Antarctica’s surrounding ocean has lost sea ice equal to the size of Greenland since 2015. That’s not just a startling statistic - it marks one of the fastest environmental shifts happening anywhere on Earth today.



For decades, the belief was simple: melting ice made the ocean surface fresher, which helped new ice form. But recent findings show the ocean is behaving differently - and that shift could have far-reaching consequences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-puzzling-change-in-ocean-salinity">A puzzling change in ocean salinity</h2>



A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a>, working with collaborators in Spain, analyzed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-induced-changes-in-ocean-salinity-threaten-biodiversity-and-marine-ecosystems/">ocean salinity</a> data using instruments aboard the European Space Agency’s SMOS satellite. 



The analysis revealed a clear shift: surface waters south of 50° S latitude are becoming saltier. This shift marks a break from a long-standing trend. 



Since the 1980s, surface waters in the Southern Ocean had been cooling and freshening - conditions that helped sea ice expand. That trend has now reversed.



“The discovery was unexpected because <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarcticas-melting-ice-shelves-threaten-global-sea-levels/">melting ice</a> should freshen the ocean, not make it saltier,” said Dr. Alessandro Silvano, lead author of the study published this week. “Yet SMOS satellite data reveal the opposite is occurring, and this is deeply troubling.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saltier-waters-less-ice">Saltier waters, less ice</h2>



When the ocean’s surface is fresh and cold, it floats on top of warmer, saltier water deep below. This layering keeps the heat trapped underneath, allowing ice to grow and stay intact.



“But now the saltier surface waters are enabling heat from deeper down to rise more readily,” Dr. Silvano explained. “This upward flow of warmer water melts sea ice from beneath, making it significantly harder for ice to reform.”



The consequences are already visible. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rapid-antarctic-sea-ice-loss-is-causing-severe-storms-around-the-world/">Antarctic sea ice</a> has dropped sharply. Even more concerning, a large patch of open water - the Maud Rise polynya - has reappeared in the Weddell Sea. It hadn’t been seen since the 1970s.



“The return of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-hole-polynya-the-size-of-switzerland-appeared-in-the-antarctica-sea-ice/">Maud Rise polynya</a> highlights just how abnormal the current situation is,” said Dr. Silvano. “If this trend of higher salinity and reduced ice persists, it could lead to lasting changes in the Southern Ocean, with consequences for the rest of the world.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monitoring-the-ocean-from-space">Monitoring the ocean from space</h2>



Studying the Southern Ocean isn’t easy. It’s isolated, violent, and dark for much of the year. That’s why satellite technology is so essential.



To overcome the challenges, scientists at the University of Southampton and the Barcelona Expert Centre built new algorithms to measure changes in surface salinity more accurately from space. The effort was part of ESA’s Earth Observation FutureEO program.



“This is yet another example of how crucial sea-surface salinity measurements from space are,” said Roberto Sabia, ESA Earth Observation Ocean Scientist. 



“This novel regional product has been devised to overcome the conventional limitations of salinity retrieval at high latitudes, an area where seawater density is largely controlled by salinity.”



By combining satellite data with instruments in the ocean, the team built a 15-year dataset tracking changes in salinity, temperature, and ice cover in the Southern Ocean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-dangerous-feedback-loop">A dangerous feedback loop</h2>



The findings challenge previous assumptions about how the ocean and climate interact. For years, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-models-underestimate-sea-ice-melt-and-global-warming/">climate models</a> predicted that warming would lead to more ice melt and freshening at the surface, which would help balance things out. That’s no longer the case.



“Our new study has revealed that the Southern Ocean is changing, but in a different way to what we expected,” said Dr. Silvano.



“We might be closer to passing a tipping point than expected and we have potentially entered a new state defined by persistent sea ice decline, sustained by a newly discovered feedback loop.”



The feedback loop works like this: warmer, saltier surface water melts ice from below. Less ice means more exposed ocean. That exposed water absorbs more heat, driving even more melting.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-global-ripple-effect">The global ripple effect</h2>



The loss of Antarctic sea ice isn’t just a local problem. It’s linked to more heat escaping from the ocean into the air. That fuels stronger storms and speeds up global warming. The result is more extreme weather, more melting of the Antarctic ice sheet, and faster sea level rise.



There’s also a direct threat to wildlife. Penguins, seals, and other species that rely on sea ice for survival are losing their habitat.



These shifts are happening faster - and differently - than climate models predicted. Scientists are now questioning long-held assumptions about how warming should affect ocean layering and ice stability.



