In the hidden corners of our world, insects buzz, flutter, and crawl through shrinking habitats - playing roles that sustain life. Yet, while we look away, their numbers are dwindling at an alarming rate. Since the 1970s, studies suggest a jaw-dropping 50% decline in insect biomass.



The culprits? Habitat destruction and climate change. But what happens when these forces collide?



At the intersection of rising temperatures and vanishing habitats, a new and more lethal threat emerges. Researchers at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) set out to unravel this intricate web. 



Led by Professor Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter as part of the LandKlif research cluster, the team conducted a sweeping study across 179 locations in Bavaria. Their findings offer a chilling glimpse into a world where insects struggle to survive in a rapidly changing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/modern-farming-is-causing-many-insect-species-to-collapse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">landscape</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urban-heat-slashes-bee-populations">Urban heat slashes bee populations</h2>



Picture this: a world without bees. Crops wither, habitats shrink, and the hum of life falls silent. The JMU study reveals that bees - crucial pollinators - are bearing the brunt of this environmental assault.



In forests, bees adapted to the heat and maintained their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/very-little-is-known-about-99-of-all-insects-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">populations</a>. But in cities, the story took a darker turn. Urban bee populations plunged by 65% - a staggering drop that spells disaster for pollination.



Dr. Cristina Ganuza, a biologist on the project, highlighted the overlooked role of nighttime temperatures. “The fact that night-time temperatures have such an impact on diurnal insects is significant. Precisely because average night-time temperatures rise even faster than daytime temperatures."



Days sear with heat, and nights fail to cool. Bees, already displaced from their natural habitats, cannot escape the relentless warmth. For them, the city becomes a death trap.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insects-struggle-in-agricultural-habitats">Insects struggle in agricultural habitats</h2>



Higher up the food chain, predators and parasitoids told a different story. These natural pest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-are-still-disappearing-and-there-are-hundreds-of-reasons-why/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">controllers</a> showed surprising resilience in forests and grasslands. But in open agricultural areas, they faced an uphill battle.



“This can have a negative impact on agricultural production because insects that contribute to natural pest control should be similarly affected,” said Dr. Sarah Redlich.



Without these predators to keep pests in check, agricultural losses could mount. However, in areas where agricultural land and natural habitats intermingled, predator populations fared better. This highlights a crucial lesson: not all landscapes are created equal in a warming world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-night-heat-worsens-insect-declines">Night heat worsens insect declines</h2>



As the sun dips below the horizon, insects should find respite. But the night now offers little relief. The JMU study uncovers a hidden enemy - rising nighttime temperatures that hammer diurnal insects like bees.



Bee diversity dropped across all habitat types, from cities to grasslands. This previously unnoticed threat could spell catastrophe for pollinators struggling to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pests-are-moving-to-cooler-regions-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adapt</a>.



“This previously unknown negative effect of warmer nights on insects reveals a new threat that requires further research to uncover the underlying physiological mechanisms,” said Steffan-Dewenter.



Night after night, the heat persists, robbing insects of the chance to recover. As temperatures rise, even the dark becomes dangerous.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-natural-habitats-protect-insects">Natural habitats protect insects</h2>



Not all habitats shelter insects equally. The JMU study highlights a stark contrast between natural and urbanized landscapes. Forests and grasslands emerged as safe havens, providing refuge and resources.



Warmer daytime temperatures, surprisingly, increased bee diversity in these areas. But in cities, the same heat wave proved deadly, causing bee populations to nosedive.



Researchers emphasize the importance of connecting natural habitats within urban and agricultural areas. Without green corridors, insects lose not just their homes but their pathways to survival.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insect-habitat-loss-disrupts-pollination">Insect habitat loss disrupts pollination</h2>



When insects vanish, the consequences ripple outward. Bees disappear, and flowers go unpollinated. Predators decline, and pests multiply unchecked. Food webs wobble, and entire ecosystems falter.



“Their different responses could disrupt food webs and important ecosystem functions such as pest control and pollination,” said Ganuza.



Insects may be small, but their absence creates a void that echoes throughout the ecosystem. Each disappearance is a thread pulled from the intricate web of life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-comes-next">What comes next? </h2>



The JMU study sounds a stark warning: climate change and habitat loss don’t just coexist - they amplify each other. Yet the findings also point to a way forward.



