High in northern Peru, three frogs no bigger than a thumbprint have stepped out of anonymity and into the scientific spotlight. Their world is a maze of wet cliffs, dripping bromeliads, and wind‑scoured ridges where moss carpets the rocks.



“They’re <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-frog-day-2025-protecting-natures-tiny-guardians/">small</a> and unassuming, but these frogs are powerful reminders of how much we still don’t know about the Andes,” said Germán Chávez of the Center for Ornithology and Biodiversity (<a href="https://corbidi.org/">CORBIDI</a>). 



Chávez and his colleagues trekked those ridges between 2021 and 2024, often in freezing rain, to reach calling sites above 9,000 feet.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mountains-support-unique-frog-species">Mountains support unique frog species</h2>



The <a href="https://blog.pensoft.net/2025/06/27/hidden-gems-in-the-mist-three-new-frog-species-uncovered-in-northern-peru/cordillera-de-huancabamba-1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cordillera de Huancabamba</a> forms a natural break in the Andes, splitting watersheds and isolating species. 



Ecologists classify the region as a <a href="https://www.cepf.net/sites/default/files/tropicalandes_techsummary.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity hotspot</a>, one of only thirty‑five on Earth where extraordinary endemism collides with severe habitat loss.



"The Cordillera de Huancabamba is not just a remote range - it's a living archive of biodiversity and cultural legacy," said Wilmar Aznaran. "And we've barely scratched the surface."



Isolation breeds novelty, and novelty fills the genus Pristimantis. With 619 described species, Pristimantis is now the most diverse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/whistling-forest-frogs-recently-discovered-may-be-wiped-out-before-we-learn-about-them/">amphibian</a> genus on the planet.



The new frogs, Pristimantis chinguelas, P. nunezcortezi, and P. yonke, occupy different niches along the same ridge. One clings to cliff faces, one prowls leaf litter beside clear streams, and the smallest tucks itself deep inside tank bromeliads.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirming-the-new-species">Confirming the new species</h2>



Night surveys began after dusk, when temperatures hovered near 50 °F and fog erased headlamp beams. Team members listened for faint “peep” notes that barely rose above dripping leaves. 



Finding a caller did not end the chase. Each frog had to be photographed, swabbed for DNA, measured, and released without harming delicate skin.



Back in Lima, the researchers compared mitochondrial 16S sequences. Genetic distances exceeded the three‑percent threshold herpetologists often use to flag separate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/missing-frog-species-alsodes-vittatus-resurfaces-after-130-years/">species</a>, clinching the case for formal description.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-many-amphibians-are-poorly-studied">Many amphibians are poorly studied </h2>



All three newcomers enter the IUCN books as <a href="https://www.thebhs.org/publications/the-herpetological-bulletin/issue-number-169-autumn-2024/4079-03-how-many-data-deficient-amphibians-are-threatened-iucn-red-list-assessments-for-amphibian-species-previously-classed-as-data-deficient" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Data Deficient</a>, meaning scientists lack enough information to judge extinction risk. 



The label sounds neutral, yet recent reassessments show that roughly half of amphibians that start as Data Deficient later prove threatened.



Formal names unlock funding and legal tools that nameless creatures rarely receive. Conservation plans, environmental‑impact statements, and protected‑area budgets almost always hinge on a taxon’s standing in recognized databases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-indicators-of-climate-shifts">Indicators of climate shifts</h2>



The Cordillera de Huancabamba isn't just a biological goldmine, it’s wrapped in layers of folklore. In nearby villages, frogs are often seen as signs of rain or omens tied to agriculture and spiritual beliefs.



This cultural lens makes local communities key allies for conservation. When researchers name <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/frogs-lead-the-way-in-developing-new-antibiotics/">species</a> after regional icons or traditions, like P. yonke, they honor local identity and encourage stewardship.



Unlike most frogs, species in the <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/64811-Pristimantis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pristimantis genus</a> bypass the tadpole stage entirely. They hatch from eggs as fully formed froglets, ready to climb, hop, and call without ever entering water.