“These findings show that we still have gaps in our understanding of ocean and climate dynamics,” said co-author Alberto Naveira Garabato. “Continuous satellite and in-situ monitoring is essential if we want to track and predict these critical changes.”



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Antarctica’s waters are getting saltier - and it could transform Earth's climate

Antarctica’s surrounding ocean has lost sea ice equal to the size of Greenland since 2015. That’s not just a startling statistic - it marks one of the fastest environmental shifts happening anywhere on Earth today. For decades, the belief was simple: melting ice made the ocean surface fresher, which helped new ice form. But recent findings show the ocean is behaving differently - and that shift could have far-reaching consequences. A puzzling change in ocean salinity A team of researchers from the University of Southampton, working with...

The equatorial Pacific is a key oceanographic region in the Earth’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-testing-the-resilience-of-wheat-yields/">climate</a> system. According to a new study led by <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>, warming of the upper ocean layers and stronger winds have been linked to increased rainfall in eastern China



Ocean heat content is a term that represents the amount of energy absorbed by seawater. Recent increases in ocean heat content have been implicated in the intensification of tropical storms - which draw their energy from the surface of the ocean.&nbsp;



The link between ocean heating and rainfall on land is unclear. The Rutgers study, which is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>, provides new insight into this link.



“Our study suggests variations in ocean thermal structure affect the delivery of moisture, latent heat, and what happens when they arrive on land,” said Yair Rosenthal, professor at the Rutgers’ School of Art and Sciences and School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.



The latitudinal temperature gradient is the difference in sea-surface temperature between low and high latitudes. Temperature changes control how energy is absorbed by the equatorial upper ocean but also how wind carries moisture onto land.



The researchers found that over the past 360,000 years, there has been a correlation between monsoon rainfall in eastern China and the heat content of the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool. In this region, sea surface temperatures remain above 82°F year-round due to transport of moisture and latent heat absorbed in the water vapor from the ocean to the continent.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study revealed that changes in upper ocean heat respond to shifts in the Earth’s orbit that occur about every 23,000 years. This alters the distribution of solar radiation at each latitude.



By using two marine species - a surface dweller and an organism found 200 meters below the surface - the scientists reconstructed how the upper ocean thermal structure gets its heat and energy. The results were compared with climate model simulations and reconstructions of the monsoonal precipitation in eastern China.



The results have shown that the coupling of ocean heat content and monsoon variations is critical for regulating the global hydroclimate.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Extreme rainfall in eastern China linked to ocean warming

The equatorial Pacific is a key oceanographic region in the...

The City of Angels is known for many things, but some may not know that the Los Angeles hills support one of the city’s most captivating stars - the mountain lion. A recent study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.082">Current Biology</a> has revealed that the 2018 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-ash-traps-mercury/">Woolsey fire</a> put the future of Los Angeles’ mountain lions at risk.



"We found that after a large fire, in a fragmented urban landscape, a population of mountain lions who were already at risk of extinction increased behaviors that would put them at risk of negative encounters with humans and other mountain lions," said Rachel Blakey of UCLA. "These risky behaviors indicate the ongoing negative effects of a large fire disturbance in a population already grappling with the multiple stressors of living within a megacity."



Many reports on the Woolsey Fire focus on the human impact; however, the fire burned approximately half of the mountain lions' habitat. Unfortunately, there is no FEMA for these "miraculous" cats. Blakey worked with UCLA and the National Park Service to see what this destruction means for the lions.&nbsp;



The researchers tracked 17 mountain lions before and after the fire, and consulted scientists with decades of experience studying the cats. The results were not promising. The experts discovered that because lions avoid burned areas, they have been forced to risk their lives by crossing roads more often.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Before the fire, mountain lions crossed roads an average of three times per month. Now, they are crossing an average of five times per month. These roads include ten laned freeways like the 101, where crossings have increased from once every two years to once every four months since the fire. Still, they are avoiding urban areas.



"The idea that mountain lions will run across freeways, rather than take their chances in urban areas, really reinforces how strongly mountain lions avoid humans," Blakey said. "I think this is an important point, because people who live in the urban-wildland interface often worry that large disturbances like this could increase human-wildlife conflict."



The researchers will continue their research and hope that their study underscores the importance of habitat connectivity. They are encouraged by a plan to build a wildlife crossing in the area.



