Coral reefs are in trouble. As oceans warm and environments shift, the vibrant ecosystems built by corals are turning pale and dying off. 



While scientists have known for years that coral bleaching is linked to the loss of symbiotic algae, they’ve never been able to watch the process unfold at the cellular level in realtime - until now.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-underwater-microscope-for-studying-coral">Underwater microscope for studying coral</h2>



Researchers at the <a href="https://scripps.ucsd.edu/">Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego</a> have created a handheld underwater microscope. The device makes it possible to study coral photosynthesis right where it happens - in the ocean, inside living coral tissue - without causing any damage.



The team named the device the Benthic Underwater Microscope imaging PAM - BUMP, for short.



The Jaffe Lab for Underwater Imaging at Scripps Oceanography built the microscope with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation.



The tool combines imaging with a light-based technique known as pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry to measure how efficiently tiny algae inside corals are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-fate-of-coral-reefs-lies-in-the-hands-of-their-tiny-inhabitants/">photosynthesizing</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-depends-on-glowing-algae">Coral depends on glowing algae</h2>



The algae, called <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/symbiosis-will-help-some-corals-survive-in-a-warming-world/">symbionts</a>, are essential for coral survival. They live within coral tissue and convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugars and oxygen.



The coral, in turn, uses that energy to grow and build reefs. But when stressed by warming seas or pollution, corals eject these algae. Without them, corals appear white and slowly starve - known as the bleaching effect.



The BUMP microscope makes it possible to monitor this relationship in real-time and in natural environments - something that couldn’t be done before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-huge-technological-leap">A huge technological leap</h2>



“This microscope is a huge technological leap in the field of coral health assessment,” said study lead author Or Ben-Zvi, a postdoctoral researcher at Scripps Oceanography. 



“Coral reefs are rapidly declining, losing their photosynthetic symbiotic algae in the process known as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-worlds-largest-coral-bleaching-event-is-now-underway/">coral bleaching</a>."



"We now have a tool that allows us to examine these microalgae within the coral tissue, noninvasively and in their natural environment.”



The microscope is small enough to fit in a carry-on suitcase. It’s light enough for a diver to bring to the seafloor without a ship’s help. 



Controlled with a touchscreen and powered by a battery pack, the microscope uses focused LED lights and high-magnification lenses to capture vivid images and videos. It also creates detailed 3D scans and maps photosynthesis in high resolution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microscope-reveals-corals-inner-glow">Microscope reveals corals’ inner glow</h2>



At just 10 micrometers wide - one-tenth the width of a human hair - coral symbionts are invisible to the naked eye. But when corals are viewed under the microscope, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-algae-genes-chlorophyll-boost-crop-yields-land-plants/">algae</a> glow red due to chlorophyll, the pigment that powers <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/key-to-life-on-earth-photosynthesis-begins-on-the-quantum-level-with-a-single-photon/">photosynthesis</a>. 



PAM technology measures this glow to calculate how efficiently the algae are converting light into energy. Other glowing areas, like cyan and green patches, come from fluorescent proteins that the coral produces, often around its mouth and tentacles. 



The images help researchers “see” coral health without touching or harming them. "We get a lot of information about their health without the need to interrupt nature,” said Ben-Zvi. 



“It's similar to a nurse who takes your pulse and tells you how well you're doing. We're checking the coral's pulse without giving them a shot or doing an intrusive procedure on them.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-observing-corals-at-unseen-scales">Observing corals at unseen scales</h2>



Ben-Zvi and her colleagues tested the microscope at coral hotspots around the world - including Hawaii, the Red Sea, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-in-some-parts-of-the-world-actually-benefit-from-warming-el-nino-events/">Palmyra Atoll</a> - in collaboration with the Smith Lab at Scripps Oceanography. 



What they saw surprised them. Corals weren’t passive. They moved constantly, changing shape, reacting to particles, and even behaving in ways that looked like fighting or kissing.



Ben-Zvi observed coral polyps contracting their tentacles, possibly trying to remove or capture something floating by.



