A new executive order aimed at deregulating the U.S. seafood industry is raising red flags among scientists and policy experts. While the order claims to boost competitiveness and cut red tape, critics warn it could do more harm than good - weakening the very systems that protect seafood sustainability.



Scientists from <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">UC Santa Barbara</a> and the University of Washington outlined their concerns in a recent paper. They argue that the executive order misses the mark, prioritizing short-term gains over long-term stability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inside-the-seafood-deregulation-order">Inside the seafood deregulation order</h2>



Signed in April 2025, the order - titled “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness” - claims that U.S. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-seafood-industry-has-been-hit-hard-by-the-covid-19-pandemic/">seafood markets</a> are held back by overregulation and unfair trade practices. It calls for reducing regulatory burdens, eliminating unsafe imports, and strengthening the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seafood-spoilage-hidden-dangers-in-the-cold-chain/">seafood supply chain</a>.



However, the researchers say the plan is moving too fast and with too little support. They describe it as a policy that risks unraveling decades of scientific progress.



“(It’s) a significant escalation in undoing federal regulatory frameworks, weakening scientific authority and deemphasizing aquaculture development,” said Halley Froehlich of UC Santa Barbara and Jessica Gephart of the University of Washington.



“Instead of reform, it’s dismantling regulations in a very short amount of time,” added Froehlich, the paper’s lead author.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-noaa-s-role-under-threat">NOAA’s role under threat</h2>



The scientists point to cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a major concern. NOAA oversees roughly 500 commercial fishery stocks in the U.S. It plays a key role in managing, monitoring, and protecting marine resources.



Under the new directive, NOAA faces budget cuts, staff reductions, and tighter controls on communication. That’s a serious blow to its ability to coordinate sustainable fishing, especially across regions where fish migrate between countries.



“It’s quite problematic because NOAA is so central to how we manage our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bleaching-effect-coral-loss-threatens-fisheries-and-livelihoods/">fisheries</a>,” Froehlich said. “Data collection, monitoring, oversight, you name it, NOAA is part of that, and a really important part.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-plan-ignores-the-ocean-s-limits">The plan ignores the ocean’s limits</h2>



The executive order is supposed to help boost domestic seafood production. But the researchers argue that the ocean has limits - and we’re already close to reaching them.



“We are not going to get more out of the ocean,” Froehlich said. “We’re already near ‘peak fish,’ meaning maintenance and recovery of our stocks.”



Wild fisheries - both in the U.S. and globally - are already producing at or near their maximum sustainable levels. That leaves <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aquaculture-now-produces-more-food-than-wild-fishing/">aquaculture</a> as the only real path for growth. 



However, the new order gives little attention to farmed seafood and offers even less support to the agencies that regulate it. The scientists call it a mismatch between promises and practical outcomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cutting-data-cutting-capacity">Cutting data, cutting capacity</h2>



One of the most troubling issues is the potential loss of data. The researchers warn that NOAA’s online databases, climate research, and monitoring tools may be defunded or decommissioned.



Without this data, managing fisheries becomes guesswork. It also makes it harder to prepare for climate-driven shifts in marine ecosystems.



“Without the data, expertise and capacity to study and understand these systems we run the risk of fishery collapses becoming more common and long-lasting,” the authors wrote.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trade-conflicts-and-mismatched-markets">Trade conflicts and mismatched markets</h2>



The executive order also makes assumptions about seafood markets that don’t align with reality. 



Much of the seafood farmed in the U.S. isn’t what consumers demand most. And a large portion of seafood caught in U.S. waters is processed overseas before being sold back into the domestic market.



If tariffs are imposed on imported or foreign-processed seafood, prices for high-demand products like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrimp-crisis-alarming-virus-threatens-global-seafood-supplies/">shrimp</a> could rise sharply. Right now, only about 10% of shrimp eaten in the U.S. comes from domestic sources.



“In disrupting the market dynamics we do have, especially with trade wars with our trading partners, it’s likely that we’re going to have the opposite effect of creating opportunity long-term,” Froehlich said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-alternative-to-seafood-deregulation">An alternative to seafood deregulation </h2>



The paper was submitted as evidence in a recent hearing by the House Natural Resources Committee’s Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee. The scientists hope their findings will influence how Congress approaches <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seafood-will-help-feed-earths-future-population-of-10-billion/">seafood policy</a> moving forward.



“When it comes to any shifts in production, these high levels of uncertainty are not a beneficial thing to happen for the sector,” Froehlich said.