This reproductive shortcut allows them to thrive in places where standing water is rare or seasonal. It also makes them sensitive indicators of climate shifts and microhabitat changes in mountain ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-frog-species-in-fire-prone-habitats">Frog species in fire-prone habitats</h2>



Each frog occupies an area smaller than four square miles, hemmed in by crop fields and fire scars. Peru recorded about 10,400 wildfires in 2024, more than double its previous record, burning grasslands and cloud‑forest edges alike.



P. chinguelas calls from a road‑cut cliff where charred bamboo still smells of smoke. P. nunezcortezi shares a single stream corridor that now borders new potato plots.



P. yonke lives higher, inside bromeliads at roughly 9,800 feet, in what locals call the <a href="https://lacgeo.com/northern-andean-paramo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">páramo</a>, a chilly grassland‑wetland mosaic perched above the treeline. 



Páramo vegetation stores water like a sponge, so every lost bromeliad weakens both the frogs and the human communities farther down‑slope.



“Exploring this area is more than fieldwork - it’s an immersion into wilderness, culture, and resilience,” said Karen Victoriano‑Cigüeñas.&nbsp;



"Many of these mountain&nbsp;ridges&nbsp;are isolated, with no roads and extreme terrain," noted Ivan Wong. "The weather shifts within minutes, and the steep cliffs make every step a challenge. It's no wonder so few scientists have worked here before. But that's exactly why there's still so much to find."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-the-new-frog-species">Protecting the new frog species </h2>



No one has recorded the breeding calls of P. nunezcortezi or P. yonke, so females remain unverified. Diet, predators, and lifespan also remain mysteries for all three species.



Future expeditions will test whether the frogs persist on neighboring ridges or whether each ridge hosts its own micro‑endemic. 



Acoustic monitors and <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.2353" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eDNA traps</a> could reveal silent populations hiding in moss tunnels or bromeliad tanks beyond the reach of hikers.



For now, the frogs depend on local goodwill. Community fire patrols, low‑impact grazing, and small protected micro‑reserves can buy time while researchers gather the missing data.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://evolsyst.pensoft.net/article/148522/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Evolutionary Systematics</a>.



Image Credit: Germán Chávez et. al



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Three new frog species found in Peru face an uncertain future

High in northern Peru, three frogs no bigger than a thumbprint have stepped out of anonymity and into the scientific spotlight. Their world is a maze of wet cliffs, dripping bromeliads, and wind‑scoured ridges where moss carpets the rocks. “They’re small and unassuming, but these frogs are powerful reminders of how much we still don’t know about the Andes,” said Germán Chávez of the Center for Ornithology and Biodiversity (CORBIDI). Chávez and his colleagues trekked those ridges between 2021 and 2024, often in freezing rain, to reach...

Hedgehogs seem to be quickly disappearing from rural areas in England where the species was once abundant. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a> recently conducted one of the most comprehensive surveys of hedgehogs in England in Wales in the first study of its kind. 

The results, published in the journal Scientific Reports, show that hedgehogs are not nearly abundant in rural areas as they once were and have disappeared from 80 percent of the countryside. 

Hedgehogs instead seem to be seeking refuge in urban landscapes because <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/north-american-species-extinction/">habitat degradation</a> and agricultural operations are disrupting their natural habitats. 

The researchers used “footprint tracking tunnels” to survey hedgehog and badger abundance in the 261 rural sites in England and Wales. 

Hedgehogs are prey to the badger, but both species rely on worms and bugs for food and so understanding how badger and hedgehog populations cohabitate areas is also important to understanding hedgehog declines. 

Tunnels with food at one end were set up in the different sites and the hedgehogs would then walk through the tunnel which had small ink pads and paper so that any animal that walked through the tunnel would leave little footprints. 

Hedgehogs were present in just 55 of the 261 sites surveyed which translates to 21 percent. 

“Although hedgehogs were generally widely distributed, they were actually found at a worryingly low number of sites,” said Ben Williams of the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a>. “We also found hedgehogs were absent from 71 percent of sites that did not have badger setts either, indicating both hedgehogs and badgers may be absent from large portions of rural England and Wales.”

Badgers were found at 49 percent of the 55 sites that had hedgehog footprints showing that even though the two share a predator/prey relationship, they do live in the same habitats together. 