“The more time we spend with this microscope, the more we hope to learn about corals and why they do what they do under certain conditions,” she said. 



“We are visualizing photosynthesis, something that was previously unseen at the scales we are examining, and that feels like magic.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-detection-of-coral-stress">Early detection of coral stress</h2>



Corals face serious threats from climate change, and once bleaching begins, it can be hard to stop. But this microscope might help researchers catch problems earlier.



“The microscope facilitates previously unavailable, underwater observations of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-grazing-halos-and-parrotfish-reveal-about-coral-reef-health/">coral health</a>, a breakthrough made possible thanks to the National Science Foundation and its critical investment in technology development,” said Jules Jaffe, a research oceanographer at Scripps and co-author of the study. 



Without continued federal funding, scientific research is at risk. In this case, however, support from <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">NSF</a> enabled the team to build a device that helps solve the physiological mystery of coral bleaching and, ultimately, inform efforts to reverse it.



By detecting signs of stress before the coral reaches the tipping point, the researchers hope to create better strategies for protecting reefs from events like marine heatwaves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-kelp-and-ocean-algae">Studying kelp and ocean algae</h2>



The potential doesn’t stop with corals. Scientists at Scripps Oceanography are already using the BUMP microscope to study other tiny marine life that rely on photosynthesis, including baby kelp off the coast of California.



“Since photosynthesis in the ocean is important for life on earth, a host of other applications are imaginable with this tool, including right here off the coast of San Diego,” said Jaffe.



In short, the BUMP microscope gives scientists something they’ve never had before: a new way to look at life underwater - close up, in motion, and alive. And with this new perspective, scientists are hoping to find better ways to protect some of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/2041-210X.70078">Methods in Ecology and Evolution</a>.



About the image: The photo features the coral&nbsp;Stylophora pistillata&nbsp;taken with the new micrsope, BUMP. Each polyp has a mouth and a set of tentacles, and the red dots are individual microalgae residing inside the coral tissue. Credit: Or Ben-Zvi



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Microscope reveals coral health in unprecedented detail

Coral reefs are in trouble. As oceans warm and environments shift, the vibrant ecosystems built by corals are turning pale and dying off. While scientists have known for years that coral bleaching is linked to the loss of symbiotic algae, they’ve never been able to watch the process unfold at the cellular level in realtime - until now. Underwater microscope for studying coral Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have created a handheld underwater microscope. The device makes it possible to study...

Deep ocean predators thrived during ancient climate change. A team of palaeontologists at the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a> has discovered that marine predators living deep in the ocean during the Jurassic Period thrived in a time when global warming caused the sea levels to rise. On the other hand, marine species in the shallow waters did not adjust to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ancient-climate-change-species/">climate changes</a> as well. 

The study was focused on an analysis of the shape and size of teeth spanning over an 18 million-year period. During the time examined, a diverse group of reptiles lived in tropical waters stretching from present-day northern France to northern England.


Remarkably, the study findings show that the structure of the marine food web has remained largely the same over the last 150 million years.

The research also revealed that the fish species living in shallow waters, which had thin, piercing teeth, declined significantly. At the same time, larger fish in deeper ocean waters with broader teeth were found to thrive. 

“Teeth are humble fossils, but they reveal a grand story of how sea reptiles evolved over millions of years as their environments changed,” said study co-author Dr.  Steve Brusatte.

“Changes in these Jurassic reptiles parallel changes in dolphins and other marine species that are occurring today as sea-levels rise, which speaks to how important fossils are for understanding our modern world.”

According to the experts, the warming ocean temperature could have changed the chemical composition of the water and increased nutrient levels and prey in deep waters.


The research provides insight into how the ocean’s top predators may potentially respond to pressures such as global warming and climate change today. 

“Studying the evolution of these animals was a real - and rare - treat, and has offered a simple yet powerful explanation for why some species declined as others prospered,” said study lead author Davide Foffa.

