Rainbow,Lorikeets

North America’s birds are disappearing, and they're vanishing at the fastest rate in the places they dominate. A new study using nearly two decades of data from citizen scientists reveals that birds are declining where they should be thriving.



The findings spotlight an ecological emergency but also highlight recovery potential. 



The analysis, conducted by researchers at the <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>, tracked 495 bird species between 2007 and 2021 using over 36 million observations submitted to the <a href="https://ebird.org/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eBird</a> platform.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-birds-declining-across-north-america">Birds declining across North America</h2>



The researchers sought to build a detailed picture of population trends across North America. The result was sobering: in 83% of species, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-might-repeat-evolution-under-pressure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">population</a> declines were steepest in areas where the birds were most abundant.



“We're not just seeing small shifts happening, we're documenting populations declining where they were once really abundant," said Alison Johnston, one of the researchers. 



"Locations that once provided ideal habitat and climate for these species are no longer suitable. I think this is indicative of more major shifts happening for the nature that's around us." 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-birds-decline-most-where-they-once-thrived">Birds decline most where they once thrived</h2>



Previous studies warned us about overall losses. Since 1970, North America has lost more than 25% of its breeding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/big-brains-and-wide-ranges-cant-save-birds-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a>. But knowing where declines are happening is crucial to respond effectively. 



Until now, efforts to pinpoint local declines faced a major hurdle: lack of fine-scale, consistent data across species' ranges.



Johnston’s team tackled this with a machine learning model that could handle vast and varied data inputs. It accounted for human observation behavior, which often distorts raw counts. 



The model separated real population changes from observer differences, enabling a clearer picture of regional trends.



The result: a high-resolution map of shifting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-living-in-cities-are-usually-more-colorful-and-less-brown/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bird populations</a>, not just across North America, but also Central America and the Caribbean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-even-thriving-birds-face-local-losses">Even thriving birds face local losses</h2>



While the big picture shows 75% of bird species are in decline - with 65% declining significantly - the local view is more complex.



Nearly every species (97%) shows areas of both gain and loss. That’s a hopeful sign. It suggests some areas offer refuge, while others face stress from climate change and habitat degradation.



“This is the first time we’ve had fine scale information on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-americas-birds-scientists-declare-a-full-on-emergency-in-the-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">population</a> changes across such broad spatial extents and across entire ranges of species. And that provides us a better lens to understand the changes that are happening with bird populations,” said Amanda Rodewald, co-author of the study.



Even birds considered stable at a regional level may be struggling in their core areas. And species in low-density zones sometimes fare better. 



These patterns suggest strongholds are now vulnerable, and previously marginal areas may serve as safe havens.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-role-of-habitat-climate-and-human-action">Role of habitat, climate, and human action</h2>



Birds that breed in grasslands and drylands face the sharpest declines. These ecosystems are especially sensitive to habitat disruption and climate shifts. 



The findings suggest abundance itself doesn’t guarantee resilience. In fact, pressure may concentrate in places with high population density, degrading quality faster.



Not all regions show loss. The Appalachians and western mountain ranges host stable or growing populations. These areas might offer clues for restoration efforts elsewhere.



“Areas where species are increasing where they're at low abundance may be places where conservation has been successful and populations are recovering, or they may point to locations where there may be potential for recovery,” said Johnston.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-scale-of-bird-decline">The scale of bird decline</h2>



“We employed causal machine learning models and novel statistical methodologies that allowed us to estimate changes in populations with high spatial resolution while also accounting for biases that come from changes in how and where people go birding,” said Daniel Fink.



The study ran over 500,000 simulations, requiring more than 6 million hours of computing. That equates to about 85 years of work on a standard laptop. This technical effort was matched by the public’s commitment to citizen science.



“Knowledge is power. Because of the volunteers that engage in programs like eBird, because of their enthusiasm and engagement, and generosity of time, we now know more about bird populations and more about the environment than we ever have before,” said Rodewald.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smarter-conservation-starts-here">Smarter conservation starts here</h2>



The study's maps and methods help policymakers make sharper choices. 



