Seafood,On,Ice,At,The,Fish,Market

Alternative seafood is emerging as a vital solution in the fight to protect marine ecosystems. As pressure from overfishing, pollution, and climate change intensifies, scientists and policymakers are exploring new ways to reduce strain on the ocean. 



While many marine mysteries remain, one issue is clear - traditional fishing practices are pushing the ocean toward ecological collapse.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-global-impact-of-overfishing">The global impact of overfishing</h2>



Researchers point out that nearly 90% of marine fisheries today are either fully exploited or already overfished. On top of that, pollution and habitat degradation are erasing biodiversity across oceans, rivers, and coasts. 



<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/global-industrial-fishing-footprint-spd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A 2018 study</a> showed that commercial fishing operations now cover more than 55% of the ocean surface - four times more than the land used for agriculture.



This crisis impacts people as well as marine life. Around 3 billion rely on the ocean for food and jobs. With the population expected to hit 10 billion by 2050, seafood demand is rising twice as fast.



But wild fisheries can only do so much. Even under perfect management, there’s a ceiling on how many fish can be caught each year. 



The researchers note that reducing the burden of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overfishing-and-habitat-degradation-have-devastated-marine-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">overfishing</a> through better fishery management is possible, but it requires setting limits on how much can be caught, where and when, and with which methods. There’s another way forward - one that doesn’t get as much attention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alternative-seafood-as-a-sustainable-solution">Alternative seafood as a sustainable solution</h2>



Alternative seafood - like plant-based fish or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sushi-of-the-future-the-first-ever-lab-grown-eel-is-a-success/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lab-grown</a> (cultivated) tuna - is emerging as a powerful tool to meet demand without draining the ocean. 



These products can help shift consumer choices away from wild-caught fish and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farmed-seafood-supply-is-at-risk-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">farmed seafood</a> that contribute to environmental stress.



As the researchers explain, plant-based and cultivated fish hold enormous potential for feeding a growing population the fish they love while easing pressure on the conventional fishing industry and, in turn, reducing harm to our oceans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reshaping-the-seafood-industry">Reshaping the seafood industry</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fishing-communities-cooperate-to-survive-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fishing</a> isn’t just affected by climate change - it’s also a contributor. Fuel-intensive vessels and aquaculture feed production release greenhouse gases.



But climate change is striking back. Rising ocean temperatures are pushing fish populations toward the poles, leaving tropical waters increasingly empty. Some regions could see up to a 40% drop in seafood catch potential by 2050.



To make matters worse, warming waters are also making seafood riskier. Infections from Vibrio bacteria, which can be deadly, are increasing worldwide. Still, there’s hope. 



Research shows that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2705-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant-based and cultivated seafood</a> - especially when produced using renewable energy - could offer a more climate-resilient alternative.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diversifying-the-seafood-supply">Diversifying the seafood supply </h2>



A recent whitepaper titled <a href="https://gfi.org/resource/climate-benefits-of-accelerating-global-production-of-alternative-seafood/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Building climate policy momentum for alternative seafood</a> highlights the potential environmental benefits of diversifying the seafood supply.



“Renewable energy is critical to realizing the climate benefits of cultivated meat and seafood. Life-cycle assessments project that emissions from cultivated meat produced with renewable energy will be in the lower range of aquaculture emissions and less than the emissions of most wild-capture," noted the researchers.



"Further, cultivated seafood is expected to require even less energy than cultivated red meat and poultry, in large part because seafood can be cultivated at lower temperatures than terrestrial meats."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seafood-and-biodiversity-loss">Seafood and biodiversity loss</h2>



The ocean does more than provide seafood - it helps regulate the climate, generates oxygen, and supports global food systems. 



But marine biodiversity is rapidly declining. A 2019 report found that human activity has significantly altered two-thirds of marine areas, up from 40% just a decade earlier.



Pollution, overfishing, climate change, and ocean acidification are driving this loss, leading to ecosystem collapse, food insecurity, and rising disease risk. 



Even aquaculture, which now accounts for half of global seafood production, can harm coastal habitats and disrupt ecosystems when poorly managed.



While some fisheries and farms have adopted more sustainable practices, they haven’t kept pace with environmental pressures. Diversifying the seafood supply with alternative proteins is becoming increasingly important.