“This work reminds us of the relevance of palaeontology by revealing the parallels between past and present-day ocean ecosystems.”
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Nikolay Zverkov, SWNS

Deep ocean predators thrived during ancient climate change

Deep ocean predators thrived during ancient climate change. A team...

Sunflower pollen protects bees from infection A new study led by <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> has revealed that sunflower pollen makes bees less susceptible to infection and disease. The researchers found that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/save-native-bees/">bees</a> had dramatically lower rates of infection by specific pathogens when they were fed a diet of sunflower pollen. 

In bumble bees, sunflower pollen was found to reduce infection by a particular pathogen, Crithidia bombi. Sunflower pollen protected European honey bees from a different pathogen, Nosema ceranae. Both pathogens have been shown to stunt the growth of bee colonies by increasing the rate of fatalities.

Honey bees, however, were also negatively impacted by the sunflower pollen diet. These bees had mortality rates roughly equivalent to honey bees not fed a pollen diet, and death rates four times higher than honey bees fed buckwheat pollen. 

This mortality effect was not observed in bumble bees. In fact, bumble bees showed improved colony health when fed the sunflower pollen compared to pollen from other flowers. 

Study co-author Jonathan Giacomini said that bees already seem to be skilled at collecting sunflower pollen. According to Giacomini, around two million acres in the United States and 10 million acres in Europe are devoted to sunflowers annually. Sunflower pollen protects bees from infection

“We've tried other monofloral pollens, or pollens coming from one flower, but we seem to have hit the jackpot with sunflower pollen,” said co-senior author Professor Rebecca Irwin. “None of the others we've studied have had this consistent positive effect on bumble bee health.”

Professor Irwin explained that sunflower pollen should not be considered as a standalone meal for bee populations because it is low in protein and some amino acids. She said that sunflower could be a good addition to a diverse wildflower population for bees, particularly bumble bees and honey bees.

“We don't know if sunflower pollen is helping the host bees fight off pathogens or if sunflower pollen does something to the pathogens,” said Professor Irwin. The NC State team plans to analyze this in further detail, and will also investigate whether other species of bees show any positive effects from sunflower pollen.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a> .

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Jonathan Giacomini, NC State University

Sunflower pollen protects bees from infection

Sunflower pollen protects bees from infection A new study led...

Filter feeders like Manta rays can provide important insight on more efficient filtration systems that could improve technology for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wastewater-oklahoma-quakes/">wastewater</a> treatment. 

The Manta ray, in particular, is unique because its filtration system allows water to pass through, but tiny food particle ricochet off and can then be eaten. In other words, the Manta ray’s feeding mechanism repels particles instead of trapping them. 

This makes the Manta ray’s filter feeding process resistant to clogging, unlike traditional solid-liquid separation systems. 

Filtration systems like the sieve or cross-flow separation system commonly used in industrial and engineering processes today are prone to clogging and are difficult and costly to clean. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www2.calstate.edu/">California State University</a> and <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> set out to better understand how the separation mechanism in the feeding filter of the Manta ray worked.  

To do this, the researchers printed a 3D model of the Giant oceanic manta ray. The model was placed in a recirculating flow tank that was filled with colored water that had been dyed in order to show how the water flowed through the filter feeding system.

The researchers observed that flow separation occurred behind the leading edge of the ray’s filter lobes, and this caused a large vortex in each pore in the filtration system. Particles were naturally repelled away from the filters and were instead sucked into the mouth to be then eaten.  

“This solid-fluid separation mechanism may have interesting industrial applications, since it operates at high flow rates, effectively filters neutrally buoyant particles, and resists clogging,” the researchers wrote.

A study detailing the research efforts was published in the journal Science Advances.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Steve Kajiura

Manta rays have filtration system that could improve water treatment

Filter feeders like Manta rays can provide important insight on...

Demand for designer pets creates disturbing health issues in animals. Pugs, bulldogs, and French bulldogs are among some of the most popular <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/identification-shelter-dogs-adoption/">dog</a> breeds in the United States and the UK. 

