The sight of a whale shark, the largest fish alive today, leaves most people humbled. Its slow, graceful movements and gentle nature often make them symbols of the ocean’s mystery. Yet behind this serene image lies a struggle for survival.



Populations have fallen sharply, and their biology makes recovery slow. The findings of a new study from Indonesian waters not only reveal the scale of human impacts but also highlight why protecting whale sharks is vital for ocean health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-whale-shark-decline-accelerates">Whale shark decline accelerates</h2>



Over the last 75 years, global whale shark numbers have dropped by more than half. In the Indo-Pacific, declines are even steeper. 



Hunting, habitat disruption, and entanglements push whale sharks closer to extinction. Because they take up to 30 years to mature, populations rebound very slowly. 



Large-bodied species like whale sharks face unique risks in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/silent-invasion-how-microplastics-are-disrupting-land-ecosystems/">ecosystems</a> since they grow slowly, reproduce late, and invest heavily in fewer offspring. 



The researchers noted that the disappearance of such giants can ripple through marine systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-injuries-trace-back-to-people">Injuries trace back to people</h2>



In the Bird’s Head Seascape of West Papua, the research team found 62 percent of whale sharks bore scars or wounds, mostly from human actions.



“We found that scars and injuries were mainly from anthropogenic causes, such as collisions with ‘bagans’ - traditional fishing platforms with lift nets - and whale shark-watching tour boats,” said Dr. Edy Setyawan of the <a href="https://www.elasmobranchinstitute.id" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elasmobranch Institute Indonesia</a>.



“Relatively harmless minor abrasions were the most common. Serious injuries from natural causes such as predator attacks, or from boat propellers were much less common."



Patterns in ecology show that when human activities concentrate near feeding or breeding grounds, injury rates increase significantly. 



According to the study, direct human pressures such as vessel strikes and fishing gear interactions remain among the greatest global threats to megafauna. Whale sharks are no exception.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-following-the-gentle-giants">Following the gentle giants</h2>



Between 2010 and 2023, the scientists tracked whale sharks across Cenderawasih Bay, Kaimana, Raja Ampat, and Fakfak. This biodiversity hotspot hosts 26 marine protected areas. Using the distinctive spot patterns of each shark, the researchers identified 268 individuals.



Nearly all sightings occurred near bagans, where whale sharks fed on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-warming-threatens-the-global-fish-supply/">baitfish</a> like anchovies and sprats. Most were juvenile males, four to five meters long. More than half were resighted, including one young male recorded 34 times over three years.



From an ecological lens, these observations support a classic theory: young individuals often use coastal waters rich in food, while adults migrate offshore into deeper, less accessible habitats.



Such ontogenetic shifts are common across marine megafauna and are essential for population survival.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-injuries-reshape-populations">Injuries reshape populations</h2>



Of 206 sharks with scars, over 80 percent carried human-caused injuries. Serious wounds, including lacerations and blunt trauma, were rare but concerning. More often, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/whale-sharks-move-into-dangerous-territory-as-the-climate-warms/">sharks</a> bore superficial abrasions from rubbing against fishing gear and boats.



Studies across marine ecology emphasize that while minor wounds may not kill, cumulative injuries reduce overall fitness.



Injured animals often change behavior, avoid key feeding zones, or expend more energy healing. Over time, this shapes population dynamics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-female-whale-sharks-live-in-deep-seas">Female whale sharks live in deep seas</h2>



A lingering question is the absence of females and older individuals, since previous studies show that adult whale sharks - especially females - prefer the deep ocean where they feed on prey like krill and schooling fish.



By contrast, younger males remain near shore in shallow, plankton-rich waters that help them grow quickly.



“Our own satellite tracking data also show that females and adults frequently use deep sea features such as canyons and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seamounts-are-gathering-hubs-for-ocean-predators/">seamounts</a>,” said study co-author Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra.



Ecological theory explains this pattern: sexual segregation often arises in large marine vertebrates, with males and females exploiting different ecological niches to reduce competition and improve survival chances. This strategy is a driver of population resilience across species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tourism-brings-dangers-to-whale-sharks">Tourism brings dangers to whale sharks</h2>



Staying near coasts, whale sharks offer strong potential for ecotourism. 



“Whale sharks in Cenderawasih Bay and Triton Bay (Kaimana) had high rates of residency and resighting, indicating that they should be viewed as valuable tourism assets for local communities and governments,” said Dr. Mark Erdmann of Rewild.



However, unmanaged <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-change-their-daily-schedules-when-tourists-are-watching/">wildlife tourism</a> can create a risky cycle: attraction leads to proximity, which heightens disturbance and injury risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-small-changes-big-impact">Small changes, big impact</h2>



The researchers recommend small but effective changes, such as modifying fishing platforms to remove sharp edges.



