Honeybees can travel several miles from their hive and still make a straight line back home. Their secret isn’t scent trails or landmarks, but the way they read the sky. By detecting subtle polarization patterns in scattered sunlight, bees turn the heavens into a compass.



A new study shows how a specialized region at the top of the bee's eye sharpens this celestial map. Neighboring light sensors share information, producing a steadier signal that prioritizes reliability over fine detail.



The researchers say this built-in teamwork explains how bees keep their bearings even when clouds or obstacles break up the view. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-built-in-bee-sky-compass">A built-in bee sky compass</h2>



James Foster, a neurobiologist at the <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/">University of Konstanz</a>, and his team focused on the dorsal rim area, a narrow strip of sky-facing facets used for detecting polarized light.



Many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/very-little-is-known-about-99-of-all-insects-on-earth/">insects</a> use polarization patterns in the sky as a compass, and honeybees are a classic case. That pattern shifts with the sun across the day and stays readable even when clouds pass by.



The bee's eye is made of thousands of ommatidia that each sample a small patch of the world. A specialized dorsal rim area at the top handles the polarized sky and feeds information into the navigation system.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bee-polarization-detection-in-action">Bee polarization detection in action </h2>



Within each dorsal rim facet, a pair of UV-tuned photoreceptor cells points at different angles, which makes them sensitive to how skylight is polarized. Together, they report the orientation of the electric field, a signal bees can use for heading.



When researchers cover the dorsal rim area with paint, tethered bees lose clear orientation to a rotating polarization stimulus. That result shows how central this small eye strip is to the compass.



The new paper maps receptive field sizes and sensitivities across the eye. It finds that dorsal rim fields are much wider than those in the main retina, and that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unexpected-find-inside-the-eye-of-a-tiny-wasp-megaphragma-viggianii/">dorsal rim</a> cells are less absolutely sensitive while remaining tuned to polarization.



Earlier work proposed that corneal pore canals scatter light and widen each dorsal rim sampling zone. The new data add a second mechanism at the level of neural wiring.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bees-make-a-blur-that-helps">Bees make a blur that helps</h2>



The recordings reveal that some dorsal rim cells share signals with neighbors, a form of spatial summation that happens right in the retina. Pooling inputs makes a coarser image, but it boosts the stability of the polarization map.



That tradeoff helps when clouds or branches interrupt the view. A robust map matters more than high detail for keeping a straight course.



"But this is exactly what makes this part of the eye particularly good at detecting large-scale polarization patterns in the sky," said Foster. The effect turns a less detailed picture into a more reliable compass readout.



Evidence for cell-to-cell coupling appeared in about six dorsal rim recordings, roughly a quarter of the cases examined. Small timing differences between peaks and slight offsets in preferred polarization angles ruled out simple optical artifacts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-eye-to-compass-neurons">From eye to compass neurons</h2>



The finding fits with what is known about downstream circuits in other insects. In fruit flies, the medulla carries <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bull-ants-use-moonlight-for-nighttime-navigation/">polarization</a> signals from dorsal rim photoreceptors toward compass neurons in the central complex.



Bees likely use a similar division of labor. The dorsal rim area cleans up the signal early, and later stages compute heading and route choices.



"Cameras pointed at the sky could serve as a kind of backup compass if GPS and magnetic signals are unreliable or fail," said Foster. That idea borrows a page from an eye that solves the compass problem with simple parts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-bee-eye-responses">Mapping bee eye responses</h2>



The team recorded ultraviolet sensitive cells in 17 honeybees and 31 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-bees-spread-viruses-to-bumblebees-in-the-spring/">bumblebees</a>, sampling the main retina, the marginal zone next to the dorsal rim, and the dorsal rim itself. Those measurements let them compare spatial tuning, polarization sensitivity, and response curves.



Dorsal rim fields were the widest, with mean widths near 7 degrees in honeybee and near 6 degrees in bumblebee. Main retina fields sat near 2 to 3 degrees and dropped off much more quickly away from the center.



Main retina and marginal cells were around 10 times more sensitive to light than dorsal rim cells. Even so, dorsal rim cells had steeper response slopes that help encode small changes in a bright sky without saturating.



In a subset of dorsal rim recordings, maps showed two or more islands of high sensitivity separated by low areas. 