The New Blue Foods for Biodiversity <a href="https://gfi.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/New-blue-foods-for-biodiversity.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">whitepaper</a> outlines how plant-based and cultivated seafood can help ease the strain. By reducing overfishing and bycatch, these alternatives give wild stocks a chance to recover.



They also help prevent habitat damage and pollution, since they require less land and don’t disturb the ocean floor. And unlike many aquaculture systems, they minimize antibiotic use, supporting microbial diversity and slowing the spread of resistant pathogens.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-high-cost-of-tuna-popularity">The high cost of tuna popularity</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bluefin-tuna-a-sushi-delicacy-will-likely-be-extinct-within-50-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tuna</a> is a favorite across the globe, especially in the U.S. where canned tuna is second only to shrimp in popularity. 



Americans eat nearly one billion pounds a year. Worldwide, more than 7 million metric tons of tuna and similar species are harvested annually. That demand has consequences.



Seven out of 61 known tuna species were labeled as threatened in 2011. Tuna fishing also harms other marine animals, like turtles and sharks, that get caught in the same waters. 



Thankfully, innovation is catching up. Several companies are now creating tuna alternatives without fish.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alternative-seafood-companies">Alternative seafood companies</h2>



In Chicago, Aqua Cultured Foods raised $5.5 million to expand its production of fungi-based seafood. Using a special fermentation process, the company creates whole-muscle seafood cuts like scallops, shrimp, and tuna. 



Their products offer a sustainable and allergen-free option, and the new investment will help launch them in restaurants this year.



In Canada, Konscious Foods received a $5 million investment through the PacifiCan Business Scale-up and Productivity program. This support will help the company increase production, grow exports, and create over 40 new jobs in British Columbia. 



The company makes frozen sushi meals - including tuna avocado rolls - using Canadian-grown ingredients like quinoa, carrots, and tomatoes. They’re also working on new items, such as plant-based smoked salmon, crab cakes, and shrimp.



In Austria, Berlin-based BettaF!sh partnered with supermarket chain BILLA AG to launch the TU-NAH sandwich, now available across BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores. 



This collaboration reflects a shared focus on sustainability and aims to bring plant-based seafood to more consumers across Europe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alternative-seafood-as-a-global-opportunity">Alternative seafood as a global opportunity</h2>



A New York Times article once suggested that if you can't find anything good from the sea, it might be better to cook something else. Thanks to alternative seafood, that “something else” no longer means compromising on flavor or nutrition.



By scaling plant-based and cultivated seafood, it’s possible to feed a growing population without pushing marine ecosystems to the brink. As the researchers emphasize: “Building a better food system will require a diversity of solutions.”



“Alternative seafood is the future of sustainable seafood. To scale this industry, we need bold innovators and committed champions - across climate, biodiversity, public health, and food security - who are ready to make it a global priority. An ocean of opportunity awaits.”



Thanks to the <a href="https://gfi.org/">The Good Food Institute</a> for providing the background research for this article.



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There are not "plenty of fish" in Earth's oceans to feed 10 billion people, something must change

Alternative seafood is emerging as a vital solution in the fight to protect marine ecosystems. As pressure from overfishing, pollution, and climate change intensifies, scientists and policymakers are exploring new ways to reduce strain on the ocean. While many marine mysteries remain, one issue is clear - traditional fishing practices are pushing the ocean toward ecological collapse. The global impact of overfishing Researchers point out that nearly 90% of marine fisheries today are either fully exploited or already overfished. On top of that, pollution and habitat degradation...

Marine animals may be able to help each other out as they attempt to adjust to rising temperatures and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farmed-seafood-supply-is-at-risk-due-to-climate-change/">climate</a> change. A new study led by Professor Laura Jurgens of <a href="https://www.tamug.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University at Galveston</a> has revealed that some marine species can help shield others from heat.