"We are lucky that, thanks to decades of science by the National Park Service and tireless campaigning by the National Wildlife Federation, our mountain lion population in LA will soon receive a much-needed boost to their connectivity via the Wallis Annenberg wildlife crossing," said Blakey.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mountain lions are taking more risks after Woolsey fire

The City of Angels is known for many things, but...

Although <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-gorillas-comeback/">mountain gorillas</a> were on the verge of extinction in the 1980s, long-term investments by the governments of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo - alongside conservation efforts of various organizations - have managed to reverse this trend. In fact, this subspecies is currently the only great ape whose numbers are increasing. However, with only about 1,000 individuals left, they remain a highly conservation-dependent subspecies.&nbsp;



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://gorillafund.org/">Dian Fossey Gorrila Fund</a> has examined over 50 years of demographic data to clarify the factors influencing variability in the growth rate of mountain gorilla population in order to devise better conservation measures.



In Rwanda, the mountain gorilla population began a slow recovery in the mid-1980s due to strengthened conservation practices, such as the establishment of anti-poaching patrols, daily monitoring, community engagement, and veterinary care.&nbsp;



“Historically, as a result of the poaching and habitat disturbance in the 1970s and early 1980s, the mountain gorilla group density was low in the area of the Volcanoes National Park where the Fossey Fund works,” said study co-author Felix Ndagijimana, the Rwanda program director for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.&nbsp;



“Groups interacted infrequently, maybe every other month, and there was stability in group leadership. One of the groups we monitor grew to 65 individuals, which is six times larger than the average mountain gorilla group.”



Unfortunately, around 2007, this group stability began to change, as these large groups started to split from each other. As young males left to form their own groups, the group density nearly tripled in only two years, leading to more spatial overlap and group interactions (some of them violent or even lethal).



While earlier studies revealed that these increased interaction rates resulted in higher male and infant mortality, further analyses shown that changes in female reproduction patterns also played a significant role in the slowing of the population growth rate. As increases in intergroup encounters gave females more opportunities to move between groups, these moves were linked with delays in reproduction. While infant gorillas are usually born four years apart, females changing groups extended this interval by eight to eighteen months, thus contributing to the slowdown of population growth rate.



“Our study shows that female movement patterns and their reproductive consequences follow broader trends driven by social dynamics across the population. It adds to our growing understanding of how social dynamics can impact conservation, particularly when groups are living at a high density,” said study lead author Robin Morrison, a postdoctoral fellow at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.



Although over the past several years, the groups have been able to spread out, suggesting that the period of group instability, high mortality, and slowed reproduction is coming to an end, these new findings highlight the challenges facing gorilla populations as they continue to grow within limited habitats.



“We often think of extrinsic conservation threats, such as climate change, poaching or habitat loss, but these data highlight some of the intrinsic challenges species may face as habitat shrinks. This is critical information that can help inform longer-term conservation strategies to ensure the continued growth of the population,” concluded senior author Tara Stoinski, the Fossey Fund’s president.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12830">Animal Conservation</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Group density affects mountain gorilla population growth

Although mountain gorillas were on the verge of extinction in...

Since the first Neanderthal draft genome was published in 2010, scientists from the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/index/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a> have sequenced a further 18 genomes from 14 archaeological sites throughout Eurasia. Now, the experts turned their attention to southern Siberia – a regions where Denisovan <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hominin-fossils-are-a-million-years-older-than-estimated/">hominin</a> remains were also discovered for the first time – to find out more about the social structure of Neanderthals.



By focusing on the Neanderthal remains in Chagyrskaya and Okladnikov Caves, the researchers managed to successfully retrieve DNA samples from 17 fossils, including bones and tooth fragments. The analyses revealed that Neanderthals briefly occupied these sites about 54,000 years ago, and were hunting ibex, horses, bison, and other animals which were migrating through the nearby rivel valleys. However, they collected raw materials for their stone tools dozens of kilometers away.&nbsp;



Although previous data suggest that Neanderthals inhabited the Altai mountains even earlier – around 120,000 years ago – genetic analyses showed that the Neanderthals from the Chagyrskaya and Okladnikov Caves were not descendants of these earlier groups, but were closer related to European Neanderthals.



Among the remains found in these caves were those of a Neanderthal father and his teenage daughter, as well as a pair of second-degree relatives – a young boy and an adult female (possibly a cousin, aunt, or grandmother). Genetic investigations revealed that these Neanderthals must have lived – and died – at around the same time.



“The fact that they were living at the same time is very exciting. This means that they likely came from the same social community. So, for the first time, we can use genetics to study the social organization of a Neanderthal community,” said lead author Laurits Skov, a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute.