Millisecond-level delays between islands and small shifts in preferred polarization angles pointed to shared signals from neighboring units rather than a single broad optical lobe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-s-blueprint-for-sensors">Nature’s blueprint for sensors</h2>



Pooling at the photoreceptor level smooths over the patchwork in skylight that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clouds-have-become-less-reflective-making-global-warming-worse/">clouds</a> can produce. A cleaner polarization pattern in bee's eyes leads to a steadier internal compass that ignores minor distractions above.



Engineers can copy this approach with a simple sensor aimed upward. A polarization channel could serve as a low-cost backup when radio or magnetic cues are weak or noisy. 



This strategy may help future autonomous systems keep their bearings even when signals fail.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2025.0234" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Biology Letters</a>.



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Hidden eye sensors help bees find their way home

Honeybees can travel several miles from their hive and still make a straight line back home. Their secret isn’t scent trails or landmarks, but the way they read the sky. By detecting subtle polarization patterns in scattered sunlight, bees turn the heavens into a compass. A new study shows how a specialized region at the top of the bee's eye sharpens this celestial map. Neighboring light sensors share information, producing a steadier signal that prioritizes reliability over fine detail. The researchers say this built-in teamwork explains how...

Dr. Michael Pittman, of the Department of Earth Sciences at <a href="https://www.hku.hk/">The University of Hong Kong</a>, and colleagues have determined that a 150-year-old feather fossil — the first feather fossil ever to be discovered — does not belong to the prehistoric bird Archaeopteryx as was originally thought. After using an imaging technique called Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence (LSF), the team was able to locate the missing quill, thus proving the feather belonged to a species other than Archaeopteryx.

The feather was originally found in southern Germany in 1861. Preserved in a dark film, the feather was used to name the fossilized bird, Archaeopteryx. The feather was initially described as having a long quill, however, the quill cannot be seen today. 

Was the quill ever there? And if so, does this feather represent a primary, secondary, or primary covert feather of the Archaeopteryx?

According to Dr. Pittman and his colleague’s LSF analysis, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>, the feather fossil actually comes from an unidentified feathered dinosaur. After comparing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-species-dinosaurs-birds/">Archaeopteryx</a> feathers and this single feather to those of modern birds, Dr. Pittman and company saw that this mystery feather lacked similarities to all feathers of the Archaeopteryx and didn’t show the same s-shaped centerline that modern bird feathers do.

[caption id="attachment_1867082" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/first-fossil-feather.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1867082" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/first-fossil-feather.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="839" /></a> Image Credit: The University of Hong Kong[/caption]

"It is amazing that this new technique allows us to resolve the 150-year-old mystery of the missing quill," said co-author Daniela Schwarz, curator for the fossil reptiles and bird collection of the <a href="https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/en">Museum für Naturkunde</a>, Berlin. 

This finding also proves that there was more feathered dinosaur diversity in southern Germany than previously thought.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

First fossil feather ever discovered did not belong to Archaeopteryx

Dr. Michael Pittman, of the Department of Earth Sciences at...

Social media is known for being a purveyor of false ideas and fake news.  Unlike traditionally curated news and mainstream media, virtually anyone can post something to social media with little accountability.  <a href="http://www.journalism.org/2018/09/10/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2018/">Pew Research Center</a> reports that 68% of Americans polled said they occasionally get news from social media.  57% of Americans say they expect news on social media to be inaccurate. Despite the doubt, social media plays a role in shaping our views.  If social media can shape how we think about the world, surely it has real consequences for humans but also for the environment and other species.

<a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/01/viral-video-of-endangered-lemur-made-people-want-one-as-a-pet-study/">Mongabay</a> reported on a video of a ring tailed lemur (Lemur catta) that was released in 2016.  The lemur was shown in Madagascar, sitting on the ground between two boys crouched next to it.  The boys pet the lemur on the back. When the boys stopped, the lemur patted its back, as if it were asking to be petted.  The video went viral in April 2016, as can be expected of videos showing cute animals. Researchers monitored responses to the video on Twitter and found that many people echoed the same sentiment: ‘I want a pet lemur’.  

It’s unlikely that the vast majority of people responding to the video will actually act on a desire for a pet lemur, much less achieve that desire.  But there is still concern that videos showing pet lemurs and other wild animals will have an indirect negative impact on lemurs, the environment or other wildlife species.  