"A huge fraction of global biodiversity resides within biogenic habitats that ameliorate physical stresses. In most cases, details of how physical conditions within facilitative habitats respond to external climate forcing remain unknown, hampering climate change predictions for many of the world’s species," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"Using intertidal mussel beds as a model system, we characterize relationships among external climate conditions and within-microhabitat heat and desiccation conditions. We use these data, along with physiological tolerances of two common inhabitant taxa (the isopod Cirolana harfordi and the porcelain crab Petrolisthes cinctipes), to examine the magnitude of climate risk inside and outside biogenic habitat, applying an empirically derived model of evaporation to simulate mortality risk under a high-emissions climate-warming scenario."&nbsp;



The tiny crabs and isopods live on rocky shores in the mussel beds. Ultimately, the researchers found that these mussel beds shield the tiny marine animals from temperature swings and keep them from drying out and dying on hot, sunny days.



"These mussel beds provide a sort of 'ecological air conditioning system' within their canopies, just like forests," explained Professor Jurgens. "The results show how conserving habitats formed by plants and animals can help buy time for heat-sensitive species, helping them weather the near-term effects of climate change. But it also means that habitat destruction can make other species more vulnerable to climate warming."



Without the protection of mussel beds, some marine animals cannot survive under present-day conditions, said Professor Jurgens. "But they can tolerate even a worse-case climate scenario for perhaps as long as the year 2099 as the mussel bed environment remains intact."&nbsp;



According to Professor Jurgens, the research shows that it is more important than ever to protect vulnerable habitats like mussel beds, which are threatened by trampling and destructive recreational harvests of mussels in many coastal areas of the United States.



"Our results suggest that, when biogenic habitats remain intact, climate warming may have weak direct effects on organisms within them," wrote the study authors."Instead, risk to such taxa is likely to be indirect and tightly coupled with the fate of habitat-forming populations. Conserving and restoring biogenic habitats that offer climate refugia could therefore be crucial to supporting biodiversity in the face of climate warming."



The study was funded by the National Science Foundation and is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19399170">Ecology</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

Some marine animals can shield others from climate change

Marine animals may be able to help each other out...

A new study led by <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/">Tel Aviv University</a> has tracked the development of early humans’ <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/domestic-cats-go-hunting-out-of-instinct-rather-than-hunger/">hunting</a> practices over the last 1.5 million years and has found that, at any given time, humans preferred to hunt the largest animals available in their environment, which provided the largest quantities of food with the least effort.



According to the researchers, these practices have frequently led large animals to extinction. Their findings indicate a continual decline in the size of animals hunted by humans as their main source of nourishment – from giant elephants 1 – 1.5 million years ago down to gazelles 10,000 years ago, suggesting that early humans repeatedly overhunted large animals to extinction and then proceeded on to the next in size.



The scientists used Southern Levant (Israel, Palestine, Southwest Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon) as an “archeological laboratory” due to the density and temporal continuity of prehistoric findings. By dating and analyzing bones belonging to 83 animal species, the researchers found a continual and very significant decline in the size of animals hunted by humans.



"Our findings enable us to propose a fascinating hypothesis on the development of humankind: humans always preferred to hunt the largest animals available in their environment, until these became very rare or extinct, forcing the prehistoric hunters to seek the next in size,” explained study co-author Miki Ben-Dor, a professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at Tel Aviv University.



“As a result, to obtain the same amount of food, every human species appearing in the Southern Levant was compelled to hunt smaller animals than its predecessor, and consequently had to develop more advanced and effective technologies. Thus, for example, while spears were sufficient for&nbsp;Homo erectus&nbsp;to kill elephants at close range, modern humans developed the bow and arrow to kill fast-running gazelles from a distance."



According to Ben-Dor and his colleagues, when animals larger than deer became extinct about 10,000 years ago, humans began to domesticate plants and animals to supply their needs, marking thus the advent of agriculture.



While previous studies argued that climate change may have had a larger role in the extinction of animals such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mammoths-were-wiped-out-by-climate-change-not-humans/">mammoths</a>, this new study paints a bleaker vision of human nature, but nevertheless recognizes our species’ ingenuity.



“We may therefore conclude that humans have always ravaged their environment but were usually clever enough to find solutions for the problems they had created - from the bow and arrow to the agricultural revolution. The environment, however, always paid a devastating price," concluded study co-author Ran Barkai, an archeologist at Tel Aviv University.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379121005230?via%3Dihub">Quaternary Science Reviews</a>.&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

Humans hunted the largest animals to extinction for 1.5 million years

A new study led by Tel Aviv University has tracked...

