The Mediterranean Sea, the largest enclosed sea on Earth, is a unique ecosystem renowned for its rich biodiversity. Home to over 11,000 animal species, some of which are endemic, this basin is now facing a significant challenge: the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-lionfish-have-arrived-in-the-south-atlantic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">invasion of lionfish</a>.



A comprehensive study conducted by researchers from Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands, has shed light on the rapid spread of lionfish in the Mediterranean and the potential ecological impacts of this invasive species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-venomous-spines-and-unconventional-beauty">Venomous spines and unconventional beauty</h2>



Lionfish possess a striking appearance that sets them apart from other marine fish species. Their body bears a series of distinctive vertical stripes, alternating between dark brown or maroon and white. These stripes act as a warning coloration, signaling to potential predators that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/targeted-removal-of-lionfish-may-prove-helpful/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lionfish are venomous</a>. 



Lionfish have a complex system of venomous spines along their dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins. Their spines contain venom glands that can deliver a painful and potentially dangerous sting to humans and other predators. 



The fins of lionfish are large and elongated, giving them a majestic and flowing appearance as they swim through the water. Their head features a series of elaborate, antennae-like projections called cirri, which add to their unique and striking appearance. 



Lionfish can grow up to 18 inches (45 cm) in length and weigh up to 2.6 pounds (1.2 kg), making them a substantial presence in the ecosystems they inhabit.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ravenous-lionfish-appetite-quickly-destroys-ecosystems">Ravenous lionfish appetite quickly destroys ecosystems</h2>



Lionfish are opportunistic and voracious predators that consume a wide variety of prey. Their diet primarily consists of small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. 



They use their large, fan-like pectoral fins to corral and trap their prey before swiftly engulfing them with their expandable stomachs. They're also known to consume prey up to half their own body size, allowing them to take advantage of a broad range of food sources. 



Lionfish have a high metabolism and can consume substantial amounts of prey in a single feeding session. Studies have shown that lionfish can reduce the abundance of native fish populations by up to 80% in heavily invaded areas. 



Their indiscriminate appetite and ability to adapt to various prey species make them a significant threat to the biodiversity of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/functional-eradication-may-be-the-best-approach-to-invasive-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems they invade</a>. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seas-under-siege-as-lionfish-spread-around-the-world">Seas under siege as lionfish spread around the world</h2>



The new study from <a href="https://www.wur.nl/en.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wageningen University and Research</a>, published in the open-access journal NeoBiota, reveals that the lionfish species Pterois miles has significantly expanded its territory in the Mediterranean since the invasion began around a decade ago.



Lead author Davide Bottacini is very impressed by the adaptability of these predators. Expressing his astonishment, he explained, "After years studying these predators, I find it amazing how they can easily adjust to so many different environments and be successful in areas that are so different from the ones where they evolve."



Originally from the Indo-Pacific region, lionfish species Pterois miles and Pterois volitans are considered the most successful <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/invasive-species-plants-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">invasive fishes</a> in marine ecosystems. They have established a presence in the eastern Mediterranean, with observations now extending to colder waters previously thought to be unsuitable for the species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lionfish-show-remarkable-resilience-in-new-ecosystems">Lionfish show remarkable resilience in new ecosystems</h2>



Lionfish exert a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lionfish-invasion-is-the-fastest-ever-reported-in-the-mediterranean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">significant ecological impact</a> on the ecosystems they invade through their predatory behavior. As generalist predators, they voraciously consume a wide variety of native fish species, including those of high conservation value and endemic to the region.



Bottacini notes, "It is always impressive to see how such a flamboyant and–to us–conspicuous predator can approach its prey without being noticed." Native prey species, unaccustomed to lionfish, usually do not flee from this new predator.



Lionfish's indiscriminate appetite can drastically alter local fish communities and threaten biodiversity in invaded areas. Their efficient hunting tactics, combined with the naivety of native prey species unfamiliar with this new predator, allow lionfish to catch their prey with ease.



The presence of lionfish can lead to a decline in the abundance and diversity of native fish populations, potentially disrupting the delicate balance of the ecosystem.



The impact of lionfish extends beyond their immediate prey, as they may compete with other predators for food resources and alter the structure of the food web.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-the-red-sea-to-the-mediterranean">From the Red Sea to the Mediterranean</h2>



Genetic studies have revealed that the lionfish found in the Mediterranean originate from the Red Sea and likely entered through the Suez Canal. 



This finding underscores the importance of monitoring and regulating the movement of species through artificial waterways to prevent the introduction of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/melting-glaciers-unleash-invasive-species-into-unexpected-areas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">invasive species</a> into vulnerable ecosystems.



The study identifies gaps in our understanding of the lionfish's interactions with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollution-in-the-mediterranean-sea-is-an-urgent-issue/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mediterranean ecosystems</a> and proposes future research directions to address these challenges. 



Such information is vital for biodiversity conservation and will have practical implications for policymakers aiming to devise effective mitigation plans.



The researchers also highlight the crucial role of citizen science initiatives in tracking and reporting lionfish sightings. 



Community involvement provides valuable data that supports ongoing research efforts and is essential for enhancing our understanding of the invasion dynamics and devising effective control measures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lionfish-and-the-future-of-earth-s-marine-ecosystems">Lionfish and the future of Earth’s marine ecosystems</h2>



In summary, the lionfish invasion in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-in-the-mediterranean-are-moving-to-deeper-water-to-survive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mediterranean Sea</a> demands immediate attention and action. As these adaptable predators continue to expand their territory and threaten the region's unique biodiversity, we must prioritize research efforts to better understand their ecological impact and develop effective mitigation strategies. 



By fostering collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and local communities, we can work towards controlling the spread of lionfish and protecting the Mediterranean's delicate ecosystems. 



