<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagulls-birds-more-intelligent-than-believed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Seagull</a> species with larger brains are more likely to choose cliffs for nesting and may also be better adapted to urban environments, such as the rooftops of buildings, according to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Exeter</a>.



Exploring the link between brain size, wing shape, nesting habits, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-lizards-show-physical-and-genetic-adaptations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urban adaptation</a>, the experts discovered that over half of cliff-nesting gull species are nesting in urban settings, a significant contrast to the 11% of non-cliff-nesting species doing the same. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seagulls-nesting-in-challenging-environments">Seagulls nesting in challenging environments</h2>



The research highlights a correlation between larger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagulls-birds-more-intelligent-than-believed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain sizes</a> and the ability to adapt to more challenging nesting environments.



“Many people will be familiar with gulls nesting and foraging in urban areas,” said lead author Madeleine Goumas, a former postdoctoral research associate at Exeter's Center for Ecology and Conservation. “It's not something you might expect from a seabird, so we wanted to try to understand why they do it."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seagulls-nesting-in-urban-settings-nbsp">Seagulls nesting in urban settings&nbsp;</h2>



The research involved a comprehensive review of existing studies, analyzing urban breeding and foraging behaviors among different seagull species.&nbsp;



The findings revealed that 13 of the 50 gull species have adapted to urban environments for breeding, with the same number identified as urban foragers; nine species engage in both behaviors.



The data showed that 53% of cliff-nesting gull species were found to nest in urban areas, compared to only 11% of non-cliff-nesters.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seagulls-with-larger-brains">Seagulls with larger brains</h2>



“We found that gull species with larger brains are more likely to be cliff-nesters, and cliff-nesting species are more likely to breed in urban areas,” said senior author Neeltje Boogert, a senior lecturer in biosciences at Exeter.



“It's also not a fixed behavior in most gulls. While non-cliff-nesting species nest exclusively on the ground, most cliff-nesting species nest either on cliffs or the ground.”



“This suggests that bigger brains enable these gull species to be flexible with regard to where they choose to nest, and this allows them to use unconventional sites, like buildings, for raising their young.”



Regarding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-foraging-behavior-changing-climate-warming-waters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">foraging behavior</a>, the study concluded that neither brain size nor wing shape, which influences maneuverability, were definitive factors in predicting urban foraging activities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-conservation">Implications for conservation</h2>



The scientists also examined the conservation status of these seagulls, discovering that those with stable or growing populations were more likely to utilize urban habitats compared to those in decline. Among the ten gull species listed as Threatened or Near Threatened, only the black-legged kittiwake was observed using urban settings.



“Whether or not species use urban areas has important implications for conservation,” Boogert explained. “If we can understand the factors that allow animals to use urban areas, we can better understand how to help those that aren't faring so well.”



“Urbanization is a major problem for a lot of animals. It looks like some gull species have managed to overcome some of the challenges that prevent other animals from using urban areas, but we need more long-term studies as well as comparative studies on other taxa to fully understand the impacts of urban living,” Goumas added.



This research is part of a broader investigation into gull behavior, which includes studies on how gulls prefer food handled by humans and how maintaining eye contact can deter them from stealing food.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-seagull-nesting-behaviors-nbsp">More about seagull nesting behaviors&nbsp;</h2>



Seagulls are fascinating creatures, particularly when it comes to their nesting behaviors, which exhibit some unique strategies adapted to their environments.&nbsp;



Generally, seagulls are colonial nesters, meaning they prefer to nest in large groups, which offers protection against predators. The location of these colonies can vary widely, including isolated, flat roofs of buildings, sandy beaches, or rocky cliffs near the sea.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nesting-strategies">Nesting strategies</h3>



A typical nesting site is chosen for its safety from ground predators and its proximity to food sources. Seagulls are quite adaptable and may adjust their nesting strategies based on their environment. For instance, urban gulls might nest on man-made structures, while those in more natural settings will choose spots that offer natural protection.