The Antarctic ice sheet could raise the sea level by more than five meters over the course of this millennium, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/">Hokkaido University</a>. The researchers looked at the ice sheet's past behavior to determine how it will evolve in the coming centuries based on the current rate of global warming.



Without modifications, large and densely populated coastal areas could ultimately become uninhabitable as a result of sea level rise. This means that it is extremely important for scientists to understand the connection between melting polar ice and sea level rise.&nbsp;



The researchers used computer models to estimate the impact of global warming on the ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland. The study provided input for the recently published Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).&nbsp;



According to the study authors, the Antarctic ice sheet is expected to contribute up to 30 centimeters of sea level rise by 2100. To look beyond this century, the team applied late 21st-century climate conditions to their models. 



Ultimately, the simulations revealed that by the year 3000, an unabated warming scenario would produce a sea-level equivalent (SLE) of 1.5 to 5.4 meters. The primary contributor was found to be the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet.



"This study demonstrates clearly that the impact of 21st-century climate change on the Antarctic ice sheet extends well beyond the 21st century itself, and the most severe consequences -- multi-meter contribution to sea-level rise -- will likely only be seen later," said study lead author Dr. Christopher Chambers of Hokkaido University's Institute of Low Temperature Science.&nbsp;



"Future work will include basing simulations on more realistic future climate scenarios, as well as using other ice-sheet models to model the outcomes."



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-glaciology">Journal of Glaciology</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

Antarctic ice sheet collapse could raise sea levels by five meters

The Antarctic ice sheet could raise the sea level by...

Earlier this year, I <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-than-900-manatees-have-died-this-year-in-florida/">covered</a> the death of more than 900 manatee as of August, due to alleged failures on the part of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess manatee habitat and protect the iconic mammals.



Over half of the now 1,000 manatee deaths in Florida can be blamed on starvation. The starvation was caused by algae blooms that choked out seagrass, the manatees preferred food, the algae blooms were caused by pollution runoff. 



The runoff and cascading effects culminating in mass manatee death is proof of inadequate EPA protections three environmental non-profits are arguing. The Center for Biological Diversity, Save the Manatee Club and Defenders of Wildlife have just issued a formal letter asking the EPA to resume consultation with Florida Fish &amp; Wildlife to assess water-quality standards.&nbsp;



“It’s disgraceful that hundreds of manatees have died as a direct result of regulators’ failure to protect our water quality," said Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director of the Center for Biological Diversity.



"The Indian River Lagoon is an ecological wonder that supports not just manatees, but green sea turtles, snook, tarpon and a stunning diversity of marine life. The mass death of these manatees, which was completely preventable, makes it clear just how critical it is that the EPA take swift action to protect the vibrant ecosystem they live in before it’s too late.”



The massive manatee die-off happened in Indian River Lagoon, important habitat for manatees and other animal and plant species. This is a problem that will continue without real change, the non-profit organizations warn.&nbsp;



“Until Florida is forced to rein in its rampant pollution, manatees will continue to die slow, agonizing deaths by starvation every winter," said Lindsay Dublin, staff attorney at Defenders of Wildlife. "The EPA must act immediately to improve water-quality standards lest it further jeopardize the future of this iconic species.”



This is why these three organizations along with the support of Earth Justice are issuing a formal <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/Florida_manatee/pdfs/2021_12_20_Manatee_IRL_NOI.pdf">intent to sue the EPA</a>. The lawsuit is an effort to force the organization to take pollution threatening the manatee and other wildlife seriously and change their management.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Conservation groups sue the EPA over manatee deaths

Earlier this year, I covered the death of more than...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a> warn that remote areas are not safe havens for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-impact-of-fire-on-amazon-biodiversity/" data-type="news" data-id="1894778">biodiversity</a>. In fact, the researchers have found strong evidence to suggest that remote localities are often areas of critical vulnerability.



“To truly understand how global change is affecting natural communities and to identify effective strategies to mitigate the ongoing dramatic biodiversity loss, it is fundamental to account for the overarching complexity emerging from biotic interactions," said Professor Giovanni Strona. "As we show in our new research, doing this might reveal important counterintuitive mechanisms."