The future of this remarkable sea and its countless species depends on our collective commitment to conservation and our willingness to confront the challenges posed by invasive species head-on.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://neobiota.pensoft.net/article/110442/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NeoBiota</a>.



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Invasive lionfish continue conquering global marine ecosystems

The Mediterranean Sea, the largest enclosed sea on Earth, is a unique ecosystem renowned for its rich biodiversity. Home to over 11,000 animal species, some of which are endemic, this basin is now facing a significant challenge: the invasion of lionfish. A comprehensive study conducted by researchers from Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands, has shed light on the rapid spread of lionfish in the Mediterranean and the potential ecological impacts of this invasive species. Venomous spines and unconventional beauty Lionfish possess a striking appearance that sets...

Politics threaten the protection of endangered sage grouse. Years ago, I rose early and climbed into the cab of a truck with an employee of the Colorado Department of Wildlife (now known as the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife).  We drove from an office in Grand Junction Colorado up a winding road past desert spires and cliffs through Colorado National Monument. We left before the sun was up and I remember the air having a chill, even before we drove to higher elevation.  

We spent the day driving and walking through a patchwork of government and private lands above the National Monument in a mix of open grass and sagebrush land bordered by forest.  We carried a large antenna looking much like the rooftop antennae that some may still use for television. The antenna was attached to a large box which beeped every so often. Pointing the antenna one way and then the other allows you to follow the louder beeps towards radio transmitters.  The radio transmitters we were tracking were attached to Sage Grouse, an animal with controversial protections.

The birds we were tracking were actually Gunnison Sage Grouse (Centrocercus minimus), an important distinction.  The Gunnison Sage Grouse is rarer, being about one third the size of Greater Sage Grouse, found historically in the four corners region of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.  According to <a href="https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/gunnisonSageGrouse.php">US Fish and Wildlife Service</a>, the grouse is now found only in Utah and Colorado with an overall population of about 5,000 breeding birds spread across seven populations, the largest population being 4,000 birds living in the Gunnison Basin where the bird gets its name.  Six of the seven populations are currently declining in numbers. 

The Gunnison Sage Grouse is currently protected under the Endangered Species Act as ‘threatened’ and has been listed since 2014.  The distinction between Gunnison Sage Grouse and its cousin the <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Sage-Grouse/id">Greater Sage Grouse</a> (Centrocercus urophasianus) is relatively new.  It was <a href="https://www.western.edu/academics/undergraduate/biology/gunnison-sage-grouse">only in the 1970s</a> that scientists first noticed that the Gunnison Sage Grouse was different, and not until 2000 that the bird was officially recognized as a distinct species, based on a paper suggesting the idea that was published in 1995.  

Being declared a separate species painted a new picture of sage grouse dynamics.  Two species means smaller populations of each, which makes each more vulnerable in the long run.  <a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/US-Fish-and-Wildlife-Service-gunnison-sage-grouse-recovery-plan-stops-lawsuit">High Country News</a> reported earlier this year that a new conservation agreement announced in April stopped lawsuits aimed at the US Fish &amp; Game.  The plan continues to give greater protection to the Gunnison Sage Grouse while more data is gathered on the threatened bird. It’s obvious that there are fewer Gunnison Sage Grouse than their cousins the Greater Sage Grouse.

According to the Western Association of Fish &amp; Wildlife Agencies (<a href="https://www.wafwa.org/news/e_1606/News/2015/8/WAFWAReportDocumentsGreaterSage-GrousePopulationRebound.htm">WAFA</a>) the number of male Greater Sage Grouse at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-sex-dying-dances/">leks</a> (areas where mating dance competitions occur) has increased by 63% since 2013.  This adds up to a total of a breeding population of Greater Sage Grouse of 424,645 individuals at known leks.  Unlike the Gunnison Sage Grouse, the Greater is spread across 11 western states, the population being more concentrated in Wyoming, Montana, Nevada, Idaho and Oregon than in Colorado and Utah.  The apparent abundance of the Greater Sage Grouse seemed to be a key to how it’s been managed by the Department of the Interior. 

It’s important to put the Greater Sage Grouse numbers in perspective though.  The current range for the bird is about 165 million acres which is still a decline of 56% from the grouse’s original range.  <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/last-grouse-standing-birds-industry-sage/">All About Birds</a> reported that a particular lek near a gas field in Wyoming, the number of male grouse declined from 184 in 2007 to just 43 in 2015.  Despite recent gains, the population has also declined by 30% since 1985. The grouse is perhaps a success in rebounding before it had to be listed on the Endangered Species List.

Under Secretary Sally Jewell of the Obama administration, an <a href="https://www.fws.gov/greatersagegrouse/Bi-State/04-21-15%20Bi-State%20Sage%20Grouse%20FINAL.pdf">agreement</a> was made between several stakeholders to manage the Greater Sage Grouse without listing the bird on the Endangered Species Act.  The decision to not list the Greater Sage Grouse rested mainly on the success of conservation efforts. The plan benefited industry in that it stopped short of even greater restrictions if the Greater Sage Grouse continued to decline and had to be listed on the Endangered Species Act.  Unsurprisingly, under the Trump administration’s Secretary Ryan Zinke, plans have changed for the Greater Sage Grouse.