Because the two species have some of the same food preferences, the habitat degradation and agricultural activities contributing to food scarcity could be driving both the hedgehog and badger out of rural areas. 

Where are the hedgehogs going? According to the researchers, urban areas offer a refuge to the species. 

“Therefore, houses, villages, and towns bordering more rural landscapes are important areas for hedgehogs and may become increasingly so if we continue to see the rate of declines we are currently witnessing in rural Britain,” said Williams. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Major declines in hedgehog populations in the UK countryside

Hedgehogs seem to be quickly disappearing from rural areas in...

Print

A unique species of lizard in the Mojave Desert is able to change its coloring based on its environment, and the change happens over a short period of time, according to a new study. 

Side-blotched lizards typically have a sandy coloring, but on the Pisgah Lava Flow in the eastern region of the Mojave Desert, the lizards have extremely dark coloring. 

This varied coloring previously puzzled scientists as it was not understood how the lizards, which had evolved to adapt to a specific environment, could <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-camouflage-climate-change/">change their coloring</a> and live on the dark, volcanic rocks. 

One possible explanation is the “Baldwin effect,” which states that many traits in animals are not fixed but can change if necessary. It’s “phenotypic plasticity” allows an animal to change its appearance to thrive in a new environment. These changes eventually spread through the population. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">University of California Santa-Cruz</a> examined side-blotched lizards on the Pisgah Flow and were able to identify the underlying mechanisms that create the Baldwin effect.

The study was published in the journal Current Biology and the results present the most detailed example of the Baldwin effect in the wild. 

Not only can the lizards easily change their colors, but the researchers found that the colors begin changing in just a week of being introduced to a new environment. 

The researchers discovered which genes regulate coloration in the lizards and found differences in the genes between the sandy-colored lizards and the dark-colored lizards.

“Baldwin predicted that plasticity allows organisms to colonize new environments, and they then develop new adaptations through natural selection,” said Ammon Corl, the first author of the study, who had been researching side-blotched lizards for more than 30 years. “ Until now, however, we have lacked the genetic tools to show this is going on in a field setting."

The researchers studied the plasticity of the lizard’s coloration and the underlying genetic mechanisms that influenced these changes. 

When the researchers moved the lizards from one color background to another, changes in skin color were observed within a week and continued over a gradual period of time. 

It’s not just the Pisgah lizards that have the plasticity to match the dark rocks. The researchers found that both populations of lizards have the ability to change colors, but there were genetic differences between the two as well. 

“We've studied side-blotched lizards all over, even at another lava flow, and these genetic variants are only found at Pisgah, so we know that's where they arose,” said Barry Sinervo, the study’s coauthor. “These are genes that govern coloration by controlling the melanin production pathway, but in a complex way. The Pisgah lizards have the best match to the color of the lava of any population, yet they can still go back to sand and match a completely different background.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Corl et al., Current Biology, 2018

Adaptation allows lizards to completely change their color

A unique species of lizard in the Mojave Desert is...

The plastics and chemicals that we use on land often find their way into the ocean, most notably in the Pacific garbage patch, which is an island of garbage the size of Texas floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This plastic garbage can get tangled up with and ingested by marine life, causing harm to the species that get entrapped by our trash. Additionally, chemicals that are commonly used by humans can be harmful to animals as well. 

Now, scientists have found that the chemical compounds used in a variety of household products – from cleaning supplies to cosmetics – have been discovered in the bodies of wild marine mammals. 

Scientists report that they have found the presence of phthalates in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-dive-deeper/">dolphins’</a> urine for the first time, which indicates that these chemicals are staying in the body long enough to be metabolized. Phthalates are known to be endocrine disruptors, which have been linked to hormonal and reproductive issues in humans. Known side effects include low sperm count and abnormal development of reproductive organs. But as of right now, it isn’t known how the presence of phthalates will affect dolphins.

The study that helped researchers determine all of this involved collecting urine samples from dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida between 2016 and 2017. Past research had shown the presence of phthalate metabolites in dolphins’ blubber and skin – but these new findings are more concerning. 