Moreover, according to the scientists, this Neanderthal community was characterized by an extremely low genetic diversity, consistent with a group size of ten to 20 individuals. However, Neanderthals did not seem to live in completely isolated communities. By comparing the genetic diversity on the Y-chromosome (inherited from father to son) with the mitochondrial DNA diversity (inherited from mothers), the researchers found that the mitochondrial genetic diversity was considerably higher than the Y-chromosome diversity, suggesting that these Neanderthal communities were mainly linked by female migration. Despite the proximity to Denisova Cave, these migrations do not seem to have involved Denisovans, since the scientists found no proof of Denisovan gene flow in the Chagyrskaya Neanderthals during the last 20,000 years before these individuals lived.



“Our study provides a concrete picture of what a Neanderthal community may have looked like,” said senior author Benjamin Peter, an expert in Evolutionary Genetics at the Max Planck Institute. “It makes Neanderthals seem much more human to me.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05283-y">Nature</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study reveals the structure of Neanderthal communities

Since the first Neanderthal draft genome was published in 2010,...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tail-regeneration-has-been-discovered-in-alligators/">alligators</a> in the Cape Fear River had elevated levels of 14 different per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals in their blood serum, together with genetic and clinical indicators of immune system disruption. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that exposure to PFAS can have adverse effects on immunity.&nbsp;



The scientists collected blood samples and performed health evaluations on 49 alligators living along the Cape Fear River between 2018 and 2019, and compared the results to a reference population of 26 alligators from Lake Waccamaw, located in the adjoining Lumber River basin.



“We looked at 23 different PFAS and saw clear differences between both types and levels of PFAS in the two populations,” said study senior author Scott Belcher, an associate professor of Biology at NC State University. “We detected an average of ten different PFAS in the Cape Fear River samples, compared to an average of five different PFAS in the Lake Waccamaw population.”



“Additionally, blood concentrations of fluoroethers such as Nafion byproduct 2 were present at higher concentrations in alligators from the Cape Fear River basin, whereas these levels were much lower – or not detected – in alligators from Lake Waccamaw. Our data showed that as we moved downstream from Wilmington to Bald Head Island, overall PFAS concentrations decreased.”



However, the most surprising finding was that alligators from the Cape Fear River had several unhealed or infected lesions. “Alligators rarely suffer from infections,” Professor Belcher explained. “They do get wounds, but they normally heal quickly. Seeing infected lesions that weren’t healing properly was concerning and led us to look more closely at the connections between PFAS exposure and changes in the immune systems of the alligators.”



A qRT-PCR genetic analysis&nbsp;revealed significantly high levels of interferon-alpha (INF-α) responsive genes in these alligators – nearly 400 times higher than those of the Lake Waccamaw alligators that had lower PFAS concentrations in their blood serum. These genes are involved in stimulating immune responses, particularly in relation to viral infections. According to the researchers, in humans, chronic high expression of these genes is an indication of autoimmune diseases, such as lupus. “When we see elevated expression of INF-α in these alligators, then, it tells us that something in these alligators’ immune responses is being disrupted,” Professor Belcher said.



“Alligators are a sentinel species – harbingers of dangers to human health. Seeing these associations between PFAS exposure and disrupted immune function in the Cape Fear River alligators supports connections between adverse human and animal health effects and PFAS exposure,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/ftox.2022.1010185">Frontiers in Toxicology</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Alligators exposed to PFAS develop autoimmune conditions

A new study led by the North Carolina State University...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.rockefeller.edu/">Rockefeller University</a> in New York has found that some people are “mosquito magnets,” emitting a tantalizing cocktail of chemicals that these insects are highly attracted to. The experts discovered that people who have higher levels of certain acids on their skin are 100 times more attractive to the female Aedes aegypti, a species of mosquito that acts as a vector in the transmission of various <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lack-of-sleep-linked-to-greater-risk-of-comorbid-disease/">diseases</a>, such as dengue and yellow fever, Zika, or chikungunya.&nbsp;



The findings could lead to the development of new products that could mask or change human odors, making it harder for mosquitoes to find human blood, and thus potentially curbing the spread of infectious diseases.&nbsp;



The scientists collected the natural scent from people’s skin by asking participants to wear nylon stockings on their arms. Afterwards, they cut the stockings into two-inch pieces and placed two pieces behind two separate trap doors in a plastic box where dozens of mosquitoes were flying around. Then, they opened the traps and let the insects choose which piece to fly to, in a “round-robin style tournament” in which they counted each time an insect was drawn to a particular scent.



