Can a sea lion really feel the beat like we do? That question has fascinated scientists exploring biomusicality - how different species respond to rhythm and music.



One famous sea lion is helping provide surprising answers. Ronan, the rhythm-savvy sea lion who once bobbed her head to pop tunes, is back in the spotlight. And according to new research, her sense of rhythm is not only real - it may be sharper than most humans’.



Ronan the sea lion lives at the Long Marine Laboratory, part of the <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Santa Cruz</a>. In 2013, she gained global attention when researchers showed that she could synchronize her head bobs to music, even unfamiliar songs with new tempos. 



Now, a new study confirms that Ronan has kept her skills sharp over the years - and her rhythmic timing might just outperform ours.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dancing-sea-lion-surprises-scientists">Dancing sea lion surprises scientists</h2>



In the latest experiment, scientists set out to test Ronan’s timing accuracy. They designed a beat-keeping task that closely matched how she naturally responds - through head bobbing.



To compare her abilities with humans, the team asked 10 UC Santa Cruz undergraduates to move one arm up and down in sync with a simple metronome <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/babies-are-born-with-the-ability-to-recognize-the-beat-in-music/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">beat</a>. Three tempos were used: 112, 120, and 128 beats per minute. 



Ronan had only been trained at 120 bpm, so the other two were new to the sea lion. Even so, she didn’t miss a beat. At her practiced tempo of 120 bpm, she was incredibly precise, hitting the beat within just 15 milliseconds on average. That’s roughly a tenth the duration of a human blink.



“She is incredibly precise, with variability of only about a tenth of an eyeblink from cycle to cycle,” said Peter Cook, one of the study's authors. “Sometimes, she might hit the beat five milliseconds early, sometimes she might hit it 10 milliseconds late. But she's basically hitting the rhythmic bullseye over and over and over again.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ronan-volunteers-for-rhythm-training">Ronan volunteers for rhythm training</h2>



The researchers are quick to point out that Ronan chooses to take part in these sessions. She’s never forced or deprived of food. 



If she doesn’t feel like working, she’s free to swim off. Before each session, she climbs onto a special ramp where she waits calmly. When she’s ready, she signals the team, and the experiment begins.



Ronan’s rhythm training spans over a decade. Since joining the lab in 2010, she’s completed about 2,000 short rhythm tasks - each just 10 to 15 seconds long. There were even years when she didn’t practice at all. That’s not a lot compared to a typical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/babies-prefer-listening-to-live-music-than-to-a-recording-of-the-same-performance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">child’s exposure to music</a>.



“She definitely wasn’t overtrained,” Cook said. “Realistically, if you added up the amount of rhythmic exposure Ronan has had since she’s been with us, it is probably dwarfed by what a typical 1 year old kid has heard.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dancing-her-way-to-fame">Dancing her way to fame</h2>



Ronan’s path to stardom began with hardship. Born in the wild in 2008, she stranded repeatedly due to malnutrition and was eventually deemed non-releasable. 



UC Santa Cruz took her in and made her part of their Pinniped Lab, where researchers explore the cognitive and sensory abilities of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-mammals-in-the-us-are-highly-vulnerable-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine mammals</a>. The lab uses positive reinforcement to encourage cooperation. 



Ronan has participated in a wide range of projects, from rhythm and memory to diving physiology. And she’s still going strong. At 16 years old and 170 pounds, she’s considered to be in her prime.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rewriting-the-rules-of-rhythm">Rewriting the rules of rhythm</h2>



The original 2013 study on Ronan challenged a leading theory in biomusicality. That theory said only vocal mimics - such as humans and some birds - could synchronize to music because their brains are wired for vocal learning. 



Ronan, however, isn’t known to learn new vocalizations. The sea lion's ability to keep time raised new questions.Despite early praise, some researchers doubted Ronan’s rhythm <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seals-can-perceive-rhythm-early-in-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">skills</a>. 



They argued that her performance wasn’t as consistent as human timing. This led to the new study, which set out to compare Ronan’s beat-keeping abilities directly with humans using the same test conditions. The results were clear. 



Ronan wasn’t just keeping up - she was outpacing her human peers. She showed greater precision and less variability at every tested tempo. To further confirm this, the researchers used student data to model the theoretical performance of 10,000 humans. Ronan placed in the 99th percentile.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-talent-it-s-a-choice">More than talent - it's a choice</h2>



The team that works with Ronan has built a strong bond with her over the years. They know her moods, her enthusiasm, and her intelligence. They also know she performs best when she’s motivated.



“One of the most important outcomes of the study is the fact that maturation and experience matter,” said Colleen Reichmuth, a lead researcher at the lab. “It's not just a test of rhythmic performance. It reflects her cognitive behavior and her ability to remember and refine it over time.”



