Bursts of convection sweeping eastward across the Indian Ocean and western Pacific keep time with sub-seasonal spikes in wildfires. From California to Korea, these bursts create dry, windy windows in which flames can race unchecked. 



A recent study led by Professor Young-Min Yang of <a href="https://www.jbnu.ac.kr/web/index.do" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jeonbuk National University</a> is the first to quantify how the <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/what-mjo-and-why-do-we-care" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Madden–Julian Oscillation</a> (MJO) - an immense 20- to 100-day tropical wave - modulates <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildfire</a> activity on a planetary scale.



The international team combined 21 years of satellite fire-emission records, fire-weather indices, and re-analysis data. The study revealed that up to one-fifth of all mid-latitude wildfire events emerge during particular MJO phases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tropical-storms-and-santa-ana-winds">Tropical storms and Santa Ana winds</h2>



When the oscillation’s stormy core clusters over the eastern Indian Ocean, its upper-tropospheric divergence launches a train of <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/rossby-wave.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rossby waves</a> that reaches North America and East Asia within a week. 



The ocean waves carve high-pressure ridges, lower humidity and quicken surface <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-method-developed-to-measure-the-wind/%C3%B9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">winds</a> - textbook conditions for fast-moving wildfires.



“Our findings show that strong MJO activity in the eastern Indian Ocean can trigger atmospheric <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teleconnections-climate-events-are-deeply-connected-across-the-globe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">teleconnections</a>, leading to dry and windy weather in wildfire-prone areas like Los Angeles within days to a week,” Yang said. “This provides a crucial prediction window that could improve wildfire forecasting and risk management.”



The same mechanism reverses when deep convection slides into the western Pacific. It flips moisture and wind patterns, altering fire potential. 



California, the southeastern United States, East Asia, and eastern Australia all showed alternating pulses. These pulses of enhanced and suppressed fire emissions that marched in step with the eight-phase MJO life cycle.



On average, MJO-linked fire events contributed ten to twenty percent of seasonal burn totals in these regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-record-breaking-fires-in-los-angeles">Record-breaking fires in Los Angeles </h2>



The study also implicates the <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/ao/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic Oscillation</a> (AO). A strongly positive AO phase can funnel cold, desiccating air into mid-latitude corridors, tightening the vise that the MJO sets in motion.



The interplay may help explain why Los Angeles experienced record-breaking winter wildfires in January 2025 despite less severe long-term <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fertilizer-reduces-plant-damage-caused-by-droughts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drought</a>. It may also expound on why South Korea suffered its deadliest blaze on record earlier the same month.



Yang watched the flames claim twenty-eight lives in his home country. He stresses the stakes: large-scale climate modes are now colliding with a warmer, more combustible world, boosting boreal spring and summer fire activities in many tropical and mid-latitude regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oceans-can-impact-wildfires-globally">Oceans can impact wildfires globally</h2>



To probe the mechanics, the researchers filtered daily fire-emission data with a 20- to 100-day band-pass. Researchers then compared it to the <a href="https://cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/background/summary/fwi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canadian Fire Weather Index</a> (FWI). 



In the southern United States, East Asia and eastern Europe, correlations between MJO-day FWI anomalies and fire output soared above 0.6. During non-MJO days they barely topped 0.3.



One notable case study traced the August 2020 Complex Fire in northern California - at the time the state’s largest - to a surge in FWI that arrived as Rossby waves arced in from an active Indian Ocean MJO phase. Another study linked the deadly 2010 Russian wildfires to a similar chain of events from the Indian Ocean.



Small-scale tests confirmed the physical underpinnings. In situ atmospheric soundings showed relative-humidity drops of up to 40 percentage points and wind-speed jumps of three to five meters per second during the high-risk phases. 



According to the experts, extreme meteorological conditions, with a potential influence from the MJO through atmospheric teleconnections, drove the 2025 Los Angeles <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/santa-ana-winds-the-hidden-spark-behind-californias-fire-surge/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fires</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildfire-and-ocean-ai-prediction-models">Wildfire and ocean AI prediction models</h2>



Existing numerical models already predict the Madden-Julian Oscillation two to four weeks in advance. Yang’s group is weaving those forecasts into machine-learning fire models - alongside signals from the warming tropical Indian Ocean and from Siberian heat anomalies - to flag fire-weather windows up to a month ahead.



“Our ultimate goal is to develop more reliable wildfire prediction models by incorporating MJO and AO influences,” Yang said. Because people and fuel conditions still matter, the authors note that MJO teleconnections are triggers rather than sole causes. 



Yet the added lead time could let utilities pre-position crews, help agencies schedule prescribed burns, and guide communities in high-risk corridors to tighten defensible space before Santa Ana winds or East Asian föhn events ignite embers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-changing-baseline-for-the-climate">A changing baseline for the climate</h2>



Climate projections suggest the warm-pool oceans that energize the MJO will continue to expand. If, as some modeling ocean studies indicate, that expansion strengthens the oscillation’s teleconnections, the share of wildfires paced by the MJO could rise.



The study therefore urges wildfire managers to incorporate global climate dynamics into regional plans, warning that local fire weather cannot be fully understood without its tropical heartbeat.



Wildfires may ignite on the ground, but their timing is often written in the sky. By decoding the rhythm linking equatorial thunderstorms to distant dry winds, Yang and colleagues have provided a new key for living with fires on a warming planet.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00376-025-4447-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advances in Atmospheric Sciences</a>.