The team set out to investigate whether there is a link between remote areas and species vulnerability. If there is an increased risk of species loss in remote areas, this calls into question their reliability as biodiversity strongholds,&nbsp; according to the researchers.



"We focused on one of the most biologically diverse and socio-economically significant ecosystems on the planet, coral reefs, which - despite international attention and global protection programs, continue to deteriorate under the influence of local human impacts (such as physical destruction and pollution) and the increasing effects of climate change (such as coral bleaching)," explained the study authors.



"By assessing the local dependency of fish assemblages on corals across the world’s oceans, we show that the increase in the frequency and strength of fish-coral associations with distance from human settlements, combined with the global reach of coral bleaching, obliterate the benefits of remoteness on reef fish local extinction risk."



In particular, the study showed that coral loss could detrimentally affect an average of around 40 percent of fish species in each coral reef area.&nbsp;



The researchers also found that the dependency between fish and corals becomes stronger in remote areas, the further away the fish are from humans. This indicates that fish communities on remote reefs are the most vulnerable to the impacts of coral mortality.



The researchers noted that with reef fish providing protein to half a billion people worldwide, the results have profound societal implications. "Remote coral reefs won’t be able to compensate for the losses of coral and fish species directly impacted by human activities, threatening the livelihoods of millions."



"Also, our study reveals an essential macroecological and eco-evolutionary mechanism that might dramatically amplify risks from global change in natural systems."



"The risk patterns observed for reef fish communities suggest that our already disconcerting projections about biosphere fragility might be overly optimistic. Moreover, the results of our study temper any hopes that, by protecting wilderness areas, we safeguard biodiversity vaults that can withstand the past and ongoing environmental destruction and changes brought by the Anthropocene."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</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

Remote areas are not always safe havens

Experts at the University of Helsinki warn that remote areas...

Whale,Shark,Eating,At,The,Surface,With,Fish

A new fossil is providing scientists with a better understanding of how Mesozoic ichthyosaurs evolved. Their rapid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-secrets-revealed-about-the-evolution-of-mammal-tusks/">evolution</a>, followed by their abrupt disappearance, is proof that even the most powerful creatures in the world are not safe from the impacts of abrupt environmental change.&nbsp;



Ichthyosaurs appeared slightly earlier than dinosaurs, and went extinct about 25 million years before dinosaurs were wiped out. The giant marine reptiles looked like a dolphin with large teeth.&nbsp;



Whales are now the biggest animals on Earth, but some ichthyosaurs were even larger. In a new study published by <a href="https://www.science.org/">AAAS</a>, researchers describe the discovery of new and exceptionally large ichthyosaur fossils, which hint at an early and rapid burst in the evolution of extreme body size in Mesozoic oceans.&nbsp;



"The notable resemblance in body shape and lifestyle of ichthyosaurs and cetaceans contrasts with their separation in time by nearly 200 million years, providing an often-cited example of convergent evolution," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"Ichthyosaurs arose 249 million years ago and populated the oceans for the next 150 million years. Cetaceans did not evolve until about 56 million years ago. As tail-propelled swimmers, ichthyosaurs and cetaceans evolved not only convergent body shapes but also large body sizes."



For whales, it took about 90 percent of their 55-million-year history to evolve into the massive animals they are today. The researchers found that for ichthyosaurs, it took just one percent of their 150 million years to evolve to similar massive sizes.



The results of the study suggest that marine food webs during the Triassic were stable enough during the Triassic to support huge animals, despite the absence of many primary producers following the Permian extinction 252 million years ago.&nbsp;



Led by Martin Sander of The Dinosaur Institute at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum, the research team analyzed the well-preserved, 244-million-year-old remains of a new and very large species of ichthyosaur known as C. youngorum. The fossils were discovered in the mountains of northwestern Nevada.&nbsp;



The length of the skull, which measures nearly two meters, indicates the creature would have been more than 18 meters long. Even more notable is the relatively young age of this particular species. According to the experts, C. youngorum evolved merely 2.5 million years after the appearance of the oldest proposed ichthyosaur relative, which was less than a meter in size, and at most eight million years after the emergence of the group. This suggests that ichthyosaurs experienced a rapid evolution in body size.&nbsp;



In a related Perspective, Lene Delsett and Nicholas Pyenson said : "Ichthyosaur history tells us ocean giants are not guaranteed features of marine ecosystems, which is a valuable lesson for all of us in the Anthropocene. especially if we want to sustain the presence of the surviving ocean giants among us that contribute to our own well-being."