“It’s this kind of small-scale information across broad geographies that has been lacking and it’s exactly what we need to make smart conservation decisions,” said Rodewald.



By seeing exactly where birds are declining or doing well, conservation groups can act with more precision. The insights allow them to focus on recovery where it’s most needed - and most possible.



The message is clear: North America’s birds are in crisis, even in their safest places. But with detailed insight and active stewardship, recovery is within reach.



This research was supported by foundations, <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NSF grants</a>, and supercomputing resources from <a href="https://www.psc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center</a> and <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purdue University</a>. Together, they’ve made a detailed, actionable map for the future of bird conservation.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adn4381" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Birds are declining fastest where they were once common

North America’s birds are disappearing, and they're vanishing at the fastest rate in the places they dominate. A new study using nearly two decades of data from citizen scientists reveals that birds are declining where they should be thriving. The findings spotlight an ecological emergency but also highlight recovery potential. The analysis, conducted by researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, tracked 495 bird species between 2007 and 2021 using over 36 million observations submitted to the eBird platform. Birds declining across North America The researchers sought...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/university/">University of Würzburg</a>, the <a href="https://www.ice.mpg.de/ext/index.php?id=home0">Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology</a>, and the <a href="https://www.nationalpark-bayerischer-wald.bayern.de/english/">Bavarian Forest National Park</a>, have taken note of a population boom of bark beetles that, in 2018, caused the destruction of about 40 million cubic meters of wood in Central Europe. 

Although it’s been observed that mass outbreaks of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bark-beetle-epidemic-pushing-elk/">bark beetles</a> are followed by sudden declines in populations, little is known about why this pattern takes place. Therefore, the researchers behind this recent study, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/home">Trends in Ecology and Evolution</a>, demand more research into the bark beetle’s life cycle in order to protect timberlands from utter destruction.

"We have taken a number of elaborate measures to protect our forests against bark beetles. But we still know very little about what triggers the variations in bark beetle populations," says lead author Peter Biedermann, a researcher at the Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology of the University of Würzburg. "It is an urgency to create the scientific foundation now to enable forestry officials and politicians to respond more efficiently to bark beetle outbreaks in the future." 

The results from these studies could potentially help scientists rebuke other harmful pests — that is, if anything should be done about harmful pests at all. Biedermann wonders if the best thing to do is just let the outbreaks run their course without intervention.

Even so, the scientists note that learning about the bark beetles’ life cycle, and its reaction to climate change, is pertinent. 

"The expected increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will additionally weaken German timberlands. Therefore, we will have to be prepared to tackle growing problems with the spruce bark beetle," said Jörg Müller, a professor at the Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology at the University of Würzburg and Deputy Manager of the Bavarian Forest National Park.

[caption id="attachment_1874721" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/bark-beetles.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1874721" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/bark-beetles.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="435" /></a> Image Credit: Rainer Simonis, Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald[/caption]

Because spruces are not really resistant to heat and drought, long-term water shortage weakens the tree’s defenses against the bark beetle — those being chemical substances and increased resin release. 

To learn more about which factors influence the bark beetle population boom, the research team suggest collecting worldwide data to identify knowledge gaps on the population dynamic of the bark beetles and other forest insects. They can then use this data to answer questions about how the beetles interact with different factors and move on to experimental field studies.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Rainer Simonis / Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald

A boom in bark beetles has left timberlands devastated

Researchers from the University of Würzburg, the Max Planck Institute...

Cockroaches have a reputation of being one of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cockroaches-survive-anything/">hardiest pests on Earth</a>, and you’ve probably heard that the insects could survive a nuclear war. 

What or will not kill a cockroach has become the source of many old wives tales and studies have even shown that a roach can survive for weeks in a sealed environment <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-cockroach-can-live-without-head/">without its head</a>. 