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Wildfires in California linked to storms in the Indian Ocean

Bursts of convection sweeping eastward across the Indian Ocean and western Pacific keep time with sub-seasonal spikes in wildfires. From California to Korea, these bursts create dry, windy windows in which flames can race unchecked. A recent study led by Professor Young-Min Yang of Jeonbuk National University is the first to quantify how the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) - an immense 20- to 100-day tropical wave - modulates wildfire activity on a planetary scale. The international team combined 21 years of satellite fire-emission records, fire-weather indices, and re-analysis...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">UC Santa Cruz</a>, scientists are urgently trying to provide guidance for helping the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-plants-thrive-under-environmental-stress/">plants</a> and animals that are most threatened by climate change. The experts reviewed previous research and determined that many species will need assisted migration, or a direct intervention by humans to move threatened species into areas where they could have a better chance of survival in the future.&nbsp;



“There is an enormous need to think ahead and be proactive, as well as a growing recognition that we have to act now,” said study senior author Professor Erika Zavaleta.



“Climate change is causing a mismatch between where species are now and where the habitat and conditions suitable for them are moving. We need to think about where suitable habitats for different ecological communities will be in the future, and how they can get there.”



Climate change has occurred on the planet before, but the current rate of change - which is associated with the burning of fossil fuels - is much faster than historical climate shifts. Furthermore, humans have fragmented natural habitats to the point that it is much more difficult for species to move to suitable areas.&nbsp;



“The need to move is greater while the ability to move is less,” said Professor Zavaleta. “Things are changing, and we need to assist the adaptive responses of the natural world if we don’t want to lose both the species and the amenities they provide for people. We depend on natural ecosystems, and helping them adapt is not separate from helping people and communities adapt to climate change.”



According to the researchers, current recommendations have gone beyond conceptual guidance to provide more specific and actionable ideas about strategies to implement for particular ecosystems or species. “There has been a lot more on-the-ground implementation of some of these approaches,” said Professor Zavaleta.



Conservation measures remain critically important in the context of climate change, but the researchers noted that three novel strategies have received growing attention in recent years: climate change refugia, assisted migration, and protecting climate-adaptive genetics.



“If you think of a valley oak, with acorns that are carried only a short distance by birds and are only viable in the year they are dropped, you can have connectivity but the trees are not going to move at the same pace as the drying that’s happening in parts of their range,” explained Professor Zavaleta. “So do we watch their range contract and disappear? Or do we bank them as seedlings in botanical gardens? And what do we need to be learning now about how to put them back out into the landscape where they can survive?”



Climate change refugia includes habitat restoration, such as restoring woodland streams. Assisted migration involves directly intervening to move species to more suitable areas and moving individuals between populations to preserve genetic diversity.&nbsp;



“I feel like the devil is in the details, but I also think translocation has been mischaracterized as an untested strategy, when actually it has been practiced for over a century and probably longer,” said Professor Zavaleta. “Forestry, for example, has a long practice of planting trees from a wide range of locations in areas that are being restored. But we do have a lot more to learn, especially for certain animals and species that are not well understood.”



In particular, the researchers want to protect the genetic variants that might be better adapted to hotter, drier conditions. “These are the very conditions that we are likely to see more of in the future,” said study co-author Professor Blair McLaughlin. “Preserving the climate-adaptive evolutionary potential of a species before it’s lost is critical to make sure we have the genetic resources we need to help species adapt to novel climate futures.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biological-conservation">Biological Conservation</a>.



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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

Assisted migrations could help species survive climate change

In a new study from UC Santa Cruz, scientists are...

Oyster fisheries around the world have suffered collapses over the past 200 years that have been attributed to overexploitation, climatic changes, disease and the introduction of alien species. This is particularly noticeable in countries where colonizers arrived and commercialized the harvest of this shellfish on a large scale. In the process, Indigenous peoples who had used the resource for hundreds, or even thousands of years previously, were displaced and marginalized. Today, as much as 85 percent of the 19th century oyster <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-map-coral-reefs-before-and-after-marine-heat-wave/">reefs</a> have been lost and oyster fisheries have declined globally.&nbsp;



Research into oyster fisheries has often focused on the years subsequent to the arrival of colonizers, and the data has been used to inform management practices, while the earlier use of the resource by Indigenous peoples has largely been overlooked or ignored. And yet these people depended upon oysters as part of their diet and economy, in addition to using them in social, ritual and cultural traditions. They were deeply connected to the coastal ecosystem and had indigenous knowledge derived from the historical use of the resource.



In a new, global study of Indigenous oyster fisheries, published today in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-29818-z">Nature Communications</a>, scientists have excavated the remains of shell middens in areas of eastern Australia, the Pacific Coast of North America, and the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coast of North America, in order to expand on knowledge about oyster harvesting prior to the arrival of colonial populations. The study was co-led by&nbsp;anthropologist&nbsp;<a href="https://naturalhistory.si.edu/staff/torben-rick">Torben Rick</a> of the&nbsp;<a href="https://naturalhistory.si.edu/">Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History</a>, and Temple University anthropologist and former Smithsonian postdoctoral fellow Leslie Reeder-Myers.



“Oyster harvesting didn’t start 500 years ago with the arrival of Europeans,” said study co-author Bonnie Newsom, an anthropologist at the University of Maine and citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation. “Indigenous peoples had a relationship with and understood this species well enough to use it as part of their subsistence and cultural practices. Indigenous peoples have a lot to offer in terms of how to engage with this natural resource in ways that are sustainable.”



According to Rick, the new research expands on a seminal&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0405150101">2004 paper</a>&nbsp;that documented the collapses of 28 oyster fisheries located along the east and west coasts of North America and Australia’s east coast. But the 2004 paper’s timeline in each location begins with European colonists’ creation of commercial oyster fisheries. In the current study, the aim was to deepen the historical background of those modern declines by documenting the Indigenous oyster fisheries at the same locations as considered in the 2004 paper.&nbsp;



But the authors also aimed to highlight that Indigenous communities should be included in future management decisions pertaining to these resources since they have a valuable input to make.&nbsp;



“Conservation today can’t just be seen as a biological question and can’t just be about undoing the environmental damage we’ve done in the modern era,” Rick said. “Instead, global conservation efforts should be coupled with undoing the legacies of colonialism which brought about the attempted erasure and displacement of Indigenous people all over the world.”