Unfortunately, they are also some of the most at risk for health problems and shortened life spans as more and more pet owners seek out designer and hybrid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/german-shepherd-health-breeding/">dogs with attractive traits</a>, despite warnings from vets. 

Many pet owners today are swayed by the cute aspects of dogs like pugs and bulldogs who have characteristically large eyes and scrunched up snouts. 

The popularity of these breeds on social media is also pushing more and more people to buy designer and hybrid.

For pugs who are brachycephalic (short-headed), breathing problems and overheating are extremely common and many pet owners are unaware of these risks until after they bring their pet home. 

According to a report from the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6316921/Craze-cute-designer-pets-speeding-race-extreme-unhealthy-features-warn-vets.html">Daily Mail</a>, other favorite animals like English Lop rabbits with enormous ears, miniature horses, and fish with huge bulbous eyes are just creating more and more unhealthy hybrids and designer animals. 

Owners may not realize that their English Lop rabbit struggles with eating, that bulldogs are prone to arthritis and hip dysplasia, or that their fish can’t swim properly. 

That’s why vets are urging pet owners to make health a priority over looks when it comes to choosing an animal. 

“While the UK population of some pets with extreme features is small at present, we are worried that the internet popularity of breeds like miniature horses, the English Lop rabbit, the very flat-faced Persian cats, or ornamental fish bred for bubble eyes or shortened bodies may prompt increased demand among consumers who are unaware of the potential serious health and welfare issues associated with such breeding,” said Simon Doherty, the president of the <a href="https://www.bva.co.uk/">British Veterinary Association</a>, told the Daily Mail. 

The British Veterinary Association isn’t alone in its concerns about the hereditary health problems of certain breeds. 

A national survey found that breeding and hereditary defects were the top concerns of vets and it has become more and more of a pressing issue in recent years. 

While not all pugs and bulldogs are unhealthy or suffering, it’s important for dog owners who choose these breeds to be aware of the many special needs that their dog will require, and part of that is talking with your local vet about the best care practices. 

It’s also a good idea to speak with your local vet and do your research before choosing a new pet. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Demand for designer pets creates disturbing health issues in animals

Demand for designer pets creates disturbing health issues in animals....

Scientists have been warning that Earth is currently in the midst a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warning-imminent-mass-extinction/">sixth mass extinction</a> and the five prior incidences each had a profound impact on biodiversity, evolution and species recovery. 

Species are declining at unprecedented rates, but this is nothing compared to the staggering losses experienced by coral reefs around the world due to rises in ocean acidity and temperature. 

By looking at the mass extinction events of the past, including which species were most prone to die off and how declines in corals drove extinction rates, we can get a better idea of what to expect in the coming years if climate change and the sixth mass extinction go unchecked. 

Researchers led by the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a>, conducted a study to model two major mass extinctions, the Late Triassic and Early Toarcian, during periods of global warming to understand climate’s role in species loss.

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 

The Late Triassic extinction (LTE) occurred 201 million years ago while the Early Toarcian (ETOE) took place 187 million years ago. 

Previous studies have theorized that the periods of warming which are connected to spikes in volcanic activity during these extinction events only contributed to extinction rates already underway. However, the researchers found that this wasn’t the case. 

“The Late Triassic and Early Toarcian extinction events are both associated with greenhouse warming events triggered by massive volcanism,” the researchers wrote in their study. 

The team used a global database of marine organisms to model extinction selectivity through the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic periods. 

The researchers discovered that the LTE and the ETOE each had its own unique selectivity patterns and rate of extinction along with some similarities as far as which marine species were most vulnerable to climate change and extreme warming.

“Not only do the LTE and EToE events represent an increase in extinction intensity above respective Triassic and Jurassic background rates but, more importantly, and contrary to previous claims, there are differences in extinction selectivity between times of both background and mass extinction, and between Triassic and Jurassic intervals in general,” the researchers conclude in their study. “It is also evident that background extinction was higher in the Late Triassic, prior to the LTE hyperthermal, than it was during the Early Jurassic, in the aftermath of the mass extinction.” 