While deregulation may sound appealing to some, the authors argue that a stable, well-regulated system - backed by science and data - is what actually keeps seafood both sustainable and competitive. In their view, cutting corners now could cost the industry far more in the future.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X25002106">Marine Policy</a>.



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Why seafood deregulation may hurt more than help

A new executive order aimed at deregulating the U.S. seafood industry is raising red flags among scientists and policy experts. While the order claims to boost competitiveness and cut red tape, critics warn it could do more harm than good - weakening the very systems that protect seafood sustainability. Scientists from UC Santa Barbara and the University of Washington outlined their concerns in a recent paper. They argue that the executive order misses the mark, prioritizing short-term gains over long-term stability. Inside the seafood deregulation order Signed...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> have identified simple genetic mutations that cause zebrafish fins to transform into complex limb-like structures. While previous studies on the fin-to-limb transition have focused on the fossil record, the current study was based on advanced genetic screening. 

A team of experts led by M. Brent Hawkins set out to pinpoint mutations that affect the fin skeletons of zebrafish. Unlike tetrapod limbs with complicated skeletons, zebrafish pectoral fins have a simple endoskeleton that lacks joints.

The researchers were surprised to find mutants that modified their fins into a more limb-like pattern by adding new bones, including muscles and joints. This discovery means that the capacity to form limb-like structures was present in zebrafish in a dormant state, and that this ability can be activated by genetic changes.

"We look at some of the developmental aberrations and ask, can they inform us of the processes that were happening underlying some of these large shifts in evolution," said study senior author Professor Matthew P. Harris. "And when you see something that shouldn't be there, ever, I mean 400 million years type of never, it's a major finding."

Zebrafish are teleosts - a diverse lineage of about 30,000 species that includes goldfish, salmon, eels, flounder, clownfish, pufferfish, and catfish. Despite the remarkable diversity of teleost species, their pectoral fins are surprisingly simple and unchanged.

Study co-author Katrin Henke of Boston Children's Hospital performed forward genetic screens to randomly mutate DNA in zebrafish. The goal was to identify genes that control the formation of the fin skeleton. 

When a mutation caused interesting changes to the zebrafish skeleton, the experts traced the mutation back to see which genes were affected. They found that mutations in the waslb and vav2 genes cause the fin phenotype. Thia is the first time that these particular genes have been known to play roles in patterning the body.

"It was a big question as to how waslb and vav2 were changing fin patterning," said Hawkins. "These genes were not known to interact with any of the very well characterized pathways that guide limb development."

'However, we found that these mutations cause an increase in the expression of the gene hoxa11b. This gene is very exciting because the Hox genes are in part responsible for patterning the vertebral column as well as the regions of the limb. And the Hox11 genes in particular are required to make the forearm."

"Prior to this there aren't any examples where we have genes or mutations that actually elaborate the structure and make it even more complicated," said Hawkins. "Even in the case of limbs we only know how to make a limb smaller or less complex, but we didn't have any information on how add elements to a fin or a limb."

"That was very surprising as well," said Professor Harris. "We had no hard experimental examples where you take a gene, turn it up, make it work more and get a more complex mature structure at the end. In our findings we actually found some of the dials that can turn up the genetic pathways and get a more complicated structure in the end."

The study has revealed that fins and limbs use the same genetic mechanisms to specify the middle portion of the appendage. Going forward, Hawkins plans to investigate whether fins and limbs make other appendage regions in the same way.

"There's still the humerus in the limb and we don't know what the corresponding part in the fin is for that, in terms of the genetic requirements," said Hawkins. "We know there are proximal cues that determine where the humerus should go, but we don't know if the fish use these cues or not."

"We want to know in a developmental sense how those cues arose in limbs and if those cues are present in some form in the fish fin already. And hopefully we can fill out the correspondence between fins and limbs."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Simple genetic mutations can turn fins into limbs

Researchers at Harvard University have identified simple genetic mutations that...

Mammals with habitats that have been affected by deforestation have higher levels of stress, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a>. When researchers analyzed hormones in the fur of rodents and marsupials living in smaller patches of South America's Atlantic Forest, they found that these mammals are under more stress compared to animals living in more intact <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fruit-eating-mammals-fertilize-the-soil-in-tropical-forests/">forests</a>.

"We suspected that organisms in deforested areas would show higher levels of stress than animals in more pristine forests, and we found evidence that that's true," said study co-author Professor Noé de la Sancha.