Rick, Reeder-Myers and 24 other researchers used information from shell middens at the sites studied in the 2004 paper. The team used data from previously published papers, unpublished records and their own research in order to quantify the numbers of oysters disposed of by indigenous peoples at these archeological sites. Some middens were small and perhaps only used seasonally, while others were massive and towered up to 30 feet in height.



The findings of the research show that oyster fisheries were hugely productive over a timescale of hundreds and even thousands of years, during which the shellfish were intensively harvested. Long before European colonizers arrived, the Indigenous groups in these locations harvested and ate immense quantities of oysters in a manner that appeared to be sustainable, as the availability of oysters did not appear to diminish over time.&nbsp;



In North America, the highest midden came from an Island called Mound Key in Estero Bay on Florida’s Gulf Coast – it contained shells of an estimated 18.6 billion oysters harvested by the region’s Calusa tribe. About 200 miles north, in Cedar Key, Florida, a site known simply as Shell Mound features the remains of an estimated 2.1 billion oysters. On the Atlantic coast of the United States, the midden at South Carolina’s Fig Island boasts just under 75.6 million oysters, and a number of sites in Chesapeake Bay total around 84 million of these shellfish. In Australia, Saint Helena Island near Brisbane is estimated to contain roughly 50 million oyster shells harvested by Indigenous peoples over more than 1,000 years.



“We knew there were big sites in the southern U.S., but when we started to calculate just how many oysters were in these sites we were astonished,” Rick said.



Dating the shells at various middens revealed that the oldest oyster remains, found in California and Massachusetts, were harvested more than 6,000 years ago. The longest-utilized single sites (though not necessarily with perfect continuity) span some 5,000 years.&nbsp;



In addition, the researchers measured the lengths of oyster shells dating back in history to find out whether smaller individuals became more common in younger deposits. According to Rick, if the oyster populations were harvested faster than they could recover, smaller individuals would have characterized more recent deposits. But the scientists found no evidence of decreasing shell size, suggesting that the populations were generally healthy and were not overexploited, despite the enormous numbers of individuals harvested.



The information from these ancient, sustainable fisheries offers insights to help restore and manage estuaries today, say the authors. They note that the findings show that Indigenous peoples in these locations had deep connections to oysters and that their living descendants are long overdue to be involved in decisions about how to manage what is left of this precious coastal resource



“The fact that there are so many oysters at archeological sites in so many different regions is an important lesson,” said Reeder-Myers. “These systems have a ton of potential and huge quantities of oysters can be sustainably harvested over long time periods if the ecosystem is healthy.”



Rick said he hopes that their findings are heeded by biologists and environmental managers and heighten public awareness about the deep connections of Indigenous peoples to coastal ecosystems around the world.



“What this study does is it says we need to start a broader dialogue when we look to restore an ecosystem or make conservation decisions,” Rick said. “In this case, that dialogue needs to include the Indigenous peoples whose ancestors stewarded these ecosystems for millennia. This broadening of perspectives can enhance biological conservation and help restore connections between Indigenous peoples and their ancestral homelands.”



Image Credit: Torben Rick



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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

Indigenous people harvested oysters sustainably for thousands of years

Oyster fisheries around the world have suffered collapses over the...

Corals,,Anemone,And,Clownfish,In,Red,Sea,,Egypt

Coral reef <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salt-pollution-threatens-freshwater-ecosystems/">ecosystems</a> around the world are characterized by supporting large numbers of marine species, as well as providing livelihoods for more than half a billion people. They are a source of food and jobs,&nbsp;are used for recreational purposes and provide coastal protection against damage from the sea. This is why the destructive effects of marine heat waves that bleach living corals are a matter of grave concern.&nbsp;



As global temperatures increase, marine heat waves are likely to become more frequent and intense, causing lasting damage to coral reef ecosystems. Warmer water can cause corals to expel the algae living in their tissues, which results in the corals turning white. When corals bleach, however, they do not necessarily die, but may become more vulnerable to other stressors, such as water pollution, which then increase the rate of mortality.



Previous research has shown that many reefs harbor corals that survive ocean heat waves, indicating that the issue of bleaching and its impact on coral mortality is a complex one. Understanding this may be key to conserving coral reefs under conditions of global warming.



For the first time, scientists have now been able to map the locations of living corals before and after a major marine heat wave. Arizona State University researchers were able to take to the sky on the&nbsp;<a href="https://gao.asu.edu/">Global Airborne Observatory</a>&nbsp;(GAO), and use the advanced spectrometers and visual equipment to get images of coral reef sites around eight different Hawaiian Islands just before, and again after, a heat wave event in 2019. The GAO aircraft is equipped with advanced remote sensing technologies that enable the mapping of ecosystems both on land and beneath the ocean surface.&nbsp;



The results of the surveys, published today in&nbsp;Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that coral species and local environment are important factors in determining the likelihood of survival when ocean temperatures rise. They also demonstrate that the GAO approach to visual mapping provides an unprecedented opportunity to monitor coral reefs and assess changes in coastal ecosystems over time.&nbsp;



“Repeat coral mapping with the GAO revealed how Hawaii’s coral reefs responded to the 2019 mass bleaching event,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://isearch.asu.edu/profile/3398779">Greg Asner</a>, lead author of the study and director of the ASU Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science. “We discovered coral ‘winners’ and ‘losers.’ And these winning corals are associated with cleaner water and less coastal development despite elevated water temperatures.”