And she wants to succeed. Every time she climbs the ramp and signals she’s ready, it’s because she chooses to. “She's motivated. To her, it's a game she knows how to win,” Reichmuth said, “and she likes the fish that come with it.”



Ronan’s contribution to science goes far beyond her head bobs. Her work is helping researchers rethink which species are capable of perceiving and producing rhythm. 



Since her debut, follow-up studies have explored rhythm in birds, primates, elephants, and more. She’s sparked new discussions in the scientific community and shifted how we view <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-and-possibly-even-insects-have-emotions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal cognition</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-just-a-party-trick">Not just a party trick</h2>



The researchers stress that this isn’t about teaching animals cute tricks. It’s about understanding the evolution of intelligence. 



Rhythm and pattern recognition are key parts of how brains process information. And these traits may be more widespread in the animal kingdom than we thought.



Cook often gets asked why dogs don’t dance. His answer: maybe no one’s tried. "If you're going to say dogs can't dance, you have to empirically assess that - really give the dog many opportunities to receive very precise feedback on rhythmic movement and see how they do,” he said. 



“I would be very surprised if you couldn't get a border collie to do something like what Ronan does if you spend enough time on it.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sea-lion-changed-the-beat-forever">Sea lion changed the beat forever</h2>



This new study reinforces what her team already knew - Ronan is extraordinary. But her story also carries a broader message. Intelligence comes in many forms. 



With the right training, environment, and support, animals like Ronan can reveal abilities we once thought were uniquely human.



“Ronan’s new study highlights the importance of experience, maturity, and really fine-grained training in a controlled laboratory setting to assess these questions,” Cook concluded.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-95279-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



Image Credit: Photo by Colleen Reichmuth; NMFS 23554



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Can animals feel the beat? Ronan the sea lion might just prove it

Can a sea lion really feel the beat like we do? That question has fascinated scientists exploring biomusicality - how different species respond to rhythm and music. One famous sea lion is helping provide surprising answers. Ronan, the rhythm-savvy sea lion who once bobbed her head to pop tunes, is back in the spotlight. And according to new research, her sense of rhythm is not only real - it may be sharper than most humans’. Ronan the sea lion lives at the Long Marine Laboratory, part of...

The term “puppy dog eyes” isn’t just an expression, as a new study has found that dogs evolved specific muscles around their eyes that allow them to make cute and human-life facial expressions. 

It’s an evolutionary adaptation 33,000 years in the making and likely developed as a result of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-dogs-bond/">domestication</a> as dogs split from their wild wolf counterparts. 

The quizzical, eyebrow-raising expressions aren’t just adorable, but also serve as a useful means of communication, triggering a nurturing response from humans. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.port.ac.uk/">University of Portsmouth</a> conducted the first detailed analysis of the anatomy and behavior of wolves compared to dogs. Although facial muscles between the two species were mostly similar, the researchers discovered one key difference in domestic dogs. 

A small muscle in the inner eyebrow allows dogs to raise their eyebrows, making their eyes seem larger and more appealing to humans. The movement, which the researchers dubbed the Action Unit 101, makes dogs seem more infantile. 

Wolves do not have this capability. 

“This movement makes a dogs’ eyes appear larger, giving them a childlike appearance. It could also mimic the facial movement humans make when they’re sad,” said Professor Bridget Waller, a co-researcher for the study. “Our findings show how important faces can be in capturing our attention, and how powerful facial expression can be in social interaction.”

The researchers say that the muscles evolved relatively quickly and dogs are the only example of an animal whose facial expression changed in response to domestication. 

“The findings suggest that expressive eyebrows in dogs may be a result of humans unconscious preferences that influenced selection during domestication. When dogs make the movement, it seems to elicit a strong desire in humans to look after them,” said lead researcher Dr. Juliane Kaminski. “This would give dogs, that move their eyebrows more, a selection advantage over others and reinforce the ‘puppy dog eyes’ trait for future generations.” 

Siberian huskies were the only dogs that did not have the muscle movement, which could be because huskies are a much older breed of pack dog. 

The results of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Bambara

Dogs evolved their ‘puppy dog eyes’ to appeal to humans

The term “puppy dog eyes” isn’t just an expression, as...

In an unprecedented study, researchers have measured the antioxidant levels in commercially available edible <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/insects-food-future/">insects</a>. The investigation revealed that crickets have 75 percent the antioxidant power of fresh orange juice, while silkworm fat has twice the antioxidant levels found in olive oil.

Compared with livestock, insects have a tiny carbon footprint, and learning about their nutritional value may encourage people to eat this sustainable alternative to meat. The key message from the researchers is that edible insects like grasshoppers and silkworms are a rich source of antioxidants.