When building their nests, seagulls use a variety of materials, including sticks, seaweed, and feathers, constructing them to cradle their eggs securely. A seagull's nest is relatively simple, not much more than a scrape on the ground or a slight mound to keep the eggs in place.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mating-pairs-nbsp">Mating pairs&nbsp;</h3>



Seagulls are also particularly defensive of their nesting sites. Both the male and female participate in nest building and the care of the young. The mating pair typically forms a bond that can last many years and is reinforced each season through ritual behaviors and mutual care.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breeding-season">Breeding season</h3>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-snowstorms-impact-breeding-success-of-petrels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">breeding</a> season is a noisy time in a gull colony, filled with calls and aggressive interactions between neighbors and intruders. Eggs are generally laid from late March through May, with the specifics depending on the location and species. The incubation period for seagull eggs lasts about three to five weeks, and both parents share the duty of warming the eggs.



Once hatched, the chicks are semi-precocial, meaning they are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth, yet remain dependent on their parents for food and protection. The young are usually ready to fly and leave the nest within six weeks after hatching, though parental care may continue until they are fully capable of independent survival.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2024.1256911" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.



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Big-brained seagulls choose more challenging nesting sites

Seagull species with larger brains are more likely to choose cliffs for nesting and may also be better adapted to urban environments, such as the rooftops of buildings, according to a recent study led by the University of Exeter. Exploring the link between brain size, wing shape, nesting habits, and urban adaptation, the experts discovered that over half of cliff-nesting gull species are nesting in urban settings, a significant contrast to the 11% of non-cliff-nesting species doing the same.  Seagulls nesting in challenging environments The research highlights...

Water currents caused by the tide have a major influence on the foraging behavior of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rat-eradication-is-beneficial-for-seabirds-and-coral-reefs/">seabirds</a>, according to a study from the<a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/"> University of Plymouth</a>. The researchers investigated how terns respond to turbulent tidal flows caused by natural coastal features and man-made structures.

The scientists used drones to experience what the terns see and how their behavior changes depending on the movement of tidal flows beneath them.

The study was focused on a turbulent tidal channel, Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, which is known to be a foraging hotspot for terns.

The experts found that the terns were more likely to actively forage over swirling patches of water, or vortices. However, eruptions of upwelling water ahead of the terns' flight path prompted them to stay on course as they approached.

The researchers said their findings offer a never-before-seen insight into how tidal turbulence can impact foraging behaviors. The experts noted that the study may ultimately help to predict how species will respond to environmental changes such as the increased future development of ocean renewable energy sites.

"Our research highlights the importance of identifying changes in local flow conditions due to ocean energy structures which can change the occurrence, scale and intensity of localized turbulence in the water," said Dr. Lilian Lieber. 

"Through a fantastic interdisciplinary collaboration, we were able to track prevalent flow features and seabirds on thus far unobtainable scales, shedding new light on tern foraging associations with turbulence." 

"We found that terns were more likely to actively forage over vortices, while conspicuous upwellings provided a strong physical cue even at some distance, leading them to investigate such features. This research can help us predict seabird responses to coastal change."

"It is extremely exciting that we now have these incredibly detailed animal movement data, which allows us to investigate behavioral processes at effectively arbitrarily fine scales of animal decision-making," said Professor Roland Langrock.

"While it presented some new statistical challenges, the interdisciplinary nature of our project presents a valuable contribution to the emerging field of high-throughput movement ecology."

Dr. Alex Nimmo-Smith used machine learning and mapped the underlying turbulent features to track the terns.

"The drone provided a real bird's eye view, allowing us to track the highly localized foraging behavior of the terns and the close association they have with particular flow features."

"Upwelling boils and swirling vortices, characteristic of strong tidal flows, can bring potential prey items (such as small fish) to the water surface and trap them there. Therefore, these physical processes provide foraging opportunities for the terns."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Royal Society Proceedings B</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Foraging habits of seabirds altered by  turbulent tidal flows

Water currents caused by the tide have a major influence...

A new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-holds-genetic-material-from-the-coronavirus/">genetic</a> study from the the Centre for Palaeogenetics at <a href="https://www.su.se/">Stockholm University</a> shows that the last remaining populations of the Sumatran rhinoceros display surprisingly low levels of inbreeding. However, unless their populations start to increase, the researchers expect rates of inbreeding to rise among the rhinos.  

The Sumatran rhinoceros is one of the most endangered mammal species in the world, with less than 100 individuals remaining. Health issues and low fertility have raised concerns about a potentially high rate of inbreeding.

To investigate, the researchers analyzed the genomes of 16 individuals on Borneo and Sumatra, as well as five specimens from a population on the Malaysian Peninsula that recently went extinct. 

