocean-in-earths-mantle/">Earth's mantle</a> than is commonly thought,” Deuss explained, noting that the presence of these immovable masses forces scientists to rethink convection cycles. The textbook picture of a well‑stirred mantle no longer fits.



A layered mantle, part conveyor and part castle, now seems more likely. That hybrid view changes every surface process driven from below, from the drift of continents to the cycling of carbon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-finding-matters-at-the-surface">Why the finding matters at the surface</h2>



The hot edges of the fortresses appear to be launchpads for mantle plumes that punch up to volcano chains such as Hawaii. Their buoyant rise fuels not only island arcs but also the massive basalt floods seen in Earth’s deep past.



Large igneous provinces linked to mass extinctions tend to cluster above these plume zones. Knowing that the plumes come from fortress margins ties surface cataclysms to deep‑<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fresh-lava-from-deep-earth-mantle-pulses-burst-onto-land-where-new-ocean-is-forming/">mantle</a> architecture.



Mountain belts form where plates collide, but the deep heat flow that drives those collisions may trace back to these hot roots. In that sense, the fortresses could set the tempo of orogeny and rifting alike.



Over geologic time, their stability may even shape the drift path of continents, steering plates around the mantle’s slow‑moving keystones. That possibility will feed new computer models that link deep convection to plate motions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-scientists-will-chase-next">What scientists will chase next</h2>



Researchers plan denser global arrays and machine‑learning tools to catch fainter normal modes. Each new quake becomes another flashlight aimed into the depths, refining the 3‑D map with every event.



Geochemists will compare <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-gold-precious-metals-discovered-hawaii-may-have-come-from-earths-core/">volcanic rocks</a> to lab‑made analogs, hunting chemical fingerprints of the fortresses. 



A match would close the loop between seismic images and real material, settling the debate over whether the fortresses differ in composition as well as temperature.



Mineral physicists also want to recreate fortress conditions in diamond‑anvil presses, squeezing and heating samples to map how grain growth unfolds through deep time. The work could reveal why some minerals coarsen while others stay fine and brittle.



Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.geol.umd.edu/~mcdonoug/documents/geoneutrino/Dye_etal_(AIP-CP-1182_09).pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">geoneutrino observatories</a> may soon detect radioactive decay signatures that differ inside and outside the fortresses. 



Any contrast would add a new dimension to the planet‑sized puzzle, linking deep geology to particle physics.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08322-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Geologists found 'gigantic fortresses' beneath the Earth's crust in the mantle

Geologists have stumbled on what they call gigantic fortresses lying...

Aspen trees, long admired for their beauty, may also be powerful allies in wildfire defense. A new study reveals that aspen forests can slow wildfires or even stop them entirely. The researchers looked at 314 wildfires across the Four Corners region between 2001 and 2020.



The team discovered that even small increases in aspen cover reduced fire spread. Daily fire growth dropped from over 1,100 hectares to just 368 hectares where aspen cover exceeded 25 percent. The research shows how aspen stands can work like natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/">firebreaks</a>.



Study co-author Camille Stevens-Rumann is an associate professor of forest and rangeland stewardship at <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChsSEwiA8d2KmsSOAxV7Ha0GHTydJiAYACICCAEQABoCcHY&amp;ae=2&amp;co=1&amp;ase=3&amp;agsac=WSzQGi9fupA&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwvuLDBhAOEiwAPtF0VvDkxM68atE0hzajpCpwrMe24lEHXOSwVutUvw84cPX2BysJJ2eskhoCUroQAvD_BwE&amp;ei=FxZ5aMjFFsGo0PEPs9jsuA0&amp;ohost=www.google.com&amp;cid=CAESwwHg9kzbdMEryDyc7pk-9MOgOrKHc7cMTIF0G6ZsM0D2PJUpift_Q4S3ecWuFTmhlQXjWRxCVGbRflQ_7EvzOmQUxpksK3XjbJ8LjeVG5ZQkfxcHkPJydOp6-ZJOtCCajsLxWE4SQuqxaiO_DdhAnxFMwdP0qeMH20OxzApcNao_qxEKsuKuSlNylmWnUi5AdKmueQLRNsW4u1sw_PfNXq35SEzNXBphGOCrLGOkToEzUy3z7zSchJ7Ue-Vih746BImLwVc&amp;sig=AOD64_3MAeRUmbBQqepNuOcbnIXyZ96t8Q&amp;q&amp;sqi=2&amp;adurl&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiIrdiKmsSOAxVBFDQIHTMsG9cQ0Qx6BAgTEAE&amp;ms=CoACUlSkG05Cs3Fm4sA9v7CZdXwaUYWgIPZKVjPN0oyvBswcyW9a95LuMEiM7bkdxxgRIFJMZQ66WdZKTZtycckRazNVWDdflJDr-tClbsz3m45gUR3DXKzI9uIGU6fESdVlm41lPifH5SLLv6awmDB-YdMVdJ1jc6kb4TRCdcKgOx9EzZgWgjmgVq3fpag5jQXRDyYmOUwDStf53i2OJdj0e1Ux9gME9tKaqygrPiS5co6oHzOQI-fTCbnqncM4YbzWcbYWSG74tMsS0VPMsMtn04A6jUkiH8LFLJkLNzV0Y91UBGC4zWLpcDmSadS9Ff_mB4Af7ts9re2GEKxUO-1GLwqAAiZJeyMuX0MPh0nKj6nrwQxx5XwQndxpncGphRUQw71wnhflX5pDL6w3n0aWgdIWG_xC_9DdHftnEd65ywZBxO1OWD9bXvIGgkKcslaq14M4ivLUHGaVeDEhwETD771_WromHppfg9vPrr61o5R7YFLnN49428HIHTyY9VzKGhcXKpysNy25tEtb1yKiPakXfsxg0DeXyUaHY9q7e_Oza1s9zeXirHV3GzTBY7vqZ_Z1UhoE5OCbQBPUJHnhEQ4pzdd4w-xDxxn1fjnvMlApJPQ3I5TYkrgc6UuScJvcO2CS-IgXXmN7e-Sd37nYpgQYaf_926zSNVdeNABxi08LTJ0SEG91ZYMjMf5m7jBLDg9Q41o&amp;nis=12&amp;uk=1752765978850&amp;dct=1&amp;suid=48698778863">Colorado State University</a>.