"At least 2 billion people - a quarter of the world's population - regularly eat insects," said study lead author Professor Mauro Serafini. "The rest of us will need a bit more encouragement."

According to Professor Serafini, providing selfish and immediate incentives could help consumers to make the environmentally friendly choice. While taste and image are the most appealing aspects of food, health is also an incentive for many people to try new food products.

"Edible insects are an excellent source of protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and fiber. But until now, nobody had compared them with classical functional foods such as olive oil or orange juice in terms of antioxidant activity," explained Professor Serafini.

[caption id="attachment_1875173" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/antioxidant-insects.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875173" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/antioxidant-insects.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="366" /></a> Image Credit: Professor Mauro Serafini[/caption]

The researchers tested a range of edible insects and invertebrates, using various techniques to measure antioxidant activity. Inedible components, such as the wings, were removed before the insects were ground up. For each species, both the fat and anything that would dissolve in water were extracted and tested for antioxidant content and activity.

"For perspective, using the same setup we tested the antioxidant capacity of fresh orange juice and olive oil - functional foods that are known to exert antioxidant effects in humans," said Professor Serafini.

The water-soluble extracts of grasshoppers, silkworms, and crickets had the highest values of antioxidant capacity. On the other hand, giant cicada, giant water bugs, black tarantula, and black scorpions showed negligible values. 

At the same dilution of 88 percent water, grasshoppers and silkworms would have about 75 percent of the antioxidant activity of OJ. "There's a clear trend: the vegetarians have markedly higher antioxidant capacity," said Serafini. 

"Fat from giant cicadas and silkworms showed twice the antioxidant activity of olive oil, while black tarantula, palm worm and black ants are placed in the bottom of the ranking."

"A high content of antioxidant in the food matrix is a primary requisite for a first screening of antioxidant potentiality of novel foods, so these are promising results."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition">Frontiers in Nutrition</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: Shutterstock/Alan Sau

Edible insects! Grasshoppers and crickets found to be rich in antioxidants

In an unprecedented study, researchers have measured the antioxidant levels...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-negatively-moth-pollination/">Forest fires</a>, wood boring beetles and woodpeckers often get a bad rap. All three are associated with destruction, either of trees and forests or wooden structures. Of course, all three are actually essential to most healthy forest ecosystems in North America. 

Healthy forests are not just areas of dense vegetation, although that is an aspect, but they are also patches of meadows, running streams and rotting logs. Many animals associated with woodlands depend on other habitats besides mature, old growth forests for their survival. This is one reason why fires are helpful for the maintenance of a more biodiverse and healthy forest ecosystem. Not only animals, but plants also sometimes require fires to successfully propagate seeds and open up areas to start growth. Other animals specifically depend on fires to complete their life cycle.

With climate change, the hotter drier weather is predicted to lead to more and more intense fires. The <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/science-and-impacts/impacts/infographic-wildfires-climate-change.html">Union of Concerned Scientists</a> points out that we’ve already seen an increase in the number of fires per year. Between 1980 and 1989, there were an average of 140 wildfires in the US, but that number has steadily increased to an average of 250 wildfires between 2000 and 2012. Unsurprisingly, the length of the wildfire season in the US has increased as well. In the 1970s, the average wildlife season lasted 5 months, but today the average season is more than 7 months long. This is driven by earlier snow melt, which in turn leaves forests drier for longer periods of time, leading inevitably to more fires over a longer period per year.        

Many beetles in the genus Melanophila are attracted to smoke. The beetles lay their eggs in dead and dying trees, so the smell of smoke is the smell of food for beetle grubs. Fires usually kill trees but leave large amounts of wood intact enough that there’s plenty for the beetle larvae. Interestingly, the wood boring beetles are also helped by bark boring beetles, which may damage or kill a tree, allowing entrance for the former beetle larvae. 

Beetles as a whole are one of the most diverse groups of animals, and wood boring beetles in particular are also diverse in themselves. The <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/asmagazine/2019/03/21/metallic-wood-boring-beetles-utilize-aspen-cottonwoods-and-willows">University of Colorado</a> reports that there are 93 species of metallic wood boring beetle in that state alone. Some of the wood boring beetles found in the US are native and some are non-natives, and it is <a href="http://idtools.org/id/wbb/families/Wood_Boring_Beetle_Keys/Whole_site/Html/WBBeetle_info.htm">estimated</a> that non-native wood borers cost the US $2.1 billion per year. Wood boring beetles in the US come from ten different families and live wherever there is wood to be found.       

A recent paper in <a href="https://fireecology.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s42408-019-0040-1">Fire Ecology</a> discusses the relationship between fires and the beetles. It’s hard to determine if both beetles benefit from fire or if bark beetles actually make way for wood boring beetles because both are often present. However, when wood boring beetles arrive, they benefit woodpeckers as a food source. It’s easy to make the connection to see how fires are important not just for clearing out areas of dense trees, but they’re also important because they leave the smoldering remains of trees behind for beetles.