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abf5787">Science</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

Ocean giants of the past remind us they may not always exist

A new fossil is providing scientists with a better understanding...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> reveals that controlled burns in forests, savannahs and grasslands could substantially offset <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meltwater-influences-carbon-storage-in-the-arctic/">carbon</a> emissions. The experts report that prescribed burning can lock in - or even increase - carbon in the soils of natural environments.



The researchers say their discovery points to a new method of manipulating the world’s natural capacity for carbon capture and storage.



“Using controlled burns in forests to mitigate future wildfire severity is a relatively well-known process. But we’ve found that in ecosystems including temperate forests, savannahs and grasslands, fire can stabilise or even increase soil carbon,” said study first author Dr. Adam Pellegrini.



“Most of the fires in natural ecosystems around the globe are controlled burns, so we should see this as an opportunity. Humans are manipulating a process, so we may as well figure out how to manipulate it to maximize carbon storage in the soil.”



When soil is impacted by fire, carbon is released from plant matter and organic layers stored within. It takes years for this soil carbon to build back up.



According to the researchers, fires can also cause other transformations within soils that can offset these immediate carbon losses, and may stabilize ecosystem carbon.



Carbon is stabilized within the soil in multiple ways. It creates charcoal that is resistant to decomposition, and increases the amount of carbon that is bound tightly to minerals in the soil.



The study suggests that cooler fires can increase the retention of soil carbon through the formation of charcoal and soil clusters that limit decomposition.



“Ecosystems can store huge amounts of carbon when the frequency and intensity of fires is just right. It’s all about the balance of carbon going into soils from dead plant biomass, and carbon going out of soils from decomposition, erosion, and leaching,” said Dr. Pellegrini.



The scientists say that ecosystems can also be managed to increase the amount of carbon stored in their soils. Since carbon is often stored in the roots of plants below the ground, controlled burns can boost the amount of carbon stored by increasing root biomass.



“In considering how ecosystems should be managed to capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, fire is often seen as a bad thing," said Dr. Pellegrini. "We hope this new study will show that when managed properly, fire can also be good - both for maintaining biodiversity and for carbon storage."



The research was funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. The results are published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</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

Controlled burns reduce carbon emissions from soil

A new study from the University of Cambridge reveals that...

Water,Spring,On,Alps,Mountains,Background.

Although mountain spring water is often claimed to be the cleanest water to drink, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> has revealed that this is often not the case. By using data from the Southern Appalachian Mountains that has been collected over 40 years, the scientists found that water quality in high-elevation streams has been negatively affected by sediment caused by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deforestation-in-the-amazon-rainforest-hits-new-records/">deforestation</a>, constructions, and agricultural runoff.



"We had access to studies from 1976 to last year that encompassed both stream and terrestrial studies," said study lead author Rhett Jackson, a professor at University of Georgia's <a href="https://www.warnell.uga.edu/">Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources</a>. "Some streams in Macon County have very high sediment concentrations, four times greater than found in forested streams."&nbsp;



When streams carry such a large amount of sediment, it is more difficult for animals to find food in the water, and it also affects fish growth and disease resistance. Moreover, if sediment flows downstream and reaches public water supplies, cities and towns will need to invest more money in order to filter the water.



According to Professor Jackson, Appalachian water quality issues began over a century ago, with the arrival of European settlers. "The landscape you see now isn't what it was like in 1900 - the early settlers logged everything," he explained. While for generations, native Cherokee Indians left the hillside forests untouched, the settlers cut the forests and tried to farm the hills, causing soil erosion and sediment movement into the streams.



More recently, building houses on mountain ridges and unpaved roads to reach them created even more land disturbance. "Roadside ditches and unpaved roads produce a lot of sediment, and their sediment production increases as roads get steeper and as gravel roads get more use," Jackson said.



Finally, farming practices are also negatively impacting the water quality of streams. Since farmers use increasingly larger amounts of fertilizers, much of the stream water contains high concentration of nutrients, such as nitrate.