The experts estimated inbreeding levels, genetic variation, and the frequency of harmful mutations for each of the three populations. Furthermore, the researchers used the historical genetic data to explore the genetic consequences of the severe population decline of the past 100 years.

"To our surprise, we found relatively low inbreeding levels and high genetic diversity in the present-day populations on Borneo and Sumatra," said study co-lead author and PhD student Johanna von Seth.

The researchers theorize that low inbreeding levels found in the present-day rhinos can be attributed to the fact that the substantial decline in population size occurred recently. In other words, inbreeding has not yet caught up with the small population size.

While this indicates that there is still time to preserve the species' genetic diversity, the researchers also found that there are many potentially harmful mutations hidden in the genomes of the Sumatran rhinos. 

"Unless the populations start increasing in size, there is a high risk that inbreeding levels will start rising, and consequently that genetic diseases will become more common," said study co-lead author Nicolas Dussex.

The recently extinct Sumatran rhinoceros population on the Malaysian Peninsula serves as a warning of what could soon happen to the remaining populations in Borneo and Sumatra.

According to the study, the Malaysian population experienced a rapid increase in inbreeding levels before it went extinct. The researchers also found changes in the frequency of potentially harmful mutations that are consistent with inbreeding depression, where closely related parents produce offspring that suffer from genetic disease. 

"The Sumatran rhino is by no means out of the woods. But at least our findings provide a path forward, where we might still be able to rescue a large part of the species' genetic diversity," said Professor Love Dalén.

The study authors said it is imperative that the population size increases in order to minimize the risk of extinction. They also recommend the exchange of genes between Borneo and Sumatra, either through translocation or artificial insemination. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The fate of the Sumatran rhinoceros is uncertain

A new genetic study from the the Centre for Palaeogenetics...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, experts have discovered that sea sponges have been moving across the floor of the Arctic Ocean. The researchers identified mysterious trails of light brown sponge spicules that were spotted in a video.

"We observed trails of densely interwoven spicules connected directly to the underside or lower flanks of sponge individuals, suggesting these trails are traces of motility of the sponges," explained the researchers. "This is the first time abundant sponge trails have been observed in situ and attributed to sponge mobility."

According to the study authors, it looked as though the sponges had "crawled" into their current positions. But once these creatures have settled in a spot and matured there, they do not generally move around.

In fact, sponges have no muscles or specialized organs for locomotion, so the researchers were amazed to find a large number of trails 

Sponges can only move a little by contracting or expanding their bodies. In some cases of sponges raised in the lab, movement involved remodeling their entire bodies.

The video footage was captured in 2016 by the research icebreaker Polarstern as it surveyed the Langseth Ridge, which is permanently covered in ice. The peaks of the ridge were found to be covered by one of the densest communities of sponges that has ever been recorded. 

The researchers said it is not clear, given the challenging environment, how the area supports such a large community. The team was even more surprised to observe trails of spicules that appeared in nearly 70 percent of the seafloor images that contained living sponges.

The trails were several centimeters in height and many meters long, often connecting directly to living sponges. 

The team generated 3D models to show the way the trails were interconnected. The findings suggest that the moving sponges sometimes change direction, explained the researchers.

According to the experts, the movement is not simply a matter of gravity. For example, the images revealed that the trails often meandered uphill. The researchers speculate that the sponges may have to move in order to access food.

"These features are all indicative of feeding and population density behavioral trends previously observed in encrusting sponges," wrote the study authors. 

"The extremely low primary productivity, sedimentation, and particle advection rates of the Langseth Ridge region overall result in some of the lowest standing stocks of benthic life; so potentially, this Arctic Geodia community relies on particulate and dissolved fractions from the degradation of old organic debris trapped within the spicule mat as additional food sources." 

"We suggest that the mobility indicated here may be related to sponges searching for and feeding directly on the accumulated detrital matter trapped within the sponge spicule mat underlying the living sponges."

The research was led by Teresa Morganti of the Max Planck Institute of Marine Microbiology and Autun Purser of the Alfred Wegener Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sponges are mysteriously moving across the Arctic seafloor

In a new study from Cell Press, experts have discovered...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.caltech.edu/">California Institute of Technology</a>, experts have discovered that fruit flies can fly up to 15 kilometers in a single journey. This distance is the equivalent of the average human traveling over 10,000 kilometers, or more than 6,200 miles.