<a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/birds-more-plans-less-protections-for-sage-grouse">High Country News</a> reports that on December 6 2018, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced new plans for the management of the Greater Sage Grouse.  The new plans undo much of the 2015 agreement made under the Obama administration, allowing more oil and gas development in Greater Sage Grouse habitat.  Even before the plans were announced, Zinke’s Department of the Interior sold leases for oil and gas development in 720,000 acres of Greater Sage Grouse habitat.  This was land where grouse conservation was supposed to be prioritized under the original 2015 plan.Politics threaten the protection of endangered sage grouse 

<a href="http://wildlife.org/usfs-follows-blm-to-amend-greater-sage-grouse-plans/">The Wildlife Society</a> reported that as early as June, 2017 Secretary of the Interior Zinke had issued a secretarial order to revisit the original Greater Sage Grouse plan.  The order emphasized collaboration between the Department of the Interior and other agencies in assessing the economic impact of restricting oil and gas development in grouse habitat.  The prioritization of the oil and gas industry over habitat under Zinke is no surprise. The Secretary of the Interior, who recently announced he’s stepping down, has a cozy relationship with oil and gas and has pursued controversial oil and gas development, as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drilling-oil-sangre-de-cristos/">I reported previously</a>.  Zinke is also stepping down at let partially due to ethical breaches related to his relationship with the oil industry.  Others have also promoted profit over protection for the Greater Sage Grouse.

Representative Rob Bishop,  a Republican of Utah, submitted a rider in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5515) that would stop the USFWS from listing the greater sage-grouse on the Endangered Species Act for 10 years.  The rider was later stripped but Bishop has made other similar proposals in recent years. Unfortunately for the Greater Sage Grouse, Bishop has been speculated on as a possible replacement of Zinke as Secretary of the Interior.      

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>         

Image Credit: Gary Kramer/USFWS

Politics threaten the protection of endangered sage grouse

Politics threaten the protection of endangered sage grouse. Years ago,...

Nearly every species of sea turtles are endangered, including hawksbills and green turtles, but ocean surveys show that some populations are now increasing.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/">Monterey Bay Aquarium</a> conducted the first comprehensive in-water survey review of its kind to assess the effectiveness of global protection and conservation efforts first implemented in the 1970s.

The study, published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0214972">PLOS ONE</a>, provides a promising success story as densities of endangered green sea turtles that dwell in Pacific coral reefs are increasing.

Sea turtles were driven to endangerment by human activities. They were hunted and captured for their shells, eggs, and meat, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fake-gps-turtle-eggs-poachers/">poaching remains a significant challenge</a> for conservation and management efforts.

Climate change is also impacting coral habitats where sea turtles congregate, and turtles have also been found caught and entangled in fishing nets.

In the 1970s, efforts were put in place to reverse the decline of sea turtle populations but efforts to assess the success of these measures has been limited.

For this study, the researchers combined 13 years of data from in-water visual surveys of turtle abundance near 53 islands, atolls, and reefs throughout the US Pacific.

The surveys covered 7,300 linear kilometers of ocean, and over 3,400 turtles were observed.

A visual survey involves a pair of divers who are slowly towed along by a boat. The divers then record their observation of sea life as they are towed along.

The researchers found an increase in green turtles with the highest density observed about a thousand miles off the coast of Hawaii. Hawksbills, on the other hand, were most abundant around American Samoa, but hawksbill counts overall were much lower than green turtles.

Green turtle populations never declined throughout the survey period which points to successful conservation measures near the Hawaiian Islands.

“This study represents one of the largest sea turtle population surveys ever conducted, filling critical gaps on in-water abundance and drivers of population density,” said Sarah Becker, the lead author of the study. “Across the tropical Pacific several locations held impressive densities of sea turtles, and in all regions densities were driven by bottom-up forces like ocean temperatures and productivity and top-down forces such as human impacts.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Green sea turtle populations are bouncing back while hawksbills struggle

Nearly every species of sea turtles are endangered, including hawksbills...

Zoologists at <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/">Trinity College Dublin</a> have discovered two new bird species in the Wakatobi Archipelago of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The birds, now known as the Wakatobi white-eye and the Wangi-wangi white-eye, belong to a genus that has spread and speciated faster than any other group of birds.

A team led by Professor Nicola Marples has been studying birds on Sulawesi and its surrounding islands since 1999. Sulawesi has been long isolated from other land masses by deep ocean trenches. As a result,  the island has an unusually high number of endemic species.


In collaboration with experts at Halu Oleo University (UHO), the Trinity team has documented the unique biodiversity of Sulawesi for 20 years. The researchers are using a modern approach to analyze species separation by comparing animals based on genetic factors, body size, and by differences in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-affecting-songbirds/">bird song</a>.

One of the new species, the Wakatobi white-eye, has been caught up in the species debate for many decades. The Wangi-wangi white-eye, however, was noticed for the first time in the early 2000s by Professor Marples and his team.

[caption id="attachment_1871664" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Wangi-wangi-white-eye.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1871664" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Wangi-wangi-white-eye.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="434" /></a> Wangi-wangi white-eye. Image Credit: James Eaton[/caption]

As a group, white-eyes are adaptable and feed on a wide variety of fruits, flowers, and insects. They are also talented at colonizing new islands, which is how so many different species have evolved so quickly. Once the various island populations become isolated, they split off from their relatives.

Although the two new white-eye species are both located on the Wakatobi Islands, they are very different. The Wakatobi white-eye split from its nearby mainland relatives in the last 800,000 years, but the Wangi-wangi white-eye is a much older species.

[caption id="attachment_1871665" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Wakatobi-white-eye.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1871665" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Wakatobi-white-eye.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="475" /></a> Wakatobi white-eye. Image Credit: Seán Kelly[/caption]

“To find two new species from the same genus of birds in the same island is remarkable,” said Professor Marples. “The Wangi-wangi White-eye is a particularly special discovery, as it is found on only one tiny island and its closest relatives live more than 3,000 km away."

Dr. Darren O'Connell recently completed his PhD in Trinity's School of Natural Sciences and is the lead author of the paper that describes the birds. 