The surveys identified more than 10 potential coral refugia – habitats that may offer a safe haven for corals facing climate change. In these areas, there was up to 40 percent less coral mortality than on neighboring reefs, despite the fact that the warm water infiltrated all the areas, causing similar temperature conditions. The results also identified that reefs near heavily developed coasts are more susceptible to coral mortality from heat waves. Development on land is associated with increased pollution that enters coastal reef systems, creating even more stress for coral reefs already fighting to survive the warming water.



According to Brian Neilson, study co-author and head of Hawaii’s Division of Aquatic Resources, “This study supports Hawaii’s&nbsp;<a href="https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/30x30/">Holomua Marine 30x30 Initiative</a>&nbsp;by not only identifying areas impacted by ocean heat waves, but also areas of refugia. These findings can be incorporated into management plans to aid in building a resilient network of reef regions and sustaining Hawaii’s reefs and the communities that depend on them into the future.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



The Holomua 30x30 initiative aims to establish marine management areas across 30 percent of Hawaii’s nearshore waters. Coral reefs in Hawaii are integral to life on the islands, and are tied to culture and livelihoods. Understanding which corals are surviving, and where, is key to achieving conservation that is targeted and effective.



“Previous approaches have failed to deliver actionable interventions that might improve coral survival during heat waves or to locate places of heat-wave resistance, known as coral refugia, for rapid protection,” said Asner, who is also director of the Global Airborne Observatory. “Our findings highlight the new role that coral mortality and survival monitoring can play for targeted conservation that protects more corals in our changing climate.”



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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

Experts map coral reefs before and after marine heat wave

Coral reef ecosystems around the world are characterized by supporting...

Salt,Lake,Tuz,,Turkey.beautiful,View,Of,The,Salt,Lake,Tuz

When faced with environmental conditions that are too dry, cold, or salty, many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-that-breathe-underwater-could-improve-crop-resilience/">plants</a> try to conserve resources, by producing fewer leaves and roots, and closing up their pores to hold in water. If circumstances fail to improve, most of them eventually die. However, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>, some plants known as extremophytes have evolved to survive, and sometimes even thrive, in such harsh environments.&nbsp;&nbsp;



An example of such a plant is Schrenkiella parvula, a member of the Brassicaceae family that contains cabbage, broccoli, turnips, and several other major food crops. Growing on the shores of Lake Tuz in Turkey, where salt concentrations in the water can be up to six times higher than in the ocean, this scraggly, branching member of the mustard family is actually able to grow faster under stressful environmental conditions that would kill most other plants.



“Most plants produce a stress hormone that acts like a stop signal for growth,” said&nbsp;study senior author José Dinneny, an associate professor of Biology at Stanford. “But in this extremophyte, it’s a green light. The plant accelerates its growth in response to this stress hormone.”



When plants encounter dry, cold, or salty conditions that create water-related stress, they produce a hormone called abscisic acid (ABA) which activates specific genes that dictate plants how to respond to environmental stressors. The researchers found that, while most plants’ growth slowed or even stopped when this hormone was activated, the roots of S. parvula grew significantly faster, even if its genome is highly similar to that of other plants.&nbsp;



Since S. parvula is also related to oilseed species which have the potential to be engineered and used as sustainable sources of jet fuel and other biofuels, better understanding this plant’s stress response and managing to engineer it in other species could help more than food crops. Moreover, if such plants can be adapted to grow in harsher conditions, there would be more land available to cultivate them.



“You want to be growing bioenergy crops on land that is not suitable for growing food – say, an agricultural field that has degraded soil or has accumulated salinity because of improper irrigation,” Professor Dinneny explained. “These areas are not prime agricultural real estate, but land that would be abandoned otherwise.”



“With climate change, we can’t expect the environment to stay the same,” added study lead author Ying Sun, a postdoctoral researcher at the<a href="https://www.salk.edu/"> Salk Institute for Biological Studies</a> who earned her doctoral degree at Stanford. “Our crops are going to have to adapt to these rapidly changing conditions. If we can understand the mechanisms that plants use to tolerate stress, we can help them do it better and faster.”



“We’re trying to understand what the secret sauce is for these plant species – what allows them to grow in these unique environments, and how we can use this knowledge to engineer specific traits in our crops,” concluded Professor Dinneny.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41477-022-01139-5">Nature Plants</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

Some plants thrive under environmental stress

When faced with environmental conditions that are too dry, cold,...

Protected areas such as nature reserves, national parks, or wilderness regions are crucial for conserving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-single-gene-could-control-biodiversity-in-an-ecosystem/">biodiversity</a>. However, due to climate change, many plant and animal species from specific protected areas will need to change their habitats, in order to find more favorable conditions.&nbsp;



A recent study published in the journal <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/64206">Environmental Research Letters</a> has provided new insights for developing climate-smart conservation strategies. By investigating the global network of protected areas, the researchers have evaluated the potential for shifts in where plants and animals live due to climate change. Their findings suggest that there is a need for strategic conservation plans that transcend international borders and protect endangered species.&nbsp;



“As the planet continues to warm, we expect a number of species to move out of some protected areas and into others as they shift their ranges in response to climate change,” said study lead author Sean Parks, a research ecologist at the USDA Forest Service <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/">Rocky Mountain Research Station</a>.



Dr. Parks and his colleagues have found that some species that are currently in protected areas may soon need to cross international boundaries in order to find more suitable climate conditions. During such migrations, they might face both physical and non-physical barriers, from border fences to inconsistent conservation policies in different regions and countries.