Maintaining green corridors within agricultural and urban landscapes could provide vital refuges for insects. Implementing strategies that reduce nighttime heat might offer a lifeline to diurnal species struggling to adapt.



Understanding why some insects resist climate change better than others could inform targeted conservation efforts. In a world that’s heating up fast, every degree matters.



The world of insects teeters on the brink. The time to act is now - before the silence grows deafening.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.3053" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.



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Rising heat, shrinking habitats: Insects face hidden threats

In the hidden corners of our world, insects buzz, flutter, and crawl through shrinking habitats - playing roles that sustain life. Yet, while we look away, their numbers are dwindling at an alarming rate. Since the 1970s, studies suggest a jaw-dropping 50% decline in insect biomass. The culprits? Habitat destruction and climate change. But what happens when these forces collide? At the intersection of rising temperatures and vanishing habitats, a new and more lethal threat emerges. Researchers at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) set out to unravel this intricate...

Arabian,Oryx

The Arabian oryx is an iconic antelope species native to desert and steppe areas of the&nbsp;Arabian Peninsula. It is the&nbsp;national animal&nbsp;of Jordan, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and&nbsp;Qatar. Despite being a revered and admired species and a cultural symbol in the Gulf region, it became extinct in the wild in 1972 as a result of hunting and poaching.&nbsp;Luckily, there were many individuals held in captivity in zoos and private collections, and the success of captive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-one-step-closer-to-creating-artificial-rhino-eggs/">breeding</a> programs meant that small herds could be reintroduced into the wild.&nbsp;



In early 1982, the first herd was “rewilded” to a desert area in central Oman and, today, wild populations totaling 1,200 animals exist in several locations, mainly on the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian oryx is the first animal species to be reclassified by the IUCN as “vulnerable" after being declared extinct in the wild. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the species continues to face a high risk of extinction in the wild. Despite this, there are no formal breeding strategies in place to ensure the genetic diversity of the herds that remain.&nbsp;



To address this important issue, Professor Jaime Gongora of Sydney University, and his former PhD student Qais Al Rawahi and colleagues, conducted the first genomic analysis of Arabian oryxes in order to assess their genetic diversity and propose breeding strategies based on the results.&nbsp;



“There is more to the preservation of the Arabian oryx than conservation,” said Professor Gongora. “Historically and now, it has strong cultural significance in the Arabian Peninsula due to its unique physical features and strength, enabling it to live in harsh desert environments. It has even become a national icon in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. That’s why we are working so hard to ensure it survives – for the oryx itself and to keep this cultural connection alive.”



Arabian oryxes are remarkable animals because of their ability to survive in the hot, dry desert environments where they occur. They can reduce their water loss through urine, feces and metabolic processes by up to 50 percent in dry conditions and have special anatomical features to keep the brain cool, even though the body temperature may rise above normal.



These antelopes can travel 75km a day, searching for food, and are known for their "sixth sense": they can sense the location of incoming rain and move towards it to drink, as well as consume plants that thrive in moister conditions, like acacias. With a lifespan of between 15 and 20 years, they are a key food source for other species on the Arabian Peninsula including striped hyenas, Arabian wolves, and lynxes.



The researchers tested the DNA from 138 Arabian oryxes at the Al-Wusta Wildlife Reserve in Oman, where a herd of around 600 individuals is kept. They compared the results to 36 historical DNA samples from the Phoenix Zoo, from offspring of a herd established there in the 1970s. The experts studied the maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA and biparentally inherited single nucleotide polymorphisms – genetic variations used to identify species.



The results showed that the current gene pool of the Arabian oryx is reasonably diverse, despite the fact that there have been no coordinated breeding schemes to encourage genetic diversity. In fact, at 58 percent of the total diversity, the current-day sample was more genetically diverse than the historical ones. This is hardly surprising since the Phoenix Zoo’s original herd consisted of only nine individuals.



“This means that conservation strategies based on random mating could be reasonably successful,” said study lead author Professor Gongora. “This work in such an iconic species could serve as a benchmark for the long-term sustainability of other conservation programs. This includes those taking place at the Al-Wusta Wildlife Reserve involving the Sand Gazelle, the Mountain Gazelle and the Nubian Ibex."