The sample that won the tournament contained higher levels of carboxylic acids, which are produced by the human skin in various amounts. If produced in massive amounts – as it happens in the case of some people - these acids release an odor that smells like cheese or dirty feet.



The experiments were conducted over a three-year period, with the same people continuing to appeal to mosquitoes regardless of what they ate in a particular day or whether they changed their soap or shampoo. “If you’re a mosquito magnet today, you will be a mosquito magnet three years from now,” said study senior author Leslie Vosshall, a neuroscientist at Rockefeller.



However, according to LJ Zwiebel, a professor at <a href="https://www.vanderbilt.edu/">Vanderbilt University</a> who was not involved in the study, although carboxylic acids clearly play a crucial role, there are probably other compounds that attract mosquitoes too. “The mosquito is a multimodal magnet that uses a lot of different signals,” Zwiebel said, and carboxylic acids are “one significant component but not the only one.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



In future research, the scientists aim to clarify how to chemically manipulate the odors released by the skin in order to make people less attractive to mosquitoes, and thus reduce the burden of infectious diseases that mosquitoes transmit.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.034">Cell</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Skin compounds make some people “mosquito magnets”

A new study led by Rockefeller University in New York...

In contrast to prevailing theories claiming that canopy leaves can always maintain their temperatures within an optimal range for photosynthesis, a new study led by <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> (OSU) has found that, in fact, leaves in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diverse-forests-are-more-resilient-and-productive/">forest</a> canopies are often not able to cool themselves below the ambient air temperature. These findings suggest that trees’ ability to avoid harmful temperature rises and to pull carbon from the atmosphere will likely be compromised in a warmer, drier climate.



“A hypothesis known as limited leaf homeothermy argues that through a combination of functional traits and physiological responses, leaves can keep their daytime temperature close to the best temperature for photosynthesis and below what is damaging for them,” said study lead author Chris Still, a professor of Forest Ecosystems and Society. “Specifically, leaves should cool below air temperature at higher temperatures, typically greater than 25 or 30 degrees Celsius. That theory also implies that the impact of climate warming on forests will be partially mitigated by the leaves’ cooling response.”



By using thermal imaging to measure canopy-leaf temperature at various sites in North and Central America, the scientists discovered that canopy leaves do not consistently cool below daytime air temperatures or remain within a narrow temperature range, as the limited leaf homeothermy theory would predict.&nbsp;



The investigations revealed that canopy leaves warm faster than air, are warmer than air during most of the day, and only start cooling off in mid- to late-afternoon. Since global warming will most likely lead to even higher canopy leaf temperatures, forest carbon cycling may be disrupted, and forest mortality risk will spike.



“Leaf temperature has long been recognized as important for plant function because of its influence on carbon metabolism and water and energy exchanges,” Professor Still explained. “If canopy photosynthesis declines with increasing temperature, the ability of forests to act as a carbon sink will be reduced.”&nbsp;



Leaf temperature in different regions is affected by how leaf size varies with climate and canopy structure. For instance, large leaves can be found mainly in warm and wet climates, while leaf traits such as higher reflectance and smaller sizes – features which increase the ability to shed heat – occur mostly in plants from hot, dry areas. Thus, in much of the warm, wet tropics, leaf temperatures are already approaching or even surpassing thresholds needed for positive net photosynthesis.



“Our results have big implications for understating how plants acclimate to warming, and they suggest a limited ability for canopy leaves to regulate their temperature. Our data and analyses suggest a warming climate will result in even higher canopy leaf temperatures, likely leading to reduction of carbon assimilation capacity and eventually heat damage,” Professor Still concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2205682119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

Forest canopy leaves are losing their cooling ability

In contrast to prevailing theories claiming that canopy leaves can...

Trees are living habitats that shelter animals, support interconnected systems of fungi, and absorb carbon from our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-tech-can-capture-carbon-dioxide-from-the-atmosphere/">atmosphere</a>. Some old trees were alive when humans pressed the epic of Gilgamesh into soft clay tablets, and still shade our paths today. 



Trees supply us wood to build houses and paper to fill our landfills. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work out in the best interest of the trees. A review paper published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2022.09.003">Trends in Ecology &amp; Evolution</a> highlights the importance of old trees and the threats they face.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Ancient trees are unique habitats for the conservation of threatened species because they can resist and buffer climate warming,” wrote the study authors, including Gianluca Piovesan and Charles H. Cannon. “Some of these trees, such as bristlecone pines in the White Mountains, USA, can live up to 5,000 years and act as massive carbon storage.”