Cockroaches are carriers of disease and can contaminate homes and food with dangerous bacteria like E. Coli. This makes the cockroach more than a nuisance and a threat to human health. 

New research has now found that some types of cockroaches are developing a resistance to insecticides making them even more difficult to kill.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/">Purdue University </a>examined German cockroaches (Blattella germanica L.), which are one of the most common cockroaches found worldwide. Of all the roach species, Blattella germanica L. can lay more eggs in its lifetime with a female producing 30 to 50 eggs at a time. 

Found lingering near kitchen plumbing and behind drawers, the German cockroach is a household menace, and it’s getting more and more resilient against pest control methods. 

“This is a previously unrealized challenge in cockroaches,” said Michael Scharf, the leader of the study. “Cockroaches developing resistance to multiple classes of insecticides at once will make controlling these pests almost impossible with chemicals alone.”

Insecticides are categorized by class, and exterminators will use mixtures of classes to ensure that an infestation is wholly eradicated. 

For the study, the researchers tested out combinations of treatments to control German cockroach infestations in Indiana and Illinois. 

One treatment involved three different classes of insecticides used in rotation every month for three months. While this treatment was effective at keeping populations from increasing, it didn’t eradicate or decrease populations. 

The second treatment involved a mixture of two insecticides from different classes and were for six months straight, which had no effect and infestations thrived. 

The third treatment used an insecticide that the cockroaches had a low-level resistance to. 

“If you have the ability to test the roaches first and pick an insecticide that has low resistance, that ups the odds,” Scharf said. “But even then, we had trouble controlling populations.”

When they used the single insecticides, the researchers had better luck and controlling populations and were able to nearly eliminate one population. 

What the researchers were up against was cross-resistance. As one population exhibited low-level resistance to one class, their offspring were even more resistant until a generation of immune cockroaches was born. 

“We would see resistance increase four- or six-fold in just one generation,” said Scharf. “We didn’t have a clue that something like that could happen this fast.”

Even if exterminators see populations declining with one class, a case of eggs may be waiting to hatch that could be resistant to that insecticide and whatever mixture is tried next. 

Integrated pest management is critical, the researchers say, but the study shows that cockroaches are quick to adapt and evolve to survive no matter what. 

The study findings were published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44296-y?_ga=2.158881594.1431671864.1562090922-2100280315.1562090922">Scientific Reports</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/luis2499

Cockroaches inherit pesticide resistance making them even harder to kill

Cockroaches have a reputation of being one of the hardiest...

The coats, colors, feathers, and stripes we see in the animal kingdom often evolved to play a specific role such as providing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snowshoe-hares-camouflage-winter-coats/">convenient camouflage</a> to hide from predators or prey or attracting mates. 

When it comes to the bright orange and black stripes of a tiger, researchers have long wondered why tigers have such seemingly obvious coat colors. In the jungle forests, an orange tiger is easy to spot, at least to human eyes. 

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol </a>found that to colorblind prey, a tiger’s stripes help it blend into the green background. 

The research was published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 

The researchers used computer simulations and image processing techniques to see how detectable a species is in its natural environment to other native animals in the same habitat. 

Using computer image processing allowed the researchers to see which colors are best suited for camouflage and which ones stand out. This approach was applied to two environments, a temperate forest, and a semi-arid desert. 

Simulating an environment through the eyes of an animal can help researchers better understand why certain coat colors evolved the way they did and which colors are optimal for camouflage.

To the trichromat eye, vision that can process red, blue and green colors, tigers appear orange. Deer, on the other hand, are only able to process blue and green and therefore are colorblind. 

This means that to a deer, a tiger blends into the background seamlessly, the researchers’ imaging processing showed. 