The research did identify the DNA of three ancestral groups among the sampled oryxes, but their genes were not evenly distributed across the current-day herds in the wildlife reserve. Based on this, the authors suggest a targeted breeding strategy whereby females should breed with males from the other genetic lineages. “To ensure the survival of the species, it’s not just about population size – it’s about genetic diversity,” emphasized Gongora.



Together with his colleagues, Professor Gongora is working with the Al-Wusta Wildlife Reserve to implement this strategy. The researchers also recommend that Arabian oryx genetic samples be stored in a biobank for future genetic analyses. In addition, biobanking of eggs and sperm samples could also be considered as a long-term insurance policy against the extinction of this species.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists are fighting to save the iconic Arabian oryx

The Arabian oryx is an iconic antelope species native to...

Blindness is a common and well known adaptation for animals living their entire lives in the total darkness of caves. In particular, blind cave fish live in the depths all over the world. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uc.edu/">University of Cincinnati</a> (UC) have been examining Mexican cave fish (Astyanax mexicanus) for years.&nbsp;



Previously, the experts have suggested that the fish’s asymmetrical head could be an adaptation to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephant-seals-have-impressive-navigation-abilities/">navigating</a> in the dark. They discovered their pink color is controlled by the gene that gives people red hair. “I’ve been fascinated by these fish for a long time,” said UC Professor Joshua Gross.



Interestingly, despite obvious differences in appearance and physiology, the Mexican cave fish is the same species as some found above ground and the two can interbreed freely when they do happen to come into contact with each other.&nbsp;



“Unlike Charles Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos that are separated at the species level, both the cavefish and surface fish are considered members of the same species and can interbreed,” said Professor Gross.



One interesting difference between the fish above ground and the cave fish is that of oxygen levels in the water. Stream water is oxygenated by natural movement. Water in cave pools is often still and thus very low in dissolved oxygen content. The researchers wanted to know how the fish were able to survive this and the lack of nutrients found in caves.



“They move around all the time, but they have little access to nutrition," said study lead author Tyler Boggs. "It’s a paradox. They’re expending all this energy. Where does it come from?”



The scientists suspected that cave fish have more hematocrit in their blood to help them survive in the oxygen and nutrient poor cave environments. When they tested the blood, however. hematocrit levels were about the same. Interestingly, even though the hematocrit levels were not higher, the red blood cells themselves were much larger in the cave fish.&nbsp;



“That size difference largely explains the differences in hematocrit,” said Professor Gross. “We know very little about the mechanism of cell size in evolution, so this finding is something we could capitalize on to gain insight into how animals evolve elevated hemoglobin capacity.”



The scientists hope that understanding the cave fish adaptation to low oxygen levels might help us understand the lower oxygen levels created everywhere by climate change.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“There is a lot of ecological relevance here," said Boggs. "It’s happening in freshwater environments, saltwater environments. Researchers are trying to call attention to this awful issue.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How do blind cave fish live in low oxygen waters?

Blindness is a common and well known adaptation for animals...

Peat is a carbon-rich soil formed from partly decomposed vegetation in wet conditions. Tropical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-peatlands-approach-a-climate-tipping-point/">peatlands</a> are crucial for storing carbon in the ground and providing habitat for exotic wildlife, such as tigers, birds, gibbons, fish, microbes, and specially-adapted plants. 



Moreover, cultivating peatlands often supports humans’ livelihood. Many small-scale farmers use peatlands to grow oil palm. However, in order to make the land suitable for farming, peatlands need to be drained, which affects animal and plant habitats and can cause carbon emissions. In addition, the drained land can become prone to fires.



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a> has found that restoring drained peatland through processes of “re-wetting” – where canals draining water away are blocked or filled in – supports bird diversity while not affecting the viability of oil palm grown by farmers in Indonesia. This is where 47 percent of global tropical peatlands are located, mainly on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.



&nbsp;“Indonesia has been very successful in reducing deforestation and considerable effort has gone into peat restoration to avoid fires. But one of the big challenges is the trade-off between livelihoods of owners of small farms and ensuring biodiversity in these areas,” said Dr. Eleanor Warren-Thomas, a conservation scientist at <a href="https://www.bangor.ac.uk/">Bangor University</a> who led the study while working at York.