Under a scenario of 2°C warming above pre-industrial levels, climate conditions are expected to change in over a quarter of the current land-based global network of protected areas. Better understanding these climatic shifts and the ways in which they will impact the plants and animals from these areas will help the international conservation community efficiently forecast planning needs and make more strategic investment decisions for the limited funding that is currently available for conservation initiatives.&nbsp;



“The Rocky Mountain Research Station is committed to addressing the threat of climate change, by providing research needed to support new strategies for stewarding protected areas and other wildlands within the United States and internationally,” concluded&nbsp;Jason Taylor, the Director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/research-labs/aldo-leopold-wilderness-research-institute">Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute</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

Climate change impacts biodiversity in protected areas worldwide

Protected areas such as nature reserves, national parks, or wilderness...

The beautiful and colorful tropical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-destroyed-14-percent-of-the-worlds-coral-reefs/">coral reefs</a> are teeming with an amazing diversity of marine organisms, including over 8,000 species of fish. However, climate change and various human activities are causing corals to disappear at an alarming rate, making scientists largely unable to properly quantify how many species of reef fish there are and where they are distributed.&nbsp;



Besides the rapid pace of change coral reefs face worldwide, there are several other reasons why scientists have difficulties in mapping marine ecosystems from specific areas: most of these fishes lead rather secretive, hidden lives, are highly similar to one another, or live in the open sea and are thus difficult to detect.



In order to circumvent such difficulties, a research team from <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a> has applied a new method that is currently making its way into Ecology: environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis. The idea behind this new approach is that organisms leave their genetic material or parts of it in the environment. By using this method, the scientists only need to take water samples at one location, isolate the DNA fragments they contain, sequence them, and compare these sequences with reference DNA sequences coming from reliably identified specimens in order to determine whether a particular species occurs at the location in question.



“Thanks to the eDNA method, we can detect many fish species and families much faster than with observations alone,” said study senior author Loïc Pellissier, a professor of Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution at ETH Zurich.



In 2017 and 2019, Professor Pellissier and his team collected 226 water samples at 26 sites in five tropical marine regions. The eDNA analysis of these samples revealed a 16 percent higher diversity of reef fishes than what conventional survey methods such as visual observations during dives have previous managed to detect. With this new method, the scientists discovered more pelagic (swimming in open water), reef-bound, and cryptobenthic (inhabiting caves and crevices in reefs) species than divers are generally able to see or identify. The discovery of these species is highly important because they are actively involved in the function of the coral reefs through their pelagic larval stages or their nocturnal migrations to the reefs.



These findings suggest that the composition of species varies significantly among marine bioregions. Fish diversity was found to be exceptionally high in the “Coral Triangle” between Borneo, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines (five times higher than in the Caribbean, for instance). According to Professor Pellissier, this has to do with the fact that, historically, the Coral Triangle was very tectonically active, producing a wide range of habitats. Moreover, the more stable surface temperatures of this area during the ice ages allowed the fishes to diversify considerably.



Although this new method is extremely efficient for mapping reef biodiversity, it has its limitations. Since some species – such as wrasses (Labridae) or blennies (Blenniidae) - are poorly detected through eDNA analysis, direct visual observations remain important. In addition, these more traditional methods can help gather supplementary information, such as fish sizes or biomass, which cannot yet be recovered through eDNA analysis.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2022.0162">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.&nbsp;&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

Environmental DNA reveals the diversity of coral reef fish

The beautiful and colorful tropical coral reefs are teeming with...

Humans are changing the composition of forests, and this can have serious consequences for many species that depend on trees for food, shelter, mating, and feeding. A new study from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> has found that bird populations in eastern Canada are declining as a result of habitat degradation, which is the reduction or loss of biological complexity.



“Reducing forest loss has been the main focus of conservation policy to date, which is well justified because it has a strong negative effect on biodiversity. But the effects of changing the composition and age of forest via timber management have traditionally been very difficult to measure at large scales and thus have been largely ignored," explained Matt Betts of the OSU College of Forestry. "Our work shows population declines in many bird species in eastern Canada are due to habitat loss caused by forestry activities.”



The researchers set out to investigate the effects of forest degradation in places where trees have been thinned or clear-cut for the purpose of planting a single tree species. The experts wanted to know how these activities may impact bird populations in the long term.&nbsp;



The study was focused on the Acadian Forest in Canada’s maritime provinces. The results showed that 66 percent of the most common bird species had lost breeding habitat from 1985 to 2020. This habitat loss was strongly associated with the loss of older forests, according to the researchers.



The golden-crowned kinglet and Blackburnian warbler were the two species that were most impacted. The study authors estimate that over the 35-year study period, between 33 and 104 million birds were lost due to forest degradation.



Overall, nine bird species in the Acadian Forest have declined at rates exceeding 30 percent over the past 10 years, which meets criteria for listing as threatened under Canadian endangered species legislation.



“Due to increased global demand for wood, more and more of the Earth’s surface is being used for timber extraction,” said Betts. “This shows up on remote sensing as both forest loss and forest gain, but unfortunately the ‘gain’ is often vastly simplified, young forest. Our paper presents a new way to quantify these sorts of changes.”



Betts collaborated with experts from Cornell University, the University of Rhode Island, the University of New Brunswick, Google and multiple Canadian and U.S. agencies. The team analyzed satellite imagery and breeding bird survey data alongside projections of species distribution.



The Acadian Forest, known for its tree species diversity, has shown pervasive signs of degradation over the last three-plus decades, said Betts. More than three million hectares of the Acadian Forest have been clear-cut over the last 35 years.



“Old forest declined by 39 percent over the period we observed,” said Betts. “Over the same period, forest cover actually increased by a net 6.5 percent. That pattern of extensive harvest of old forest, followed by rapid regeneration of young forest and then subsequent harvest before maturity is attained, seems to be common in many forest regions of North America and northern Europe.”