Analysis of urine samples from 17 wild dolphins revealed phthalate metabolites in 17 percent of the dolphins assessed, with researchers testing for nine specific phthalates. 

“We focused on urine in dolphins because, in previous studies of humans, that has been the most reliable matrix to indicate short-term exposure,” says Leslie Hart, a professor of public health at the <a href="http://www.cofc.edu/">College of Charleston</a>.

Despite this discovery, it’s still not known what the source of these phthalate levels could be. However, the researchers do point to plastic waste as the likely cause, since high concentrations of a specific compound commonly added to plastics for durability and lubrication was found in the dolphins’ urine. 

“These chemicals can enter marine waters from urban runoff and agricultural or industrial emissions, but we also know that there is a lot of plastic pollution in the environment,” Hart explains.

Unfortunately for the other marine life that lives in Sarasota Bay, these chemicals being found in dolphins likely means that other species have been exposed as well. It’s clear that what we do on land has impacts that are hard to see once they reach the ocean, but they’re present, and they likely have significant consequences.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Harmful human-made chemical compounds found in dolphins

The plastics and chemicals that we use on land often...

We all know that many species of animals <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-zealand-penguins-migrate/">migrate</a> each year, whether to escape the harsh winter or come together and reproduce. But have you ever thought about how these animals think to migrate in the first place? Scientists know that many bird, fish, and insect migrations are driven by genetics – but there has been a lack of information about what drives ungulates (hooved mammals) to migrate… until now.

Biologists have long suspected the ungulates learn to migrate from their mothers or other animals in their herd. Past research has indicated that ungulates learn about migration through social interaction, but no clear tests were able to be performed to confirm this theory. 

However, in a recent study published in <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>, a team of researchers from the <a href="http://www.uwyo.edu/">University of Wyoming</a> have reported the first empirical evidence that hooved mammals must learn where and when to migrate, and that they enact these seasonal migrations through passing cultural knowledge across generations.

The researchers took advantage of existing translocation programs being done to re-establish bighorn sheep herds in the American West – a process that has been going on for the last 60 years as hunting and disease devastated populations. In the few populations that survived, the bighorn sheep continued to migrate. Some of these animals were captured and released into habitats where their species had once existed. 

“The pattern was striking,” says Brett Jesmer, a doctoral student at UW and lead author of the study. “Detailed GPS data revealed that fewer than 9 percent of translocated animals migrated, but 65 to 100 percent of animals migrated in herds that had never been lost.”

The absence of migration behavior for translocated animals was likely due to their being unfamiliar with their habitat. This supports the theory that migration requires extended periods for animals to explore, learn the location of food, and pass the information to other members of their herd. When migration behaviors are passed from generation to generation, this socially learned behavior is considered to be part of the animal’s culture.

The study’s authors were also curious about how long it would take for ungulate species to learn to migrate. Ecologists know that ungulates migrate to “surf green waves” of nutritious food, moving along with plants growing on mountain slopes. By GPS tracking both bighorn sheep and moose, the researchers found that, not surprisingly, long-established herds were significantly better at finding nutritious food than animals that were translocated to unfamiliar landscapes.

Interestingly, the GPS data showed that translocated herds learned to surf green waves over the course of many decades, and those that surfed better were also more likely to migrate. 

“These results indicate that ungulates accumulate knowledge of their landscapes over time, and cultural transmission of this knowledge is necessary for migrations to arise and persist,” says Jesmer.

This study also shows the importance of preserving habitats that include migration corridors, so as not to disturb a species’ natural rhythms. When a migration route is lost, part of the culture of that species is lost as well.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Travis Zaffarano Trailcam Photo, Wyoming Migration Initiative

Migration is a shared cultural learning amongst big game animals

We all know that many species of animals migrate each...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/prior-mass-extinction-dinosaurs/">Mass extinctions</a> have occurred throughout history, resulting in the disappearance of countless species through a variety of extinction events. Now, a new study published in <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a> has shed light on why these mass extinctions happen, and how we can use this information to possibly predict upcoming ecological disasters.

Massive changes in ecological systems can occur suddenly, and often result in the extinction of the species that are a part of them, as well as the loss of biodiversity as a whole. One of the main challenges in understanding why these changes happen is that they tend to occur under what seems to be steady environmental conditions – thus, they cannot be directly linked to a specific environmental change.