“What this new study shows is that retaining more water in oil palm farms to reduce fire risk seems to have no effect on yields, which is good news for farmers. In contrast to the concerns of some plantations, retaining water levels close to the surface (40cm or less) still enables oil palm cultivation.”



By also surveying the bird species in one of the remaining peat swamp forest areas nearby, Dr. Warren-Thomas and her colleagues highlighted the importance of protecting the remaining forest for bird conservation.



“These unique birds can also act as seed dispersers - crucial if in the longer-term forest restoration becomes an option.”



“One of the conclusions of the study is that larger-scale industrial farming organizations would be able to help further studies in this area, if they are able to publish their data and share their knowledge to inform sustainable oil palm production strategies.”



The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14135">Journal of Applied Ecology</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tropical peatlands can be restored without impacting oil palm farmers

Peat is a carbon-rich soil formed from partly decomposed vegetation...

A recent study published in the journal <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/13032">PeerJ</a> has described the fossils of a sabre-toothed mammal (Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae) that lived during the early Eocene, approximately 40 million years ago. The specimen included a lower jaw and well-preserved teeth, thus offering crucial information about the evolution of the first hypercarnivores, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vacation-photos-can-help-save-endangered-animals/">animals</a> that have a predominantly meat-based diet.



“Today the ability to eat an all-meat diet, also called hypercarnivory, isn’t uncommon. Tigers do it, polar bears can do it. If you have a house cat, you may even have a hypercarnivore at home. But 42 million years ago, mammals were only just figuring out how to survive on meat alone,” said study lead author Dr. Ashley Poust, a postdoctoral researcher at the <a href="https://www.sdnhm.org/">San Diego Natural History Museum</a> (The Nat). “One big advance was to evolve specialized teeth for slicing flesh - which is something we see in this newly described specimen.”



The specimen was discovered in the Santiago Formation, a region in the San Diego County in Southern California containing 42-million-old rocks with a large number of fossils including early tapirs, strange sheep-like, herbivorous oreodonts, and tiny rhinos.



D. vanvalkenburghae is part of a mysterious group of animals called Machaeroidines that are now completely extinct and are not closely related to today’s living predators.&nbsp;



“We know so little about Machaeroidines, so every new discovery greatly expands our picture of them,” said study co-author Dr. Shawn Zack, a postdoctoral fellow in Anatomy at the <a href="https://phoenixmed.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona College of Medicine</a>. “This relatively complete, well-preserved&nbsp;Diegoaelurus&nbsp;fossil is especially useful because the teeth let us infer the diet and start to understand how Machaeroidines are related to each other.”



This ancient hypercarnivore was about the size of a bobcat, but had a downturned bony chin protecting its sabre teeth.&nbsp;



“Nothing like this had existed in mammals before. A few mammal ancestors had long fangs, but&nbsp;Diegoaelurus&nbsp;and its few relatives represent the first cat-like approach to an all-meat diet, with sabre-teeth in front and slicing scissor teeth called carnassials in the back. It’s a potent combination that several animal groups have independently evolved in the millions of years since,” explained Dr. Poust.



According to the scientists, this mammal and its relatives were an evolutionary experiment, a first stab at a hypercarnivorous lifestyle. It is one of the most recent machaeroidine predators and precedes other cat-like animals such as the nimravids or sabre-tooth false-cats. The richness of prey species co-existing with it in the San Diego County 40 million years ago most probably allowed it to live the life of a specialized hunter before most other mammals.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ancient sabre-tooth sheds light on the evolution of hypercarnivores

A recent study published in the journal PeerJ has described...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en.html">University of Auckland</a> is providing the first physiological evidence of how and why sharks <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposure-to-light-during-sleep-can-damage-your-health/">sleep</a>. The experts confirmed that sharks sleep with a flat and rigid body posture - and often do so with their eyes wide open.



For the investigation, researchers from New Zealand and Australia observed draughtsboard sharks in the Hauraki Gulf off the coast of Auckland. Draughtsboard sharks, also known as the carpet sharks, are known to frequently lie stationary on the seafloor.



Beyond observing the sharks, the team measured their metabolic rate to analyze how much energy they are burning in a restful state.&nbsp;



"Sleep is a ubiquitous behavior found across the animal kingdom, which is typically characterized by sustained immobility and reduced responsiveness. Despite the vulnerability inherent with sleeping, its persistence across evolutionary time suggests it serves one or more core functions," wrote the study authors.