After the beetles come woodpeckers. Woodpeckers in their own right are crucial to forest habitats, considered to be ecosystem engineers. It’s not in searching for beetle larvae to eat that woodpeckers engineer the ecosystem, this merely supports large populations of the birds. Woodpeckers excavate holes in wood for nesting sites to raise their young. The holes dug into tree branches are reused after the woodpeckers have left them behind. 

Nesting burrows in trees are useful for many other animals, including other birds and small mammals, but they’re in short supply. According to <a href="https://www.americanforests.org/magazine/article/woodpeckers-engineers-ecosystems/">American Forests</a>, 90% of burrows in trees are created by woodpeckers. This of course makes the inadvertent help that woodpeckers supply very important to the ecology of a forest (or in some cases a desert). 

Some forests, however, are adapted to burn more thoroughly than others, as the ecology of the long leaf pine forests in the US Southeast are different from other forests. The trees in these forests burn hotter, leaving less standing dead trees, making the beetles and the woodpeckers that eat them less important. But this is an exception to the general rule. Considering this, it’s not surprising that woodpeckers as a group usually have a close relationship to fire.

<a href="https://www.birdnote.org/show/woodpeckers-and-forest-fires">Bird Note</a> explains that some species of woodpeckers benefit especially from forest fires. Black-backed woodpeckers have plumage to match the ashy hue of burnt wood, they also have behaviors that take advantage of forest fires. Black-backed woodpeckers will form nest colonies within recently burned patches of forest, gorging on the grubs from wood boring beetles and other insects for the few years they’re plentiful before moving on. 

[caption id="attachment_1875170" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/woodpecker.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875170" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/woodpecker.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="489" /></a> Black-backed woodpecker, Image Credit: Shutterstock[/caption]

A history of forest fire suppression and thinning of forests by logging have possibly made the black-backed woodpecker’s habitat less prevalent. <a href="https://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/black-backed-woodpeckers-and-severe-fire">High Country News</a> reported in 2013 that the situation was thought to be dire by some, with four conservation groups petitioning for the Black-backed woodpeckers to be listed as threatened on the Endangered Species List. As of now, the Black-backed woodpecker hasn’t been added to the Endangered Species List. Specific species of woodpeckers specialize in different forest fire types.

The black-backed woodpeckers favor dense snag areas of severe fires, while Lewis’s Woodpeckers prefer more open areas of severe burns. White-headed woodpeckers may use some amount of burned forest but also depend on live trees for part of their food. These woodpeckers all inhabit different niches in the northwestern forest, forests throughout the US support different species and densities of woodpeckers, with varying dependence on fire.  

With a predicted increase in the number of forest fires and the intensity of them in the western US, it’s possible that woodpeckers are the silver lining to the threat of fire. In fact, in some ways decades of fire suppression may partially be to blame for some of the situation (as well as climate change) and more fires are part of a reckoning. But either way, woodpeckers are likely to benefit. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer    

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>             

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Christian Roberts-Olsen

An increase in forest fires means more beetles and woodpeckers

Forest fires, wood boring beetles and woodpeckers often get a...

Climate change is outpacing the ability of animals to adapt. A team of international researchers led by Viktoriia Radchuk, Alexandre Courtiol, and Stephanie Kramer-Schadt from the<a href="http://www.izw-berlin.de/welcome.html"> Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW)</a>, evaluated how effectively animals can react, and already have reacted, to their changing environments. They found that although animals do often adapt to their changing habitat, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-californias-wildfire-seasons/">climate change</a> is currently happening at such a pace that it's difficult for the animals to keep up.

The most common reaction to climate change observed is the alteration of the timing of biological events (also called phenological traits) like hibernation, reproduction, or migration, as Radchuk and colleagues observed in birds. Changes in body size, mass, or other morphological traits are also associated with climate change, however, these traits show no systematic pattern.

For their study, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>, the researchers linked relevant information from scientific literature to changes in climate throughout the years and potential changes in both phenological and morphological traits. They then evaluated whether observed trait changes were connected to higher survival rates or an increased number of offspring. 

"Our research focused on birds because complete data on other groups were scarce," said Radchuk. "We demonstrate that in temperate regions, the rising temperatures are associated with the shift of the timing of biological events to earlier dates."

"This suggests that species could stay in their warming habitat, as long as they change fast enough to cope with climate change," said co-author Steven Beissinger, a professor at the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a>.

But, "This is unlikely to be the case because even populations undergoing adaptive change do so at a pace that does not guarantee their persistence,” said senior author Alexandre Courtiol (Leibniz-IZW).