“Because the water in streams comes from the whole landscape, everything we see on the land has some effect on streams.&nbsp;But streams are resilient, and as long as we intelligently modify our actions a little bit, we can farm and live near streams while protecting their water quality. Maintaining the quality of our landscape requires a little thought and work on our parts,” Jackson concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biab098">BioScience</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

Mountain streams are not as clean as previously thought

Although mountain spring water is often claimed to be the...

Matterhorn

The Matterhorn appears to be a massive, immovable mountain towering over the landscape near Zermatt, Switzerland for millennia. However, new research led by the <a href="https://www.wsl.ch/en/about-wsl/locations/slf-davos.html">WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF</a> in Switzerland shows that this impression is wrong and that the Matterhorn is in fact constantly in motion, swaying gently back and forth approximately every two seconds. This subtle vibration with imperceptible amplitudes is caused by seismic energy in the Earth originated from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-heatwaves-reduce-the-oceans-ability-to-absorb-carbon/">oceans</a>, earthquakes, and human activity.



Each object, including mountains, high-rise buildings, or bridges, vibrate at certain frequencies when affected by seismic energy. These natural frequencies depend on the geometry and material properties of the object. &nbsp;“We wanted to know whether such resonant vibrations can also be detected on a large mountain like the Matterhorn,” said study lead author Samuel Weber, a researcher at the WSL Institute.



Dr. Weber and his colleagues installed several seismometers on the Matterhorn, including one just below the summit, at 14,665 feet above sea level, and recorded all movements of the mountain at a high resolution in order to derive the frequency and direction of resonance.&nbsp;



They found that the Matterhorn oscillates in a north-south direction at a frequency of 0.42 Hertz, and in an east-west direction at a similar frequency. Compared to the reference station at the foot of the mountain, the measured movements on the summit were up to 14 times stronger. This phenomenon is due to the fact that the summit moves freely, while the base of the mountain is fixed, like a tree swaying in the wind.



The researchers warn that such movements can intensify during earthquakes and potentially cause damage. “Areas of the mountain experiencing amplified ground motion are likely to be more prone to landslides, rockfall, and rock damage when shaken by a strong earthquake,” said study co-author Jeffrey Moore, an assistant professor of Geology and Geophysics at the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a>.



Such vibrations are not a peculiarity of this specific mountain. Other peaks, such as the Grosse Mythen, which is significantly smaller than Matterhorn, vibrate in a similar manner. In fact, since it is smaller, the Grosse Mythen vibrates at a frequency four times higher than Matterhorn.



Until now, Matterhorn is the largest mountain shown to vibrate. “It was exciting to see that our simulation approach also works for a large mountain like the Matterhorn and that the results were confirmed by measurement data,” concluded Professor Moore.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X21005513?via%3Dihub#!">Earth and Planetary Science Letters</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

Matterhorn mountain sways due to seismic energy

The Matterhorn appears to be a massive, immovable mountain towering...

Tsunamis create magnetic fields as they move conductive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meltwater-influences-carbon-storage-in-the-arctic/">water</a> through the Earth's ’s own magnetic fields. A new study from the <a href="https://www.agu.org/">American Geophysical Union</a> shows that these changes in magnetic fields can be detected minutes before changes in sea level. 



The researchers hope these magnetic field changes will improve early detection of tsunamis.&nbsp;



"The motion of conductive seawater by tsunamis can generate magnetic fields in the presence of the background geomagnetic main field," explained the study authors.



"Previous studies found that, using the tsunami-generated seafloor magnetic field, it is possible to predict the propagation direction and wave height prior to the actual arrivals of tsunamis."



The scientists used data from magnetic fields to predict the height of waves from two tsunamis.&nbsp;



The predictive power of the magnetic field was tested on a 2009 tsunami in Samoa and a 2010 tsunami in Chile. The research found that in both cases, magnetic fields were detected before water level changes.&nbsp;



The study also showed that water depths affect how much earlier the magnetic fields are detectable.



“It is very exciting because in previous studies we didn't have the observation [of] sea level change," said study senior author Zhiheng Lin, a geophysicist at Kyoto University.



"We have observations [of] sea level change, and we find that the observation agrees with our magnetic data as well as theoretical simulation.”