“Consider the coat of a tiger (Felis tigris); it has fur that appears orange to a trichromat observer rather than some shade of green, though the latter should be more appropriate camouflage for an ambush hunter in forests,” Dr. John Fennel, the lead author of the study wrote. “However, as illustrated, when viewed as a dichromat, the tiger’s colour is very effective.” 

Next, the researchers asked participants to spot a red object in an image made to simulate three-color vision and two-color vision. 

Participants had a much easier time spotting the red object in the three-color image. 

The research provides a plausible answer to why tigers evolved to have such conspicuous coloring, to their colorblind prey it’s the perfect disguise.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Ondrej Prosicky

Why tigers have stripes

The coats, colors, feathers, and stripes we see in the...

Climate change is creating more challenges for migratory birds. Climate change is already shrinking habitats, warming ocean waters, and forcing many species to adapt inhospitable and unsuitable conditions.

Birds that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-challenges-gulf-mexico/">migrate every year</a> are finding themselves in a similar conundrum. But instead of being forced out of their habitats, their usual resting grounds along their migration routes are no longer viable areas for either rest or food. 

Writing for the <a href="https://blog.nature.org/science/2019/05/08/can-migrating-birds-adapt-to-climate-change/?src=e.cgs.eg.x.loc_b&amp;lu=7672728&amp;autologin=true&amp;ds=y&amp;sus=y&amp;md=n">Cool Green Science Blog</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/">Nature Conservancy</a> science communications director Mathew Miller discusses how climate change is making migrations difficult and even life-threatening for birds. 

As migratory birds make their way to their breeding habitats, the usual rest stops they take along the way may no longer provide abundant sources of insect larvae that have fueled birds for generations before. 

Imagine driving your car, and you see the fuel is low. You know that there’s a gas station along the way, but when you stop to fill up, you see that the station is out of gas and you might have to drive another 20 or so miles to fuel up. If your car is running on empty, another 20 miles could be an impossible feat. 

This is becoming an increasingly common problem for migrating birds, and it all has to do with how climate change impacts seasonal cycles. 

Spring is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earlier-springtime-hinders-plant-growth/">occurring earlier</a>, and winters are shorter in many places worldwide. Summers are getting hotter, and all these contributing factors are causing drastic changes in plant and animal cycles. 

Phenology is the study of animal cycles in relation to the seasons and climate, and climate and conservation research must include phenology to mitigate biodiversity declines.   

An early spring can be devastating for a migrating bird.

“As they cross states and continents, their stops to rest may no longer match up to hatching insects, blooming flowers and fruiting trees,” Miller wrote. 

Even in a small geographical area, topographical changes can influence seasonal changes. For example, while flowers may be blooming in one area, higher elevations may have slower seasonal progressions. 

The Nature Conservancy is currently involved in a project called <a href="https://blog.nature.org/science/2015/06/16/conserving-natures-stage-geodiversity-biodiversity-climate/">Conserving Nature’s Stage</a>, and it’s a program aimed at including in topography and other geographical factors into conservation efforts. 

Topographically diverse areas represent a key opportunity for bird conservation as well. 

If migrating birds find food scarce in one area, conservation could ensure that food sources are abundant nearby by ensuring that important sites are connected by land cover and easily accessible by birds. 

“Basically, conservation planning has to help hedge bets for birds,” Kim Hall, climate change scientist for the Nature Conservancy, told Miller. “They may not find insect larvae in one site, but in a lower elevation area, or on the cooler side of a hill, or near a cold groundwater-fed wetland, the larvae may still be abundant and available.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/GauSax

Climate change is creating more challenges for migratory birds

Climate change is creating more challenges for migratory birds. Climate...

Scientists at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have determined that hundreds of sharks and rays have been tangled in plastic marine waste. The team reviewed published studies and social media posts and found <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-plastic-pollution-bacteria/">plastic</a> entanglement reports involving more than a thousand individuals.

While this may pose a "far lesser threat" to sharks and rays than commercial fishing, the suffering involved is still a major concern.