Trees change their local habitats, increasing moisture levels and providing oxygen. Old trees are especially important, yet they are being quickly lost. The research points to the need for greater monitoring of this dire situation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Mapping and monitoring old-growth forests and ancient trees can directly assess the effectiveness and sustainability of protected areas and their ecological integrity,” wrote the researchers. “To carry out this ambitious project, a global monitoring platform, based on advanced technologies, is required along with public contributions through community science projects.”



Genetic material could be collected from trees while forests and other ecosystems are protected. The hope is that if the individual trees are lost, their genetic contribution would still be preserved. 



“The current review of the Convention of Biological Diversity and Sustainable Development Goal 15 ‘Life on Land’ of Agenda 2030 should include old-growth and ancient tree mapping and monitoring as key indicators of the effectiveness of protected areas in maintaining and restoring forest integrity for a sustainable future,” wrote the study authors.



“We call for international efforts to preserve these hubs of diversity and resilience. A global coalition utilizing advanced technologies and community scientists to discover, protect, and propagate ancient trees is needed before they disappear.”



If tree preservation is successful, people might look with awe at an ancient tree that’s been alive since people were writing and reading on laptops and tablets in the 2020s.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Saving old trees can help save the world

Trees are living habitats that shelter animals, support interconnected systems...

Traditional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bolivian-fish-ponds-human-settlement/">fish ponds</a> – known as loko iʻa – were once widespread across Hawaiian Islands’ coastal regions, providing food security for local communities for centuries. Fish pond management typically focused on the cultivation of species such as mullet, awa, and moi – plant-eating fish which thrive in fish pond environments. However, these fishes were often hunted and eaten by carnivorous species such as jacks or barracuda, which needed to be removed periodically from the ponds.&nbsp;



After various invasive fish species were introduced to Hawaiian waters, they made their way into the fish ponds, wreaking havoc on local ecosystems. Surprisingly though, a new study led the&nbsp;<a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa</a> has found jacks and barracuda started to feed on one of these invasive species (the Australian mullet), thus providing a form of biocontrol on populations of this invasive mullet species.



“Our study showed that the introduction of invasive Australian mullet altered the diets of the native predatory fish in the fish pond which really expanded our understanding of the food web interactions in these systems,” said study co-author Erik Franklin, a marine biologist at UH Mānoa. “The jacks and barracuda seemed to preferentially feed on the invasive mullet rather than native mullet and moi. This would help control the population of the invasive species which competes for resources with the native fish.”



Since Hawaiian fish ponds are an important tool for increasing food security by producing seafood for local consumption, a network of restored fish ponds is essential for meeting the demands for locally-produced foods.



&nbsp;“The restoration of functional Hawaiian fish ponds represents a promising opportunity to increase local seafood production but there is still much to learn about the ecology and dynamics of fish pond communities,” said study lead author Anela Akiona, a graduate student in Marine Biology at UH Mānoa.



&nbsp;“A functional fish pond would contribute to enhanced island food security that can supplement catch from fisheries and other aquaculture operations,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.68">Aquaculture, Fish, and Fisheries</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Native fish keep Hawaiian fish ponds under control

Traditional fish ponds – known as loko iʻa – were...

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is a vast system of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-currents-may-soon-change-for-the-worse/">ocean currents</a> which carry warm water from the tropics into the North Atlantic ocean and transport cold water from the northern to the southern hemisphere, thus playing a major role in the regulation of the Earth’s climate. This system has collapsed in the past due to various natural factors, with its most recent collapse playing a key role in the last deglaciation.&nbsp;



Since AMOC is currently threatened by anthropogenic global warming, understanding the reasons for its past collapses is essential. According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.fearp.usp.br/en/index.php/where-we-are/university-of-sao-paulo">University of São Paulo</a> in Brazil, AMOC past collapse was caused by the warming of the ocean subsurface resulting in a reduction of surface salinity due to the release of a large number of icebergs from glaciers into the sea.



“An investigation of marine sediments collected between Canada and Greenland led to the discovery that, in the past, glaciers covering the territories that now correspond to Canada and the northern United States released colossal numbers of icebergs into the Atlantic owing to ocean surface warming in the region,” explained study co-author Cristiano Chiessi, a paleoclimatologist at the University of São Paulo.