"One hypothesis for such a core function is that sleep serves to conserve energy through enforcing restfulness and lowering metabolic rate relative to wakefulness. Energy savings during sleep have been reported in diverse animals, including humans, cats, rats, birds and fruit flies. It is unknown, however, whether reduced energy expenditure also occurs in sleeping fishes."



The researchers explained that sharks represent the earliest group of jawed vertebrates, so they could potentially provide insight into the evolution of sleep among vertebrates.



"This rationale is particularly salient following the recent discovery of two sleep states in teleosts and in at least two species of lizard that in some respects resemble mammalian and avian non-rapid eye movement and REM sleep," noted the study authors.&nbsp;



"The existence of two sleep states in birds and mammals suggests that each state performs a different, but perhaps complementary, function. Any homology between the multiple sleep states observed in ectothermic vertebrates to that of endothermic vertebrates is unclear."



According to the researchers, their results show that - like with many vertebrates - sleep in sharks is associated with reduced metabolic rate.&nbsp;



"Thus, the hypothesis that sleep is important for energy conservation is supported by this study in a primitive vertebrate," wrote the researchers.



"Sleep is largely unstudied in this diverse group of cartilaginous fishes and future research should focus on other physiological indicators of sleep, such as changes in brain activity, for a more complete portrait of sleep in these vertebrates."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsbl">Biology Letters</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

Sharks can literally sleep with their eyes open

A new study from the University of Auckland is providing...

I have long covered the often <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americas-wild-horse-removals-are-counterproductive/">controversial management</a> of wild horses in the United States, where the animals are specifically protected by congressional mandate yet rounded up, often to make more room for cattle grazing. Traditional managing methods involve rounding up wild horses and relocating them to facilities where they wait for adoption indefinitely.&nbsp;



An omnibus spending bill that was recently released by Congress would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to spend $11 million on immunocontraceptive fertility control that advocates argue is more humane. This follows a campaign by the <a href="https://americanwildhorsecampaign.org/">American Wild Horse Campaign</a> (AWHC) and other animal organizations to implement better, more humane horse and burro control methods.



“We thank Congress for taking this critical first step toward humane management of our nation’s federally-protected wild horse herds, which is the best strategy to ultimately move away from unsustainable helicopter roundups,” said Holly Gann Bice, director of government relations of AWHC.&nbsp;



“While we remain concerned about the overall support for the current unscientific and costly mass removal plan, Congress is finally requiring movement toward much-needed reform by mandating the use of humane fertility control vaccines.”



The final bill includes other directives for wild horse and burro management, including options for relocating animals to different management areas rather than removing them. A review of the BLM’s adoption incentives program, which is often criticized for placing animals in sometimes inappropriate homes that turn a profit, is also included. The bill calls for the creation of public-private partnerships and the creation of an interagency task force as well.



Wild horse advocates didn’t get everything they wanted in this new bill, however. The budget for roundup and removal of horses and burros was increased by $21 million, although this is less than the $35 million that the administration requested.&nbsp;



The AWHC also called for the administration to consider a broader examination not just of wild horses but environmental degradation in a broader context. The AWHC claims that horses and burros are disproportionately blamed for these problems when cattle, raised on public land for a profit, cause more environmental harm.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Overall, horse and burro protection enjoys strong bipartisan support in the United States, with 88 percent of Americans saying they want the animals protected.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Congress takes a step toward humane management of wild horses

I have long covered the often controversial management of wild...

Over the next 30 years, the world’s urban population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion people. This urban expansion is projected to take place in some of the world’s most biodiverse regions where many species are already under threat of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/higher-levels-of-biodiversity-reduce-extinction-risks-in-birds/">extinction</a>.&nbsp;



A new study led by <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> has revealed that urban expansion of up to 1.53 million square kilometers over the next 30 years will threaten the survival of up to 855 species.&nbsp;



The study identified "hotspot cities" where urban growth coincides with biodiverse habitats. The cities that pose the greatest threat to wildlife due to urban expansion are located in central Mexico, the Caribbean, Haiti, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.



The study also highlights how cities can balance urban expansion while proactively protecting biodiverse habitats to avoid the potential loss of species.&nbsp;



“We can build cities differently than we have in the past. They can be good for the planet; they can save species; they can be biodiversity hubs and save land for nature.’’ said study co-author Karen Seto, a professor in the Yale School of the Environment (YSE).