“We aim to work with the management authorities of the marine protected areas to develop regulations to require slight modifications to the bagans, including the removal of any sharp edges from boat outriggers and net frames," said Erdmann. "We believe those changes will greatly reduce scarring of whale sharks in the region."



Ecological models highlight that even minor adjustments in human practices can dramatically reduce stress on threatened populations. 



Protecting whale sharks is more than conserving one species. It safeguards a keystone component of marine food webs, maintains ecosystem balance, and secures benefits for communities who depend on healthy seas.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1607027/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.



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Whale sharks are literally scarred by human activity

The sight of a whale shark, the largest fish alive today, leaves most people humbled. Its slow, graceful movements and gentle nature often make them symbols of the ocean’s mystery. Yet behind this serene image lies a struggle for survival. Populations have fallen sharply, and their biology makes recovery slow. The findings of a new study from Indonesian waters not only reveal the scale of human impacts but also highlight why protecting whale sharks is vital for ocean health. Whale shark decline accelerates Over the last 75...

Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, came across a group of birds in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-galapagos-islands-are-struggling-from-the-growth-of-ecotourism/">Galapagos Islands</a> during an 1835 expedition that would help shape his theory of natural selection. 

Darwin noticed that some birds, which he called finches, had different beak shapes compared to mainland finches. The Galapagos Finches’ beak shapes had evolved to complement the food they ate on the island. 

Darwin’s Finches have become a textbook example of evolution and are still one of the most studied groups of birds today. However, it has always been unclear where the birds originated from. 

A new study conducted by researchers from<a href="https://www.sdsu.edu/"> San Diego State University</a> has discovered two equally likely hypotheses for where the subfamily of birds Coerebinae, which includes Darwin's Finches, first came from.

The results were published in the journal The Auk: Ornithological Advances. 

In order to the determine the ancestral biogeography of Coerebinae, the researchers used statistical software to model two different origin hypotheses. 

The models divided the Galapagos, South America, and the Caribbean into subregions based in which areas had the same plants and animals. One model had eight subregions and the second had five. 

This number dictated where the birds originated and the results differed between the two models. 

With eight subregions, the model showed that Darwin's Finches and their relatives originated in the Caribbean. The other model with five subregions showed that the South American mainland was the likely origin of the birds. 

Both the Caribbean and the South American Mainland could potentially be the jumping off point for these birds before they made their way to the Galapagos. 

“The results...were a bit surprising, because they suggested a dispersal pattern that was not necessarily the most 'straightforward' explanation for how these birds arrived in the Galápagos,” said Erik Funk, a co-author of the study. “I think one of the big take-away messages here is the possibility that biogeographic events, like dispersal, may not necessarily happen like logic tells us they should.”

No matter where they first originated from, the researchers say that the reason the birds were able to successfully colonize the Galapagos Islands is that the ancestors of Darwin's Finches were predisposed to wander, thus encountering the Galapagos. 

The finches’ ancestors shared similar genetic variation in bill size and shape, which made it easier to evolve based on the available food in the Galapagos. 

“Darwin's finches are such a highly studied group, and it is often taken for granted they arrived from mainland South America, but hopefully our results show readers that there is no more support for this hypothesis than there is for a Caribbean origin,” said Funk.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: S. Taylor

Where did Darwin's Finches first originate?

Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, came across a group...

Lemurs can only be found in the forests of Madagascar – a large island off the east coast of Africa. These forests are becoming increasingly fragmented, placing almost all species of lemur at risk of extinction, which is further exacerbated by habitat loss on the island as well. 

Despite this threat, the independent effects of forest loss and forest fragmentation are not well understood. In an effort to determine the relative impact of these threats, researchers from the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> surveyed lemurs in fragmented dry deciduous forests in Ankarafantsika National Park in Madagascar.

Researchers Travis Steffens and Shawn Lehman observed six lemur species in 42 forest fragments. Using incidence function models, they examined whether the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smarter-lemurs-friends/">lemurs</a> formed metapopulations – spatially-separated populations within a species – in a fragmented landscape and under different forest fragmentation conditions.

The results of the study, published in the open-access journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>, showed that three of the lemur species did form metapopulations in forest fragments. Both forest fragment size and isolation affected the occurrence of these metapopulations. Although both were factors, it appears that fragment size is actually the most important of the two in determining lemur occurrence, and larger forest patches are associated with increased lemur occurrence.

“Some lemur species are capable of tolerating high levels of habitat loss and fragmentation by forming metapopulations,” says Steffens. “In metapopulations occurrence probability is positively related to habitat area for each species while isolation has species-specific positive, negative and neutral impacts on occurrence probability.”