The record for the longest distance by a human was set in 2005, when an ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes ran continuously for 80 hours over 350 miles - roughly 324,000 times his body length. The Caltech study has found that fruit flies can travel up to six million times the length of their body.

The experts designed a series of "release and recapture" experiments involving hundreds of thousands of fruit flies under various wind conditions.

The experiments were conducted in a dry lakebed in the Mojave Desert. Fruit flies were released and lured into traps with fermenting juice, as the researchers measured their top speeds.

The researchers found that it took about 16 minutes for the fruit flies to cover one kilometer to reach the traps, corresponding with a speed of approximately one meter per second. Previous studies from the lab showed that a fully fed fruit fly has the energy to travel continuously for up to three hours. 

Based on this data, the team concluded that the common fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster can fly roughly 12 to 15 kilometers in a single flight, even into a gentle breeze, and will go further if aided by a tailwind. This distance is about 6 million times the average body length of a fruit fly, which is 2.5 millimeters.

"The dispersal capability of these little fruit flies has been vastly underestimated," said Professor Michael Dickinson. "They can travel as far or farther than most migratory birds in a single flight. These flies are the standard laboratory model organism, but they are almost never studied outside of the laboratory and so we had little idea what their flight capabilities were."

The research indicates that the fly brain still contains ancient behavioral modules, said Professor Dickinson. 

"For any animal, if you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and there's no food, what do you do? Do you just hop around and hope you find some fruit? Or do you say - 'Okay, I'm going to pick a direction and go as far as I can in that direction and hope for the best.' These experiments suggest that that's what the flies do."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://pnas.otg">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fruit flies can travel six million times their body length

In a new study from the California Institute of Technology,...

Rat eradication on tropical islands can benefit the surrounding coral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-provide-5-3-billion-in-flood-protection-on-u-s-coast/">reefs</a> in a major way, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>. The researchers found that in the absence of rats, valuable nutrients in the form of seabird poop are able to reach the reefs. 

The experts report that seabird nutrient flows can bolster the health of delicate coral reef ecosystems, and may improve their chances of recovering climate disturbance events.

Seabirds make critically important contributions to nutrient distribution on tropical islands. After feeding on fish far out in the open ocean, the birds return to roost and deposit nitrogen-rich nutrients in their poop, or guano.

When it rains, the guano is washed off into the surrounding ocean where it fertilizes corals, algae, and other marine species. 

Rats have been accidentally introduced to many tropical islands over the last few centuries through human settlement and sailing between islands. The invasive animals can completely alter ecosystems and are particularly threatening to seabirds, eating eggs, chicks and even some adults. 

In previous work, the Lancaster team showed that islands with rat infestations had much smaller seabird populations than islands without rats. As a result, there was much less nitrogen on the islands and in the surrounding marine environments. The lack of nutrient runoff was linked to smaller reef fish and slower coral growth on adjacent reefs.

The current study was focused on 20 islands in the central and western Indian Ocean, including the Chagos Archipelago and the Scattered islands.

The team compared islands with ongoing infestations to those where rats have been eradicated, as well as with islands that never had rats. 

The greatest number of seabirds was found on islands where rats have never been introduced. Islands with existing rat infestations had the fewest seabirds, as well as seabird-derived nutrients. 

Seabird populations are steadily increasing on two sites within the Scattered Islands - Île du Lys and Tromelin.

"Rats were eradicated on Tromelin in 2005," said study co-author Matthieu Le Corre. "Since then there has been an eight-fold increase in seabirds, and six species that were locally extinct because of the rats have restarted to breed after rat eradication. On Île du Lys, where rats were eradicated in 2003, surveys show there has been a ten-fold increase in seabirds since."

By testing fish and algae, the researchers determined that there were higher levels of seabird-derived nitrogen surrounding these islands.

The study showed that - even around islands that have been infested for hundreds of years - seabird nutrients begin flowing to coral reefs within 16 years of rat eradication.

"We know that rats are devastating for island seabird populations, and that the loss of these birds from islands is harmful to the surrounding coral reef ecosystems. However, we needed to test whether removing the rats from islands could help these important nutrient cycles return, and if so, how quickly and how far the benefits would spread onto fragile coral reefs," explained study lead author Dr. Casey Benkwitt.