"These results were obtained by comparing the observed response to climate change with the one expected if a population would be able to adjust their traits so to track the climate change perfectly,” said co-author Thomas Reed, a senior lecturer at <a href="https://www.ucc.ie/en/">University College Cork</a>.

To make matters worse, the data analyzed predominantly included common and abundant bird species, all of which are known to deal with climate change fairly well.

"Adaptive responses among rare or endangered species remain to be analysed,” said Stephanie Kramer-Schadt, Head of the Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz-IZW. “We fear that the forecasts of population persistence for such species of conservation concern will be even more pessimistic.” 

The hope is that this new analysis will encourage more research on the resilience of animal populations and lead to a better predictive framework that can help future animal conservation.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Bernard Castelein

Climate change is outpacing the ability of animals to adapt

Climate change is outpacing the ability of animals to adapt....

Extreme weather events may drive evolutionary changes in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/solitude-and-isolation-makes-spiders-aggressive/">spiders</a>, according to a new study. 

In areas prone to tropical cyclones, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events, habitats can drastically change after a storm. Fallen trees and debris can cover the ground, forcing wildlife to adjust and adapt to new environmental pressures. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.mcmaster.ca/">McMaster University</a> set out to investigate the impacts that extreme weather events have on colonies of Anelosimus studiosus spiders. A. studiosus spiders inhabit the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, areas that are prone to storms from May through November. 

These are also regions where the severity and frequency of storms are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hurricanes-stronger-climate-change/">projected to increase </a>due to climate change. 

“It is tremendously important to understand the environmental impacts of these ‘black swan’ weather events on evolution and natural selection,” said Jonathan Pruitt, the lead author of the study. “Now more than ever, we need to contend with what the ecological and evolutionary impacts of these storms will be for non-human animals.” 

For the study, the researchers first had to determine a storm’s trajectory and sample spider colonies directly in that path before and after the storm made landfall. 

240 colonies were sampled in the study and compared to control areas. 

A. studiosus spiders can be either docile or aggressive. Aggressive colonies quickly respond to prey, cannibalize eggs and male members of the colony, and fare better when resources are scarce. 

However, aggressive spiders are also more likely to fight with others in the colony when food is lacking. 

The researchers found that after a storm, aggressive spiders had a better chance of survival and adapting to new stressors. 

“Aggressiveness is passed down through generations in these colonies, from parent to daughter, and is a major factor in their survival and ability to reproduce,” said Pruitt. 

Aggressive colonies produced more eggs and had higher levels of spiderlings survive as the seasons changed to winter. This was a trend witnessed through several storms. 

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-019-0951-x">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.

--

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: Thomas Jones

Hurricanes lead to more aggressive spiders, study shows

Extreme weather events may drive evolutionary changes in spiders, according...

As the movement towards organic products grows, more and more people are becoming aware of the ingredients in favorite household products. Yet most people likely have no clue that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/documentary-sharks-bad-reputation/">sharks</a> may have been used to make these products. 

Shark populations have plummeted due to the insatiable demand for shark products. An estimated<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X13000055"> 100 million</a> sharks are fished every year from our oceans. 

Sharks are especially vulnerable to overexploitation due to their late maturation and low reproduction rates. The IUCN Shark Specialist Group<a href="https://www.iucn.org/content/quarter-sharks-and-rays-threatened-extinction"> found</a> that sharks, rays and chimaeras have the lowest percentage of species considered safe when compared to other animal groups. A quarter of shark and ray species are currently threatened with extinction.

While shark finning for shark fin soup appears to be the major driver of population declines, the use of sharks for household products is an often-overlooked factor.

Sharks are used for a wide range of products, from cosmetics to pet food to garden fertilizer, according<a href="https://www.sharkwater.com/help-save-sharks/warning-contains-shark/"> Shark Water</a>.

Multiple parts of the shark are utilized for household products, such as shark skin for leather and shark cartilage for dietary supplements and alternative medicine. Sharks are even exploited for an oil they produce in their liver which is used in<a href="http://www.fao.org/3/x3690e/x3690e0r.htm"> cosmetic and health products</a>. 

Sharks use the oil in their livers to control their buoyancy. Therefore, sharks that live in deeper waters often have more oil, resulting in them being disproportionately targeted by fishermen. Squalane, which is derived from shark liver oil, is used as a lubricant and moisturizer in skin care products.

Products containing shark liver oil may list the ingredient as “squalane” or “squalene” making it difficult for the consumer to know if sharks were used in the product. Squalane can also be<a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ija/2018/1829160/"> made from</a> plant-based sources such as olive oil, soybean oil, rice and wheat germ.

Bloom Association, a non-profit focused on preserving the marine environment, conducted a<a href="http://www.bloomassociation.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ENG_Squalene_4-pager.pdf"> study</a> on the market for shark liver oil and found that an estimated three million deep-sea sharks are caught each year for the oil market. Cosmetics dominate the use of shark liver oil with 90% of shark liver oil being used in the cosmetics industry.