Because these two mass extinctions are linked to increases greenhouse gasses and ocean temperature, the study provides an essential framework for measuring future extinctions and warns of the potential threats of climate change. 

--

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>

Past global warming events prompted mass extinctions

Scientists have been warning that Earth is currently in the...

Exposure to pesticides makes bees less productive and efficient. A new study has identified yet another harmful effect on bumble bees by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/harmful-pesticides-bee-colonies/">neonicotinoid</a> compounds, which are the most widely used class of insecticides. Exposure to these compounds is likely contributing to the declining population numbers among pollinator species worldwide.

It has been previously established that neonicotinoids are responsible for a reduction in colony size, but the actual behavior that impairs the colony growth has remained unclear.

To investigate, the researchers monitored the behavior of bumble bees in multiple colonies using a tiny robotic platform. Some of the colonies were exposed to environmentally realistic concentrations of imidacloprid, a common type of neonicotinoid. 

The worker bees exposed to the neurotoxic pesticide showed measurable changes in behavior within the nest. They became less likely to feed and care for larvae, less active,  and more likely to be found toward the outer edge of the nest. 

The experts noted that these behavioral effects varied depending on the time of day, with much less activity at night. Study lead author Dr. James Crall is a postdoctoral fellow at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>.

“Bees actually have a very strong circadian rhythm,” said Dr. Crall. “So what we found was that, during the day, there was no statistically observable effect, but at night, we could see that they were crashing.”

The researchers also found that the impact of pesticide exposure made it more difficult for bees to regulate their body temperature and to build a protective wax cap over the colony.

“Almost all of our control colonies built that cap,” said Dr. Crall. “And it seems to be totally wiped out in the pesticide-exposed colonies, so they lose this capacity to do this functional restructuring of the nest.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exposure to pesticides makes bees less productive and efficient

Exposure to pesticides makes bees less productive and efficient. A...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/">Purdue University</a> are exploring ways to help save some of the millions of birds who die in collisions with planes each year. The experts have found that red and blue LED lights may be used to warn <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bats-hummingbirds-flying-robots/">birds</a> to go in another direction. 

Airports have tried to scare birds away using everything from dogs to firecrackers, but without much success.

Although lights have been used to induce “avoidance behavior” in birds before, there is very little information available on what type of lights may work. The Purdue team collaborated with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to investigate. 

“The way we figure this out is to give the animal a choice,” explained study lead author Professor Esteban Fernandez-Juricic.

The study was focused on brown-headed cowbirds at the Ross Biological Reserve. The birds were released a few inches shy of a divide in their flight path, which had a light on one side and no light on the other.  

Professor Fernandez-Juricic explained that a single-choice test, in which the bird chooses between a light on and off rather than between two colors, is ideal for measuring avoidance behavior. If the bird chooses to take the path with no light, this is a good indication that light on the other side is associated with danger. 

The test was repeated using five different wavelengths of light. The study revealed that birds consistently avoided LED lights with peaks at 470 and 630 nanometers, which appear blue and red to humans. Ultraviolet (UV), green, and white light did not produce any noticeable patterns. 


It is not yet clear whether the behavior of the birds was affected by light peaks or by the levels of contrast, and Professor Fernandez-Juricic plans to conduct further research to find out. The team will also modify the test to investigate how other bird species respond to different types of light.

“We now have a behavioral assay we can use to test these attraction and avoidance behaviors in a systematic, standardized matter, and we can do it on various species,” said Professor Fernandez-Juricic. “We're able to test not just whether a light may be highly visible to a bird or not, but whether that light leads to the behaviors we're trying to generate.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://peerj.com/">PeerJ</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

LED lights can help steer birds away from collisions with planes

Researchers at Purdue University are exploring ways to help save...

A new study has found that cats are not the answer to New York City's rat problem. In the first investigation to document the interactions between feral cats and a colony of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rats-major-cities-monitored/">wild rats</a>, researchers found that rats were skilled in dodging the cats, and only two kills were recorded in 79 days. 