I <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/media-monsters-movies-animals-villains/">previously reported</a> on how media can change human perception of endangered species.  Research published in <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">Plos One</a> shows that people viewing photos of chimpanzees standing next to humans are 35.5% less likely to think of them as endangered, despite the fact that chimpanzees are endangered.  Ring-tailed lemurs are endangered as well.  <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/ring-tailed-lemur-crashe/">Scientific American</a> reports that two studies show Ring-tailed lemur populations to be between 2,000 and 2,400 individual animals.  This is a 95% population decrease since the year 2000. There are now more ring-tailed lemurs in zoos than in the wild.  One of the factors driving the decline of the iconic lemur is the illegal pet trade. Besides actually owning a pet, many tourists contribute to the captivity of animals as cheap attractions.  

Monkeys are used as tourist gimmicks in South America and Africa.  People pay a few coins to get photographed with parrots on the beach in Mexico.  These sorts of transactions are common. Often bushmeat markets dealing in the trade of illegal animal meat will sell more charismatic animals alive to be kept in captivity.  

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-animals-photo-props/">Earth.com</a> previously reported on Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus), the only non-human primate native to Morocco and Algeria being used as props for photos with tourists.  The macaques are highly endangered but still may end up chained and posing for 18 photos a day. Researchers surveyed tourists to Jemaa el-Fna, Morocco found that 88% of tourists weren’t happy with the monkey’s fate.  Yet as the social media study shows, people may act differently online or when they’re not being directly questioned about their actions. Perhaps the full reality isn’t captured in a short video. 

Another primate, more related to the lemur than to monkeys, has suffered greatly from being a ‘cute’ tourist attraction and sometimes illegal pet.  The Slow Loris (Nycticebus sp.) is indeed an adorable and nocturnal primate.  It has giant round eyes common to nocturnal animals adapted to make the most of low light.  The loris also has a blunt snout and little round ears on the sides of a furry face, and the overall impression is that of a living teddy bear with a prehensile tail.  The slow loris is native to southeast Asia, including Java where it is known by a name that translates to ‘fire face’, a hint of something more sinister in the small primate’s nature.  

The slow loris is said to have a venomous bite in local folklore, thus the fire face is a reference to a burning sensation caused by a bite from the loris.  <a href="https://primatology.net/2010/10/19/are-slow-lorises-really-venomous/">Primatology.net</a> reports that the venom of a slow loris is just a myth, saying there is no scientific evidence of venom from the slow loris’ bite.  

This isn’t quite true though.  <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2014/10/when-cute-turns-deadly-the-story-of-a-wildlife-biologist-who-was-bit-by-a-venomous-slow-loris-and-lived-to-tell-the-tale/">Mongabay</a> reports that as of 2014 there have been two medically documented cases of slow loris venom.  Obviously, two cases is far from a conclusive scientific study and a scientific consensus hasn’t been reached on the loris.  Whether or not the bite of the little primate is actually toxic or not, the idea of a toxic bite is bad publicity for the loris.  When captured for the pet or tourism trade, slow lorises generally suffer having their teeth cut out, to avoid them biting a handler.  It goes without saying that getting teeth cut is excruciating and under the circumstances incredibly cruel. Many lorises don’t even survive the process of having teeth brutally cut from their head.    

Ignorance of the exotic pet trade and our use of endangered animals is widespread.  Lady Gaga reportedly planned on having a slow loris in one of her music videos until it nipped her hand.  Only 25% of those surveyed in Morocco were aware that the Barbary Macaques were endangered. As an anecdote, talking with most people, even those interested in the environment have no idea of the plight of Madagascar or its lemurs.  Big roles in animated shows like Madagascar as well as bit parts on social media may play a role in this perception.  People don’t seem to understand that just because an animal is a pet, a tourist attraction or a youtube star doesn’t mean the animal is doing well.  

This goes for both the population of a species overall as well as the treatment of an individual animal.  In 2015, <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/ring-tailed-lemurs-pet-trade/">Scientific American</a> reported that in three years, 28,000 lemurs have been captured for the illegal pet trade.  This is in addition to animals captured for zoos or research. These lemurs are taken from a devastated but once beautiful home to be kept for the audience of a selfish owner.    

In a world of such brutality, we must ask ourselves, how much is a cute image worth in the face of a devastating reality?                    