While some fishermen may extract shark liver oil as an afterthought when hunting sharks for their fins, some conservationists<a href="http://www.bloomassociation.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ENG_Squalene_4-pager.pdf"> warn</a> that fishermen specifically target sharks for their oil due to its high commercial value. In the process of “livering”, fishermen remove the liver from the shark and discard the carcass back into the ocean, similar to shark “finning”.

<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Merry_Camhi/publication/242542346_The_Conservation_Status_of_Pelagic_Sharks_and_Rays/links/004635346cb40ca28d000000.pdf">Multiple species</a> of sharks are traded internationally for their liver oil including species currently listed as “endangered”. 

Although many consumers are unaware of this issue, the cosmetic industry is moving away from shark liver oil and towards plant-based sources. Back in 2008, household goods giant Unilever<a href="https://oceana.org/press-center/press-releases/unilever-end-use-shark-products-cosmetics"> ended their use</a> of shark liver oil.

In medical products, shark liver oil was<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Merry_Camhi/publication/242542346_The_Conservation_Status_of_Pelagic_Sharks_and_Rays/links/004635346cb40ca28d000000.pdf"> traditionally</a> used for lubricants and vitamin A supplements in the 1930s. The market shifted away from shark liver oil when synthetic vitamin A became available.

The <a href="http://www.fao.org/">Food and Agriculture Organization</a><a href="http://www.fao.org/3/x3690e/x3690e0r.htm"> statistics</a> show that the world production of shark liver oil decreased from almost 500 tonnes in 1976 to 4 tonnes in 1997. Bloom Association estimates that 2,200 tons of shark liver oil were produced in 2012.

Although the production of shark liver oil seems to be waning, consumers should still be aware that their household products might be a little more fishy than they thought.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Fiona Ayerst

Sharks might have been used to make your household products

As the movement towards organic products grows, more and more...

New plant probe can help track pesticides that may be harmful to bees “Bee populations are declining at an alarming rate,” is a phrase that has become such a part of our 21st century vernacular that it has taken on a meme-like status usually reserved for pop culture references. But unlike most pop culture oddities, there is a heavy truth behind these words. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/weed-killer-declining-bee-populations/">Bee populations</a> around the world are in decline, and a continued decline has some serious implications.

One of the reasons for this population decrease may be neonicotinoid pesticides, which are currently being investigated – and in some cases are banned – for their suspected role in harming bee populations. However, a true connection between these pesticides and the decline of bee populations has yet to be established. 

In a new study published in the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a> journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>, researchers describe a novel approach to sampling neonicotinoids and other pesticides in plants – potentially explaining how bees are exposed to these chemicals.

While many studies have correlated the presence of neonicotinoid residues in plant samples with bee declines, only a few have measured total neonicotinoids in plants – mainly using time-intensive methods. In this new study, researchers developed a new type of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) probe, which is a device that can track concentration changes over time in biological systems. 

SPME probes use a coated fiber to quickly extract analytes from a sample. By developing an SPME probe that they could insert into plants through a needle, the research team could perform repeated sampling of seven neonicotinoids in plant sap.

When this sampling was done in lettuce and soybean plants, each sample process only took 20 minutes. The analytes could then be recovered from the probe and assessed, allowing researchers to quantify neonicotinoids in plants and study their movement and distribution throughout these plants over time. 

The researchers believe that this method could be used to track movement of pesticides into flowers, nectar, and pollen, allowing them to pinpoint when and where the maximum pesticide exposure occurs for bees and other pollinators.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New plant probe can help track pesticides that may be harmful to bees

New plant probe can help track pesticides that may be...

A new study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a> has demonstrated that images captured by tourists on safari contain valuable wildlife monitoring data. Using 25,000 photographs from 26 tour groups, the researchers analyzed the population densities of lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, and wild dogs in northern Botswana.

Study lead author Kasim Rafiq came up with the idea of utilizing tourist photographic data one day when his vehicle got stuck in an abandoned warthog burrow while he was following a set of leopard tracks. At the time, Rafiq was a Ph.D. candidate at Liverpool John Moores University and had been searching for months for a one-eared leopard named Pavarotti.

"Eventually I got out of the hole and spoke with the safari guides who I met on the road nearby, and who were laughing," said Rafiq. "They told me that they'd seen Pavarotti earlier that morning. At that point, I really began to appreciate the volume of information that the guides and tourists were collecting and how it was being lost."

Wildlife population monitoring in Africa is traditionally done using either camera traps, track surveys, or call-in stations. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, camera traps are particularly useful for observing various species in the wild, but they are very expensive with no guaranteed lifespan. 