This research helps scientists determine how lemurs are responding to the increasing forest fragmentation. The study’s authors believe that using the metapopulation approach for studying lemurs could be helpful for future research. Furthermore, maintenance of this habitat area will likely be critical to protecting lemur populations on Madagascar. 

--

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 S. Steffens

Lemur populations threatened by increasing forest fragmentation

Lemurs can only be found in the forests of Madagascar...

Based on over 30 years of documentation, a team of experts is reporting that wild species which rapidly adapt to human activities are in jeopardy. The researchers found that when human practices suddenly change, dependent species can disappear.

In 1993, the research team theorized that a large population of North American butterfly would become locally extinct after being introduced to a European weed that the species had grown to rely on. Just as the experts predicted, the butterflies vanished when humans no longer made the plant available to them.

The rise of cattle ranching more than 100 years ago set this eco-evolutionary trap into motion, and biologists believe that this process is the underlying cause of many local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farming-hunting-birds-extinction/">extinctions</a> across Europe.

The current investigation was focused on changes in the diet of Edith's checkerspot, Euphydryas editha, in a spring-fed meadow on a ranch in Nevada. 

The narrow-leaved plantain, which was introduced to the United States in hay brought from Europe, likely arrived in Nevada 100 years ago and has thrived alongside cattle-grazing.


Butterflies discovered right away that their caterpillars survived better on the plantain compared to their traditional host, Collinsia parviflora. By around 2005, the butterflies had become completely dependent upon the plantain.

When the cattle were removed, the plantains became embedded in the grasses that were no longer being grazed and the butterflies soon disappeared.


The Collinsia was unaffected by the removal of the cattle, which means the butterflies could have survived if they had not evolved so rapidly in response to the introduction of the plantain.

Around five years after the extinction, Edith's checkerspots recolonized the meadow and were all found feeding on Collinsia. Scientists believe this colony represents a new population, and that the previous lineage of butterflies no longer exists.

Study lead author Michael C. Singer is a professor at the <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a> who has been studying the diet of Edith's checkerspot for more than 50 years.

“This is a clear example of how humans are able to change habitats faster than even rapidly-evolving species can change their behavior. This cannot be not an isolated phenomenon, so unless we become aware of the potential consequences of such actions we will continue to inadvertently cause population extinctions of native species, without recognizing what we are doing. Species-level extinctions are possible when human activities are synchronized across wide areas.”

Study co-author Camille Parmesan is a lead contributor to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_Panel_on_Climate_Change">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a>. She explained that the findings of the study have implications beyond the scope of changes to farming practices.

“Climate warming is another form of anthropogenic change that is occurring faster than past natural changes, and is likely to cause problems for species whose evolution is unable to keep pace. If climate change were natural, it is likely that many wild species would be able to adapt, both through current evolution and through flexible changes in behaviour and life history. But human-driven climate change is occurring at a much faster rate than most past major climatic shifts.”

“Ecologists have long been arguing that this is likely to lead to more extinctions than have happened with past climatic changes and this study supports the arguments that rapid climate change will prove detrimental to biodiversity both in the short and long term.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</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: Michael C. Singer/<a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a>

Wild species go extinct after fighting to adapt to human changes

Based on over 30 years of documentation, a team of...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a> published in the journal Theoretical Ecology has made a surprising discovery regarding the impacts of El Niño events on seabirds.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/el-nino-impact-crops/">El Niño</a> and La Niña are weather oscillations that occur every two to seven years. El Niños bring about unusually warm ocean temperatures, poor ocean productivity and sometimes severe weather events. 

 La Niña, on the other hand, causes cooler ocean temperatures and more favorable conditions. 

Throughout the Earth’s history, periods of El Niño have occurred more and less frequently than what we are seeing today. Climate change’s impact could either increase the frequency of these weather oscillations or slow them down. 

UC Davis researchers wanted to better understand how changes in El Niño frequency would affect the Brandt's cormorant, a seabird that is especially sensitive to changes in its environment. 

“We expected that if you increased the frequency of El Niños it would have a negative impact on the population,” said Annie Schmidt, the lead author of the study. “It turns out it was exactly the opposite.”

For the study, the researchers used a population model that calculated the seabirds’ sensitivity to frequency changes in El Niño and La Niña. 

The models showed that if El Niño events occurred twice as often than what we see now, it would increase populations and reduce the risk of extinction for Brandt's cormorants. 

The reason the birds would benefit is that even though El Niño does not bring ideal climate conditions, the increase in La Niña would give the birds more time to recover from the inclement periods. 