"Our study shows the first evidence that rat eradication programs can indeed be an important tool in helping restore these vital seabird-led nutrient cycles not just on tropical islands themselves, but also in their surrounding seas - and that they can recover within relatively short timeframes, which is very encouraging."

The researchers believe that by combining rat eradication programs with other restoration strategies, it could be possible to speed up the recovery of seabird populations, and their benefits to surrounding marine environments.

"This study adds to the weight of evidence suggesting rat eradication can have substantial conservation benefits to tropical island and adjacent marine ecosystems," said Professor Nick Graham.

"The nutrient cycles that returning seabirds bring can bolster coral and fish assemblages. With climate impacts severely impacting coral reefs, management actions to boost the ecosystem are incredibly important."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rat eradication is beneficial for seabirds and coral reefs

Rat eradication on tropical islands can benefit the surrounding coral...

A new study from <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/">Purdue University</a> has revealed that vervet monkeys tend to keep their distance from others when they are dealing with a parasitic infection.

Study lead author and biological anthropologist Dr. Brandi Wren spent a year studying wild vervet monkeys in South Africa. She documented the parasite loads of individual monkeys, as well as social grooming behavior within groups.

Dr. Wren found that monkeys carrying certain gastrointestinal parasites did not groom others as much as those without the parasite. 

Vervet monkeys share more than 90 percent of their DNA with humans, and have also been known to exhibit anxiety and hypertension. These are conditions the are not often found in non-human animals.

By studying the physiology, genetics, and behavior of vervet monkeys, biologists can better understand certain aspects of human biology.

"We have so many behavioral similarities; the roots and nuances of social behavior tend to be similar across all of the primates, especially from monkeys to humans," said Dr. Wren. 

"This study shows some of those similarities down to, when we feel sick, we don't want to talk to anybody. 'You can rub my back, whatever, but I really want to be left alone.' We see a lot of similarities in how humans and monkeys interact within their own groups."

The gastrointestinal parasites that Dr. Wren investigated are not typically spread through social contact, but through contaminated soil or substances in the environment. However, the research shows that the parasites may be spread through social contact, and can significantly affect an individual's social behavior.

After studying social interactions combined with data on infection from fecal samples, the researchers found that monkeys infected with whipworm spent less time grooming other monkeys. 

"Infected individuals show a little bit of lethargy, but the interesting thing is that they still let other individuals groom them; they just don't groom others. They also don't cuddle with the other monkeys as much. It appears they just don't feel well."

Dr. Wren noted that the difference in social behavior is not so stark that it is noticeable just by observing the monkeys. 

"There's no way we would have been able to tell which monkeys were infected just from observation. There are no other signs of the infection, other than the social behavior. And the change is often so hard to detect. It takes following one individual for a substantial time and collecting the data to see it. The effect is hidden in this complex web of interactions," explained Dr. Wren.

"There are some individuals you watch and you think, 'Gosh, this guy is such a jerk! He always lets everybody groom him, but he doesn't groom anybody else! What we're attributing to personality or attitude could just be because he has a gut full of parasites."

According to the experts, the monkeys' behavior parallels human behavior during the pandemic. Like vervet monkeys, humans crave social contact, can spread diseases through social contact, and tend to withdraw a bit during an illness. 

"All these social behaviors affect health on a practical level," said Dr. Wren. "We know COVID-19 is spread through close social contact. A fascinating thing about studying other species, and one reason to observe and understand them, is that we are always learning new things. There is always more to learn. Even when we're looking at previous research, even when we thought we understood the results, we still may not know the whole picture."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Monkeys practice social distancing when they have an infection

A new study from Purdue University has revealed that vervet...

The expansion of solar <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/horses-gut-bacteria-talk-to-their-cells-to-regulate-energy/">energy</a> can be shaped to benefit pollinators, according to new research. The experts have identified many ways that bees and other pollinators could gain from the strategic development of solar parks across Europe. 

"Land use change for solar parks could cause further degradation of our environment but, if done well, offers much potential to improve our environment," said Dr. Alona Armstrong of <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>.

"If we transition well, we could use energy system decarbonization to also address the ecological crisis. Given where we are, can we afford not to?"

Renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic (PV) take out much more space than fossil fuels. The study shows that, with careful planning, the deployment of clean energy could actually help pollinators instead of hurting them. 