Containing urban sprawl to avoid habitat destruction will be a challenge, especially due to growing economic demands. This will require strong governance structures, awareness of habitats and persevering biodiversity.&nbsp;



The research comes at an important time when the international community is preparing for the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in April. The goal of the conference is to develop a renewed biodiversity conservation framework.&nbsp;



The Yale researchers point to the critical need for global conservation efforts to include policies that preserve species in urban lands.



“We are at a critical moment when the world’s governments are renegotiating their commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity. This study is important since it lets us quantify, for the first time, which specific species are most threatened by urban growth and where urban protected areas are needed to safeguard them,’’ said Robert McDonald, who is the lead scientist for nature-based solutions at The Nature Conservancy.



The researchers are hopeful that this study will help inform decision makers in key regions to plan for urban growth that minimizes biodiversity loss.&nbsp;



“The majority of these places have yet to be built,’’ noted Professor Seto. “Science-driven policies that guide how the cities of tomorrow get built will have a tremendous effect.”



International agreements on biodiversity and conservation, investments that protect the habitat of vulnerable species and targeted local action are proven solutions that can help reduce impacts.&nbsp;



The results of the study and projected urban expansion and biodiversity impact can be found <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmol.org%2Fspecies%2Fprojection%2Furban&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cfran.silverman%40yale.edu%7C7615581700534a36fd2f08da00816222%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C637822852935299134%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=pMuKvvcb7m7Cc%2BdHy9TOyi7fDCrFJVjYxewN2TpbhgE%3D&amp;reserved=0">here</a>. The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Future cities must be designed to protect biodiverse habitats

Over the next 30 years, the world’s urban population is...

The TP53 gene is responsible for making a protein known as p53, which helps to protect our bodies from cancer by slowing the spread of cancerous cells. Even though p53 is a promising target for cancer treatment, the protein is not very stable and breaks down rapidly within cells. In a groundbreaking new study from <a href="https://ki.se/en">Karolinska Institutet</a>, researchers have demonstrated that a spider silk protein can stabilize and strengthen p53.



The experts explain that if a cell is lacking functional p53, it quickly becomes a cancer cell that starts to divide uncontrollably. The research suggests that adding spider silk to p53 increases its ability to kill cancer cells and keep them from spreading.&nbsp;



“The problem is that cells only make small amounts of p53 and then quickly break it down as it is a very large and disordered protein,” said study last author Michael Landreh. “We’ve been inspired by how nature creates stable proteins and have used spider silk protein to stabilise p53. Spider silk consists of long chains of highly stable proteins, and is one of nature’s strongest polymers.”



In the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition at Karolinska Institutet, Jan Johansson and Anna Rising use spider silk in their research. Along with Landreh, the researchers attached synthetic spider silk protein onto the human p53 protein. When the modified protein was introduced into human cells, the cells started to produce it in large quantities.&nbsp;



The experts found that the new protein was more stable and potent than unmodified p53.&nbsp;



Electron microscopy, computer simulations, and mass spectrometry revealed that the spider silk seemed to add structure to the disordered sections of p53.



Going forward, the experts want to gain a more detailed understanding of the structure of p53, and how its various parts interact to prevent cancer. The researchers will also investigate how the more potent protein they have created with spider silk may affect cells.



“Creating a more stable variant of p53 in cells is a promising approach to cancer therapy, and now we have a tool for this that’s worth exploring,” said study co-author Sir David Lane. “We eventually hope to develop an mRNA-based cancer vaccine, but before we do so we need to know how the protein is handled in the cells and if large amounts of it can be toxic.”



Sir David Lane is one of the scientists who first discovered the p53 protein, which is referred to as the "guardian of the genome" due to its ability to stop cells with DNA damage from turning into cancer cells. Mutations of the TP53 gene are present in roughly half of all cancer tumors, representing the most common genetic change in cancer.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/structure/home">Structure</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

Spider silk can help human cells kill cancer

The TP53 gene is responsible for making a protein known...

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, significantly contributing to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-microbe-may-help-in-the-fight-against-climate-change/">climate change</a>. For many years, scientists thought that this gas is produced only by single-celled microbes called Archaea, through the decomposition of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. However, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.mpi-marburg.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology</a> suggests that in fact all organisms release varying degrees of methane.