"For one of my other projects, I had an elephant knock down one of the camera traps, and then lion cubs ran away with the camera. When I collected it, it just had holes in it," said Rafiq.

For the current study, participating tourists were equipped with small GPS trackers that would later provide location data for their photos. The images were filtered based on the identification of an individual animal and its species. Finally, the team used computer models to calculate population densities.

[caption id="attachment_1875459" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/two-lions.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1875459" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/two-lions.jpeg" alt="" width="650" height="430" /></a> Image Credit: Megan Claase, Rafiq et al./ Current Biology, 2019[/caption]

In addition to the analysis of tourist images, camera trap, track, and call-in station surveys were also conducted so that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/historic-wildlife-bust-black-market/">wildlife</a> density estimates could all be compared. 

"The results suggest that for certain species and within areas with wildlife tourism, tourist-contributed data can accomplish a similar goal as traditional surveying approaches but at a much lower cost, relative to some of these other methods," said Rafiq.

The tourist-photograph survey turned out to be the only monitoring strategy which provided data on cheetahs in the study area. Furthermore, the image-based population estimates for many other top predators were largely comparable to the estimates produced by the traditional monitoring methods.

"If we could combine advances in artificial intelligence and automated image classification with a coordinated effort to collect images, perhaps by partnering with tour operators, we would have a real opportunity for continuous, rapid assessment of wildlife populations in high-value tourism areas," said Rafiq.

"There isn't one silver bullet that will be useful in every situation. Instead, as conservationists and researchers, we have a toolkit of different techniques that we can dip into depending on our project's requirements and needs."

"This study adds to the growing body of evidence that citizen science is a powerful tool for conservation. This approach provides the opportunity to not only aid the monitoring of charismatic megafauna highly valued by society, but also has the potential to shape how we can meaningfully participate in conservation efforts."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Megan Claase, Rafiq et al./ Current Biology, 2019

Tourist photographs provide reliable and important wildlife monitoring data

A new study published by Cell Press has demonstrated that...

Two new studies have demonstrated the ability of Egyptian fruit bats and mice to sync their brain waves during social interactions. This phenomenon has been previously described in humans, who are known to synchronize neural activity during <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/awkward-conversations/">conversation</a>. 

The new studies suggest that a similar process takes place among animals, and that some aspects of their social behavior can be predicted based on neural activity.

Michael Yartsev is the senior author of the bat study and an assistant professor of Neurobiology and Engineering at the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a>.

"Animal models are really important for being able to study brain phenomena at levels that we can't normally access in humans," said Professor Yartsev. "Because bats are extremely social and naturally live in highly complex social environments, they are a great model for tackling important scientific questions about social behavior and the neural mechanisms underlying it."

Dr. Weizhe Hong, the senior author of the mouse study, is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry and the Department of Neurobiology at <a href="http://www.ucla.edu/">UCLA</a>.

"If you think of the brain like a black box that receives input and gives some kind of output in response, studying social interactions is like trying to understand how the output of one box provides input to another, and how those two boxes work together and create a loop," said Dr. Hong. "Our research in mice allows us to peer inside these black boxes and get a better look at the internal machinery."

The Berkeley team monitored the bats for sessions of about 100 minutes as they engaged in a wide range of social interactions, such as grooming, mating, and fighting. Using high-speed cameras, the researchers were able to characterize specific behaviors and interactions.

The team also used wireless electrophysiology to simultaneously record the brain activity of the bats. The experts found that the brains of different bats became highly correlated, which was most pronounced in the high-frequency range of brain oscillations. By looking at the level of correlation, the researchers could even predict whether the bats would initiate social interactions.

The UCLA team used a device called a miniaturized microendoscope to monitor the brain activities of mice during social situations. The mice were also found to display brain correlations during natural interactions. 

The researchers discovered that the level of correlation between two brains could be used to predict how the mice would respond to each other's behavior as well as the dominance relationships that would develop between them.

"Natural social interactions are complex," said Wujie Zhang, first author of the bat study. "It is important to embrace this complexity in order to understand real-life social interactions at the neural level."

"We know that social interactions are altered in many mental diseases in humans, including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia," said Lyle Kingsbury, first author of the mouse paper. "Developing a genetically tractable model system opens up the possibility of exploring how interbrain synchrony is disrupted in people with these conditions and may provide novel information about possible interventions."

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

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Kuttelvaserova Stuchelova

Some animals synchronize their brain activity during social interaction

Two new studies have demonstrated the ability of Egyptian fruit...

Many universities have initiated "Pet Your Stress Away" programs to give college students the opportunity to interact with cats and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/puppy-dog-eyes-evolved-humans/">dogs</a> to help alleviate stress. Scientists at <a href="https://wsu.edu/">Washington State University</a> demonstrated that these programs have substantial stress-relieving physiological benefits.