-- 

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

When social media drives the illegal pet trade

Social media is known for being a purveyor of false...

Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite, and billions of people worldwide have been infected. Humans can come in contact with T. gondii by eating uncooked meat or cleaning out their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cat-litter-alzheimers-link/">cat’s litter box</a>.

While T. gondii is usually harmless, studies have shown that infection can increase the risk of certain mental disorders and mind-altering behavior, but much of the research done on the parasite has been inconclusive. 

Because infection is so common, it’s important for researchers to fully understand how T. gondii and toxoplasma impacts those infected. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">Copenhagen University</a> recently conducted one of the largest studies of its kind to better understand the link between schizophrenia and T. gondii as well as the impacts of another pathogen, the Cytomegalovirus, which also been shown to increase the risk of psychiatric disorders in those infected. 

The study was published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 

The researchers reviewed and analyzed data from the Danish Blood Donor Study and tested for T. gondii and cytomegalovirus in blood drawn from over 80,000 people. 

Of the records examined in the study, around 2,591 of the individuals had been diagnosed with psychiatric conditions. 

The researchers focused on immunoglobulin antibodies to find any traces of the two pathogens. 25 percent of the individuals carried T. gondii, and 61 percent had the cytomegalovirus (CMV) parasite. 

When the team examined the links between the pathogens and psychiatric disorders, they found that T. gondii increases the risk of schizophrenia by as much as 50 percent.

CMV was also linked to several psychiatric disorders, and the researchers say that CMV infection could increase the risk of self-harm. 

“Our study finds that T. gondii infection might be a contributing causal factor for schizophrenia,” the researchers wrote. “Moreover, T. gondii infection was borderline significantly associated with traffic accidents. CMV infection may be a risk factor for developing any psychiatric disorder, especially neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders, or for experiencing self-violence in the form of attempting or committing suicide.” 

There are several limitations to the study as the researchers did not control for socio-economic factors which are known to impact mental health and wellbeing. 

Still, the results show a strong link between T. gondii and CMV infections and psychiatric disorders, further proving the unusual relationship between the pathogens and cognition. 
--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Parasite spread by cats can increase the risk of schizophrenia

Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite, and billions of people...

Rewilding has been a controversial concept since it was first introduced as a new way to conserve and restore ecosystems.

Over a decade ago, when the idea of introducing elephants to North America to serve as a surrogate for some long-since extinct Ice Age species and help restore an Ice Age-like ecosystem was first brought about, it was met with much skepticism.

Now, a new book titled simply Rewilding and published by <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/">Cambridge University Press</a> offers the first comprehensive review of rewilding and shows that rewilding could be ultimately beneficial.

Of course, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/de-extinction-passenger-pigeons/">de-extinction</a> is now not as far-fetched as it once was, and some scientists are working to restore Ice Age ecosystems complete with woolly mammoth hybrids in the hopes of mitigating climate change.

Rewilding, though, is starting to attract a new following and more and more people are interested in the concept of transforming degraded human-dominated landscapes.

“Rewilding currently means different things to different people, but the book clarifies it as the process of reorganising, retooling, or regenerating wildness in a degraded ecosystem,” said Johan du Toit, a co-editor of the book. “Rewilding is an adaptive and pragmatic approach for regaining and maintaining the provision of ecosystem services, which are essential for humanity.”

Rewilding is particular of interest in Europe where abandoned and degraded agricultural lands could provide new habitats for a wide array of species that could help restore the land. The ecosystems themselves would be self-regulating and self-sustaining.

The book was a collaborative effort among the world’s leading ecologists and social scientists, and the authors discuss rewilding through a critical lens, highlighting the pros and cons and explaining different rewilding methods.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.zsl.org/">Zoological Society of London</a> and<a href="https://www.usu.edu/"> Utah State University</a> helped edit the new book.

 “Rewilding has the potential to deliver a progressive and resilient approach to wildlife management, connecting people with, rather than separating them from, nature,” said Nathalie Pettorelli, a member of the Zoological Society of London. “It directly feeds into discussions relating to coexistence, societal values, and tolerance for wildlife, and inviting nature right back to our doorstep.”

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Utah State University

Rewilding could offer an important opportunity for conservation

Rewilding has been a controversial concept since it was first...