According to Betts, managed forests tend to be dominated by one or two merchantable tree species, and they also tend to be younger than those that would occur naturally.&nbsp;



“Clearly the research by Betts and collaborators identifies one of the critical smoking guns of avian declines,” said Peter Marra, the co-author of a recent Science paper on bird declines. “We’ve assumed once a natural forest is cut down, as long as you plant more trees all the rest of the plants and animals will fill back in. The new research shows that’s not the case.”



In the Acadian Forest, deforestation was not a primary driver of habitat loss, explained Betts, as it accounted for less than two percent of all habitat loss across the 54 bird species examined.



“Overall, our findings indicate broad-scale declines in forest birds of the Acadian Forest, and for most species, abundance is strongly associated with habitat amount,” said Betts. “We expect that similar consequences for biodiversity are in place for intensively managed forests in other parts of the world as well. If all you look at is forest cover, you’ll miss the more subtle but critically important role of forest age and type in maintaining biodiversity.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.&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

Forest degradation is a major cause of bird population declines

Humans are changing the composition of forests, and this can...

Perito,Moreno,Glacier,,El,Calafate,,Argentina.

As climate change accelerates, glaciers are melting faster, and experts fear that many will collapse by the end of the century, drastically raising sea levels and flooding coastal cities and island nations. Whyjay Zheng, a geophysicist at the University of California, Berkeley, has recently developed an improved model of glacial movement that could help identify the glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic that are most likely to rapidly slide downhill and fall into the oceans.



Glaciologists have long thought that the speedup and slowdown of glaciers are related to what is happening at their front – the “glacial terminus” - where ice merges with the oceans’ increasingly warm waters. Observations have shown that for many marine-terminating glaciers, when the fronts melt or calve into then ocean, the remaining ones tend to speed up. However, in his new model, Professor Zheng has incorporated another major factor determining glaciers’ speed: the effect of meltwater that percolates to the base of the glaciers and lubricates its downward flow. 



Warmer weather causes meltwater lakes to form on many glaciers, which punch through to the bottom of the ice during a process called hydrofracture, or drain to the bottom through crevasses nearby. This basal lubrication by meltwater is then creating a feedback loop that accelerates glaciers that have already sped up for other reasons, such as changes at the terminus.



“Basal lubrication creates a positive feedback loop. The faster glaciers are more likely to respond faster to basal lubrication, and the following speedup makes them more prone to future lubrications,” explained Professor Zheng. “For example, if a glacier is flowing three kilometers per year, and basal lubrication suddenly happens, it will react so fast that you can see the fluctuation of the speed, probably just a few days later, compared to another glacier that would be flowing at 100 meters per year.”



The findings indicate that thick, fast-moving glaciers around the Arctic and Antarctic should be monitored frequently to anticipate discharges of large icebergs into the ocean that could affect sea levels. For this, better, more accurate ways of measuring basal lubrication are needed.



“The model suggests that thick and fast-flowing glaciers are more sensitive to lubrication than thin and slow glaciers. The data from Greenland glaciers support this new finding, indicating that those fast and thick glacier beasts might be more unstable than we thought under global warming,” concluded Professor Zheng.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/16/1431/2022/">The Cryosphere</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

New model can identify glaciers at risk of collapse

As climate change accelerates, glaciers are melting faster, and experts...

The latest<a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/reports?gclid=Cj0KCQjwjN-SBhCkARIsACsrBz6h_uH-xJnN2929g3CDEV9GZVLFEGh6KWfiNgneXUlf6d78n4Tlk24aAg3fEALw_wcB"> U.N. report on climate change</a> has revealed that some measures of global warming are now unavoidable. A warming climate will lead to many impacts, such as a change in the frequency of flash flooding events, and the areas in which they occur.&nbsp;



The National Aeronautics and Space Administration describes this as a global problem, felt on local scales. Likewise, experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are providing the<a href="https://www.noaa.gov/climate"> data, tools and information</a> to better understand and prepare for climate change.&nbsp;



A research team led by the <a href="https://www.ou.edu/">University of Oklahoma</a> has created simulations that demonstrate widespread increases of flash flooding events across most of the United States.&nbsp;



“This study builds upon the state-of-the-art model (EF5/CREST) that is jointly developed by researchers with OU, NASA, and NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory and has initiated collaboration with National Center for Atmospheric Research climate scientists,” said study lead author Zhi Li. “It realizes the concept of ‘Digital Twin in Earth System Science,’ in which one is our living climate and the other one is our future. Climate change never became so real to me until we successfully collaborated on such research.”



“There hasn’t been a real definitive study on what's going to happen with flash floods in the future,” said study co-author Jonathan J. Gourley. “We didn’t have that robust of an observational record … so, this study helped to fill in that gap. By using some of the rainfall simulations from a convection-resolving climate model and then coupling with our high-resolution hydrologic modeling system, we can see what sort of flash floods would be produced in the future.”



The research team used climate simulations and modeling of a 30-year period from 2070 to 2100. The effect, what the researchers call “flashiness,” describes the likelihood of weather conditions that cause rapid rainfall and lead to flash flooding.