“Where managers can encourage aspen over conifers, they may represent a more desirable fuel treatment in some forest types than traditional thinning or shaded firebreaks because of the aesthetic value and wildlife habitat aspen provide,” said Stevens-Rumann.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-barriers-that-stop-wildfires">Barriers that stop wildfires</h2>



The researchers found that aspen was more abundant at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-are-changing-the-quality-of-our-air/">fire</a> edges than in the interior. The pattern suggests aspen helped form fire boundaries. This makes them a natural shield, especially useful for land managers.



“My hope is that this research can help inform fire and fuels management focused on propagation of aspen through prescribed fire. In some settings, aspen might even be planted around communities to form green fuel breaks for fire protection,” noted study lead author Matt Harris, a recent <a href="https://western.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Western Colorado</a> graduate.



The researchers used satellite data to measure daily fire growth. Fire spread slowed as aspen coverage increased, even under extreme conditions like high winds and low humidity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-aspen-resists-wildfires">Why aspen resists wildfires</h2>



Aspen trees carry unique traits that help them resist burning. Their leaves and understory hold more moisture. Their branches stay high, making crown fires less likely. And their chemical makeup makes them less flammable than conifers.



Daily fire spread dropped from over 2000 meters to under 1350 meters when aspen cover passed 25%. That’s a sharp decline with important implications.



The researchers also found that aspen’s effectiveness did not vary much with weather. While climate factors did affect total fire spread, they didn’t change aspen’s relative performance against conifers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aspen-in-the-late-fire-season">Aspen in the late fire season</h2>



One pattern did emerge with timing. Aspen tended to be more effective wildfire stoppers later in the season. In early spring, fires could still move through before the leaves fully emerged.



During summer, when aspen foliage reaches peak moisture, the trees became more effective buffers. Still, this trend was mild and not uniform across all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">fires</a>.



The study supports using aspen in green fuel breaks. These natural buffers could slow fire in forest landscapes while offering habitat and scenic value.



“This research is a direct result of long-term federal investment in understanding wildfire and forest dynamics," noted study co-author Jonathan Coop. 



"The wildfire challenges we face in the western U.S. continue to grow every year, and we require good science to inform solutions to protect communities and sustain the ecosystem functions we depend on, from water to timber."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aspen-forests-boost-wildfire-resistance">Aspen forests boost wildfire resistance</h2>



Aspen spreads quickly after disturbance. It regenerates through root suckers, seeds, and sprouts on bare ground. As fire activity increases due to climate change, aspen may expand naturally in some places.



However, that is not guaranteed. Land use, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-now-emit-more-carbon-than-they-store-due-to-wildfires/">fire</a> suppression, and conifer growth have reduced aspen in many areas. Interventions like prescribed fire or planting may help restore it.



Aspen forests also bring more than fire resistance. They boost soil moisture and provide habitats for birds and mammals. They offer high aesthetic and ecological value, making them ideal for landscape-scale planning.



Fire managers might now see aspen as more than just a background species. In fire-prone areas, these trees can help slow or stop wildfires. While more research is needed to investigate the costs and effectiveness, this study makes a clear case.



Aspen forests may not replace traditional fire treatments, but they offer a natural option that blends beauty, biodiversity, and fire resistance. In a drier, hotter future, that combination could become invaluable.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.70061" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ecological Applications</a>.



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How aspen forests can help stop wildfires in their tracks

Aspen trees, long admired for their beauty, may also be...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
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Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

California's extreme fire season rages on

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