"Small mammals, primarily rodents and little marsupials, tend to be more stressed out, or show more evidence that they have higher levels of stress hormones, in smaller forest patches than in larger forest patches."

"A lot of species, all over the world, but especially in the tropics, are understudied," said study lead author Professor Sarah Boyle of Rhodes College. "There is not a lot known about many of these animals in terms of even their baseline hormone levels."

The Atlantic Forest is the second largest forest in South America. Over the last 500 years, large areas of the forest have been cleared for agricultural and urban development. Today, less than one-third of the original forest remains.

Habitat destruction can drastically change the lives of animals as they must learn to cope with less land and food and possibly more contact with predators. The experts explain that in small doses, stress is not a bad thing for the animals. 

"A stress response is normally trying to bring your body back into balance," said study co-author Professor David Kabelik. "If something perturbs you and it can cause you to be injured or die, the stress response mobilizes energy to deal with that situation and bring things back into a normal state. It allows you to survive." 

For example, if an animal encounters a predator, stress hormones give them the adrenaline they need to run away. "But then these animals are placed into these small fragments of habitat where they're experiencing elevated stress over prolonged periods, and that can lead to disease and dysregulation of various physiological mechanisms in the body."

The study was focused on patches of forest in eastern Paraguay, which has been hit particularly hard by deforestation in the last century. The researchers captured 106 mammals in areas that ranged from two to 1,200 hectares and collected samples of animal fur, which contains hormones that accumulate over time. 

"Hormones change in the blood minute by minute, so that's not really an accurate reflection of whether these animals are under long-term stress or whether they just happened to run away from a predator a minute ago, and we were trying to get at something that's more of an indicator of longer term stress," explained Professor Kabelik.

"Since glucocorticoid stress hormones get deposited into the fur over time, if you analyze these samples you can look at a longer term measure of their stress."

In the lab, the fur was converted into a fine powder and the hormones were extracted. The experts analyzed hormone levels using enzyme immunoassay.

"You use antibodies that bind these hormones to figure out how many are there," said Professor Kabelik. "Then you divide that by the amount of fur that was in the sample, and it tells you the amount of hormones present per milligram."

The results showed that the animals from smaller patches of forest had higher levels of glucocorticoid stress hormones than animals from larger patches of forest. 

"Our findings that animals in the small forest patches had higher glucocorticoid levels was not surprising, given the extent to which some of these forested areas have been heavily impacted by forest loss and fragmentation," said Professor Boyle.

The study provides new insight into the effects of deforestation on animals, and may ultimately shed light on the circumstances in which animals can pass diseases to humans. 

"If you have lots of stressed out mammals, they can harbor viruses and other diseases, and there are more and more people living near these deforested patches that could potentially be in contact with these animals," said Professor de la Sancha. "By destroying natural habitats, we're potentially creating hotspots for zoonotic disease outbreaks."

"Big picture, this is really important because it could be applicable to forest remnants throughout the world. The tropics hold the highest diversity of organisms on the planet. Therefore, this has potential to impact the largest variety of living organisms on the planet, as more and more deforestation is happening. We're gonna see individuals and populations that tend to show higher levels of stress."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Animals affected by deforestation are stressed out

Mammals with habitats that have been affected by deforestation have...

A potentially toxic species of plankton algae may take over a critical role in the future of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-favors-some-arctic-insects-over-others/">Arctic</a> food chain, according to a new study from <a href="https://international.au.dk/">Aarhus University</a>. These algae survive through photosynthesis, but also by eating other algae and bacteria, which gives them a major advantage in the rapidly changing environment of the Arctic.

The plankton community that produces food for the entire Arctic food chain is being transformed by sea ice decline. The base of this food web is formed of tiny plankton algae, which use light and nutrients to produce food through photosynthesis.

As sea ice becomes thinner in the Arctic, plankton algae are exposed to more light. While it seems that this would boost algae numbers and provide more food for fish, the effects are much more complicated. 

The experts explain that more sunlight in the sea will only lead to a higher production of plankton algae if they also have enough nutrients, and this is often not the case. 

Freshwater that is entering the Arctic Ocean from melting glaciers is lacking in nutrients, and this water is now spreading out further across fjords and into the sea. The fresh water sits on top of the denser saltwater, preventing nutrients from the deeper layers from mixing up towards the surface where plankton algae are active. 