The research adds to a growing collection of evidence that the benefits of using cats to control city rats are outweighed by the threats posed to birds and other wildlife.

Study lead author Dr. Michael H. Parsons, a visiting scholar at <a href="https://www.fordham.edu/">Fordham University</a>.

“Like any prey, rats overestimate the risks of predation. In the presence of cats, they adjust their behavior to make themselves less apparent and spend more time in burrows,” said Dr. Parsons. “This raises questions about whether releasing cats in the city to control rats is worth the risks cats pose to wildlife."

Even though cats have been long perceived as the natural enemy of rats, some researchers have found that cats prefer smaller, defenseless prey such as birds.

“New Yorkers often boast their rats 'aren't afraid of anything' and are the 'size of a cat',” said Dr. Parsons. “Yet cats are commonly released to control this relatively large, defensive and potentially dangerous prey.”

“Until now, no one has provided good data on the number of city rats killed by cats,” added study co-author Michael A. Deutsch from Arrow Exterminating Company Inc. “But the data have been very clear as to the effect of cats on native wildlife.”


The research team was already studying a colony of more than 100 rats living inside a recycling center when cats invaded. The experts set up motion-capture video cameras to investigate, which is the first time that the effect of cats on rats has been monitored in a natural setting.

“We wanted to know whether the number of cats present would influence the number of rats observed, and vice versa,” said Dr. Parsons. “We were also interested whether the presence of cats had any effect on eight common rat behaviors or their direction of movement.”

Among 306 videos taken over 79 days, only 20 stalking events, three kill attempts, and two successful kills were recorded. The videos also revealed that in the presence of cats, the rats spent less time in the open and more time in hiding. 

“The presence of cats resulted in fewer rat sightings on the same or following day, while the presence of humans did not affect rat sightings,” said Dr. Parsons. 


“We already knew the average weight of the rats was 330 g, much more than a typical 15 g bird or 30 g mouse. As such, we expected a low predation rate on the rats - and our study confirmed this.”

“We are not saying that cats will not predate city rats, only that conditions must be right for it to happen,” added Deutsch. “The cat must be hungry, have no alternative less-risky food source, and usually needs the element of surprise.”

The research team will continue collecting data and updating their findings as part of a long-term study.

“Much more research is needed to better understand the city rat problem, we hope our successes will compel others to perform similar studies in other venues,” said Dr. Parsons.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cats are ineffective at controlling city rat numbers

A new study has found that cats are not the...

It has long been believed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dams-flood-special-places/">river damming</a> poses a serious threat to migratory fish populations within them. However little evidence had been reported until now. To prove this theory, scientists at the <a href="http://www.iwhr.com/IWHR-English/AI/Introduction/A580503index_1.htm">China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research</a> studied China’s Yangtze River and now understand why Chinese sturgeon population is dwindling and why the sturgeon population has been so difficult to observe in recent decades.

Damming of the Yangtze began in 1981. Before dam construction, Chinese sturgeon would fast and migrate upriver every summer. They would then spawn in the fall and return to sea. This activity could be clearly tracked before 1981. But in recent years, scientists had trouble following the sturgeon’s migration.

In the study, published in Current Biology on November 1st, the Institute’s Zhenli Huang explained, “We have found that the loss of effective breeding and environmental capacity are two crucial factors resulting in an ongoing decline in adult abundances of Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze River."

Huang and co-author Luhai Wang looked back at the historical data mapping out the Yangtze’s damming and sturgeon activity. They found that the Gezhouba Dam reduced the sturgeon’s migration path by 1,175 kilometers (about 730 miles). Over time, this caused the sturgeon to reach sexual maturity about a month later than normal, therefore lessening the population size due to the fact there aren’t as many sturgeon ready to breed.

What’s more is that Huang and Wang found that environmental capacity of the lessened breeding ground has been reduced, and water temperatures have risen with the building of new dams within the past ten years.