“These discoveries are not just of evolutionary interest - they will also be of real conservation relevance,” said Dr. O’Connell. “By highlighting the unique species special to the Wakatobi Islands we can help safeguard the remaining habitats on the islands, which are under huge pressure. We ultimately hope to have the islands recognized as an Endemic Bird Area so that they receive more conservation support.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean">Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society</a>.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Nicola Marples and David Kelly

Two new white-eye bird species discovered on the same Indonesian island

Zoologists at Trinity College Dublin have discovered two new bird...

Protecting marine animals may be one of the best ways to thwart climate change, according to Associate Professor of Marine Biology at the <a href="http://www.uas.alaska.edu/arts_sciences/naturalsciences/biology/?utm_campaign=redirect_deprecate&amp;utm_source=apache&amp;utm_medium=web">University of Alaska Southeast</a> Heidi Pearson. As she explained in a recent feature for <a href="https://theconversation.com/sea-creatures-store-carbon-in-the-ocean-could-protecting-them-help-slow-climate-change-108872">The Conversation</a>, turning our attention to protecting carbon sinks — those being places like oceans, forests and wetlands that sequester carbon out of Earth’s atmosphere — is a low-cost, yet powerful strategy to mitigate <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-2018-global-heat-wave/">climate change</a>.

So far, via the Paris Climate Agreement, 28 countries have agreed to protect forests and wetlands. However, no strategy has been put in place to protect carbon storage in oceans, where marine animals do a lot of the carbon sequestering.

Pearson is currently working with <a href="http://www.grida.no/activities/193">UN Environment/GRID-Arendal</a> to study and identify which marine animals could help slow climate change via their biological carbon-storing/removing processes. She and her colleagues have already identified nine examples.

One example is a Trophic Cascade Carbon. Trophic cascades occur when changes at the top of the food chain trickles down to the rest of the chain. So, for example, sea otters, top predators in the North Pacific, feed on sea urchins. Those sea urchins eat kelp that grows on reefs near the shore. And that kelp stores carbon. Therefore, increasing the amount of sea otters will reduce the amount of urchins, thus allowing the kelp forests to grow and store more carbon.

Furthermore, Pearson and her colleagues have also identified Biomass Carbon, which is when carbon is stored in living organisms like whales, who can store massive loads of carbon within their 200-year lifespan, and when they die and sink to the ocean floor, that carbon goes with them, which is called Deadfall Carbon. This carbon will eventually be buried and stored away for millions of years. 

Whales are actually vital carbon-storing vessels, as Pearson and her colleagues have found. They can efficiently fertilize carbon-eating phytoplankton with their fecal plumes and nutrient redistribution. 

In order for “blue carbon,” that being carbon associated with marine life, as a carbon sink, it must be measured. Luckily, some studies have already quantified how much carbon could be sequestered, however Pearson notes that more must be done to refine prior research and prove that oceans are valuable carbon sinks.

“Many governments and organizations around the world are working to rebuild global fish stocks, prevent bycatch and illegal fishing, reduce pollution and establish marine protected areas,” Pearson wrote. “If we can recognize the value of marine vertebrate carbon, many of these policies could qualify as climate change mitigation strategies.”

Pearson is hopeful that protecting marine vertebrate carbon stocks can and will be added to the Paris Agreement. 

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Protecting carbon-trapping sea animals can help combat climate change

Protecting marine animals may be one of the best ways...

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) have a certain mystique to them.  If you’ve hiked much in the western United States, chances are that you’ve walked through mountain lion territory.  For many wildlife enthusiasts, glimpsing a mountain lion in the wild is a once in a lifetime experience to be remembered forever.  Even if you never see one of the elusive creatures, their shadow lays heavy across the western landscape of North America and some parts of the east.

Mountain lions aren’t just an animal of North America but one of the most widespread and adaptable of cats.  I’ve found a mountain lion track carefully set into the mud of a trail through a cloud forest in Ecuador.  I’ve seen mountain lion tracks in snow in South Dakota and the remains of deer probably killed by a mountain lion in Colorado.  According to <a href="https://defenders.org/mountain-lion/basic-facts">Defenders of Wildlife</a>, mountain lions range from southern Canada to Argentina in far southern South America.  Small populations of mountain lions live east of the Mississippi, including the isolated and endangered Florida Panther. 

Individual mountain lions have large ranges, from 10 square miles to 370 square miles, with males tending to roam farther than females.  One mountain lion that was hit and killed in a car accident on a Connecticut highway was originally from the Black Hills of South Dakota, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/27/connecticut.mountain.lion/index.html">CNN</a> reported.  The trip was roughly 1,500 miles, an unusual distance for any land animal to travel but it possibly gives some insight into how the cats became so widely distributed to begin with.  

Despite the mountain lion’s ability to thrive across a broad range of habitats, they often come into conflict with humans, sometimes because of their ability to wander such great distances.  Human conflict with the lions and widespread hunting of the big cats is what lead to the current distribution of mountain lions. The small population in Florida survived like a small island while the rest of the eastern lions were killed off by encroaching European American populations.  Now, only in the west is there a reasonably healthy population of mountain lions in the US.  But it seems as if that might be changing.  

Roadways, such as the one the mountain lion that travelled 1500 miles on foot died on, are major problems for mountain lions.  Being hit by a car is an all too common cause of death for mountain lions, especially those living in areas with high human populations.  In California, there are small populations of lions separated by roads, shopping malls and other human obstacles. Essentially, the cats live on generic islands, where few new genes wash ashore to stave off inbreeding.  

<a href="https://www.popsci.com/mountain-lions-california-extinct">Popular Science</a> reports that in 2011, a new male mountain lion arrived on the scene in the Santa Ana Mountains of Southern California.  The new cat was the first to arrive for a while, and he successfully bred, fathering at least 11 kittens in an area with a population of around 20 mountain lions.  The new genes were important in keeping the cats from being inbred. Then, the radio collar that was used to track the new male’s movement stopped working. The mountain lion was eventually found partially decomposed along the side of the road.  It’s probable that the mountain lion was hit and killed by a car. And a recent study indicates that this scenario is one all too common for mountain lions in California. 