Researchers from the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/">University of Leicester</a> investigated sudden ecological transitions that have happened throughout history, ranging from mass mortality events in the distant past to more recent extinctions that we have witness in the last few decades. Through combining empirical data, mathematical models, and insights from ecological theory, the research team found that sudden transitions in an ecosystem can occur as a result of long-term transient dynamics, which include “ghost attractors” and “crawl-bys.”

A ghost attractor is described as a special configuration of an ecosystem that exhibits “end-state” behavior, but only for a finite period of time. After that time, the system usually goes through a fast evolution or transition to another state which may have very different properties. This transition would correspond to a catastrophe or major ecological shift.

Crawl-bys occur when changes to the dynamics of an ecosystem occur slowly over a long period of time. 

“An ecological catastrophe emerging from a ‘ghost attractor’ or a ‘crawl-by’ may be a debt that we have to pay for the actions or mistakes – for example unsustainable use of natural resources – made many generations ago,” explains Sergei Petrovskii, a professor at the University of Leicester. “Our research shows that a healthy ecosystem will not necessarily remain healthy, even in the absence of any significant environmental change. Therefore, better monitoring of the state of an ecosystem is required to mitigate potential disasters.”

Petrovskii also states that this research can help us look for signs of an upcoming catastrophe. 

“These findings create a new paradigm as well as a powerful theoretical framework for understanding – and potentially predicting – ecological catastrophes and for their efficient management.”

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why do mass extinctions occur?

Mass extinctions have occurred throughout history, resulting in the disappearance...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have demonstrated how some species adapt and change in response to conflict with another species, in a process known as “host-pathogen coevolution.” The team found that the bacterial pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum evolved to become more potent after North American house finches developed a greater resistance to it.

“Our results show how these competitors respond to each other over time,” said study co-author Dr. Camille Bonneaud. “As the finches evolve better resistance to the pathogen, the pathogen becomes more potent to overcome these defenses.” 

"It is widely assumed that animals - including humans - coevolve with their infectious pathogens and become ever more resistant, but in fact most direct evidence for this comes from studies of bacteria and their viral pathogens.”

“In this study we show how a pathogen can shape evolution in a vertebrate and how this has consequences for the pathogen.”

The research was supported by Alabama’s <a href="http://www.auburn.edu/">Auburn University</a> and <a href="http://asu.edu">Arizona State University</a>, and was focused on the differences among finch populations in these two states. House finches in Alabama have been exposed to Mycoplasma gallisepticum for over 20 years, while finches in Arizona have not yet been exposed to it.

The study revealed that exposure to the pathogen caused eye swelling in birds from both states, but the Alabama birds had developed some resistance which made them three times less likely to show symptoms that would lead to death in the wild. In addition, as the birds became more resistant, the pathogen evolved to become more virulent. 

“The Plague and more recently the pandemic of HIV are sobering reminders of the impacts that emerging infectious diseases can have on us,” said Dr. Bonneaud. “We know that we can see the signature of such impacts on our genome.”

“This study provides a direct demonstration that these outbreaks can shape our evolution and that how we respond will, in turn, shape the evolution of our infectious pathogens.”


The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, Earth.com Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Geoff Hill, <a href="http://www.auburn.edu/">Auburn University</a>

Species in conflict evolve in response to each other

Researchers at the University of Exeter have demonstrated how some...

The Red Sea was once considered the least plastic-polluted body of water in the world, which is no small given how many tons of plastic waste is produced every day. 

However, researchers recently found microplastics in the guts of one in every six fish in the Red Sea, showing once again that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/biodegradable-plastic-pollution/">plastic pollution</a> truly is a global crisis. 

The new Red Sea study raises alarms because many people eat fish in the region and there is concern that contaminated fish could pass on microplastics to humans that consume them. 

Microplastics can come from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microfibers-clothing-polluting-oceans/">synthetic clothing fibers</a>, plastic to-go containers, and even plastics used as cleaning agents in bath and kitchen products. 