Conversely, the researchers found that if climate change reduced El Niño frequency it would have a negative impact on the cormorant populations. 

“If we speed things up, then we'll get shorter bad and shorter good periods," said Louis Botsford, a co-author of the study. “If we slow things down, we get longer good and longer bad periods. The latter is not good for this population because populations are driven to low levels and go extinct when you hold them down for long periods of time.”

The results don't just apply to Brandt's cormorants, as the researchers say that other marine species and seabirds with longer lifespans could be similarly affected. 

The researchers do note that although the results indicate that some species might benefit from an increase in El Niño frequency, it doesn’t necessarily mean that climate change will increase populations. 

How climate change will impact El Niño is still unknown, but this study emphasizes the importance of understanding how species will be affected by all aspects of climate change including changes in weather oscillations. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Annie Schmidt/<a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a>

More frequent El Niños would actually benefit some seabirds

A new study from the University of California, Davis published...

While an increase in alligator or mountain lion sightings might seem like bad news for us humans, a new study has found that large predators are reclaiming old territories and that it’s actually a good thing for everyone involved. 

Habitat degradation, hunting, and economic development have driven large predators like gray wolves, alligators, and bald eagles away from their natural hunting grounds and territories. Some predators, like bald eagles, were nearly driven to extinction. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University</a> has found that successful conservation efforts are allowing populations to increase and bringing the predators back to their previous homes. 

The results show that rather than predators seeking out new habitats as was previously thought, many species are reclaiming their old habitats. 

“We can no longer chalk up a large alligator on a beach or coral reef as an aberrant sighting,”  said Brian Silliman, a member of the research team. “It's not an outlier or short-term blip. It's the old norm, the way it used to be before we pushed these species onto their last legs in hard-to-reach refuges. Now, they are returning.”

The discovery is a good one as predators in their natural habitats are beneficial to the ecosystem, the food-web, and humans as well. 

Sea otters can save costly watershed restoration efforts as they feed on Dungeness crabs and limit the growth of algae that thrive on fertilizer runoff from agricultural operations. 

The otters eat the crabs and in turn, the crabs aren’t eating as many algae-grazing sea slugs in the otters’ seagrass marine habitats. 

“It would cost tens of millions of dollars to protect these beds by re-constructing upstream watersheds with proper nutrient buffers,” said Silliman. “'But sea otters are achieving a similar result on their own, at little or no cost to taxpayers.” 

Previous studies have created a general assumption that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/american-alligators-6-million-years-older-previously-believed/">alligators</a>, whales, and even orangutans are “habitat specialists,” according to Silliman. The study instead proves how adaptable many species are and could pave the way for new conversation and restoration efforts that increase animal populations. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Brian Silliman, <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University</a>

Large predators making a comeback, appearing in unexpected places

While an increase in alligator or mountain lion sightings might...

An isthmus of water cutting a sliver of land from the main body of Mexico; the Sea of Cortez, otherwise known as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rampant-overfishing-gulf-california/">Gulf of California</a>, holds more mystique in my mind than most marine waters.  From the small fishing and laid back tourism town of Bahía de Kino (Kino Bay) where I’m writing this article, you can see clearly the Isla Alcatraz, a small island also known as Isla de Pelicanos (Pelican Island), not the more sinister island home of the US prison.  Further to the north, just a bit hazy looms Mexico’s largest island, Isla Del Tiburón (Shark Island). Tiburón is the traditional home of the Seri people but depopulated in 1963 when the island was made into a nature reserve.

Sitting where I am now, I can watch fishermen in small boats, some with outboard motors and some with only oars dropping nets.  The nets bob in the water buoyed up with floats made of nothing more than old plastic bottles and other buoyant flotsam of industry.  Brown Pelicans, gulls and frigate birds share air, sand and water with Neotropical Cormorants, sand pipers and others. Sea shells liter the sand and dead fish occasionally wash up to the joy of the gulls fighting over the tasty morsels.  Platforms adorn many powerline poles near the beach and are taken up by Osprey that fish near the small dock by the Marina Authority office.

Prescott College of Arizona has a field station located in Bahía de Kino and surveyed Isla Alcatraz, finding that 13 bird species nest there.  41 species of terrestrial plants grow on Alcatraz, sea lions bask on the island along with the largest colony of Double Crested Cormorant in the Sea of Cortez.

Isla Del Tiburón is now managed in cooperation with the Seri people who gained control of the island in 1975.  The Seri people maintain exclusive fishing rights for the Infiernillo Channel between Tiburón and the mainland.  The Seri live in a small village just up a rough, 4WD only road from Bahía de Kino at Puente Chueca, population 520, according to a Mexican census of 2010.  The name Seri is of uncertain origin but they call themselves, Comcaac. The Seri language is not related to any of the native languages of the area and so they remain linguistically isolated.  The Seri are known for maintaining their culture despite contact with Spanish and traditional Mexican cultures and attempts of genocide. 