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/southern-california-mountain-lions-extinction/">we reported</a>, a paper published in the March 2019 issue of <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eap.1868">Ecological Applications</a> contained two population viability assessments of mountain lion populations in California.  The study looked at mountain lions in the Santa Ana Mountains and Santa Monica Mountains. The Santa Ana Mountains are largely protected as part of the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/cleveland/">Cleveland National Forest</a> and small regional parks also protect part of the mountains.  Unfortunately for mountain lions, the areas surrounding the Santa Ana Mountains are full of humans, as they are located right next to Los Angeles and other large urban areas.  Roads are always nearby. 

For the mountain lions of Santa Ana, this means isolation.  Isolation means inbreeding. The lions in the Santa Ana mountains have already been found with kinked tails, a sign of inbreeding found in the Florida panther already (they’re mountain lions even though they’re called panthers).  Wildlife officials introduced mountain lions from Texas to Florida to mitigate the problems involved with inbreeding. 

Likewise, the Santa Monica Mountains are a small refuge for mountain lions in a sea of humanity.  The Santa Monica Mountains are located between Ventura and Los Angeles, an even smaller protected area of protection for the big cats but with a higher population of mountain lions.  There were differences between the populations, though.

Mortality rates were higher in the Santa Ana Mountain population, mainly due to being struck by cars while attempting to cross Interstate 15.  Mortality rates were lower in the Santa Monica Mountain population but still very real. Inbreeding was a problem for both as well as the potential that a lion would be killed in retaliation for killing a pet or livestock.  The survival predictions for both populations were pretty dim. 

With little changing, mountain lions in the Santa Ana population have a 16 to 21% chance of dying off within the next 50 years, and before that it’s likely that inbreeding would cause greater problems.  But there is a small piece of hope in the study, as it shows us how we can improve things for mountain lions.

By creating ways for the cats to cross highways safely, we’d also be allowing them to possibly move between different populations.  This holds out the possibility of both decreasing fatalities from road traffic and increasing genetic diversity, thus decreasing the problems caused by inbreeding.  

In the end, of course the cats would benefit but humans would as well.  The possibility of meeting an animal wild and dangerous on a hiking trip in the mountains or a desert canyon feeds the human soul.  In Pam Houston’s Essay, Looking For Abbey’s Lion found in the collection, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208531.Sisters_of_the_Earth">Sisters of the Earth</a>, she writes about how mountain lions inspired her to move west where she became a wilderness guide and saw innumerable wild animals but not a mountain lion himself:

“It is clear to me, only no, that I came to live in the west not because I would see a mountain lion, but because I might see one. (If what I really wanted was to see a mountain lion I could have lived down the street from the Bronx Zoo.) And though I couldn’t have imagined it from my dorm room in Ohio, the mountain lion has taught me his lessons not through a face-to-face encounter but through his elusiveness and intangibility.”  

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

California mountain lions are in trouble - but we can help

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) have a certain mystique to them....

Armyworms are problematic pests that can wreak havoc on wheat, corn, and grass fields. Native to North America, armyworms can pop up pretty much anywhere in the US east of the Rocky Mountains, according to the <a href="http://extension.cropsciences.illinois.edu/fieldcrops/insects/armyworm/">University of Illinois. </a>

As with any pest, combating infestations is an ongoing struggle, especially with the risks that certain pesticides can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hive-bound-bees-pesticides/">pose to ecosystems. </a>

But researchers from the <a href="http://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> and the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">US Department of Agriculture</a> may have discovered a simple, non-invasive solution to help manage armyworm infestations. 

St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is the most common species of turfgrass in the southeastern US. Lawns and parks usually consist of just one cultivar of St. Augustinegrass, even though multiple varietals are commercially available. 

In a new study, published in the journal Environmental Entomology, the researchers set out to test out different cultivars and combinations of cultivars to see if there any armyworm resistant varieties of St. Augustinegrass. 

The researchers tested six common cultivars of St. Augustinegrass individually and in different combinations. 

First, groups of caterpillars were fed single cultivars of the common grass. Next, the researchers switched up the varieties every two days, and in another test, caterpillars were given free rein of an enclosure with planted grass containing one, two and four cultivars. 

The researchers recorded survival rate, weight, and development rate of the larvae and took note of which grass cultivars the caterpillars chose when given the option in the enclosures. 

In each of the experiments and enclosures, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plants-turn-caterpillars-cannibals/">armyworms</a> showed a clear preference for the single cultivars and not the combinations. In the enclosure, the larvae ate 52 percent of the grass made up of a single variety. 

“We were most surprised by how clear the effect of cultivar diversity was on fall armyworm host selection and feeding,” said Ethan Doherty, the lead author on the study. “The insects had a consistent preference for the cultivar monoculture plantings, and we saw that the effect of cultivar diversity became increasingly more pronounced as diversity increased from two to four cultivars.” 

The researchers are not sure why the armyworms have such a clear preference for single cultivars, but the results show that planting cultivar combinations could prove an effective deterrent against armyworm infestations. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0 US

Grass variety may be the secret to beating armyworm infestations

Armyworms are problematic pests that can wreak havoc on wheat,...

Minnows, starlings, wolves – plenty of animals travel together, relying on group decisions to find food and stay safe.

In simple environments, the more information a group of animals has, the better decisions the group can usually make. But in complex environments, that’s not always the case.