"One example in the study is a shortfin mako shark with fishing rope wrapped tightly around it," said study co-author Kristian Parton. "The shark had clearly continued growing after becoming entangled, so the rope - which was covered in barnacles - had dug into its skin and damaged its spine."

"Although we don't think entanglement is a major threat to the future of sharks and rays, it's important to understand the range of threats facing these species, which are among the most threatened in the oceans.

"Additionally, there's a real animal welfare issue because entanglements can cause pain, suffering and even death."

The review of published studies found reports of 557 sharks and rays entangled in plastic, including 34 species in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. 

"Due to the threats of direct overfishing  of sharks and rays, and 'bycatch' (accidental catching while fishing for other species), the issue of entanglement has perhaps gone a little under the radar," said study co-author Professor Brendan Godley.

"We set out to remedy this. Our study was the first to use Twitter to gather such data, and our results from the social media site revealed entanglements of species - and in places - not recorded in the academic papers."

Twitter contained 74 entanglement reports involving 559 individual sharks and rays of 26 different species, such as whale sharks, great whites, tiger sharks, and basking sharks. 

Overall, the most common entanglement objects were "ghost" fishing gear, including nets, lines, and other equipment that has been discarded or lost in the ocean.

According to the experts, their estimate does not even represent the true number of incidents given the fact that few plastic entanglement studies have been focused on sharks and rays.

 The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-home/">Endangered Species Research</a>.

-

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Daniel Cartamil

Hundreds of sharks and rays have gotten tangled in ocean plastic

Scientists at the University of Exeter have determined that hundreds...

A new study has revealed that it’s not just city skyscrapers and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wind-turbines-hurt-robins/">wind turbines</a> that pose a threat to birds.

Traffic noise and other city sounds have been found to be harmful to robins as they can hinder the bird’s hearing.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.queensu.ca/">Queen’s University </a>in Northern Ireland discovered that human background noise disrupts how robins hear aggressive warning calls, which could lead to population declines in urban areas. 

Robins are territorial. If they hear a nearby robin encroaching near their nest, evidenced by a loud and aggressive chirping, the robin will respond in kind with a quick and complicated succession of chirps that warns the other bird to stay away.

This exchange of warning birdsongs is important for assessing threats in areas where food is scarce. A robin uses its best judgment to decide if it’s worth it to fight or look for food elsewhere. 

To see how city noises impact these exchanges, the researchers played warning calls to 15 robins with no noise in the background. 

The robins that heard the recordings responded with loud and complex warning calls of their own, quickly firing back at the more aggressive recordings.

Next, the researchers played the recordings with background traffic noise. The robins were not able to tell the difference between an aggressive territorial call and a regular birdsong. 

“We found that bird song structure can communicate aggressive intent, enabling birds to assess their opponent,” said Dr. Gareth Arnott, the senior author of the study. “But human-made noise can disrupt this crucial information passed between them by masking the complexity of their songs used for acquiring resources, such as territory and space for nesting.” 

The researchers knew that the white noise impacted bird hearing because the robins did not respond with their usual loud and quick warning calls when they heard the recordings with traffic noises. 

“The study is evidence that human-made noise pollution impacts animal habitats and directly influences their ability to communicate properly, which may have implications for survival and population numbers for birds,” said Arnott. “This must be further investigated in order to protect our valued biodiversity.” 

The researchers published their findings in a study in the journal Biology Letters.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Nicky Rhodes

Traffic noises prevent robins from accurately assessing threats

A new study has revealed that it’s not just city...

Gorillas have a far more complex social structure than previously realized, and a new study has discovered many parallels between human societies and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/african-mountain-gorillas-friendships/">gorilla families</a>.

Years worth of careful monitoring of gorillas in the Republic of Congo provided researchers from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge </a>with a better understanding of the complicated social systems of gorillas. 

The researchers published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 

The results of the study indicate that social systems in humans didn’t evolve separately but that the roots of these systems can be traced much further back along our family tree to the common ancestor of humans and gorillas. 