Giant pandas are the subject of quite a lot of human attention these days. As one of the most popular members of the endangered species list, they’re even featured as the logo for the World Wildlife Fund. In the wild, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/giant-panda-calls-information/">pandas</a> can only be found in the understory of certain mountains in southwestern China, where these bears survive on a strict bamboo-only diet. Their ability to live off this diet is due to their specialized teeth, skill, and muscle characteristic, along with a special pseudo-thumb that allows them to hold onto the bamboo as they eat.

However, a new study published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a> has found that extinct, ancient panda species likely did not live off bamboo alone. 

“It has been widely accepted that giant pandas have exclusively fed on bamboo for the last two million years,” says Fuwen Wei of <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>. "Our results showed the opposite.”

Although the researchers can’t know exactly what the extinct pandas ate, they gathered clues by analyzing the composition of stable isotopes in animal teeth, hair, and bones. These stable isotopic composition analyses of carbon and nitrogen from both modern panda and other modern mammal bone samples indicated three clear groups: carnivores, herbivores, and giant pandas. The giant pandas were distinctly unique, given their diet of only bamboo. 

The researchers then measured bone collagen isotopes of 12 ancient pandas collected from seven archaeological sites in China, and compared them to the patterns observed in modern giant pandas. Comparison of the data sets showed that ancient and modern pandas are isotopically distinct from one another, which points to differences in their diets. 

Furthermore, the research team found variation among three ancient panda species, which suggests that the niche they occupied was roughly three times wider than that of modern pandas. In other words, ancient pandas probably had a varied diet similar to the other mammalian species that live in that same time and location. 

In their study, the researchers suggest that pandas’ dietary habits evolved in two phases. The first phased occurred when they went from being meat eaters or omnivores to becoming only herbivores. The second phase would’ve been when the pandas specialized to only eating bamboo.

The goal now for this research team is to determine exactly when the pandas shifted to their present-day diet. In this endeavor, they plan on collecting and studying more panda samples from varying historical periods covering the last 5,000 years.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Fuwen Wei

Giant pandas didn’t always stick to a strict bamboo diet

Giant pandas are the subject of quite a lot of...

Scientists at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have discovered that endangered sharks are being sold as food in the UK. The experts tested samples from fishmongers and chip shops and found that hammerhead sharks are among the endangered species that are being served.

The majority of chip shop samples, which were sold under generic names like huss, rock salmon, and rock eel, were actually an endangered species of sharks known as spiny dogfish. Samples of shark fins collected from an Asian food wholesaler in the UK included scalloped hammerheads, which are threatened globally.

The researchers are calling for more accurate food labeling so people know what species they are actually eating.

“The discovery of endangered hammerhead sharks highlights how widespread the sale of declining species really is - even reaching Europe and the UK,” said Dr Andrew Griffiths. 

“Separate investigations focusing on Asia have commonly identified scalloped hammerhead in fin processing. Scalloped hammerhead can be imported under strict conditions, but the wholesaler had no idea what species the fin belonged to.”

The fins from the UK wholesaler, which were being distributed to Asian restaurants and supermarkets, also included other <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/endangered-whale-sharks-starvation/">threatened sharks</a> such as smalleye hammerheads.

“It's almost impossible for consumers to know what they are buying,” said study first author Catherine Hobbs. “People might think they're getting a sustainably sourced product when they're actually buying a threatened species.”

“There are also health issues. Knowing what species you are buying could be important in terms of allergies, toxins, mercury content and the growing concern over microplastics in the marine food chain. Our findings demonstrate the need for more informative and accurate seafood labelling.”

The team used “DNA barcoding” to analyze 78 samples from chip shops and 39 from fishmongers, mostly in southern England.

“Knowledge of shark species consumption in the UK, especially those of prohibited species and those of high conservation concern, enhances our ability to address the decline in shark populations,” said Hobbs.

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

People are unknowingly eating endangered sharks in the UK

Scientists at the University of Exeter have discovered that endangered...

A 10-day research trip exploring caves in the Turks and Caicos Islands near the Bahamas has uncovered a potentially new species of remipede, a centipede-like crustacean known to inhabit<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cave-organisms-methane-gas/"> extreme underwater environments</a>. 