The team estimates that the number of adult sturgeon in the Yangtze has dropped from about 32,000 before 1981, to 6,000 in 2010, and about 2,500 in 2015. They predict that if the numbers continue on this track, the natural Chinese sturgeon population will go extinct within the next decade.

"The protection of the wild Chinese sturgeon requires effective measures taken immediately," Huang and Wang note. "Artificial restocking, which China has been doing without maintaining breeding activity, is inadequate and unsustainable."

Although the future looks bleak for the Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze, the researchers want their new findings to alert other nations that migrant fish populations are at risk of extinction at the hands of damming. In knowing this, those put in charge of damming can take extra measures to ensure fish populations are cared for properly.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

River damming is threatening global migratory fish populations

It has long been believed that river damming poses a...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbirds-declining-numbers/">species declines</a> are reported more and more frequently around the world, with climate change and human activities being the biggest drivers of species loss, researchers and conservationists are racing to protect and restore the world’s biodiversity. 

Take forest birds, for example. Some studies have shown that forest trails have a negative effect on bird populations, but it was not well understood if it was the trails themselves or the human activity on the trails that was causing this effect. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich in Switzerland</a> conducted a study examining forest trails to see how bird populations have responded over the years. 

The results, published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2018.00175/full">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>, show that birds avoid trails that are frequently used by humans even if the trails have been in place for many years. 

“We show that forest birds are quite distinctly affected by people and that this avoidance behavior did not disappear even after years of use by humans. This suggests not all birds habituate to humans and that a long-lasting effect remains,” said Yves Bötsch, the lead author the study. “This is important to show because pressure on natural habitats and nature protection areas is getting stronger and access bans are often ignored.”

Hiking, biking, skiing, and walking trails in local, state, and national forest parks are popular for outdoor enthusiasts, but trails and roads break up habitats and separate wildlife populations. 

The question remains, is it the initial development of trails and roads in natural habitats or human activity after the fact that impacts wildlife? 

The researchers surveyed four forests with different levels of recreation and recorded all the birds that were seen and heard near the trails and further away from designated walking areas. 

There were fewer birds near the trails and in the forests that attracted more human visitors. 

Birds that were more sensitive to humans, meaning more likely to fly away if a human comes near, were less abundant near the trails as well. 

“Species with a high sensitivity, measured by flight initiation distance (the distance at which a bird exposed to an approaching human flies away), showed stronger trail avoidance, even in rarely frequented forests,” said Bötsch. “These sensitive species were raptors, such as the common buzzard and Eurasian sparrowhawk, as well as pigeons and woodpeckers.” 

The study shows that human activity along forest trails impacts bird populations, and that it’s not the development of recreational trails that is as much of a problem as previously thought. 

“Generally it is assumed that hiking in nature does not harm wildlife,” said Bötsch. “But our study shows even in forests that have been used recreationally for decades, birds have not habituated to people enough to outweigh the negative impact of human disturbance.”

The researchers recommend expanding protected areas in forests and making sure that these areas are off-limits to people. The team also says that people who enjoy hiking or biking along forest trails should stay on designated trails and not roam from the path. 

--

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>

How human activity on forest trails impacts bird populations

As species declines are reported more and more frequently around...

A new study has revealed significant declines in four major commercially important species of shellfish along the U.S. east coast in recent years.

Harvests of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oyster-recovery-programs-in-the-us-are-making-progress/">eastern oysters,</a> northern quahogs, softshell clams, and northern bay scallops have been less and less abundant with every year. But now, new research shows that increases in temperature due to climate change is the biggest driving factor behind these declines. 

The study was conducted by Clyde MacKenzie, a shellfish researcher at the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>, and Mitchell Tarnowski, a shellfish biologist from the <a href="http://dnr.maryland.gov/">Maryland Department of Natural Resources</a>. 

The researchers reviewed harvest data from four important shellfish species along the East Coast from main to North Carolina. MacKenzie and Tarnowski set out to see if the declines were to due to overfishing or the impacts of climate and environmental changes. 

The two researchers published their findings in the Marine Fisheries Review journal. 