The plastics break down and are sometimes eaten by fish which mistake the plastic for food. The plastic can then damage the fish’s intestinal tract and organs as it’s digested and the toxins contaminate the fish, which in turn can be harmful to humans who eat the fish. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.kaust.edu.sa/">King Abdullah University of Science and Technology</a> in Saudi Arabia made the discovery and the results show that fish in the Red Sea are exposed to just as much plastic as other major bodies of water.

178 fish from 26 different species across four Red Sea habitats were collected by the researchers. The researchers then examined the stomach content of the fish and found microplastics in as many as one in six of the 178 fish studied. 

These numbers match other microplastic statistics from different bodies of water, according to <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6135365/Microplastics-guts-one-six-Red-Sea-fish.html">the Daily Mail. </a>

“The major finding of this study is that microplastic pollution has reached our commercial and non-commercial fish species and might contaminate the fish we consume,” Fadiyah Baalkhuyur, a co-author of the study, told the Daily Mail.

The majority of the plastic pieces found in the fish came from synthetic fibers and other broken down plastic waste. 

The next step for the researchers is working to understand how microplastics are consumed by fish in the Red Sea. 

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By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Microplastics found inside 1 in 6 fish in the Red Sea

The Red Sea was once considered the least plastic-polluted body...

It has been widely assumed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/whale-sharks-stay-home/">sharks</a> are strictly meat-eaters, but a new study has identified a shark species that can live on a plant- or a meat-based diet. The bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo, is a relatively small hammerhead shark found in coastal waters around the United States. Scientists have now established that the bonnethead is a flexitarian, or a semi-vegetarian.

Around a decade ago, it was discovered that bonnethead sharks consume massive amounts of seagrass. In fact, more than 62 percent of their stomach contents have been found to contain seagrass in previous research. 

However, scientists thought that the ingestion of seagrass was unintentional, occurring by mistake when the bonnetheads were hunting for their prey in shallow waters. It was not yet known that the bonnetheads could actually digest the seagrass for nourishment. 

Study lead author Samantha Leigh is an expert in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Irvine.

“It has been assumed by most that this consumption was incidental and that it provided no nutritional value,” Leigh told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us">The Guardian</a>. “I wanted to see how much of this seagrass diet the sharks could digest, because what an animal consumes is not necessarily the same as what it digests and retains nutrients from.

The study revealed that five bonnethead sharks were digesting over half of the organic material found in the seagrass.


“Bonnethead sharks are not only consuming copious amounts of seagrass but they are actually capable of digesting and assimilating seagrass nutrients, making them clear omnivores,” wrote the study authors. “This is the first species of shark ever to be shown to have an omnivorous digestive strategy.”


The study is published in the <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

First vegetarian shark found who only feeds on seagrass

It has been widely assumed that sharks are strictly meat-eaters,...

A <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2018/08/01/382697.full.pdf">new study</a> from the <a href="https://ufrj.br/">Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro</a> has illuminated the actions of the protein component of fire ant venom on envenomated mice. 

Unusually for hymenopterans, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), also referred to as RIFA, produces venom that is largely composed of alkaloids, which are more frequently found in plants. More than 95% of the venom is made up of these alkaloids, known as solenopsins. Proteins make up less than 1%. Solenopsins are cytotoxic and are responsible for the formation of the distinctive pseudo-pustules left by fire ant stings. These painful welts look like pimples and appear soon after the ant stings. 

Solenopsins also appear to have fungicidal, herbicidal, bactericidal, and insecticidal properties. In addition to aiding in prey capture and defense, they are used in nest maintenance, presumably to eliminate undesirable organisms from the ant colony. Interestingly, though they also have neurotoxic effects and are responsible for the release of histamines by affected cells, solenopsins appear to have no role in the allergic response to fire ant stings. 

The allergic response is instead caused by the 46 proteins known from the venom, four of which are well-described. Determining the pathways by which this happens has until recently been challenging due to the difficulty in extracting and isolating these proteins. 

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/how-just-a-few-drops-of-viper-venom-call-kill-you/">Venom</a> amounts to some .1% of the body weight of a fire ant and only a small proportion of that amount constitutes proteins. However, a <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82571129.pdf">recent procedure</a> developed for extracting venom and purifying the protein components allowed the study’s authors to test their effects in vivo on mice without the complicating factor of the solenopsins. 