This is where the so-called mixotrophic plankton algae come in, because they do not rely entirely on sunlight and nutrients for their survival. The fact that these algae can also obtain energy by eating other algae and bacteria allows them to stay alive and grow without adequate light for photosynthesis. 

In northeast Greenland, a team of researchers measured the production of plankton algae under the sea ice in the high-Arctic fjord Young Sound.

"We showed that the plankton algae under the sea ice actually produced up to half of the total annual plankton production in the fjord," said study lead author Dorte H. Søgaard.

"Mixotrophic plankton algae have the advantage that they can sustain themselves by eating other algae and bacteria as a supplement to photosynthesis when there isn't enough light. This means that they are ready to perform photosynthesis even when very little light penetrates into the sea." 

"In addition, many mixotrophic algae can live in relatively fresh water and at very low concentrations of nutrients - conditions that often prevail in the water layers under the sea ice in the spring when the ice melts."

The researchers measured an algal bloom driven by mixotrophic algae in Young Sound for nine days. The algae belong to a group called haptophytes, many of which are toxic. The team found that these algae bloomed in quantities similar to those previously observed in the Skagerrak, where they killed large amounts of salmon in Norwegian fish farms.

"We know that haptophytes often appear in areas with low salinity - as seen in the Baltic Sea, for example. It is therefore very probable that these mixotrophic-driven algae blooms will appear more frequently in a more freshwater-influenced future Arctic Ocean and that this shift in dominant algae to a mixotrophic algae species might have a large ecological and socio-economic impact," said Søgaard.

According to the researchers, this is the first time that a bloom of mixotrophic algae has been recorded under the sea ice in the Arctic.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Nature: Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Toxic plankton algae could change the fate of the Arctic food web

A potentially toxic species of plankton algae may take over...

In recent years, dog food options has expanded far beyond dry kibble to include grain-free, fresh, and now even human-grade foods. When researchers at the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> conducted a comparison study, they found that human-grade ingredients are not only appetizing, but are also extremely digestible. 

According to the study, human-grade dog foods are so easy to digest that they are associated with up to 66 percent less poop.

"Based on past research we've conducted I'm not surprised with the results when feeding human-grade compared to an extruded dry diet," said study co-author Kelly Swanson. "However, I did not expect to see how well the human-grade fresh food performed, even compared to a fresh commercial processed brand."

Over four weeks, the researchers fed beagles four commercially available diets: dry kibble; a fresh, refrigerated diet; and two fresh diets made using only USDA-certified human-grade ingredients. 

The fresh human-grade foods contained minimally processed ingredients such as beef, chicken, rice, carrots, and broccoli in small chunks or in a casserole. 

The study revealed that dogs fed the kibble diet had to eat more to maintain their body weight. These dogs produced 1.5 to 2.9 times as much poop compared to dogs that were fed any of the fresh diets.

"This is consistent with a 2019 National Institute of Health study in humans that found people eating a fresh whole food diet consumed on average 500 less calories per day, and reported being more satisfied, than people eating a more processed diet," said Swanson.

The researchers also found that the fresh diets uniquely influenced the gut microbiomes of the dogs. 

"Because a healthy gut means a healthy mutt, fecal microbial and metabolite profiles are important readouts of diet assessment," said Swanson. 

"As we have shown in previous studies, the fecal microbial communities of healthy dogs fed fresh diets were different than those fed kibble. These unique microbial profiles were likely due to differences in diet processing, ingredient source, and the concentration and type of dietary fibers, proteins, and fats that are known to influence what is digested by the dog and what reaches the colon for fermentation."

In a previous study on roosters, Swanson's team demonstrated that the same human-grade foods were up to 40 percent more digestible than kibble.

The research is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jas">Journal of Animal Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dogs poop up to 66 percent less when they eat human-grade foods

In recent years, dog food options has expanded far beyond...

Beautiful marmoset monkey on top of tree

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a>, researchers report that marmoset <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monkeys-show-us-why-humans-keep-trying-even-when-we-should-give-up/">monkeys</a> eavesdrop on conversations among other individuals. Not only do the marmosets seem to understand these conversations, but they also appear to form judgements based on what they hear. 

It is very common for humans to observe and evaluate interactions between other people as they decide who they would interact with in the future. With animals, it is difficult to measure what they are picking up on as they eavesdrop. Even if they do understand a chat between other individuals, animals do not express their reactions in ways that can be easily observed.

A team of anthropologists at Zurich used behavioral analyses and thermal imaging to investigate the emotional states of the marmosets.