"Just 10 minutes can have a significant impact," said Professor Patricia Pendry. "Students in our study that interacted with cats and dogs had a significant reduction in cortisol, a major stress hormone."

The research is the first of its kind to provide evidence of reduced cortisol levels among students during a real-life intervention. The study was focused on 249 college students who were randomly divided into four groups. 

The first group interacted with cats and dogs for ten minutes and were allowed to pet and play with the animals. The second group observed others petting the animals while waiting in line for their turn. 

The third group watched a slideshow of the same animals, while the fourth group was "waitlisted" for ten minutes and were told they would see and interact with the animals soon. 

The team collected several saliva cortisol samples from each participant, beginning in the morning when they woke up. Analysis of the samples revealed that the students who interacted directly with the pets showed significantly less cortisol in their saliva afterward. 

The calming effect was found to be consistent regardless of whether the students started out the day with very high or low levels of the stress hormone.

"We already knew that students enjoy interacting with animals, and that it helps them experience more positive emotions," said Professor Pendry. "What we wanted to learn was whether this exposure would help students reduce their stress in a less subjective way. And it did, which is exciting because the reduction of stress hormones may, over time, have significant benefits for physical and mental health."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ero">AERA Open</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: Shutterstock/archimede

Interacting with animals can significantly reduce stress

Many universities have initiated "Pet Your Stress Away" programs to...

New research from <a href="https://www.ugent.be/en">Ghent University</a> in Belgium has revealed that the color of a bird's wings plays an important role in flight efficiency. The study suggests that darker wing feathers give <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scavenging-birds-rise-climate-change/">birds</a> an aerodynamic advantage.

The experts set out to analyze how the color of bird feathers may affect wing temperature, and whether darker wings may heat up faster than lighter wings under solar radiation.

Using thermal imaging, the researchers examined the surface temperature changes in the feathers of two live osprey with increased solar radiation. 

In addition, the team experimentally heated different colored wings in a wind tunnel and measured wing temperatures during flight. Osprey, gannet, and back-blacked gull wings were exposed to various realistic wind speeds.

The team discovered that dark feathers not only warm up the wings but also the surrounding air, which increases air flow. According to the study, a common wing pattern consisting of white feathers at the body and black feathers at the wing tips seems to help lift the wings. 

"Even under simulated flight conditions, darker wings consistently became hotter than pale wings. In white wings with black tips, the temperature differential produced convective currents towards the darker wing tips that could lead to an increase in lift," wrote the study authors. 

The darker feathers were found to heat up much more than light feathers. "We found temperature differences of about 9 degrees between black and white,” study lead author Svana Rogalla told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. "We would even find these temperature differences in the same wing."

The study is published in the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsif">Journal of the Royal Society Interface</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: Shutterstock/Maksimilian

Birds with darker wing feathers have increased flight efficiency

New research from Ghent University in Belgium has revealed that...

Detection dogs have been trained to sniff out explosives, drugs, and even cancer in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-accurately-detect-cancer/">human blood samples</a>. Now, a new crew of detection dogs are helping weed out invasive Scotch broom plants in New York state parks. 

Conservationists have been using detection dogs since the mid 1990s, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/b57bc5e73f0648be9c0f822c9c220cdd">Associated Press</a>, and dogs have tracked endangered species through their scat and helped find illegally trafficked ivory. 

The non-profit organization <a href="https://wd4c.org/">Working Dogs for Conservation</a> specializes in training dogs to detect invasive species. 

Working Dogs for Conservation has aided in finding invasive plants and animals worldwide including Yellow star thistle in Colorado, invasive zebra mussels on boats in several Western states, and brown tree snakes in Guam.  

“Our field in the last 15 years has just exploded,” Pete Coppolillo, executive director of Working Dogs for Conservation, told the Associated Press. “We’ve trained over 200 dog and handler teams to help in global wildlife trafficking, and now we’re doing a lot of invasive species work. 

In New York’s Bear Mountain and Harriman state parks, a labrador called Dia has been hard at work helping to uproot invasive Scotch broom. 

Dia can spot the elusive weeds through scent alone, which gives her an advantage over park staff and volunteers who use the plant’s yellow flowers to find it. 

Scotch broom is widespread throughout the Pacific Northwest but has only begun to spread across New York state. 

“If we had to find all these plants ourselves, combing the grass for every tiny plant, it would take so much longer — and we’d still miss a lot,” Joshua Beese, Dia’s Handler, told the Associated Press. 

Dia was able to find hundreds of plants that were missed by volunteers before, proving how useful a conservation detection dog can be. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Detection dogs help sniff out and identify invasive plants

Detection dogs have been trained to sniff out explosives, drugs,...

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;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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



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Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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