For over six years, the researchers monitored western lowland gorillas in two sites in the Republic of Congo. 

“Studying the social lives of gorillas can be tricky,” said Dr. Robin Morrison, the lead author of the study. “Gorillas spend most of their time in dense forest, and it can take years for them to habituate to humans. Where forests open up into swampy clearings, gorillas gather to feed on the aquatic vegetation. Research teams set up monitoring platforms by these clearings and record the lives of gorillas from dawn to dusk over many years.”

A gorilla band is typically comprised of a dominant male with several females and their offspring. Some bachelor gorillas travel together in groups. 

Morrison identified previous social layers among gorilla units that had never before been recorded. 

[caption id="attachment_1874958" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/gorilla-groups.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1874958" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/gorilla-groups.jpeg" alt="" width="650" height="359" /></a> Three western gorilla groups mingle peacefully, Image Credit: Wildlife Conservation Society[/caption]

Statistical algorithms were used to help find patterns in the interactions between the gorillas and the researchers recorded the length and frequency of “associations” or interactions. 

The researchers discovered a second circle of extended family, a tier of about 13 gorillas beyond the immediate family, and an even larger third circle of 39 gorillas similar to a group of friends or co-workers that spent time together without being related. 

“Females spend time in multiple groups throughout their lives, making it possible for males not closely related to grow up in the same natal group, similar to step-brothers,” said Morrison. “The bonds that form may lead to these associations we see as adults. If we think of these associations in a human-centric way, the time spent in each other’s company might be analogous to an old friendship.” 

Gorillas may even congregate together during special events like when their favorite fruits are in season, which could be similar to the festivals that humans gather for.

Very few species of mammals have similar social structures to humans, and food is an important driving factor in these social systems. 

“Western gorillas often move many kilometres a day to feed from a diverse range of plants that rarely and unpredictably produce fruit,” said Morrison. “This food is easier to find if they collaborate when foraging.”

The study could help pinpoint the origins of human social behavior and shows that our social systems evolved much earlier than previously realized. 

“While primate societies vary a lot between species, we can now see an underlying structure in gorillas that was likely present before our species diverged, one that fits surprisingly well as a model for human social evolution,” said Morrison. “Our findings provide yet more evidence that these endangered animals are deeply intelligent and sophisticated, and that we humans are perhaps not quite as special as we might like to think.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Wildlife Conservation Society

Complex gorilla societies shed light on early roots of human social evolution

Gorillas have a far more complex social structure than previously...

Black vultures in Kentucky are moving north due to climate change and killing more cattle every year due to their newly expanded range. 

Vultures are known for eating carrion (dead carcasses), and because they are such effective scavenging birds of prey, they are one of nature’s key garbage disposals. 

Black vultures can make quick work of road kill, but they are also formidable hunters and are significantly contributing to livestock declines. 

The <a href="https://www.app.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/26/black-turkey-vultures-eating-cows-into-kentucky-farmers-profits/1579224001/?utm_source=fark&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=link&amp;ICID=ref_fark">Louisville Courier-Journal</a> recently reported that increased black vulture populations cause farmers to lose $300,000 to $500,00 in animals every year. 

The vultures descend on livestock, pecking out the eyes and leaving just the skeleton and hide behind. It’s a gruesome sight, and it’s causing major problems for farmers. 

Climate change is increasing temperatures, and the vultures are spreading further north in search of more favorable habitats.

It’s a pattern being witnessed in many regions with entire ecosystems shifting due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ecosystems-moving-north/">temperature increases</a>. But for those who are unable to migrate to more temperate regions, climate change is driving population declines and increasing the risk of extinction. 

The black vulture has been seen wintering as far as Massachusetts. 

As part of the US Migratory Birds Act, vultures are protected, which means that there are severe restrictions for farmers wishing to protect their livestock and livelihoods. 