The findings include the following:&nbsp;



<ul><li>If emissions continued at their current rate, flooding events would become 8% “flashier” by the end of the century. This means that heavy rainfall events are likely to occur quickly and in concentrated areas that could lead to flooding.</li><li>A more than 10% increase in flash flooding in the Southwest U.S. which accounts for the greatest increase in “flashiness” among hot spots.&nbsp;</li><li>The central U.S. is emerging as a new flash flood hotspot as well, with an 8.6% predicted increase.&nbsp;</li></ul>



Overall, the study revealed that future flash flood-prone regions are moving northward. This means that more people will learn how to better live with these increased events, and also, how to survive.&nbsp;



“The 20-year return floods will more likely occur every two to five years, especially alarming for the emerging flashiness hotspots that will be facing unprecedented challenges with aging infrastructure and outdated flood risk measures. There is a pressing need to implement climate-resilient engineering infrastructure and develop smart hydrological early warning systems.” said study co-author Yang Hong.&nbsp;



The researchers urge action, such as mitigation strategies, to curb these extreme climate impacts.&nbsp;



“Now’s the time to start thinking about better flood defenses,” said Gourley. “Of course, decreasing greenhouse gas concentrations would be the ultimate solution, but in the meantime, we can think about ways to reduce vulnerabilities and improve flash flooding safety education.”



The majority of fatalities during flash floods are caused by people entering flooded areas - most often from driving through a flooded roadway. The best way to stay safe during flash flooding events is to stay off the roads and avoid standing water.



The findings are published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsenv/">Nature: Communications Earth and Environment</a>.&nbsp;



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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

Flash floods are set to become much more common in the U.S.

The latest U.N. report on climate change has revealed that...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.icm.csic.es/ca">Institut de Ciències del Mar</a> (ICM-CSIC) in Spain has found that climate change is accelerating the water cycle due to an increase in the evaporation of water from the seas and oceans caused by rises in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-surface-temperatures-are-speeding-up-ocean-currents/">temperatures</a>. This results in more water circulating in the atmosphere in its vapor form, 90 percent of which will precipitate back into the sea, while the remaining 10 percent will precipitate over the continent. The researchers predict that these changes in the water cycle could have major consequences on the global climate system.



“The acceleration of the water cycle has implications both at the ocean and on the continent, where storms could become increasingly intense. This higher amount of water circulating in the atmosphere could also explain the increase in rainfall that is being detected in some polar areas, where the fact that it is raining instead of snowing is speeding up the melting,” explained study lead author&nbsp;Estrella Olmedo, an expert in Physical and Technological Oceanography at ICM-CSIC.



Dr. Olmedo and her colleagues have found that another important factor contributing to the acceleration in the water cycle is the decrease in the wind over some areas of the ocean, which favors stratification of the water column (water not mixing in the vertical direction).&nbsp;



“Where the wind is no longer so strong, the surface water warms up, but does not exchange heat with the water below, allowing the surface to become more saline than the lower layers and enabling the effect of evaporation to be observed with satellite measurements,” said study co-author Antonio Turiel, a senior scientist at ICM-CSIC. “This tells us that the atmosphere and the ocean interact in a stronger way than we imagined, with important consequences for the continental and polar areas.”&nbsp;



The researchers used satellite data to analyze ocean surface salinity. Unlike subsurface salinity data – which is collected with in situ instruments – the satellite data allowed them to detect more efficiently the acceleration in the water cycle and the effect of stratification over vast areas of the oceans.&nbsp;



“We have been able to see that surface salinity is showing an intensification of the water cycle that subsurface salinity does not. Specifically, in the Pacific we have seen that surface salinity decreases more slowly than subsurface salinity and, in this same region, we have observed an increase in sea surface temperature and a decrease in the intensity of winds and the depth of the mixing layer,” said Dr. Olmedo.



According to Dr. Turiel, ocean models must standardize the assimilation of satellite salinity data, in order to complement in situ data. This is crucial in order to make accurate predictions, particularly at the current time of climate crisis, when changes are occurring much faster than before.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-10265-1">Nature Scientific Reports</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

Climate change is accelerating the water cycle

A new study led by the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC)...

At first glance, metropolitan areas may appear to be devoid of wildlife, but that is far from the truth. Green spaces in large cities can serve as corridors or stepping stones for wild animals and even threatened mammal species.



In one of the most populous and densely urbanized cities in Brazil, a research team recorded a South American coati, a carnivore that lives on trees that feeds on small invertebrates and fruits. The species is classified as vulnerable in Rio Grande do Sul, mainly because of the loss of its forest habitats.



The Brazilian research team detected the animal using a camera trap during a Masters research project conducted at the Canoas Airbase, one of the last green spaces remaining in the municipality.&nbsp;



Finding a coati in the middle of a dense, urban area surprised them. While the species is not considered threatened in the majority of its area of distribution, the coati population has been in a state of decline as a result of habitat loss and hunting.



"This record confirms the capacity of this species to use environments that have been changed by anthropic activity. In urban areas, the availability of anthropic food resources can favor the establishment of species with greater plasticity," wrote the researchers.



"Conversely, proximity of humans can also cause conflicts and threats to wildlife and increases the likelihood of diseases transmitted by domesticated animals, such as cats and dogs."



According to the study authors, this record is worthy of note because it refers to an urban area where coatis were believed to be extinct, in the only Brazilian state in which the species is threatened. The discovery highlights the importance of urban green spaces for wildlife conservation.



"It highlights the importance of urban green spaces for wildlife conservation, since these spaces can furnish corridors or stepping-stones, enabling migration and reducing isolation of populations in increasingly fragmented landscapes," wrote the researchers. "This is very important for defining appropriate conservation measurements for endangered species, especially beyond protected areas."



The study - a partnership between the Canoas Airbase and<a href="https://www.lasalle.edu/"> La Salle University</a> - was led by Dr. Cristina Vargas Cademartori.&nbsp; The findings are published in the open access journal <a href="https://neotropical.pensoft.net/">Neotropical Biology and Conservation</a>.



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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

Green spaces are a critical refuge for threatened species

At first glance, metropolitan areas may appear to be devoid...