The trip was led by Brett C. Gonzalez, a postdoctoral researcher at the <a href="https://www.si.edu/">Smithsonian</a>, along with an international team of cave divers and marine biologists

Gonzalez was accompanied by Tom Iliffe, a professor at <a href="http://www.tamug.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University at Galveston </a>and an expert in underwater cave exploration. 

Iliffe has explored over 1,500 underwater caves over his 40-year career and discovered more than 350 new species in the process, according to a <a href="https://today.tamu.edu/2019/01/25/texas-am-led-team-of-cave-divers-discover-new-remipede-species-in-caribbean/">Texas A&amp;M report</a>. Now, Iliffe can add another species to his roster as it’s thought that this latest research mission has shed light on at least one new species of remipede. 

Remipedes are long with paddle-like limbs, and they are blind and colorless due to their dark habitats 

“We collected what we believe is a new remipede species, likely related to those found in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico,” Iliffe told Texas A&amp;M. “Other new species of cave and marine life will likely be found once further examination is complete.”

The goal of the research trip was to explore anchialine caves near the Turks and Caicos and collect specimens for future DNA sequencing in the hopes of better understanding how the rare species that live in the caves adapted and evolved. 

Anchialine caves are landlocked caves that contain saltwater pools. Many blind and colorless species have been discovered in the extreme anchialine cave environments, and the species discovered resemble those that live in deep-sea ecosystems. 

The researchers focused their efforts on scale worms and remipedes in the caves, both of which are top predators. 

“I plan to use DNA sequencing technology to investigate similarities between these specimens and those living in the deep sea. This will aid us to understand how animals can adapt and live in such lightless, food poor habitats,” Gonzalez told Texas A&amp;M. “Extreme environments like anchialine caves and the deep sea drive some scale worms into the water column, enabling them to survive as predatory swimmers.” 

The researchers are working against the clock as many caves like the ones explored in this study are being polluted or destroyed leaving little trace of life behind. 

 “Time is critical and running out for this research,” Iliffe said. “Many of these caves are in danger of pollution or destruction. One cave in which we found a rich assortment of marine animals on our last trip here, is now polluted and lifeless. If we don’t obtain this information now, it may be lost to us forever.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Texas A&amp;M

Cave diving exploration uncovers new species of remipede

A 10-day research trip exploring caves in the Turks and...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uni-graz.at/">Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz </a>in Austria may have discovered the explanation behind a seemingly counterintuitive act of cuckoldry that occurs in the animal kingdom, particularly among <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/behavior-early-youth-influences-physical-body-traits/">cichlid fish</a>. 

Cuckoldry describes how some male cichlid fish mate with socially paired up females and end up fertilizing eggs in another male’s nest. This results in paternity loss and some parents end up caring for offspring that are not genetically their own. 

Evolutionarily speaking, this kind of behavior can be explained by the drive to pass on genetic material at any cost. 

However, upon closer inspection, the researchers discovered that the male cuckolders were choosing to fertilize eggs in the nest of a male relative and conducted a study to better understand this behavior. 

 “At first glance, this is evolutionarily puzzling because when males are related, we typically expect them to compete less with one another, not more,” said Kristina Sefc, the corresponding author of the study. “This ‘banding together’ of related males makes sense, however, when spawning events involve many males, including lots of unrelated males. Then, the male relatives essentially work together to compete against the host of unrelated males.”

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-018-0620-6">BMC Biology</a>.

The researchers tested the relationships between different male fish and their cuckolders by collecting and sampling offspring from 70 broods. 

Theoretical modeling and genetic testing allowed the researchers reconstruct 74 cuckolder genotypes. 

After analyzing and testing the offspring, the researchers realized that cuckolders sought out the nests of relatives more often than previously thought and there may be a good reason for this. 

Even though sharing the same DNA would dictate the fish go elsewhere to spread their genes, cuckoldry still ensures that the genes are passed on regardless of who fertilizes the eggs. 

Cuckoldry could also lessen the chances that other unrelated males will swoop in during spawning events. 

The researchers only tested one species of fish, but further studies may yield similar insights for other species in the animal kingdom. 

“This study has the potential to change our contemporary view of cuckoldry and paternity loss. Paternity loss is widespread across the animal kingdom, but outside of animals that live in close-knit family groups, relatedness between males and their cuckolders is often assumed to be zero,” said Aneesh Bose, the co-author of the study. “Here, we show that males can be related to their cuckolders and it will be exciting to see how widespread this phenomenon is in other species.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why some male fish fertilize eggs in their male relative’s nests

Researchers from the Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz in Austria may have discovered...