Pollinators like bees, wasps, beetles, and butterflies play a key role in food production, with around 75 percent of the leading global food crops depending on them to some degree.

For the Lancaster study, a team of environmental scientists systematically reviewed the available evidence on how land management practices relating to solar parks could enhance pollinator biodiversity in Northwest Europe.

The researchers have outlined ten evidence-based ways to protect and even enhance pollinator biodiversity. The strategies range from planting wildflowers to connecting solar parks to nearby habitats.

Solar parks can produce large amounts of power, with the UK's largest solar park set to power 91,000 homes once complete. However, the amount of land required for solar parks can be damaging to the environment.

About half of PV in the UK has been installed as ground-mounted solar parks, ranging in size from one to 40 hectares. The experts report that, because solar parks are often built on landscapes that have been intensively farmed and are poor for biodiversity, they may provide opportunities to establish hotspots of pollinator biodiversity.

"Many pollinators are in decline both in the UK and in other parts of the world," said study co-author Hollie Blaydes. "Actions to conserve pollinators include reversing agricultural intensification and maintaining natural habitat, both of which can be achieved within solar parks. Often built amongst agricultural land, solar parks offer a unique opportunity to provide pollinator resources where they are most needed."

"As well as promoting biodiversity, pollinator-friendly solar parks also have the potential to provide tangible economic benefits to farmers through enhancing pollination services to adjacent agricultural land, boosting crop yields," explained Professor Simon Potts of the University of Reading. 

"Imagine a world where solar parks not only produced much needed low carbon electricity but were also diverse and attractive wildflower meadows buzzing with insect life."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-and-sustainable-energy-reviews">Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pollinators can benefit from the expansion of solar energy

The expansion of solar energy can be shaped to benefit...

Critically endangered lemurs may be able to survive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-reduction-in-bird-habitats-found-in-colombia/">habitat</a> loss thanks to a flexible diet, according to a new study from <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a>. 

While lemurs are accustomed to eating mainly leaves, the researchers discovered that some species have the anatomy and digestive genes necessary to adapt to eating fruit, flowers, or even pine needles. 

The experts analyzed the genomes of four sifaka species found in different habitats in Madagascar, ranging from arid deciduous forests to rainforests.

The researchers identified genetic adaptations shared by the sifakas that eliminate toxic compounds in leaves, optimize the absorption of nutrients, and detect bitter tastes. The genome shows patterns of evolution similar to those found in other distantly related herbivores, such as colobus monkeys in Central Africa.

"Sifakas can take advantage of foods that are higher energy and are more nutrient dense, and can fall back and subsist on leaves in times of scarcity," said study lead author Professor Elaine Guevara.

In the face of habitat loss and human disturbance, dietary flexibility may give sifakas an advantage over their relatives that strictly eat leaves or fruit.

The analysis also revealed that sifakas are genetically more diverse than what is typically seen in a critically endangered species. "These animals do seem to have very healthy levels of genetic diversity, which is very surprising," said Professor Guevara. 

Sifakas were found to have high heterozygosity, which is a measure of genetic diversity and an indicator of population size. This finding suggests that they are more resilient to threats such as climate change, habitat loss, and new pathogens.

"Sifakas are still critically endangered, their population numbers are decreasing, and habitat loss is accelerating drastically," said Professor Guevara.

However, these lemurs have a good chance of survival with the help of conservation. "Our results are all the more reason to do everything we can to help them."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lemurs eat flowers and pine needles to survive habitat loss

Critically endangered lemurs may be able to survive habitat loss...

A new study from the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> has revealed that male dolphins can recognize cooperative members of their group. The researchers discovered that male dolphins develop a social concept of team membership based on the cooperative investment of other individuals.

"Humans use accrued social knowledge to classify individuals into meaningful groups, which can encompass sporting teams, social castes and political alliances," wrote the study authors.

"Indeed, the maintenance of cooperation in human societies depends, in part, on our ability to classify relationships according to their cooperative payoffs. While many animals are capable of distinguishing between in-group and out-group based on simple rules of familiarity or spatial location, others are also capable of classifying individuals who live in the same group using accumulated social information." 

"In social birds and mammals, for example, individuals interact in stable and predictable ways, allowing them to be classified into groups according to matrilineal kinship or linear rank order. Some primate species are even able to classify individuals hierarchically, by both kinship and rank."