It is possible to get a permit to kill vultures, but these cost $100 and limit the number of birds a farmer can kill. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Pascal De Munck/Shutterstock

Scavenging birds of prey are on the rise due to climate change

Black vultures in Kentucky are moving north due to climate...

Researchers at the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/">University of Leicester</a> have discovered that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pterodactyls-didnt-fly-bats/">pterodactyls</a> were able to fly from the time they were born. This remarkable finding is significant in that no other vertebrate in history has had this ability at birth. 

Until now, it was believed that pterodactyls could not take flight until they were almost fully grown, like bats and birds. Evidence for this theory was provided by fossilized embryos of pterodactyls found in China with poorly developed wings.

Dr. David Unwin, a paleobiologist who specializes in the study of pterodactyls, teamed up with zoologist Dr. Charles Deeming of the University of Lincoln to investigate. The experts compared the pterodactyl embryos with data on prenatal growth in birds and crocodiles. They determined that these particular specimens were still at an early stage of development.

Based on more advanced embryos from China and Argentina that died just before they hatched, the researchers were able to conclude that pterodactyls had the ability to fly from birth. "Theoretically what pterosaurs did, growing and flying, is impossible, but they didn't know this, so they did it anyway," said Dr. Unwin.

Unlike baby birds or bats, pterodactyls had no parental care and had to look after themselves from birth. The ability to fly gave them a strong defense against carnivorous dinosaurs. However, many pterodactyls died at a very young age as a result of the dangers associated with flying. 

The fact that pterodactyls could fly throughout their entire lives provides a possible explanation for how they were able to reach enormous wingspans that ranged from about 10 to 30 feet. Further research is needed to fully understand how the extinct reptiles managed to fly and grow at the same time. 

The study is published in the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</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

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Dariush M

Pterodactyls were the only vertebrates who could fly from birth

Researchers at the University of Leicester have discovered that pterodactyls...

Scientists have witnessed, for the first time, the adoption of an injured juvenile by Barbary macaques. The group of wild monkeys was observed in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco consoling a distressed young monkey from a neighboring group before nursing it back to health. 

A nearly three-year-old juvenile named "Pipo" was seriously injured in a traffic accident and became separated from his family. Two days later, a group of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/female-japanese-macaques-red/">macaques</a> found Pipo and took care of him for four months. The young monkey ultimately made a full recovery and was able to return home. 

The affectionate exchange was observed in Ifrane National Park, which is one of the Barbary macaque's last remaining areas of residence. The observation provides valuable information to researchers and local communities who are trying to protect the endangered species, which is threatened by habitat loss and poaching.

[caption id="attachment_1875114" align="aligncenter" width="630"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/monkey.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1875114" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/monkey.jpg" alt="" width="630" height="456" /></a> Image Credit: IFAW[/caption]

Study co-author Liz Campbell is an expert in the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) in the Department of Zoology at <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford University</a>.

"We thought fostering may only be an option for very young monkeys, but Pipo's case shows even older juveniles can be accepted by wild foster groups," said Campbell. "This observation provides valuable information for rehabilitation and release strategies, which will help improve welfare of rescued macaques, strengthen wild populations, and free space in sanctuaries to allow continued confiscations to fight illegal trade."

The development of wild foster groups could be a promising strategy for supporting Barbary macaques. Pipo's experience offers hope that even older confiscated juveniles could be candidates for fostering.

"Barbary macaques are very social, so to return them to the wild they must be with a group, not as lone individuals," said Campbell. "The conventional method for returning primates to the wild is rehabilitation and release of groups formed in captivity, but because of the attention and care that Barbary macaques, especially males, give to young, there is the possibility not only to release rehabilitated groups but also to release individual young into foster groups in the wild."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/10329">Primates</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

Main Image Credit: IFAW

Wild monkeys care for an adopted injured juvenile through his recovery

Scientists have witnessed, for the first time, the adoption of...