In the ocean, these icebergs melted and deposited continental sediments on the seabed. “Identification of these sediments and reconstitution of the subsurface temperature in the region enabled scientists to establish for the first time that subsurface warming preceded the mass iceberg release,” Chiessi said.



The massive volume of fresh water added by the melting of the icebergs changed the composition of the ocean at the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere, which had a tremendous impact on the global climate.&nbsp;



According to the scientists, AMOC collapsed several times during the last glacial period (between 71,000 and 12,000 years ago), causing torrential increases in rainfall in northeast Brazil and a sharp drop in rainfall in Venezuela, the north of Amazonia, and tropical areas of North Africa and Asia. By discovering that North Atlantic subsurface warming preceded the massive release of icebergs from the U.S. and Canada into the Atlantic ocean, the scientists were able to establish the sequence of events responsible for AMOC’s past collapse.



“The process begins with an apparently insignificant weakening of AMOC, which causes subsurface warming at high latitudes of the North Atlantic. This warming melts the glaciers’ sea snouts, moving the glaciers rapidly seaward and releasing colossal armadas of icebergs. As the icebergs melt, surface water salinity decreases in the region. The surface water isn’t dense enough to sink, and AMOC collapses,” Chiessi explained.



In recent decades, monitoring of AMOC has shown evidence that it is once more weakening due to three main reasons: the intensification of rainfall at high latitudes; the melting of the ice cap over Greenland; and the warming of the Earth’s surface. According to the experts, all three causes are associated with greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities. The new findings regarding AMOC’s collapse in the past suggest that the current weaker AMOC will cause anomalous subsurface warming at high latitudes, which could melt glaciers in Greenland, ultimately leading to another AMOC collapse and thus exacerbating the current climate crisis.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31754-x">Nature Communications</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Global warming could collapse the Atlantic circulation system

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is a vast system...

All living organisms need the element manganese as an essential nutrient. In <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exploring-the-mystery-of-why-some-plants-become-woody/">plants</a>, manganese plays a major role in breaking down water into oxygen and hydrogen during photosynthesis. Now, by using the plant model Arabidopsis thaliana, a team of German and Chinese scientists has shown how plants sense manganese deficiency, and identified which processes take place in the plant at the molecular level. These findings could lead to new methods for making plants more resistant to manganese deficiency, a condition frequently occurring in alkaline and calcareous soils.



“There have been a lot of studies focusing on which proteins are involved in the uptake and transportation of manganese within a cell. But how the manganese balance is regulated at the level of the organism is completely unknown,” said study co-author Jörg Kudla, an expert in Plant Biology at the <a href="https://www.uni-muenster.de/en/">University of Münster</a> in Germany.&nbsp;



The scientists identified a special cell group in the plant roots – the “manganese-sensitive niche” – which displays a special reaction in response to manganese deficiency: the calcium concentration within the cells rises and falls several times, as long as the deficiency lasts, with each oscillation lasting approximately half an hour. The epidermal cells (the cells in the outermost root layer) are the first to begin increasing their calcium concentration, followed by cells situated further inside – a process that is afterwards reversed.



“Nobody had previously observed such multi-cellular oscillations in the calcium concentration which are built up through the coordinated occurrence of calcium signals in individual cells in plants,” Kudla explained.



The researchers discovered that the calcium oscillations triggered by manganese deficiency activate two special enzymes – the so-called Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinases (CPK21 and CPK23) – which stimulate the uptake of manganese. Moreover, the manganese transporter NRAMP1 that is responsible for transporting the manganese into the cells of the root plays an essential part of this process. Finally, the protein kinases interact with this transporter in order to regulate the uptake of manganese by phosphorylating a specific amino-acid called Thr498.



“Our hypothesis is that every oscillation starts this process anew – until the plant has achieved a sufficient uptake of manganese,” Kudla concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2204574119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plants use their roots to sense manganese deficiency

All living organisms need the element manganese as an essential...

Protected areas are vitally important for conserving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-biodiversity-could-shift-rapidly-due-to-climate-change/">biodiversity</a> worldwide, hence the drive to increase the 16.8 percent of Earth’s surface area that is currently protected, to 30 percent by 2030. This is the aim of the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity, as described in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. However, not all species are likely to respond in the same way to protected areas (PAs) and, while they are crucial for the maintenance of global diversity and ecosystem services, they may not be sufficient to halt the declines of some species, especially if they typically have large home ranges.