Sometimes, information sharing patterns among group-oriented animals can lead to lost information, Dr. Albert Kao of the <a href="https://www.santafe.edu/">Santa Fe Institute</a> and Dr. Iain Couzin of the <a href="https://www.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute</a> and the <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/">University of Konstanz</a> found in a new study, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2018.0378">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B</a>.

The researchers found that many animal groups work on a modular group structure, where sub-groups can split off and return to the main group over a short time period, based on a variety of factors.

"A feature of modular structure is that there's always information loss, but the effect of that information loss on accuracy depends on the environment," Kao said in a press release.

That information loss can affect group decisions. The effect is generally negative in simple environments, but in complex settings where animals are taking in much larger amounts of information at a time, that isn’t always the case.

"Surprisingly, in complex environments, the information loss even helps accuracy in a lot of situations," Kao said.

Kao and Couzin’s work backs up previous studies that found getting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bigger-picture-thinking-better-decisions/">bogged down by too many details</a> can lead to poor decisions, and that in a business setting, allowing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forgetting-workplace-information-good/">computers to remember details</a> leads to better performance.

The study also gives new information about how many animals – including humans – form and structure groups. That information in turn can give new insight into how birds flock or fish school – or be applied to new businesses or organizations developing their internal structures for the most effectiveness and efficiency.

"Modular structure can have a profound – and unexpected – impact on the collective intelligence of groups," says Couzin. "This may indeed be one of the reasons that we see internal structure in so many group-living species, from schooling fish and flocking birds to wild primate groups."

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

For some group decisions, less information is more

Minnows, starlings, wolves – plenty of animals travel together, relying...

According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.unh.edu/">University of New Hampshire</a>, 14 wild bee species in New England are currently in trouble. 

Writing in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/17524598">Insects and Conservation Diversity</a>, the authors of the study share that some of the affected species, the majority of which are mining and leafcutter ground-nesting bees, are on the decline by as much as 90%. 

“We know that wild bees are greatly at risk and not doing well worldwide,” said senior author Sandra Rehan, assistant professor of biological sciences. “This status assessment of wild bees shines a light on the exact species in decline, beside the well-documented bumble bees.”

She continued, “Because these species are major players in crop pollination, it raises concerns about compromising the production of key crops and the food supply in general.”

The nationwide decline of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pesticide-bees-harmful/">bee populations</a> has been observed for the past decade. Scientists blame the dwindling numbers on climate change, insecticides, parasites, disease, and a lack of  diversity in the bees’ food supply. The overall population drop is highly concerning due to the fact that bees are critical pollinators for wild and domestic plant species, including plants that make up a third of the human diet.

Bee expert Jeff Lozier, from the <a href="https://www.ua.edu/">University of Alabama</a>, who did not take part in the UNH study, called the findings “interesting,” however he noted that the research should expand outside of New Hampshire to better round out the results.

“The most important use of the data in my view is in providing a baseline set of hypotheses for groups of species that are potentially declining or stable across a much greater set of species than is usually examined, which can then be investigated in more detail to determine why they may be changing,' Lozier told the <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">AP</a>. “This study doesn't really determine the why quite yet, but gives us a reference point for further study.”

And this is exactly what Rehan wanted to do: inspire other researchers to take up the charge and look into rarely studied bee species in their neck of the woods. Furthermore, Rehan added that, although her team’s research could not pinpoint the cause of decline in these 14 bee species, they hypothesize that climate change is the main contributor.

Being forced to travel north due to warming temperatures, the bees are faced with a lack of food supply at higher elevations. “They have nowhere else to go. That is the biggest concern,” Rehan said.

She did say, however, that another eight species the team studied are actually increasing in number, which means all hope is not lost. 

“It's not so hopeless,” Rehan added. “There are some bees still faring well. We still have to do better by the bees but some bees are doing OK.”

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

More than a dozen wild bee species are on the decline

According to a new study from the University of New...

42,000-year-old horse still contains liquid blood and urine. As <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-clone-42000-year-old-horse/">we reported</a>, researchers looking for mammoth tusks in Russia uncovered a 42,000-year-old frozen foal carcass. But now, researchers have confirmed that the specimen still contains liquid blood and urine. The foal was unearthed from the permafrost in Siberia's Batagaika crater, located in the region of Verkhoyansk, in 2018.

“An autopsy showed the foal carcass was extremely well-preserved, the body even without deformation," Semyon Grigoriev, director of the Mammoth Museum at <a href="https://www.s-vfu.ru/en/">Northeastern Federal University (NEFU) in Yakutsk</a>, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/18/europe/prehistoric-foal-liquid-blood-urine-trnd-scli-scn-intl/index.html">told CNN</a>. "The hair cover also preserved most parts of the carcass, especially at the head and legs."

Scientists believe the foal was only about two weeks old when it died, likely from drowning in mud during the Pleistocene epoch, which spanned from about 2.6 million years ago to about 11,700 years ago.

It’s rare to see such perfectly preserved fur, Grigoriev told CNN. “Now we can say what color was the wool of the extinct horses of the Pleistocene era," he said.42,000-year-old horse still contains liquid blood and urine 

However, it’s the liquid blood and urine that raised eyebrows within the science community. According to Grigoriev, there is only one other instance where liquid blood was found in a prehistoric animal carcass — an adult mammoth, which Grigoriev and his team found off the coast of Russia in 2013.

“As a rule,” Grigoriev explained, “the blood coagulates or even turns to powder in the ancient remains of animals of the ice age, even if the carcass is preserved seems to be well. This is due to mummification when moisture and other biological fluids gradually evaporate over thousands of years, even if the remains are in the permafrost. The remains are preserved best if they are in the ice, as it was with our mammoth."

Grigoriev added that scientists extracted the foal’s bodily fluids for potential cloning purposes. Specialists from NEFU are working with South Korea’s ethically controversial <a href="http://en.sooam.com/dogcn/sub01.html">Sooam Biotech Research Foundation</a> (the same foundation that faked the cloning of a human embryonic stem cell in 2004) to extract cells from the foal, however Grigoriev says the chances they’ll be able to produce a clone are slim.