In a study of animals washed up on Britain's shores, experts have found <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-ingest-microplastics/">microplastics</a> in the guts of every single mammal they examined. A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> and <a href="https://www.pml.ac.uk/">Plymouth Marine Laboratory</a> (PML) analyzed the remains of 50 animals from 10 species of dolphins, seals, and whales.

The study revealed that 84 percent of the particles were synthetic fibers, which originate in many different sources including clothes, fishing nets, and toothbrushes. The rest of the particles were fragments of food packaging and plastic bottles.

“It's shocking - but not surprising - that every animal had ingested microplastics,” said study lead author Sarah Nelms. “The number of particles in each animal was relatively low (average of 5.5 particles per animal), suggesting they eventually pass through the digestive system, or are regurgitated.”

“We don't yet know what effects the microplastics, or the chemicals on and in them, might have on marine mammals. More research is needed to better understand the potential impacts on animal health.”

The animals examined for the study had died of a variety of causes, but the researchers noted that those who died from infectious diseases had a higher number of particles than those who died from other causes.

“We can't draw any firm conclusions on the potential biological significance of this observation,” said study co-author Professor Brendan Godley. “We are at the very early stages of understanding this ubiquitous pollutant.”

“We now have a benchmark that future studies can be compared with. Marine mammals are ideal sentinels of our impacts on the marine environment, as they are generally long lived and many feed high up in the food chain. Our findings are not good news.”

Dr. Penelope Lindeque is the head of the Marine Plastics research group at Plymouth Marine Laboratory. 

“It is disconcerting that we have found microplastic in the gut of every single animal we have investigated in this study,” said Dr. Lindeque. “Indeed, from our work over the years we have found microplastic in nearly all the species of marine animals we have looked at; from tiny zooplankton at the base of the marine food web to fish larvae, turtles and now dolphins, seals and whales.”

“We don't yet know the effects of these particles on marine mammals. Their small size means they may easily be expelled, but while microplastics are unlikely to be the main threat to these species, we are still concerned by the impact of the bacteria, viruses and contaminants carried on the plastic.”

“This study provides more evidence that we all need to help reduce the amount of plastic waste released to our seas and maintain clean, healthy and productive oceans for future generations.”

The research 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: Frazer Hodgkins &amp; CSIP

Microplastics found in every mammal washed up on Britain’s shores

In a study of animals washed up on Britain's shores,...

Scientists have identified a previously unknown relative of the dinosaurs that existed in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-increase-ice-mass-loss/">Antarctica</a> about 250 million years ago. The iguana-sized reptile has been given the name Antarctanax shackletoni, which means “Antarctic King.”

Study lead author Brandon Peecook is a researcher at the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a>.

“This new animal was an archosaur, an early relative of crocodiles and dinosaurs,” said Peecook. “On its own, it just looks a little like a lizard, but evolutionarily, it's one of the first members of that big group. It tells us how dinosaurs and their closest relatives evolved and spread.”

Based on its similarities to other fossil animals, the experts believe that Antarctanax was a carnivore that hunted bugs, early mammal relatives, and amphibians.

“The more we find out about prehistoric Antarctica, the weirder it is,” said Peecook. “We thought that Antarctic animals would be similar to the ones that were living in southern Africa, since those landmasses were joined back then. But we're finding that Antarctica's wildlife is surprisingly unique.”

Two million years before Antarctanax existed, the biggest mass extinction in the history of the Earth killed off 90 percent of all animals. New groups of animals began to emerge and archosaurs, including dinosaurs, flourished. 

“The more different kinds of animals we find, the more we learn about the pattern of archosaurs taking over after the mass extinction,” said Peecook.

“Before the mass extinction, archosaurs were only found around the Equator, but after it, they were everywhere. And Antarctica had a combination of these brand-new animals and stragglers of animals that were already extinct in most places--what paleontologists call ‘dead clades walking.’ You've got tomorrow's animals and yesterday's animals, cohabiting in a cool place.”

The discovery of Antarctanax confirms the theory that Antarctica experienced rapid evolution and diversification after the mass extinction.