Infiernillo channel is only 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) of water separating Tiburón from the Seri village at Puente Chueca but is named for notoriously rough water and treacherous tides.  

Tiburón itself is home to Bighorn Sheep introduced in the 1970s, and a quick Google image search shows that they’re in popular demand as hunting trophies.  A permit to hunt a bighorn on Tiburón is costly at roughly the equivalent of $100,000 US dollars. My fiancé and I, not being hunters but being birders, and generally interested in remote places and wildlife thought we’d arrange to visit Tiburón.  It wasn’t exceptionally hard to find someone willing to take us to Tiburón for a price, even with our limited Spanish. Asking at the Marina Authority office next to the one dock in town lead us to a restaurant next to the Marina where we asked about the panga (type of boat) Adon.  

The people in the restaurant were easy to deal with, asking us details of what type of trip to Tiburón we wanted and accommodating our attempts at communicating. In the end, we were quoted a trip for 4 to 6 hours on the island for $400 US dollars for two. The price was more than we could easily pay and so we deferred a visit to Tiburón to a future visit to the area.  High prices can keep a place less visited and more remote, perhaps more wild. There are no permanent residents on Tiburón, only old buildings of an abandoned hunting camp and a military base to protect the island and its biodiversity. 

Throughout the Sea of Cortez there are over 240 islands, which were created through several volcanic episodes.  The Sea of Cortez itself was created by the San Andreas fault tearing a chunk of land from the mainland of Mexico, allowing the sea to rush in.  Currently the Baja peninsula is moving away from the mainland at a pace of 4 cm per year.

The islands have evolved a rich diversity of endemism.  Tiburon Island itself is home to a subspecies of coyote (Canis latrans jamesi) found only there.  There is a species of chuckwalla, the San Esteban Chuckwalla (Sauromalus varius), found only on San Esteban Island in the sea of Cortez.  The Seri once moved some of the San Esteban Chuckwallas to other islands as a food source but none of these transplants took and they remain only on San Esteban.  As is often the case with island species, the San Esteban Chuckwalla is three to four times the size of mainland species. In the early 2000s reptile enthusiasts wanting a Chuckwalla the size of those on San Esteban that could legally be owned, repeated the failed introductions of the Seri people on other islands.   

One of the strangest species endemic to an island in the Sea of Cortez is one I once wrote a paper on as an undergraduate studying biology in college.  Crotalus catalinensis, is a contradiction in terms, the Catalina Rattlesnake is a rattle-less rattlesnake.  When most rattlesnakes shed their skin, they grow a new segment of rattle, the Catalina Rattlesnake instead loses the small degenerate rattle ‘button’ when it sheds its skin.  Most scientists believed that the loss of rattles in the Catalina species is an adaptation to hunting birds in trees. Indeed the small size of the snake allows it to be a better climber than most species of its genus.  Newer research has shown that C. Catalinensis subsists mainly on a diet of small mammals and only occasionally climbs trees.  It seems likely that the snake lost its rattles simply because there were few animals threatening to step on it to be warned off.  The Catalina Rattlesnake has also been observed more often in the open, slower to hide than mainland species. 

The islands of the Sea of Cortez are stark spots of desert in a dazzling azure setting, a paradise for kayaking, snorkeling and bird watching.  All taken together, the islands host 115 species of reptiles, representing 10% of the reptile species of Mexico. The rare Vaquita, Orcas, Dolphins, Sperm Whales and California Sea Lions are among the 36 species of marine mammals that can be seen in the Sea of Cortez.  181 species of sea bird live at least part of their lives over and in these waters, approximately 50% of which are migratory. As it is, only 5% of the Sea of Cortez is legally protected, including all the major islands. 

Walking through towns like Bahía de Kino, it’s obvious the importance of fishing to the locals.  Small fishing vessels are common in Kino Viejo, the old part of town. Along the beach and in the blocks behind it, boats are common yard ornaments, and seafood stores line the street.  Restaurants and street food vendors mostly sell seafood from shrimp tacos to fillets of Marlin at dirt cheap prices. You can buy oysters in the shell from a cart or octopus served on Tostitos from a small outdoor shop on the beach.  