Thermal imaging provided the researchers with a noninvasive tool to measure temperature changes in the faces of marmoset monkeys to identify subtle emotional responses. 

"We were able to use this technique to show that the marmosets did not perceive the vocal interactions between conspecifics as the mere sum of the single call elements but rather perceived them holistically, as a conversation," said study first author Rahel Brügger.

When an animal experiences an increase in emotional arousal, this corresponds with a drop in facial surface temperature - especially in the most exposed regions like the nose. Thermal imaging makes it possible to record these changes.

The researchers obtained recordings of vocal exchanges between marmosets, as well as calls of nearby animals that were not involved in the interaction. As the recordings were played from a hidden loudspeaker, the team used thermography to measure the monkeys' reactions. 

"This showed that the response to call interactions was significantly different than the response to individual calls," said Brügger. "Marmoset monkeys are thus able to distinguish a dialogue among conspecifics from a pure monologue."

The researchers distinguished between the recorded interactions that were cooperative and those that were competitive. 

After the marmosets heard the different interactions, they had the opportunity to approach the sources of the sounds. This experiment revealed that the monkeys preferred to approach individuals who had been involved in a cooperative interaction with a third party.

"This study adds to the growing evidence that many animals are not only passive observers of third-party interactions, but that they also interpret them," said study co-author Professor Burkart. "In addition, our study shows that thermography can help unveil how these social interactions are perceived by nonverbal subjects."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marmosets eavesdrop on conversations and form judgements

In a new study from the University of Zurich, researchers...

In a new analysis published by <a href="https://www.wiley.com/">Wiley</a>, experts have found that mammals strikes with aircraft have been increasing by up to 68 percent annually. The majority of these strikes occurred during a landing phase, according to the study. 

According to the <a href="https://www.faa.gov/">Federal Aviation Administration</a>, there were more than 227,000 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildlife-movement-is-strongly-influenced-by-human-behavior/">wildlife</a> strikes with civil aircraft in the United States between 1990 and 2019. 

"While 97% of all strikes with civil aircraft in the USA involve birds, strikes with other animals such as deer, coyotes, turtles, skunks, bats, alligators, and iguanas have also been reported," explained the FAA. "White-tailed deer and coyotes are the most commonly struck non-bird species."

For the current investigation, the researchers conducted a global analysis of wildlife strikes, focusing on mammals. The team analyzed published information and mammal strike data from national aviation authorities in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the United States.

The experts found that for every million aircraft movements, average mammal strikes per year ranged from 1.2 to 38.7.

The mammals that were most frequently involved in aircraft strikes varied by country, including bats in Australia and rabbits and dog-like carnivores in Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Over the three decades examined for the study, the estimated cost of damage associated with mammal strikes exceeded $103 million in the United States alone.

"Mammals are incredibly diverse and those involved in strike events are no exception. As we identified 47 countries which have reported strikes with mammals, the species involved ranged from some of the world's smallest mammals, such as voles, all the way up to the mighty giraffe and included mammals of all sizes in between," said study lead author Samantha Ball..

"As strike events can affect everything from passenger safety, airline economics and local conservation, understanding the species composition and ecology of the local fauna at an airfield is paramount for effective strike mitigation."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652907">Mammal Review</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mammal strikes with aircraft are becoming much more frequent

In a new analysis published by Wiley, experts have found...

Researchers at <a href="https://wsu.edu/">Washington State University</a> have identified several factors that historically contributed to the strong mutual connection that exists between humans and dogs. Based on the analysis of more than 140 past societies, the study revealed that when women were involved in the care of a dog, it was more likely to be treated as part of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/family-wastes-food/">family</a>. 

"We found that dogs' relationships with women might have had a greater impact on the dog-human bond than relationships with men," said study first author Jaime Chambers. 

"Humans were more likely to regard dogs as a type of person if the dogs had a special relationship with women. They were more likely to be included in family life, treated as subjects of affection and generally, people had greater regard for them."

Despite the fact that dogs are the most widespread domesticated animal, very few anthropological studies have focused on the origins of the relationship between humans and canines. 

The WSU researchers searched an extensive collection of ethnographic documents in the Human Relations Area Files database, and found thousands of records that mentioned dogs. Overall, the team analyzed data from more than 844 ethnographers writing on 144 traditional societies worldwide. 

According to Chambers, looking at these cultures can provide insight into how the dog-human connection developed.