Upon entering the body for the first time, the venom proteins are enveloped by dendritic cells and transported to lymph nodes. The dendritic cells present the peptide antigens generated by the proteins, coupled to a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/major-histocompatibility-complex">major histocompatibility class II molecule</a> spanning the cell membrane, to naive T lymphocytes. T lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell key in regulating the immune system. Once activated by exposure to the antigens, they clone themselves. The lymphocytes then trigger a cascade of further activity, including the release of immunoglobin E (IgE) antibodies, which then bind to mast cells, a type of white blood cell that is know as the “master regulator” of the immune system. Upon a second exposure, antigens from the venom signal the mast cells to release histamines in amounts disproportionate to the actual effects of the antigens. This is responsible for the inflammatory response typical of an allergic reaction. Adding to the inflammation is the activation of eosiniphils, another type of white blood, which are stimulated to release harmful proteins in an effort to destroy the antigen. These substances also cause tissue damage. 

In this study, the authors injected purified RIFA venom into the hind footpad of a previously unexposed mouse. Fourteen days later, they administered a second injection, either in another footpad or into the peritoneal cavity, the space between the lining of the abdominal wall and the abdominal cavity itself. The second footpad injection resulted in marked swelling. Fluid drained from the peritoneum following exposure revealed elevated levels of eosinophils, suggesting an allergic response. Additionally, dissected lymph nodes from sensitized mice revealed hyperplasia, or enlargement, suggesting a strong immune response to the venom proteins.

This development is important due to the ubiquity of the red imported fire ant and its negative interactions with humans. Some 14 million people in the U.S. alone are thought to suffer stings each year and up to 100,000 seek medical attention. Originally from South America, the ant has been transported around the world by shipping and is now established in China, Vietnam, and Australia, among other locales. Knowledge of the actions of fire ant venom proteins is likely to assist in treating allergic individuals. 

This study is forthcoming in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a> (Nature).

--

By <a href="mailto:rtpallardy@gmail.com">Richard Pallardy</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Credits to Eduardo G P Fox and Roberto Eizemberg

Venom proteins cause allergic response to fire ant stings

A new study from the Universidade Federal do Rio de...

A new study by Dr. Grant Lipman, a clinical associate professor of Emergency Medicine at the <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/">Stanford School of Medicine</a>, has found that drought is a good predictor of fewer snakebites.

Dr. Lipman, who routinely treats patients with venomous snakebites, said: “I wondered if there are more snake bites during droughts.” 

To investigate, he developed a study with a team of researchers including co-lead author Dr. Caleb Phillips, an adjunct assistant professor of Computer Science at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado-Boulder</a>.


“We set out to prove that, yes, there are more snakebites during high drought time especially since that's what we were taught,” said Dr. Lipman.

The experts were surprised to find that the number of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/how-just-a-few-drops-of-viper-venom-call-kill-you/">snakebites</a> actually decreases after a drought, but increases after periods of rainy weather. 

The study also revealed that an increase in weather extremes caused by climate change has a direct influence on snakebite incidence in California. According to the study authors, this could be useful to help guide public health measures, such as determining the best distribution of antivenom supplies.

The analysis was focused on 20 years of snakebite data from every phone call made to the California Poison Control System from 1997 to 2017. 

A total of 5,365 snake bites were reported, all of which were from rattlesnakes. The average age of patients was found to be 37, and the researchers also determined that five deaths occurred over the study period. Most of the fatalities involved male victims who were at home in the backyard when they were bitten.

“The most common comment I usually hear from snakebite victims in the emergency room is: ‘I was just minding my own business,’” said Dr. Lipman “Usually, though, it's the snakes that were minding their own business, having a nice nap. It's people who tend to disturb them.”