Elephants are a case in point here, and it is important to understand their use of PAs before declaring large new wildlife conservation areas in order to meet the 2030 global goals. In the Sundaic region (Borneo, Sumatra, Java and the Malaysian Peninsula), Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) occur in the wild and range widely to forage and interact. This species of elephants is now endangered in Southeast Asia and the remnant populations tends to live in highly fragmented landscapes. In the Sundaic region it is estimated that only about 50 percent of the original forest remains, and less of 10 percent of it is formally protected.&nbsp;



New research, giving the most comprehensive analysis of Asian elephant movement and habitat preference to date, has now been published in the British Ecological Society’s <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14286">Journal of Applied Ecology</a> in order to evaluate the role of PAs in the protection of Asian elephants and their habitats in the Sundaic region. The study was conducted by three different research teams between 2010 and 2020. More than 600,000 GPs locations were collected for a total of 102 elephants from two different populations. One of the populations was in Peninsular Malaysia, and the other in Sabah, Borneo; both of these areas are home to numerous managed and protected wildlife areas, with the levels of protection varying considerably.



The researchers found that, while PAs were important places of sanctuary, elephants from both populations spent more than half their time outside the boundaries of these PAs. They showed their biggest preference for areas within three kilometers of PA boundaries, according to the authors, which ties in with habitats such as secondary forest, forest edges, forest gaps and more open canopies. The elephants like to eat grasses, bamboo, palms and fast-growing trees, which are common in disturbed or more open environments, but relatively scarce under the canopy of old-growth forests.&nbsp;



Most of the tracked elephants had more than half of their home ranges, as well as their core areas outside PAs and they generally favored habitats outside, rather than inside them. This situation is of concern because it inevitably brings the elephants into conflict with humans who farm outside the PAs. While protected forests remain important places of refuge, they will not fulfil the elephants’ need to forage on faster-growing species at forest edges.



Dr. Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden and the University of Nottingham in Malaysia, and one of the lead authors of the study said: “Our results show that protected areas are very important, but not enough as an overall strategy for Asian elephant conservation.”



“Given their preference for habitats outside the protected areas, elephants will inevitably come into conflict with people. This highlights the importance of promoting human-elephant coexistence around protected areas."



The authors emphasize that their findings do not diminish the importance of protected areas, a cornerstone of global conservation strategies. Dr. Benoit Goossens from Danau Girang Field Centre and Cardiff University, the other lead author added: “We believe protected areas are the most effective tool for biodiversity conservation in general. In the case of Asian elephants, protected areas provide long-term safety and represent the core areas for elephant conservation.”



“Our results show that elephant conservation strategies need to be realistic and acknowledge the nuances of elephant habitat needs and preferences, integrating holistic human-elephant coexistence approaches outside protected areas.”



Based on their findings, the authors make three key recommendations for Asian elephant conservation:



<ol><li>include large protected areas with core areas where elephants can find safety;</li><li>incorporate ecological corridors to connect networks of protected areas;</li><li>mitigate against human-elephant conflict, especially around protected areas, with emphasis on protecting people’s safety and livelihoods, as well as promoting tolerance towards elephant presence.</li></ol>



Speaking on the next steps for research in this area and Asian elephant conservation, Dr. Antonio de la Torre, first author of the study, said: “Human-elephant conflict is now the main threat for Asian elephants, yet we know surprisingly little about the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies and how to promote long-term and sustainable human-elephant coexistence.”



“Understanding how we can reduce the costs of this conflict for both people and elephants, and how to increase people’s tolerance towards elephant presence, should be the top research priority in the area."



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Are protected forest areas valuable to Asian elephants?

Protected areas are vitally important for conserving biodiversity worldwide, hence...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



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.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes how Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to sustain liquid water on its surface. But now, the water cycle is shifting as the climate warms, and scientists must find ways to predict how these changes will affect water availability.



Overall, 96 percent of Earth's water is saltwater, and nearly all of freshwater is found in ice and groundwater. These sources of water are linked as it passes through solid, liquid and gas phases.



In a warmer climate, the water cycle will be transformed. It will be easier for water to evaporate and form clouds, and storms will become more frequent and intense. Some regions will get too much water, while others will be left without enough water. In addition, soil moisture will be lost - which threatens food security.



Scientists are using satellite data from over the last 40 years to track changes that are happening in the water cycle. This will ultimately help us prepare for extreme events and better manage our water resources, according to ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



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.

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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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.

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



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.

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



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.

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



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.

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video 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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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