"Our modern society is like a blip in the timeline of human history. The truth is that human-dog relationships have not looked like they do in Western industrialized societies for most of human history, and looking at traditional societies can offer a wider vision."

The researchers found documented evidence of the mutually beneficial relationship of dogs and humans. In many instances, canines were treated like people - they were given names, allowed to sleep in the same beds as their owners, and were mourned when they died.

A pattern emerged from the data which showed that dogs were more likely to be regarded as family when they had a special relationship with women. In addition, the experts noted that dogs seemed to less useful to humans in warmer climate conditions. 

"Relative to humans, dogs are really not particularly energy efficient," said study co-author Professor Robert Quinlan. "Their body temperature is higher than humans, and just a bit of exercise can make them overheat on a hot day. We saw this trend that they had less utility to humans in warmer environments."

This was a fairly consistent trend, according to Professor Quinlan, but there were some exceptions to this with a few dog-loving cultures in the tropics.

The dog-human connection also seemed to be strengthened by hunting. In cultures that hunted with dogs, the animals were more valued by their human partners. Furthermore, the research suggests that hunting cultures relied more on dogs than those that were more dependant on farming. 

Thy experts said their findings support the theory that dogs and humans "chose each other," as opposed to the idea that humans sought out wolf pups to raise.

"Dogs are everywhere humans are," said Chambers. "If we think that dogs are successful as a species if there are lots of them, then they have been able to thrive. They have hitched themselves to us and followed us all over the world. It's been a very successful relationship."

The study is published in the <a href="https://ethnobiology.org/publications/journal-of-ethnobiology/current">Journal of Ethnobiology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Women had a stronger influence on the dog-human connection

Researchers at Washington State University have identified several factors that...

A new study from <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> (ARU) has investigated the mating behavior of female field crickets under different acoustic conditions. The researchers found that when crickets are exposed to traffic noise, they are no longer picky about who they choose for a mate. 

Understanding how crickets are affected by traffic and other types of noise could help safeguard the future success of the species.

To gain the attention of a potential mate that is nearby, male crickets perform a courtship song by rubbing their wings together. Because the song is energetically costly, it can provide the females with important information about the male's fitness and other qualities. 

To investigate, the researchers paired female crickets with silenced male crickets under three different conditions: ambient noise, artificial white noise, and recordings of traffic noise captured at a ground level.

When the males attempted to perform their songs, an artificial courtship song was played instead that was either high or low quality. In some experiments, no song was played at all. 

When exposed to ambient noise, the females mounted the males much sooner and more frequently when a high-quality courtship song was played back. 

However, a high-quality courtship song provided no benefit with exposure to white noise and traffic noise. The researchers found that under these conditions, mate selection and mounting frequency were not influenced by the quality - or even by the presence of a song.

The findings suggest that man-made noise interferes with the perception of the females as they make important mating decisions, which could affect the overall fitness of a population.

"In the short-term, we found that males paired with high-quality songs in noisy environments are receiving no benefit over those paired with a low-quality song, or no song at all. As a result, males that produce high-quality songs may attempt to expend more energy into their calls to gain an advantage, potentially affecting that individual's survival," said study lead author Dr Adam Bent.

"At the same time, female crickets may choose to mate with a lower-quality male as they are unable to detect differences in mate quality due to the man-made noise, and this may lead to a reduction or complete loss of offspring viability."

"Traffic noise and the crickets' courtship song do not share similar acoustic frequencies, so rather than masking the courtship song, we think the traffic noise serves as a distraction for the female cricket."

"Humans are continually changing the characteristics of environments, including through the production of anthropogenic noise," said study co-author Dr Sophie Mowles.

"As mate choice is a powerful driving force for evolution through sexual selection, disruptions may cause a decline in population viability. And because anthropogenic noise is a very recent evolutionarily selection pressure, it is difficult to predict how species may adapt."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/beheco">Behavioral Ecology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mating crickets lower their standards when exposed to traffic noise

A new study from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has investigated...

A global analysis of how human disturbances impact animal movement has revealed widespread impacts that threaten the survival of many species. The experts report that human activities force <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-needed-sleep-before-they-even-had-brains/">animals</a> to move an average of 70 percent further to survive. 

"Movement is critical to animal survival, but it can be disrupted by human disturbances," said study lead author Dr. Tim Doherty, a wildlife ecologist at the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a>. "Animals adopt behavioral mechanisms to adjust to human activity, such as by fleeing or avoiding humans, traveling further to find food or mates; or finding new shelter to avoid humans or predators."