“Antarctica is one of those places on Earth, like the bottom of the sea, where we're still in the very early stages of exploration. Antarctanax is our little part of discovering the history of Antarctica.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujvp20">Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a>  Staff Writer

Image (c) Adrienne Stroup, Field Museum

New iguana-sized reptile species found in Antarctica

Scientists have identified a previously unknown relative of the dinosaurs...

Between 2013 and 2015, the sunflower starfish, a predator within the waters of the North Pacific, experienced a massive population drop. Citizen science diving surveys show that the sunflower starfish could not grapple with a serious disease that took hold of the North Pacific during these two years. 

Now, the authors of a new study, put forth by the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>, have reported a link between the decline of sunflower star population within shallow waters and warmer sea surface temperatures.

The sea star wasting disease (SSWD) killed off a large amount of starfish along the west coast of North America, from Alaska to Mexico, between 2013 and 2015. The disease was carried by a sea star-associated densovirus and wreaked havoc in the intertidal zone. However, the effects of the North Pacific SSWD in the subtidal zone was unclear, except for the fact that scientists knew the sunflower starfish had dramatically declined in abundance.

Drew Harvell and his colleagues recruited divers between California and British Columbia to help report sunflower star population change. 10,956 diver surveys of shallow waters completed between 2006 and 2017 have shown a decrease in sunflower star abundance. Between 2006 and 2014, divers reported seeing an average of 100 sunflower stars during their dives. However, after 2014, 60-100% of diver surveys between California and Oregon reported zero to one sunflower star sightings per shallow water dive.

Authors further predict, based on 8,968 bottom trawls from California to Washington from 2004 to 2016, that the sunflower star’s biomass in deep offshore water has decreased 100% between 2013 and 2015 within this region. This decline matched up with the timeline of abnormally <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/warming-waters-increase-extreme-storms/">warm sea surface temperatures</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Ed Gullekson

Warm waters, disease responsible for predator sea star decline

Between 2013 and 2015, the sunflower starfish, a predator within...

Australia is extremely protective of its bees, and for a good reason. It’s the only country that doesn’t have to deal with the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/varroa-mites-honey-bees/">Varroa mite</a>, a parasitic mite that feeds off of honey bees and has been linked to the transmission of the deadly Deformed Wing Virus. 

No bee products that could contain or spread the virus are allowed into Australia and beekeepers work hard with legislatures to protect their bee colonies from the virus.

But a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a> has found that the mite and virus relationship has been largely misunderstood and Deformed Wing Virus doesn’t pose as much of a threat as previously thought.

It was believed that the Varroa mite transmitted extremely virulent strains of the Deformed Wing Virus, but it turns out this is not the case.

Instead, the researchers found that the mite is far more dangerous and efforts to protect Australia’s bees should incorporate new ways to ready bees for potential infestations as it’s only a matter of time before the mite invades Australia’s. 

“The prevailing wisdom is that the mite selects for very virulent strains of the virus,” said Madeleine Beekman, a member of the research team. “For that reason, the virus is now known as a very dangerous virus, and the Australian beekeepers are adamant this virus should not get into the country. But our work shows that the virus is more likely to be an innocent bystander.”

The researchers published their new findings in the journal Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

For the study, the team injected honey bee pupae with large quantities of the virus and tracked the transmission of the virus as it spread throughout the colony, looking specifically for any changes in the severity or virulence of the virus that could be explained by this transmission.

Typically, the mite will go from bee to bee and spread the virus. However, the researchers found that contrary to popular belief, the mite chooses a transmission route that selects against more dangerous and virulent viruses.

The virus that remains, the Deformed Wing Virus, is also not deadly.

“Our work therefore changes our understanding of the effect Varroa has on Deformed Wing Virus and the health of honey bee colonies,” said Beekman. “It means we don't have to be scared of the virus. Instead, we need to focus on eliminating the mite and reducing its numbers.”

The researchers say that more must be done to protect the bees against the mite as this is not the biggest threat to Australia’s bee populations.

“If we want to protect the bees, it now no longer seems to make sense to try to combat the virus," said  Beekman. “Instead, there needs to be a renewed focus on ensuring the number of mites in honey bee colonies remain low.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Pixabay

Bee virus is not as dangerous as the mite that carries it

Australia is extremely protective of its bees, and for a...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

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Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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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

[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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" 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> 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?

[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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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...

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