"I think that even the unique preservation [of] blood is absolutely hopeless for cloning purposes since the main blood cells — the red blood cells or erythrocytes — do not have nuclei with DNA," Grigoriev told CNN. "We [are] trying to find intact cells in muscle tissue and internal organs that are also very well-preserved."

In 2020, the ancient foal will be on display in Japan as part of The Mammoth exhibition.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Michil Yakolev/The Siberian Times

42,000-year-old horse still contains liquid blood and urine

42,000-year-old horse still contains liquid blood and urine. As we...

A quick glance at the headlines and it sounds like something only Mary Shelley could think up, but researchers from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> successfully restored some cellular activity in a decapitated pig's brain four hours after its death. 

Full consciousness was not restored, nor was that the intent of the experiment. 

Yale researchers that specialize in brain evolution and brain development noticed that brain tissue samples showed regular showed signs of cellular viability even the tissue was harvested hours after a specimen died.

Expanding on this work, Nenad Sestan, a professor of neuroscience, and a team of colleagues tested potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sounds-incite-fear-brain/">cell activity</a> after death in an intact pig brain. 

The researchers detailed their methods in a new study published in the journal Nature. 

The team attached a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/long-necked-reptiles-tanystropheus-were-easily-decapitated-by-dinosaur-predators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decapitated</a> pig’s brain taken from a meatpacking plant to a series of tubes that pumped the brain with a circulating chemical solution of specially designed fluid meant to mimic natural blood flow. 

The solution was developed to preserve brain tissue and help nudge cells back to life. The researchers used a system called BrainEx to circulate the solution through the brain. 

Not only were cells preserved, but cellular activity in some parts of the brain were thoroughly restored. 

“The intact brain of a large mammal retains a previously underappreciated capacity for restoration of circulation and certain molecular and cellular activities multiple hours after circulatory arrest,” said Sestan. 

Cell death in the brain is thought to be irreversible and occurs minutes after oxygen and blood flow to the brain stops, but this study shows that it is possible to bring some activity back online in a way.

Having a method to study cell activity in the brain after death or after injury could help researchers examine neural connectivity and even potentially pave the way for new treatments for stroke patients and people who suffer brain injuries. 

“Previously, we have only been able to study cells in the large mammalian brain under static or largely two-dimensional conditions utilizing small tissue samples outside of their native environment,” said Stefano G. Daniele, a co-first author of the study. “For the first time, we are able to investigate the large brain in three dimensions, which increases our ability to study complex cellular interactions and connectivity.” 

The solution so far is designed for pig’s brains, and so it may not apply to the human mind, according to the researchers. But if the work expands to cell viability in the human brain, the researchers say that studies should be conducted under strict ethical oversight. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pig brain shows signs of life hours after decapitation

A quick glance at the headlines and it sounds like...

Social media has been having fun with trend of ‘Florida Man…’ stories, which are less about any one person and are more of a narrative element.  “Florida man…” typically refers to a true news story about a man in Florida that seems to embody the same bizarre elements. It’s somewhat of a harsh Florida stereotype, but there certainly are plenty of real life examples.

A perfect example of a Florida Man story is the case of Joshua James who was charged with assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill in 2016 after he threw a live alligator through the drive up window of a Wendy’s, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/10/man-charged-with-using-alligator-as-dangerous-weapon-at-wendys-drive-thru">The Guardian</a>.  Many of the Florida Man stories involve alligators, actually.  It seems that one of America’s largest and most dangerous reptiles imprinted a unique history in Florida.

Human interactions with the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/alligators-spatial-hearing-mammals/">American Alligator</a> (Alligator mississippiensis) of course date back before Europeans ever arrived in the Americas.  According to <a href="http://www.native-languages.org/legends-alligator.htm">Native-languages.org</a>, for many Native American groups, the alligator figured into mythology as something of an inept villain, easily outsmarted.  Other times, the alligator is viewed in a more favorable light. 

In a <a href="https://www.choctaw.org/culture/pdf/Alligator%20and%20the%20Hunter%202fold.pdf">Choctaw myth</a>, a man is very unlucky in hunting.  In desperation, the man goes into the swamp, determined to not leave until he’s killed a deer or died himself.  After days without success, the man finds an alligator lying in a dry patch of sand that is a pool in the rainy season.  The man and alligator make an agreement that if the man carries the alligator to water, the alligator will tell him how to become a great hunter.  The alligator and man are both true to their word and the alligator in essence tells the man to limit his hunting, passing by younger deer and fawns and only hunting the older males and he will become the greatest hunter.  Such myths give a small insight into the pre-Columbian relationship of humans and alligators. But much of the recent history dealing with alligators is affected by European Americans. 

The history of alligator wrestling is entwined with the history of oppression of Native Americans in the Deep South.  The Seminole tribe of Florida refer to themselves as the ‘unconquered people’ because they are descendants of Native Americans that eluded capture by the US army.  The marshy, treacherous land of the Everglades gave the Creeks from Georgia and Alabama refuge from military forces. Eventually the Creek were joined by other tribes including the Yuchis, Yamasses, a few remnant people native to the Everglades, and runaway slaves.  From this melting pot of people came a new tribe called the Seminole. A series of conflicts with the US left the remaining Seminole hiding deeper in the Florida swamps with no contact with the US until trading posts opened up. 