It is well documented that long-term disturbances, such as logging and urbanization, have major impacts on wildlife. But the new study shows that periodic events like hunting, recreation, and military activity can trigger even bigger changes in animal behavior.

The researchers analyzed 208 separate studies on 167 animal species over four decades to investigate how human disturbances influence animal movement. In more than one-third of cases, animals were forced into changes that saw movement increase by more than 50 percent.

The species examined in the analysis range from the tiny sleepy orange butterfly to the massive great white shark. 

The study revealed that changes in animal movement in response to human disturbances are common. Episodic disturbances like hunting were found to have the strongest effect, and ncreases in animal movement averaged 70 percent.

In some cases, human activity forced a reduction in animal movement, and these decreases averaged 37 percent.

According to the study, animals moved less when they encountered increased access to food in human locations, the reduced ability to move from a modified habitat, or restrictions to their movement by physical barriers.

"As well as the direct impact on animal species, there are knock-on effects," said Dr. Doherty. "Animal movement is linked to important ecological processes such as pollination, seed dispersal and soil turnover, so disrupted animal movement can have negative impacts throughout ecosystems."

"In marine environments and landscapes relatively untouched by human impact, it is important that habitat modification is avoided. This could involve strengthening and supporting existing protected areas and securing more areas of wilderness for legal protection."

"It is vital we understand the scale of impact that humans have on other animal species. The consequences of changed animal movement can be profound and lead to reduced animal fitness, lower chances of survival, reduced reproductive rates, genetic isolation and even local extinction."

The study is published in journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol">Nature Ecology and Evolution</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Human disturbances are globally restructuring animal movement

A global analysis of how human disturbances impact animal movement...

In national parks throughout Japan, park rangers are faced with the daunting and time-consuming task of tracking deer populations. Deer are not native to these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carnivores-that-eat-human-foods-are-altering-their-ecosystems/">ecosystems</a>, and can have damaging effects if they are not monitored and controlled. 

In a new study, experts at the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/">University of Tokyo</a> have developed a new technique for tracking deer movements using unmanned listening devices.

"Determining deer position enables the elimination of repetitive calls from the same deer, thus providing a promising tool to track deer movement," explained the researchers. "The validation results revealed that the proposed technique can provide reasonable accuracy for the experimental and natural environment."

The technology could soon take the place of current methods of monitoring deer populations, which range from counting droppings to using images from trail cameras.

"The problem with using recording devices to estimate the size of deer populations in the past was that it was difficult to avoid counting the same deer multiple times - by setting up a grid of listening stations, we are able to triangulate the position of each deer with precision and track its movements," explained study co-author Tadanobu Okumura.

The researchers built a prototype listening station which is powered by solar panels and automatically synchronizes its internal clock with a GPS satellite. The recordings can be used to determine the precise location of deer based on a triangulation technique.

"When we tested our prototype in an experimental setting in the playground of the University of Tokyo, we were able to pinpoint the location of a sound within five meters. In a second trial under more realistic conditions in the marshland at Oze National Park, it was possible to locate a sound to within about fifteen meters," said study co-author Kazuo Oki. During a two-hour trial, the system picked up 72 distinct deer calls. 

"The identification of deer calls in Oze National Park over a period of two hours emphasizes the great potential of the proposed technique to detect repetitive deer calls, and track deer movement," wrote the study authors. 

"Hence, the technique is the first step toward designing an automated system for estimating the population of deer or other vocal animals using sound recordings."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors">Sensors</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tracking deer using only sound

In national parks throughout Japan, park rangers are faced with...

American lobsters are more susceptible to changing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-heatwaves-will-intensify-due-to-thinning-ocean-layer/">ocean</a> conditions than what was previously realized, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.bigelow.org/">Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences</a>. By gaining a better understanding of the biological responses of lobsters to climate change, researchers can help to protect them in the future. 

The waters are becoming hotter and more acidic across the range of American lobsters, which extends from Canada to the mid-Atlantic waters of the United States.

The new research contradicts previous studies which suggested that ocean acidification did not have a significant impact on the growth and metabolism of lobsters. 

"Our study indicated that acidification is affecting these lobsters on a molecular scale," said study lead author Maura Niemisto. "Because of environmental changes, they have genes firing at an even higher rate."

All living organisms regulate a wide range of biological processes through their genes, and changes in their environment can influence this capacity. 