When researchers from the Max Planck Institute discovered the release of methane from plants in the presence of oxygen 16 years ago, they initially doubted the results. However, once fungi, algae, and cyanobacteria were also observed to form methane under aerobic conditions, scientists have started to realize that methane formation is more widespread than initially thought. Until recently though, enzymatic activities were considered responsible for the formation of this gas. Now, researchers have shown that this process could also take place via a purely chemical mechanism, with no enzymes involved.



“This study is therefore a milestone in our understanding of aerobic methane formation in the environment,” said senior author Frank Keppler, a geoscientist at <a href="http://uni-heidelberg.de/">Heidelberg University</a>. “This universal mechanism also explains the observations of our previous study on the release of methane from plants.”



Professor Keppler and his colleagues have shown, using the bacterium&nbsp;Bacillus subtilis, that there is a close connection between metabolic activity and the extent of methane formation. Under the influence of oxygen, metabolic activity leads to the formation of reactive oxygen species in cells, including hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals. In interaction with iron, highly reactive tetravalent iron compounds and hydroxyl radicals are formed, which later on drive the cleavage of a methyl radical from methylated sulfur and nitrogen compounds. Finally, a chemical reaction between the methyl radical and a hydrogen atom leads to the formation of methane.



The scientists have verified the reactive oxygen species-driven formation of methane in over 30 model organisms, ranging from bacteria and archaea to yeasts, plant cells, and even human cell lines.&nbsp;



“Methane formation triggered by reactive oxygen species most likely occurs in all organisms,” reported study lead author Leonard Ernst, a doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute.



Ernst and his colleagues have also discovered that additional oxidative stress – triggered by higher ambient temperatures or the addition of reactive oxygen species-forming substances – led to an increase in methane formation in the examined organisms.&nbsp;



The findings could explain why methane production by a certain organism can significantly vary, and why stress factors deeply impact the amount of production. For instance, changes in environmental and temperature conditions caused by global warming could potentially influence the stress levels of many organisms and thus their methane emissions.&nbsp;



Further research is needed to clarify the chemical underpinnings of methane production and their intricate relationships to environmental stressors.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04511-9">Nature</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study suggests that all living organisms produce methane

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, significantly contributing to climate...

After more than 50 years of protection, green turtles are showing signs of recovery at Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. A new study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> reveals that green turtle populations have been steadily growing throughout the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/islands-are-not-evolutionary-dead-ends-for-animals/">islands</a>.&nbsp;



The Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles is home to some one of the world's largest populations of green turtles. However, before the turtles were granted protection through a hunting ban in 1968, they were nearly wiped out.



Researchers from the Seychelles Islands Foundation have been tracking this special turtle population by estimating how many clutches of eggs are laid. According to the latest analysis of the data, this figure has increased from 2,000 or 3,000 per year in the late 1960s to more than 15,000 per year by 2019.



"Green turtles have suffered massive historical population declines due to intensive harvesting of nesting females," said study lead author Adam Pritchard.



"Aldabra Atoll was the first green turtle nesting site to be protected in the Western Indian Ocean, with a ban on turtle capture in 1968, followed by continued long-term monitoring by Seychelles Islands Foundation researchers."



Professor Brendan Godley, who helped supervise the research, said that it has been an honor to support the analysis of the decades of work by the Seychelles team.



"The ongoing population increase of Aldabra's green turtles is testament to long-term protection, and offers some clear evidence of the fact that we can be optimistic about marine conservation, well enacted," said Professor Godley.&nbsp;



Overall, the results show that green turtle clutches have increased at Aldabra by 2.6 percent each year. The greatest increase in turtles has been found at Settlement Beach on Picard, which is where the most intense harvesting once took place.&nbsp;



"This study demonstrates the importance of long-term monitoring, which is often seen as less glamorous and valuable than targeted research," noted study co-author Cheryl Sanchez, who is currently doing a PhD on Aldabra’s turtles. "It has taken decades of tireless commitment to collect the data to confirm this increase, and the foresight to protect the nesting population before it was too late.



"Aldabra's green turtles should continue to be an incredible conservation success story that we can follow for decades to come."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-home/">Endangered Species Research</a>.