Sea food is also omnipresent in Puerto Peñasco, a settlement further north in the Sea of Cortez.  The difference is that in Puerto Peñasco large condo complexes five, six, even ten stories high also front the beach.  Billboards in perfect English featuring white Americans selling real estate are hard to miss in Puerto Peñasco. While it’s true that there are condos and hotels in Bahia de Kino as well, it’s also true that most of the real estate ads are in Spanish and the condos are mostly three stories are less.  The gringos pouring into Puerto Peñasco also give the place an entirely different feel. There is a restaurant called Frenchie’s decorated with a Canadian maple leaf and featuring an English menu devoid of sea food. There are hordes of ATVs for rent, roaring over parts of the beach and kicking sand into the air.  As the closest ocean stop to Arizona, Puerto Peñasco is an obvious place to party next to the ocean and get drunk on half priced Margaritas. 

Overfishing has cost the Sea of Cortez and it will never be what it once was.  The Vaquita, a small and adorable porpoise, endemic to the Sea of Cortez has an estimated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vaquitas-go-extinct-year/">population</a> of only 60 individuals, where there once were 500.  The culprit is gill nets used to catch the Totoaba. The Totoaba is the only species in the genus Totoaba, a large fish growing up to two meters in length and is endemic to the Sea of Cortez.  The Totoaba was intensively fished for its bladder which was sold as a pricey delicacy in China. The Totoaba is itself threatened by fishing. 

Walking the streets of fishing villages of Mexico, looking at small huddles of plain cinder block homes set in patches of dirt amid a harsh desert, I ponder the problem.  Walking south past the humble houses of fishermen, there is a new water park within a stone’s throw of the ocean, not far from an Estuary known for its birds. The waterpark stands empty as I look at it and I wonder who will use it.  Across a parking lot is a restaurant empty except for a handful of Americans, an later Mexicans arrive in a large, expensive looking white Denali. I sit with my fiancé as we eat Choco flan and sip mixed drinks, talking and looking out at the ocean below the restaurant windows.  From where I sit, it becomes increasingly difficult to blame the local fishermen in their small boats, with nets buoyed up with old plastic bottles. If I think about the problems in the Sea of Cortez my own position becomes increasingly uncomfortable. Why am I here and if more people like me continue to come, what does that mean for this special sea and it’s strange little islands?                     

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Behind the beauty and mystique of the Sea of Cortez

An isthmus of water cutting a sliver of land from...

Wind farms create clean energy but can disrupt marine animals. The findings of a new study could help reduce the environmental impact of offshore wind farm construction and conserve and manage marine ecosystems. 

More and more countries are shifting their attention towards renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. In the race to mitigate climate change and reduce emissions, finding alternative yet sustainable energy is critical.Wind farms create clean energy but can disrupt marine animals 

A team of researchers from Germany, Denmark, and the UK created a new model that measures the future impact of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-largest-wind-farm/">wind farm</a> operations on marine animals which could play an important role in future wind farm construction. 

The researchers published their findings in the journal Conservation Letters. 

Whether planning an offshore wind farm or adding solar panels to your home, it’s important to consider the environmental impacts of “clean energy.” In the case of wind farms, the noise of the construction and day-to-operations could be harmful to marine animals. 

For the study, a model was created that examines the potential impacts of exposure to noise pollution from wind farm operations. The researchers tested the model on the Northern Sea harbor porpoise population to show just how disrupting wind farm noise could be.

The model, named <a href="http://depons.au.dk/">DEPONS</a>, incorporates data on how noise and other disruptors impact and drive animal movements, foraging, and energetics. Although the researchers used porpoises to show the capabilities of the model, DEPONS is applicable to many different marine species. 

The researchers assessed the impact of wind farm construction on the North Sea harbor porpoise population by first monitoring population density during the construction of a Dutch offshore wind farm in the region. 

After recording echolocation sounds during construction, which is how the portoises navigate through the waters, the researchers created a virtual landscape that mirrored the Dutch wind farm and simulated the noise the wind farm generated. 

The simulated wind farm showed the researchers how noise pollution from wind farms would impact the porpoise populations under different scenarios. 

The model could help predict the impact of wind farm construction on other marine species and could be a critical tool for future marine management.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wind farms create clean energy but can disrupt marine animals

Wind farms create clean energy but can disrupt marine animals....

BethMortimer3

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has analyzed vibrations in the ground that are produced by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephants-unique-personalities/">elephants</a> as they move around and communicate. The experts were able to identify certain behaviors by listening to the sounds, which may lead to the development of seismic monitoring systems that can detect when elephants are in danger.

“We suggest that monitoring ground-based vibrations can be used in a practical context to not only detect elephants, but determine their behaviors,” explained study co-author Beth Mortimer. 

“Using multiple seismic recorders in remote locations, we suggest that detection, location, and classification algorithms can be generated that allow monitoring of elephants in real-time.”