The experts determined that snakebite incidence decreased by 10 percent following a drought, and increased by 10 percent following high levels of precipitation. The researchers theorize that an increase in rainfall results in accelerated shrub growth, which boosts the presence of rodents - the primary food source of snakes. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ictx20">Clinical Toxicology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A decrease in rainfall is actually linked to fewer snakebites

A new study by Dr. Grant Lipman, a clinical associate...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/largest-extinction-event-ever/">Extinction</a> is (ironically) a part of life in nature. Some animals become unfit for their changing environment or are outcompeted by other species, and their population numbers ultimately dwindle to zero. Although too often these days, it seems that species’ extinctions are a result of human impact, whether through hunting or environmental destruction. This seems to be the case in the recently-announced extinction of eight bird species that were previously listed as endangered species.

<a href="https://www.birdlife.org/">BirdLife International</a>, a group of conservation non-governmental organizations based in the UK, performed a statistical analysis of endangered species, examining 51 species labeled “critically endangered” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s red list. The results of their analysis showed that eight bird species should now be added to the list of confirmed or “highly likely” extinctions.

Four of the extinctions are species native to Brazil, including the Spix’s macaw – a brilliant blue species of parrot that was a main character in the animated move Rio. The last known wild sighting of this bird was in 2000, although captive birds are still breeding in restoration programs. The three other species, the poo-uli, cryptic treehunter, and Alagoas foliage-gleaner, may be gone forever. 

The poo-uli was only found on the island of Maui in Hawaii, and has not been seen since 2004. Captive breeding of this species has been wholly unsuccessful. Since its discovery in north-eastern Brazil in 2002, the cryptic treehunter has not been seen in the wild since 2007, likely due to loss of habitat. Additionally, the Alagoas foliage-gleaner – a small forest bird native to Brazil – is believed to have become extinct in 2011 due to heavy deforestation. Clearly, human activity has been devastating to these bird populations.

Two of the eight species to be reclassified as extinct include the glaucous macaw and the Pernambuco pygmy-owl, both of which have had their habitats destroyed by humans for farming and logging. Further analysis from BirdLife International has found that extinctions are only increasing, particularly in South America, where habitat due to unsustainable agriculture, drainage, and logging is prominent.

“Because we know birds better than any other taxonomic class we know which other species are most at risk,” says Stuart Butchart, the chief scientist at BirdLife International. “We hope this study will inspire a redoubling of efforts to prevent other extinctions.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation

Eight species of birds to be declared as extinct

Extinction is (ironically) a part of life in nature. Some...

The role of monitoring species populations in wildlife management and environmental conservation cannot be understated. Monitoring allows researchers to track <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/population-declines-underway-extinct/">population declines</a>, understand how climate change is impacting certain ecosystems, and even project future trends for a species’ survival. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.penguins.org.au/">Phillip Island Nature Parks</a> in Victoria, Australia shows just how effective long-term monitoring programs can be in tracking population numbers over time. 

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0200253">PLOS ONE</a> and examines how many fur seal pups have been born since species-wide protection was first implemented in 1975. 

For the first time ever since those protections were put in place, seal pup numbers have declined,  which was discovered after the researchers reviewed the monitoring data through the years. 

Fur seals are a key predator in Australia, but the species is facing many challenges including ecotourism and fishing operations. Understanding how populations are changing in response to these challenges is crucial for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tracking-marine-predators-conservation/">conservation</a> and ensuring their continued survival. 

The researchers reviewed live seal pup census data gathered in the summers of 2002, 2007, and 2013 thanks to a large-scale monitoring program. 

After reviewing the data, the team found that the monitoring program was both accurate and effective in its recording of seal pup census information.

The research also showed that since 2007, seal pup populations have been declining by around 4.2 percent every year, the first ever declines since the 1970s. 

The researchers say that that the results could help with implementing and assessing other monitoring programs for different species and ecosystems. 

“As wildlife managers it is important for us to regularly review our monitoring programs to examine the reliability of the information we have collected, and also to identify enhancements which may assist in a greater understanding of any population changes detected,” said Roland Pick, the communications executive for Phillip Island Nature Parks. “We are currently using drone technology and Citizen Science programs at Phillip Island Nature Parks to enhance our monitoring of Seal Rocks as the largest breeding colony for the species.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Phillip Island Nature Parks

Fur seal pup populations down for the first time since the 1970s

The role of monitoring species populations in wildlife management and...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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