In collaboration with experts at the University of Zurich and University of Massachusetts, the team analyzed 30 years of observational data from a dolphin population in Shark Bay, Western Australia.

The researchers also conducted experiments to investigate how male dolphins responded to the calls of other males from their alliance network.

"We flew drones above dolphin groups, recording their behavior during the sound playbacks, tracking their movements underwater and revealing novel insights into how dolphins respond to the calls of other males in their network of allies," explained Dr. Simon Allen.

Males showed a strong response to allies that had consistently helped them out in the past, even if they were not close friends. On the other hand, the dolphins did not respond to individuals who had not consistently helped them out in the past, even if they were friends. This means that the dolphins have a concept of team membership and can categorize allies based on past interactions.

"Social animals can possess sophisticated ways of classifying relationships with members of the same species," said Dr. Stephanie King. "In our own society, we use social knowledge to classify individuals into meaningful groups, like sports teams and political allies. Bottlenose dolphins form the most complex alliances outside humans, and we wanted to know how they classify these relationships."

"Such concepts develop through experience and likely played a role in the cooperative behavior of early humans. Our results show that cooperation-based concepts are not unique to humans, but also occur in other animal societies with extensive cooperation between non-kin."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

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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

Dolphins can recognize cooperative team players

A new study from the University of Bristol has revealed...

Last year, filmmakers witnessed an astonishing transformation in nature when human activities slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brilliantly illustrated documentary "<a href="https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/the-year-earth-changed/">The Year Earth Changed</a>” provides us with rare proof that humans and wildlife can coexist in harmony. 

Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the film highlights nature's extraordinary response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sir Attenborough says that "the moment we paused, Earth was able to breathe again."

After COVID-19 lockdowns were issued, the lack of human disruption transformed the natural world with "clearer air, cleaner waters, and animals starting to flourish in ways we haven't seen for decades."

Within days of lockdown, Los Angeles experienced its best air quality for 40 years, while toxic gases in China were reduced by half. 

After just 12 days, air pollution in Jalandhar, India was so greatly reduced that people suddenly had a view of the Himalayan mountains for the first time in decades. The mountains had been completely hidden by thick smog for more than 30 years. 

In April 2020, there were 140 million fewer international tourists compared to the previous year. Loggerhead sea turtles in Juno Beach, Florida greatly benefited from a break in tourism. 

For the first time, scientists were able to measure the scale of human disturbance on the endangered turtles. They found that, in the absence of humans, there was a dramatic improvement in the breeding success of the loggerheads. 

The effects of COVID-19 restrictions could be seen in even the most remote places. Penguins had a record breaking mating season, and no rhinos were killed for their horns for the first time since 1999.

There have been striking changes beneath the Earth's surface too, says Sir Attenborough. "With the vibrations from travel and industry halved, it has been the quietest period underground in recorded history." 

"But the impact of this lockdown will not last forever. What inspiration can we take from this moment to find ways to better coexist with nature?"

“The Year Earth Changed” was produced by <a href="https://www.bbcstudios.com/case-studies/natural-world/">BBC Studios Natural History Unit</a>. The documentary made its debut on Apple TV+ on April 16th, just ahead of Earth Day 2021.

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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

The Year Earth Changed, humans lived harmoniously with nature

Last year, filmmakers witnessed an astonishing transformation in nature when...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a> has demonstrated that dogs can sniff out coronavirus with remarkable accuracy. Specially trained detection dogs were found to correctly identify <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-has-worsened-covid-19-outcomes/">COVID-positive</a> urine and saliva samples 96 percent of the time. 

Study senior author Cynthia Otto is the director of the <a href="https://www.vet.upenn.edu/research/centers-laboratories/center/penn-vet-working-dog-center">Penn Vet Working Dog Center</a> in the School of Veterinary Medicine.

"This is not a simple thing we're asking the dogs to do," said Otto. "Dogs have to be specific about detecting the odor of the infection, but they also have to generalize across the background odors of different people: men and women, adults and children, people of different ethnicities and geographies."

While dogs are capable of doing this, the researchers found that training for coronavirus detection must proceed with great consideration and with many samples. 

"Future training of dogs and investigation into biological, chemical and electronic detectors should focus on increasing the number of relevant and novel samples," noted the researchers.