Scientists have theorized that elephants communicate over long distances using ground vibrations. In the current study, the researchers set out to gain a better understanding of how these underground sounds travel and how various types of terrain and human-induced noise may influence them.


The team used seismic tools to record the vibrations from wild elephants in Kenya. Computer models enabled the researchers to categorize elephant behaviors, but human noise made this difficult - suggesting that human-generated sounds often interfere with elephant communication.

“We were surprised by the size of the forces acting on the ground that were generated by elephants when they vocalize,” said Mortimer.

“We found that the forces generated through elephant calls were comparable to the forces generated by a fast elephant walk. This means that elephant calls can travel significant distances through the ground and, in favorable conditions, further than the distance that calls travel through the air.”
The research may ultimately lead to ways that authorities could be alerted when elephants signal a threat, which has the potential to deter poachers. 

"We hope to build on these initial findings to develop a comprehensive approach for monitoring and understanding the behavior of large mammals in these pristine, changing, and fragile environments,” said co-author Nissen-Meyer.


Next, the team plans to set up a larger network of seismic sensors along with aerial, visual, and acoustic instruments to investigate the response of elephants when sounds are echoed back to them.

The study is published in the journal in <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Image Credit: Robbie Labanowski

Monitoring ground vibrations to help save elephants from poachers

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has analyzed vibrations in the...

Horse racing may be exciting to watch, but it turns out it might not be nearly as fun for its equine participants. A new study of more than 1,700 racehorse deaths found that some could be linked to the sport.

"The study reveals parallels between mortality and the intensity of the overall management of the horses, their lifestyle and the type of work they do," said Dr. Peter Physick-Sheard of the <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/">University of Guelph</a>. "Training and racing at top speed within a short amount of time and space is a health risk for horses, as it would be for any other species, including humans."

Physick-Sheard and a team of researchers combed through casefiles for 1,713 racehorse deaths in Ontario, Canada between 2003 and 2015 to determine potential causes. All of the deaths came within 60 days of a race or trial run; the province’s <a href="https://www.agco.ca/">Alcohol and Gaming Commission</a> requires all such racehorse deaths be reported.

With the support of Ontario’s horse racing regulators, Physick-Sheard’s team sought to determine if any of the deaths could be linked to exercise-associated causes. Horse racing and training generally involves short-term, high-intensity exercise, he noted.

The researchers did find a link between some of the deaths and racing. For example, 1.67 quarter horse deaths per 1,000 races was exercise-induced. For thoroughbreds, the breed that runs in races like the Kentucky Derby or the Belmont Stakes, that rate jumps to 2.67, or about 1 percent. 

Regardless of the breeds, musculoskeletal injuries – things like broken legs or torn ligaments – were a major contributing cause, but sudden death occurred in some cases as well.

The study’s aim isn’t to bring an end to horse racing entirely, but to bring about changes to the sport and training practices that could make horses healthier.

"The industry has characteristics revealed by this data that point at mechanisms that could be used to significantly reduce mortality," Physick-Sheard said in a press release. "You can use carefully targeted strategies to reduce risk and increase the safety of the sport, something to which the Ontario and the global racing industries are devoting a lot of time and energy."

The new study will help the horse racing industry better monitor horse deaths. It can also help to guide new training regimens that may be safer for horses. 

However, the difference in death rates among breeds show that more research is needed in that area. Some of the traits that breeders aim for in their colts may actually be contributing to poorer health for racing horses, the team said.

"The industry is committed to using scientific research to mitigate health risks to animals, and this new research definitely holds insights that will help in that effort," Physick-Sheard said.

The study has been published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/evj.12955">Equine Veterinary Journal</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

Unhealthy as a horse: study finds horse racing linked to death

Horse racing may be exciting to watch, but it turns...

A new study from the<a href="https://www.rvc.ac.uk/"> Royal Veterinary College</a> (RVC) has revealed some of the most common health issues found in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breathing-trouble-pugs-french-bulldogs-tough-predict/">French bulldogs</a>, which have recently one of the most popular breeds of dog. The researchers are reporting that these pets commonly suffer from breathing problems, ear infections, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, and skin issues.

“French Bulldogs are a relatively new arrival to the list of common UK breeds so there is very little current research on them in the UK,” explained lead author Dr. Dan O'Neill.

The study was based on health records of French Bulldogs from hundreds of veterinary clinics in the UK.

“It provides owners with information on the issues that they could expect and should look out for in French Bulldogs,” said Dr. O’Neill. “It may also help potential new owners to decide if a French Bulldog really is for them.”

The experts found that females are typically healthier than males.

“Males were more likely to get 8 of the 26 most common health problems while there were no issues that females were more likely to get than males,” said Dr. O’Neill.