The Seminole traded skins, including those of alligators, as well as crafts and other trade good with US settlers.  By 1880, as many as 50,000 alligator hides were shipped from Florida yearly. Some believe that catching alligators for their skins and for food is the origin of alligator wrestling.  According to the <a href="https://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-history/seminole-history/">Florida Department of State</a>, the Seminole have long worked hard to maintain independence, including financial independence.  Today, citrus farming and livestock have replaced trade in skins and crafts as the main revenue for the Seminole but tourism also plays a role, including alligator wrestling.

In her book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Enduring-Seminoles-Alligator-Wrestling-Ecotourism/dp/0813016339/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=1XF29PLE7FRX5&amp;keywords=the+enduring+seminoles&amp;qid=1555263690&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=The+enduring+semin%2Caps%2C185&amp;sr=8-1-fkmrnull">The Enduring Seminoles</a>, Patsy West writes that alligator wrestling started as a paying tourist attraction around 1919 with Henry Coppinger Jr, a white man who was the first known alligator wrestler.  Seminoles at Misa Isle wrestling alligators were filmed and the sport popularized by being shown in news reels at movie theaters across the country. Soon, Seminoles became synonymous with alligator wrestling and carnivals, road side shows, and other tourist attractions started hiring Seminole alligator wrestlers.  Before the arrival of Disney World, roadside attractions in Florida were plentiful. 

<a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/vvkznb/disney-may-rule-but-gator-wrestling-and-roadside-attractions-remain-in-florida-v24n3">Vice</a> reports that as far back as 1890, tourists to Florida were willing to pay a few cents to see captive alligators.  Hosts of roadside attractions were once the reality, tiny semi-professional shows sometimes featuring captive wildlife were common.  Disney World, Sea World, and Epcot Center worked together to push the small attractions out of the way. Fortunes changed in the Seminole Tribe as well.  

The <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-sep-12-mn-19709-story.html">L.A. Times</a> reported in September of 2000 on the changes coming to alligator wrestling.  It was in 2000 that for the first time, the Seminole Tribe relied on newspaper ads to fill an alligator wrestling position.  Most of the applicants weren’t Seminoles. The work is risky. Kenny Cypress, then in his late 20s, was performing at the Miccosukee Tribe's cultural center when an alligator bit down on his head.  Cypress survived with the help of men that pulled the alligator off him, but he was injured. Seminole Chief James Billie lost a ring finger while wrestling an alligator. People have been known to lose limbs, despite experienced wrestlers claiming it can be done safely.  Fewer Seminoles are interested in such dangerous work, which starts at $8 per hour. 

Through Casinos, Bingo halls, The Hard Rock Café and other enterprises, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/">Forbes</a> estimates that the tribes net worth was $12 Billion in 2016.  That means that every member of the small Seminole tribe receives about $128,000 a year, an amount that only accumulates in a trust for those under 18 years old.  With numbers like these, it’s easy to see why outsiders are being increasingly hired for the low paying and dangerous job of alligator wrestling. 

Values have changed among the Seminole as well.  Education is promoted and more Seminole and young people from other southern tribes are interested in getting college degrees than in wrestling alligators.  The <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3387108/Florida-Indian-tribes-alligator-wrestler-bows-out.html">Daily Mail</a> reported in 2016 that Rocky Jim Jr. of the Miccosukee Tribe was retiring as the last Miccosukee alligator wrestler.  Pressure has been put on alligator wrestling by animal rights groups with concerns over the treatment of the animals as well.  Soon, alligator wrestling may disappear all together. 

If people stop wrestling alligators, the animals remain, roaming the swamps and dwelling in history and myth.

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Peter Etchells/Shutterstock

Alligator wrestling in Florida may soon become a thing of the past

Social media has been having fun with trend of ‘Florida...

If you look closely at a fruit fly, you’ll notice that they don’t exactly have a nose between their big, bug eyes. So how is it possible for them to use a sense of “smell” to detect where their next meal might be located? 

The answer is in the nanopores located on the cuticle covering sensilla, which are olfactory organs on the antennas of insects. A new study from the <a href="http://www.riken.jp/en/">RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research</a> (BDR) details how these nanopores allow <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fruit-flies-travel-miles/">fruit flies</a> to detect chemicals in the air, as well as the gene behind their development.

An insect’s ability to smell allows it to search for food, find mates, and generally react to the environment around it. The nanopores on the cuticle covering the sensilla are believed to work as filters, allowing odorant molecules to enter but keeping larger airborne particles out so the insect can avoid liquid loss. 

Through observing developing fruit fly pupa in detail using transmission electron microscopy, researchers found that the cuticular nanopores in fruit flies’ olfactory sensilla originate from a curved ultrathin film formed in the outermost envelope layer of the cuticle. This film is secreted from specialized protrusions in the plasma membrane of the hair-forming (trichogen) cell, and the envelope curvature coincides with plasma membrane undulations associated with structures within the cells.

[caption id="attachment_1871462" align="aligncenter" width="373"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sensilla.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1871462 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sensilla.jpg" alt="" width="373" height="444" /></a> Microscopic image of fruit fly sensilla. Image Credit: Riken[/caption]

Continuing further, the research team investigated the genetics behind the formation of pores using next-generation genome sequencing. This led to the discovery of a gene called gore-tex, which is responsible for the formation of the pores. 

The gene is a member of the gene family called Osiris, and encodes a protein that is needed for envelope curvature, nanopore formation, and odor receptivity. The Osiris gene family itself is only found in insect genomes, and other genes within this family are expressed in cuticle-secreting cells.

“Our study revealed the elements required for the development of nanopores to allow odor reception, and identified Osiris genes as a platform for investigating the evolution of surface nano-fabrication in insects,” says study leader Shigeo Hayashi. “We hope that studies like this will help us understand how nature builds these fascinating nanostructures that allow living creatures to acquire many specialized functions.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How does a fruit fly smell?

If you look closely at a fruit fly, you’ll notice...

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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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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



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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



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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



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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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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

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