Biological diversity is under threat all over the world. More and more species have shown dwindling population numbers in the past few decades as the effects of habitat destruction, overexploitation, invasion by alien species, pollution and climate change take hold. As a result, it has become increasingly necessary to monitor changes in biodiversity so that protection measures can be introduced before it is too late.&nbsp;



Over the past 50 years, the global rate of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-oceans-are-on-track-for-a-catastrophic-extinction-event/">extinction</a> of species has accelerated, according to the 2019 report by the UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). In Catalonia in particular, the Living Planet Index reveals that there has been a 25 percent loss of wildlife in less than twenty years, as stated in the <a href="https://mediambient.gencat.cat/web/.content/home/ambits_dactuacio/patrimoni_natural/sistemes_dinformacio/observatori-patrimoni-natural-biodiversitat/informe/estatgeneraldelabiodiversitatacatalunya-2020.pdf">report of the state of nature 2020</a>, published by the Department of Territory and Sustainability (DTES) of the Catalan Government.&nbsp;



“Species are irreplaceable, they cannot be created nor repeated in an evolution process of millions of years. Therefore, conservation is essential for the functioning of ecosystems, and it is an ethical obligation too,” said lecturer Joan Real, head of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ub.edu/biologiaconservacio/en/team/">Conservation Biology Group&nbsp;</a>of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ub.edu/portal/web/biology">Faculty of Biology</a>&nbsp;and member of the Biodiversity Research Institute (<a href="http://www.ub.edu/irbio/home">IRBio</a>) of the University of Barcelona. “Biodiversity, natural habitats and ecological processes bring a series of ecosystem services to society – natural resources, protection against natural disasters, etc. – and are necessary elements for the continuity of the human species.”



Despite the urgent need to keep track of biodiversity changes in natural habitats, this is often not done using standardized procedures. Indicators of the state of biodiversity, be they species, habitats or ecological services provided, have been different in different scientific studies, meaning that it is a challenge to track changes or make comparisons. However, some international initiatives – such as the global alliance&nbsp;<a href="https://geobon.org/">GEO BON</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="https://europabon.org/">EuropaBON</a>&nbsp;project have now attempted to quantify the losses and changes of biodiversity with precise and reliable scientific data at a local and global scale.



“These informative elements of environmental changes&nbsp; – which are, apparently, easy to measure, repeatable at different time and space scales and measurable with moderate resources – are necessary tools for defining policies on sustainable management and natural resource conservation,” noted Joan Real, member of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ub.edu/portal/web/dp-beeca">Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences</a>&nbsp;of the UB.



Scientists from the University of Barcelona, including Joan Real and Roger Puig-Gironès have now outlined a practical and comprehensive methodology for selecting biodiversity indicators for long-term monitoring. They explained that, in the Mediterranean region, the rich biodiversity and ecosystem complexity make it difficult to select suitable indicators of biodiversity and ecological changes.&nbsp;



In their recent publication in the journal&nbsp;Public Library of Science&nbsp;(<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0265246">PLoS ONE</a>), the experts present a method for selecting the most representative bioindicators of an area, including the species, habitats and ecological processes. The new methodology optimizes the resources for monitoring biodiversity, includes multidisciplinary data and is applicable in most of Mediterranean ecosystems.



The main reference of the study is the Biodiversity Monitoring Centre of Mediterranean Mountains (<a href="https://www.ub.edu/biologiaconservacio/en/working-lines/biodiversity/monitoring/pilot-centre/">CMBMM</a>), a pioneering initiative in Spain in the monitoring and conservation of biodiversity, that was launched in 2016 by the UB and the Barcelona Provincial Council in the Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Natural Park.



“There are more than 3,500 species in more than ninety typologies of habitats in the park, and in the complex biotic network, we must add the abiotic aspects (climate, soil structure, relief, fires, etc.) and anthropic (infrastructures) elements, which harden the understanding of ecological relationships,” said Real, director of CMBMM. “We need to add this knowledge to find the state and trends of biodiversity, detect the emerging warning signs, and diagnose the origins of the conservation problems in order to reverse the negative trends, and plan a better biodiversity management and conservation."



The new methodology considers indicators at four ecological levels – species, habitats, ecological processes and factors of change. It also takes into account the biological interactions between the elements of the biodiversity and it introduces the trophic networks, from primary production through to predators.&nbsp;



“In the study, we defined a total of twenty-seven priority indicators, thirteen of them referring to the state of the species, two of them to the habitats, four to the ecological processes and the other eight to the effects of the factors of change in the ecosystem,” said Puig-Gironès, member of UB-IRBio and the University of Girona.



The Sant Llorenç del Munt Natural Park is the oldest natural park in Spain and it stands out due to its biological richness. The Park has many oak groves and pine forests which are well conserved, in addition to the matorrals, small patches of bush and pastures which result from the abandonment of agricultural activities. This is also the natural habitat of Mediterranean threatened species such as Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata) and the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), which is why the Park is part of the Natura 2000 Network and is a special protection area for birds (ZEPA).



Human pressure, erosion, pollution and forest exploitation are all factors that affect the conservation of the Park’s biodiversity. “This is why we need a monitoring and information system based on scientific and robust data, and we must prioritize the resources to prevent the loss of biodiversity,” said the authors.



The new standardized protocol of biodiversity monitoring, implemented by the CMBMM, will be applied in the future to the Natural Park Network of the Barcelona Provincial Council as a strategic tool for the monitoring of the biodiversity, decision-making, ecological knowledge and the sustainable exploitation of resources.



The authors demonstrate the potential of this new methodology by considering a specific case study and the biodiversity components and their ecological interactions present in this particular protected area. They showed that their methodology can help select appropriate local and long-term indicators, reduce the number of components required for thorough biodiversity monitoring, and underline the importance of ecological processes.



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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

New monitoring method may help prevent biodiversity loss

Biological diversity is under threat all over the world. More...

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 <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



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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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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 



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 <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

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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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