Image Credit: Richard Baxter



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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

Green turtle populations have bounced back in the Seychelles

After more than 50 years of protection, green turtles are...

Crocodilians species such as the unique, small Chinese <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alligators-birds-hearing-dinosaur/">alligator</a> once flourished in China. However, during the Tang Dynasty in the 9th century, people started to push out crocodilians in the Han River Delta of Guangdong province.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



A government official named Han Yu is said to have attempted to warn the crocodilians, even offering them animal sacrifices to leave the area in peace. Unfortunately, the crocodilians did not need the warning, and new evidence suggests that they were most likely wiped out by humans.&nbsp;



Recently, a team of experts led by Professor Minoru Yoneda from the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/">University of Tokyo</a> studied two crocodilian subfossils found in the region. The animals appear to have died in the 10th and 14th centuries B.C. Although the timing means these crocodiles weren’t connected to Han Yu, the story fits with them nicely and the researchers named the croc Hanyusuchus sinensis.



Interestingly, the H. sinensis remains appear to have been beheaded as part of a ritual. Perhaps even more interestingly, the individual shares skull features both with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gharials-are-vanishing-in-bardia-national-park/">gharials</a> and with other crocodilians.&nbsp;



“I have studied modern crocodilians for years, but even though it’s extinct, Hanyusuchus sinensis is by far the most astonishing creature I’ve ever seen,” said study co-author Professor Jun Liu from Hefei University of Technology in China.



"Everyone is familiar with sharp-nosed crocodiles and blunt-nosed alligators, but may be less familiar with a third kind of modern crocodilian called gharials that have much longer and thinner skulls. Hanyusuchus sinensis is a type of gharial, but what’s exciting is how it also shares some important skull features with the rest of the crocodilians."



"This is significant as it could settle a decades-long debate about how, when and in what way crocodilians evolved into the three families still roaming the Earth today.”



The marks of human violence on the two subfossils indicate that they were driven to extinction by an expanding human population. The researchers believe that the crocodilians may have also left scars on the culture of China. Stories of dragons, and other cultural elements may have been inspired by the crocodilians people feared and even wiped from the Earth.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ancient remains shed new light on crocodilian evolution

Crocodilians species such as the unique, small Chinese alligator once...

A research team led by the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a> has recently described a new species of softshell turtle (Hutchemys walkerorum) that lived in North Dakota at the end of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 66.5 million years ago – just before the mass extinction that wiped-out the dinosaurs. Although the fossils – consisting of a partial carapace - were discovered in 1975 by a field crew from the <a href="https://www.appstate.edu/">Appalachian State University</a>, they have only been properly analyzed and described now.



Hutchemys walkerorum roamed the Earth during the same period as large dinosaurs such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/were-there-three-distinct-species-of-tyrannosaurus-rex/">Tyrannosaurus Rex</a> and Triceratops did. It belonged to a particular group of softshell turtles&nbsp;in the Trionychidae family called plastomenines which lived during the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods, approximately 80 million to 50 million years ago. Members of this group first appear in the fossil record during the Late Cretaceous, and were at their peak diversity before and after the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary.



A phylogenetic analysis has revealed that this turtle belonged to a group of early trionychids (softshell turtles) in the subfamily Kuhnemydinae, which are fossil species from Asia. These findings suggests that the family Trionychidae originated in Asia before migrating to North America sometime in the Late Cretaceous. Although these turtles are similar to the softshell turtles that exist today, the bones covering their abdominal area were larger and more strongly sutured together.



“Until recently we didn’t understand these softshell turtles very well,” said study lead author Steven Jasinski, a paleontologist at <a href="https://www.harrisburgu.edu/">Harrisburg University</a>. “However, we are starting to get more information on this extinct group of turtles and further understanding their evolution, including how they dealt with the mass extinction.”&nbsp;



“With this study we gain further insight into winners and losers during the cataclysm that ended the Age of Dinosaurs,” added study senior author Peter Dodson, a professor emeritus of Paleontology at the University of Pennsylvania. “The mighty dinosaurs fell, and the lowly turtle survived.”



A detailed description of this specimen is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105172">Cretaceous Research</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Softshell turtles lived alongside the dinosaurs

A research team led by the University of Pennsylvania has...

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.



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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...

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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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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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

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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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