The findings from this study are being used for another investigation by the team. In "the T-shirt study," dogs are trained to distinguish between the odors of COVID-positive, -negative, and -vaccinated individuals based on volatile organic compounds left behind on a T-shirt worn overnight.

"We are collecting many more samples in that study - hundreds or more - than we did in this first one, and are hopeful that will get the dogs closer to what they might encounter in a community setting," said Otto, who has had years of experience training medical-detection dogs, including those that can identify ovarian cancer. 

For the current study, eight Labrador retrievers and a Belgian Malinois were used that had not done medical-detection work before. 

After three weeks of training all nine dogs could identify SARS-CoV-2 positive samples with an average of 96 percent accuracy. The ability of the dogs to avoid false negatives, however, was not as reliable. The researchers believe this may have been simply due to the strict criteria of the study. 

Beyond confirming that dogs can detect a specific SARS-CoV-2 odor, the experts identified mistakes that can be avoided in the future. For example, they found that training should entail large numbers of diverse samples and that dogs should not be trained repeatedly on the samples from any single individual.

"That's something we can carry forward not only in our COVID training but in our cancer work and any other medical detection efforts we do," said Otto. "We want to make sure that we have all the steps in place to ensure quality, reproducibility, validity, and safety for when we operationalize our dogs and have them start screening in community settings."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

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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

Dogs can sniff out coronavirus with 96 percent accuracy

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania has demonstrated...

A team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.wcs.org/">Wildlife Conservation Society</a> (WCS) has published a new method for counting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/african-elephants-only-inhabit-a-small-part-of-their-potential-range/">African</a> forest elephants. These elephants were recently recognized by the IUCN as being a critically endangered species that is distinct from African savannah elephants. 

"The more accurately we can count forest elephants, the more we can measure whether conservation efforts are successful," said study lead author Alice Laguardia.

"We are hopeful that the results of this study will help governments and conservation partners protect this Critically Endangered species throughout its range."

The research is part of a larger initiative to conduct the first nationwide census for more than 30 years in Gabon, a country along the Atlantic coast of Central Africa.

Scientists typically use aerial surveys to count savannah elephants, but forest elephants cannot be detected so easily. To determine the best method to count them, the team compared the use of traditional methodologies with spatial capture-recapture (SCR) techniques. 

"We compare DNA- and camera trap based-spatial capture-recapture approaches to the widely-used, dung-based line transect distance sampling (LTDS) method to assess their performance when applied to three relatively large populations of forest elephant Loxodonta cyclotis," explained the study authors.

The study showed that a method using camera traps for SCR and DNA sampling was the most accurate and least expensive way to count forest elephants.

Camera trap surveys were more precise on smaller scales but more expensive. The experts recommend that the use of both SCR methods, and their development, continue. 

The researchers said that future findings and improvements should be compiled across studies to ensure their robust evolution as an option for monitoring the African forest elephant across its range and inform strategies and action for its conservation.

In recent years, forest elephants have been severely impacted by ivory poachers. A WCS census that was released in 2014 showed that forest elephants declined by 65 percent between 2002 and 2013. Through the new study, researchers can gain a better understanding of how many forest elephants remain and where they reside. 

Gabon is considered the most important country for forest elephant conservation. Despite accounting for less than 15 percent of the species' range, Gabon is thought to harbor more than 50 percent of the remaining forest elephant population.

Lee White is the Gabonese Minister of Water, Forests, the Seas, the Environment, charged with Climate Change &amp; Land Use Planning. 

"As long as ivory is a precious commodity, elephants will be at risk," said White. "In Africa there is a clear link between environmental governance, peace and security. Countries that have lost their elephant populations have all too often descended into civil strife. Through the results of this study we hope to obtain a clear picture of the trend of poaching and elephant populations in all of Gabon."

Ted Schmitt is the director of conservation at Vulcan Inc., a Seattle company that funded the research.

"Vulcan recognizes the significant role of accurate population data for conservation management and policy decisions," said Schmitt.

"By providing timely census data, we can fill critical knowledge gaps and enable prioritization of conservation resources. We are pleased to be part of this effort with Wildlife Conservation Society and the government of Gabon to help preserve this important species."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/global-ecology-and-conservation">Global Ecology and Conservation</a>.

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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

Counting critically endangered forest elephants

A team of scientists led by the Wildlife Conservation Society...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...