Many organisms have a heat shock gene that triggers cells to produce a protein that helps the organism adapt to changing environmental conditions like heat stress. 

The researchers set out to examine the post larval stage of lobsters because they live in the upper water column where ocean acidification and temperature are changing quickly. Using lab experiments, the team exposed postlarval lobsters to the temperature and acidity levels projected for the end of the century. 

The study revealed that under these extreme conditions, the cells of the lobsters adjusted gene regulation to support shell structure and immune functions. This response was stronger from increased acidity compared to hotter temperatures.

The researchers also found that American lobsters exposed to both elevated warmth and acidity exhibited a more drastic response.

"Stressors on an organism have the ability to compound into something that makes it really hard to grow through all the developmental stages to get to a full-grown lobster," said Niemisto.

The implications of these biological responses remain unclear for lobsters in the Gulf of Maine, where the water is acidifying and warming faster compared to the rest of the world's oceans.

Even if lobsters have the genetic capacity to adapt to their changing environment, it may come at a cost. The genetic processes take a significant amount of energy, which comes from a limited budget.

"So, if they're spending a lot of energy on building proteins to respond to stressors, something else has to give," said Niemisto.

The study authors want to know where that extra energy is coming from and where it would normally be invested. For example, if lobsters have to invest more energy to maintain their shells, they may not be able to properly support their immune systems.

According to the researchers, the next step is to better understand these genetic responses in relation to larger-scale changes. Their findings could be combined with further research on the biology of American lobsters to predict the likely responses of specific populations.

"This study has cracked open the door to our understanding of the basic biology of lobster larvae and their response to the changing environment," said study co-author Fields. "However, there is still a lot to learn. As the use of these genetic tools grows, so will our understanding of the larval lobster biology and the impact of climate change on this iconic fishery."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/20457758">Ecology and Evolution</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

American lobsters face an uncertain fate

American lobsters are more susceptible to changing ocean conditions than...

In order for animals to thrive in the wild, they must have natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bumblebees-in-low-quality-habitats-are-more-susceptible-to-disease/">habitats</a> known as wildlife corridors that connect neighboring populations. Otherwise, a group of animals may become isolated and unable to breed and survive. A new study describes the strong influence that humans have on wildlife movement.

Past studies on wildlife connectivity have focused on measuring various aspects of the landscape, and the potential impacts of human behavior have largely been overlooked. 

An international team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/1.html">University of Göttingen</a> and Humboldt University Berlin have introduced a new concept that they call "anthropogenic resistance." The experts say that this aspect of wildlife movement must be considered to secure sustainable landscapes for both animals and people in the future.  

Human disturbances, including rapid urbanization and deforestation, are increasingly impacting natural landscapes. When these changes are assessed, the analyses are largely focused on properties of the land such as agriculture, urbanization, forestland, or elevation. 

Meanwhile, human impacts are usually lumped together in categories such as population density, or distance from settlements or roads. 

The researchers propose that it is not merely the presence, absence, or number of people that affects wildlife movement. Instead, it is what the people are actually doing that alters the behavior of nearby animals. 

According to the study authors, a range of psychological and socioeconomic factors can play a part in anthropogenic resistance, including hunting or supplementary feeding.

For their investigation, the researchers analyzed three case studies on wolves in Washington State, leopards in Iran, and large carnivores in central India. 

The same concept can be applied to other species as well. For example, roe deer use croplands for both shelter and food but reduce their presence during the hunting season. 

The experts report that differences in human behavior based on cultural and religious beliefs strongly influence wildlife movement. 

"Anthropogenic resistance is also relevant to the BearConnect project, which aims to understand the factors that determine connectivity in European populations of the brown bear. Bears are capable of moving across huge distances, as shown by bear JJ1, better known as 'Bruno', who traveled from the Italian Trento region all the way to Bavaria, where he was shot," explained Professor Niko Balkenhol.

"It is important to note that, although Bruno was able to cross the physical landscape, he was stopped by the severe anthropogenic resistance provided by humans who could not tolerate his behavior."

"Our paper shows that anthropogenic resistance is an important piece of the puzzle for connectivity-planning to ensure the functionality of corridors for wildlife and people," said study senior author Dr. Trishna Dutta. "It reveals that there are advantages for social and natural scientists to collaborate in understanding the effects of anthropogenic resistance in future studies."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.oneearth.org/">One Earth</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wildlife movement is strongly influenced by human behavior

In order for animals to thrive in the wild, they...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" 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> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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 rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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