The study found that eastern oyster harvests dropped from 600,00 bushels in 1960 to less than 100,000 in 2005. Between 1980 and 2010, all four of the commercially important bivalves included in the study declined and with them the fishermen who harvested them. 

In Maine, softshell clam harvests are at an all-time low and fishery managers, as well as clammers, are looking to find new ways to adapt to the changing landscape and protect important resources. 

Conservation efforts and fisheries management have successfully yielded better scallop harvests in Maine in contrast to the declines along other parts of the east coast.

Still, this is the exception and not the norm, and the researchers have several explanations as to why warmer temperatures and climate change would cause shellfish harvests to decline. 

One reason is that warmer temperatures are increasing the risk of predation for many bivalves. 

“Their predation rate is faster in the warmer waters,” MacKenzie told the Daily Mail. “They begin to prey earlier, and they prey longer into the fall.” 

Habitat degradation is also a factor, and the researchers found that a shift in the North Atlantic Oscillation has degraded many shellfish habitats. 

Shellfish are a popular seafood, especially along the east coast, and if declines in harvests continue, the United States may soon become reliant on imported shellfish from other parts of the world, which could negatively impact local fisheries and clamming industries. 

--

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>

East coast shellfish harvests are declining due to warming waters

A new study has revealed significant declines in four major...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">University of California, Santa Barbara</a> made an unexpected discovery while studying grey reef sharks in a protected shark sanctuary around the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). 

Almost a quarter of all shark populations are in danger of becoming extinct, and overfishing has played a significant role in many shark population declines. One particularly gruesome practice is called <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shark-finning-unsustainable/">shark finning</a>, where people cut off the fin of a shark and discard the rest of its body. 

Shark sanctuaries were implemented as a buffer against fishing and are meant to serve as a conservation area specifically for sharks. 

At first, the researchers were hoping to survey the sharks’ movements but instead, monitoring in the area led to the discovery of illegal shark fishing. 

A study detailing the researchers' new findings and calling for better monitoring using satellite technology in shark sanctuaries was published in the journal Conservation Letters.  

“It's not the study we expected,” said Darcy Bradley, a researcher for the study. “Instead, we uncovered a high level of illegal shark fishing from within the Marshall Islands shark sanctuary.” 

The researchers discovered that illegal fishing activity was taking place in the Marshall Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone after tracking the movements of 15 sharks with satellite tags. 

Of those 15 sharks, eight were thought to have been illegally fished because the tags showed movements uncharacteristic of grey reef sharks.

The tags traveled thousands of kilometers across the Pacific Ocean at very high speeds, faster than sharks can sustain for long periods of time. A few of the tags even ended up in local ports, according to Bradley. 

The researchers calculated that if illegal fishing continued at that rate, a healthy, large shark population could collapse to less than ten percent of its unfished numbers in less than five years. 

Even though RMI was one of the first nations to implement policies that protect local shark populations, this recent study shows that very little is being done to enforce protections and prevent illegal fishing. 

However, a big part of why enforcement is so minimal is because the RMI and similar remote island territories lack the resources to monitor large shark sanctuaries adequately. 

Illegal shark fishing is not without its risks, but the researchers say that the high value of sharks on the black market and in commercial fishing markets is enough to drive people to disregard any risks or consequences should they be caught. 

According to the researchers, it’s easy for illegal fishing activities to go unnoticed. 

To help remedy this, the researchers propose that shark sanctuaries use cost-effective satellite technology like vessel tracking and automatic identification systems which would track fishing vessels over large areas. 

“The ability to 'see' all boats in all places in near real-time using satellite tracking technology would provide a means to monitor for compliance with multiple fisheries management goals -- be they combating illegal fishing, monitoring transshipments, identifying fishing activity in high bycatch areas and more,” said Bradley. 

The study shows how problematic illegal fishing is in shark sanctuaries and shows that existing satellite technology could be used to improve monitoring of these sanctuaries. But only time will tell if countries will take advantage of satellite technology or not. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Shark sanctuaries offer little protection from illegal fishing

Researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara made an...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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