A disturbing new study has found that populations of animals living in the world’s forests have declined by over half in the last 50 years. 

This global assessment done by the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/forest-wildlife-populations-decline-53-since-1970">World Wildlife Fund</a> (WWF) and the <a href="https://www.zsl.org/">Zoological Society of London</a> incorporated 455 populations of 268 species of wildlife that only live in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/monkeys-tropical-forests-life/">forests</a>, and found that these populations have declined by 53% on average since 1970.

The animals that live in forests around the world play integral roles in the regeneration of plant life, and thus have a major impact on the ability of forests to store carbon and mitigate the effects of climate change. Animals such as birds and primates disperse seeds and eat plants, helping the forests to continue growing in a healthy manner. 

This new report describes the biggest threats to forest-dwelling wildlife as being the loss and damage to their habitat, which is mainly a result of humans clearing land for logging, agriculture, and expansion – as well as wildfires. These same animals are also at risk from disease, hunting, invasive species, and climate change. 

Scientists have found that the most significant population declines are in the tropical forests – such as the Amazon – which are already close to a “tipping point” described by scientists that could lead to these forests drying out and becoming savanna. 

The WWF is now calling for world leaders to declare a planetary emergency and produce a new global “deal for nature and people in 2020,” which would be needed to stop climate breakdown, restore nature, and fix the food system. A priority within this deal would be to protect and restore forests, which are needed by over half the world’s land-based species, and provide food, medicine, water, and livelihoods to people as well.

“Forests are complex systems that depend on the wildlife that live in them to keep them healthy and the rapid decrease in forest wildlife in recent decades is an urgent warning sign,” says global lead on forests at WWF Will Baldwin-Cantello. “Forests are home to more than half of the world's land-based animals, but they’re also our greatest natural ally in the fight against climate breakdown. We lose them at our peril. We need global leaders to declare a planetary emergency and kickstart a global program of recovery to keep our forests standing to protect our planet.”

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Gudkov Andrey

Forest animal populations have dropped by half in the last 50 years

A disturbing new study has found that populations of animals...

A world without bees would have major food shortages and possibly famine. There is much debate over whether Albert Einstein once said that if bees disappeared off the face of the Earth, humans would have only four years left to live. If all bees completely vanished, it would not cause humans to go extinct - or not right away, at least. However, it would cause extreme hardship, including major food shortages and possibly famine.

The reality is that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/uk-bees-declining-populations/">bees</a> play a critical role in feeding the world by pollinating the crops that feed 90 percent of the global population. Bees are said to be involved in the production of one out of every three bites of food that we take. This means that the ongoing decline of bees and other pollinators poses a serious threat to the future of the world's food supply. 

Many factors are driving the decline of bees, including habitat fragmentation, neonicotinoid pesticide use, colony collapse disorder, and climate change. A world without bees would have major food shortages and possibly famine

Honeybee populations, in particular, have been dramatically reduced, dropping by 89 percent between 2007 and 2016. In the United States, 40 percent of honeybee colonies were lost last year alone. 

According to the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a>, honey bees are responsible for $30 billion a year in crops. If we had no bees left on the Earth, we could lose all of the plants that they pollinate, followed by all of the animals that eat those plants. The repercussions would be felt all the way up the food chain. 

There are many birds and small mammals that would disappear if bees were lost. Honey, nuts, and beans would also be phased out because they rely so much on bees. The number of fruits and vegetables would be cut in half, while meat would become extremely limited as cattle depend on pollinated plants for food. 

The <a href="http://epa.gov">Environmental Protection Agency</a> has now banned the use of pesticides linked to bee deaths, and similar bans have been passed in Europe. There is also new emphasis being placed on the restoration and preservation of wild habitats where bees and other pollinators can thrive. 

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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

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/TB studio

A world without bees would have major food shortages and possibly famine

A world without bees would have major food shortages and...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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 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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" 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> 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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" 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.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

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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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