The study authors theorized that the attractive appearance of French Bulldogs is what makes them so popular, with their short muzzles and prominent eyes. These features, however, may increase the risk of some illnesses among the dogs.


Breathing issues, which were found in 12.7 percent of the individuals analyzed for this study, are common in dogs with short noses and flat faces. Skin problems, which were found to be the most common issue among the French Bulldogs evaluated, may be caused by the deep skin folds characteristic of this breed.

“This study also documents the dramatic rise in popularity of the French Bulldog, from 0.02% of puppies born in 2003 to 1.46% of puppies born in 2013,” said Dr. O'Neill. 

“This level of population growth in a single dog breed is unprecedented. There is a worry that increased demand for the French Bulldog is damaging to these dogs' welfare because of the health risks associated with their extreme physical features.”

The study study is published in the journal <a href="https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/">Canine Genetics and Epidemiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What makes French bulldogs so cute also increases health risks

A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has...

Populations of freshwater dolphins in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drying-amazon-wetter-indonesia/">Amazon</a> basin are declining at an alarming rate, according to a new study. 

Even though the dolphins are legally protected, dolphin hunting that began in the early 2000s has taken a toll on two previously abundant species of freshwater dolphins, the boto (Inia geoffrensis) and the tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis).

Researchers from the <a href="http://portal.inpa.gov.br/">Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia</a> saw that there was a lack of data on two river dolphins species in the Amazon basin, especially concerning their <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a> (IUCN) Red List status. 

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0191304">PLOS ONE</a> and the results show that the two dolphin species have been steadily declining, with populations dropping by half every decade. 

In order to accurately assess the two species’ populations and measure their decline, the researchers collected and analyzed data from 22 years (1994 though 2017) of observational surveys of the dolphins in the Mamirauá Reserve in Brazil. 

The researchers found that both the boto and tucuxi populations are rapidly declining at a steady pace. The analysis showed that the boto population is dropping by half every 10 years and the tucuxi is halving every nine years. 

The rates are some of the worst declines for dolphins worldwide since modern whaling began and the two species should soon be classified as Critically Endangered based on the IUCN’s criteria. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dolphins are on a sharp decline in the Amazon

Populations of freshwater dolphins in the Amazon basin are declining...

The skull of a 100-million-year-old bird known as Ichthyornis dispar is providing scientists with new insight into avian evolution. The iconic bird represents the remarkable transition from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teeth-fossils-dinosaurs-ate/">dinosaurs</a> to modern-day birds.

The combination of newly-discovered remains and two previously overlooked fossils, which were stored for decades in a collection, has enabled scientists to construct a three-dimensional skull of Ichthyornis dispar.

Bhart-Anjan Bhullar is a paleontologist at <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> and the study's principal investigator.

[caption id="attachment_1214149" align="aligncenter" width="996"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/169269.png"><img class="size-large wp-image-1214149" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/169269-1024x878.png" alt="" width="996" height="854" /></a> Image Credit: Michael Hanson/Yale University[/caption]

“Right under our noses this whole time was an amazing, transitional bird,” said Professor Bhullar. “It has a modern-looking brain along with a remarkably dinosaurian jaw muscle configuration.”

According to the professor, the skull reveals what the bird beak looked like as it first appeared in nature.

“The first beak was a horn-covered pincer tip at the end of the jaw,” said Professor Bhullar. “The remainder of the jaw was filled with teeth. At its origin, the beak was a precision grasping mechanism that served as a surrogate hand as the hands transformed into wings.”


The team analyzed the specimens, as well as fossils from other sources including the Alabama Museum of Natural History, using CT-scan technology. 

“The fossil record provides our only direct evidence of the evolutionary transformations that have given rise to modern forms,” said study co-author Daniel Field. “This extraordinary new specimen reveals the surprisingly late retention of dinosaur-like features in the skull of Ichthyornis -- one of the closest-known relatives of modern birds from the Age of Reptiles.”

The model of Ichthyornis dispar demonstrates that the brain of birds evolved before the remainder of the skull. 

The findings add to a growing collection of research by Bhullar's lab focused on various aspects of vertebrate skulls.


“Each new discovery has reinforced our previous conclusions. The skull of Ichthyornis even substantiates our molecular finding that the beak and palate are patterned by the same genes,” said Professor Bhullar. 

“The story of the evolution of birds, the most species-rich group of vertebrates on land, is one of the most important in all of history. It is, after all, still the age of dinosaurs.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ancient skull reveals transition from dinosaurs to modern birds

The skull of a 100-million-year-old bird known as Ichthyornis dispar...

<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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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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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...

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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...

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