Neesha Schnepf, a geomagnetics scientist at University of Colorado Boulder who wasn’t involved in the study, explained the importance of the research.



“They did something that basically needed to be done," said Schnepf. "We’ve needed a study that compared the magnetic field data with the sea level change from the pressure data, and I’m pretty sure they’re the first to really compare how well the sea level from magnetic field matches the sea level from pressure, so that’s definitely very useful."



:I think the practical goal would be if your ability to model tsunamis is so improved, you could come up with much better predictions of what areas might need to be warned [and] how badly it might hit certain places."



The study is published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21699356">Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tsunamis are preceded by changes in magnetic fields

Tsunamis create magnetic fields as they move conductive water through...

The Arctic Report Card 2021, published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), reveals that beavers are slowly but steadily moving northward and expanding their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/maternal-chemical-signals-help-infants-bond-with-strangers/">range</a>.&nbsp;



Researchers from the Arctic Beaver Observation Network (A-BON) have been using satellite imagery to map the beaver’s movements northward.&nbsp;



So far, more than 12,000 beaver ponds have been mapped in western Alaska. This represents a doubling of ponds in most areas over the last 20 years.&nbsp;



By contrast, aerial photography in coastal areas of western Alaska from 1949 to 1955 found no beaver ponds at all.&nbsp;



Beavers are ecosystem engineers, capable of changing landscapes to better suit them as well as favoring other different organisms. Almost two-thirds of the cases where surface water has increased in western Alaska were related to beaver ponds.&nbsp;



Beaver ponds can melt permafrost and provide habitat to new species. The full impact of the beavers is yet to be seen.&nbsp;



“The true impact of the spread of beavers into the Arctic on the environment and the Indigenous communities who live there, is not yet fully known. However, we do know that people are concerned about the impact beaver dams are having on water quality, the numbers of fish downstream of the dams, and access for their boats," said study co-author Dr. Wheeler of <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> (ARU).



"The abundance of vegetation, particularly trees and woody shrubs, appears to help beavers to thrive in previously inhospitable terrain, and we are also finding beaver lodges at ever higher elevations, including above the treeline."



"Whether their expansion northwards is entirely due to climate change or increased populations following historical reductions in the trapping of beavers for fur and food, or a combination of the two, is not entirely clear, but we do know that beavers are having a significant impact on the ecosystems they are colonising.”



The report is available to read here <a href="https://arctic.noaa.gov/Report-Card/Report-Card-2021/ArtMID/8022/ArticleID/955/Beaver-Engineering-Tracking-a-New-Disturbance-in-the-Arctic">Beaver Engineering: Tracking a New Disturbance in the Arctic</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Migrating beavers change the landscape of the Arctic

The Arctic Report Card 2021, published by the National Oceanic...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a>, <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>, and <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> (UCL) has provided the most detailed timeline of mammal evolution to date. By using a novel computational approach, the researchers confirmed that modern mammal groups originated after the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-reveal-a-previously-unknown-mass-extinction-event/">mass extinction</a>, offering a new perspective on a long-standing controversy in evolutionary biology.



Large genomic datasets are essential for understanding the evolution of species. However, analysis of such enormous datasets can be slow and require a large amount of computational power.&nbsp;



“Inferring evolutionary timelines is a fundamental goal of biology. However, state-of-the-art methods rely on using computers to simulate evolutionary timelines and assess the most plausible ones. In our case, this was difficult due to the gigantic dataset analyzed, involving genetic data from almost 5,000 mammal species and 72 complete genomes,” said study lead author Dr. Mario dos Reis, a senior lecturer in Biology at Queen Mary University.



Dr. dos Reis and his colleagues developed a new, fast Bayesian approach to analyze large numbers of genomic sequences, while also accounting for uncertainties within the data. Without this innovative method, which helped scientists reduce computation time by a factor of 100, inferring the mammal evolutionary trees from the available data would have taken several decades.&nbsp;



“This new approach not only allows the analysis of genomic datasets, but also, by being more efficient, substantially reduces the CO2&nbsp;emissions released due to computing,” said study co-lead author Dr. Sandra Álvarez-Carretero, a postdoctoral researcher at UCL.



The findings confirm that the ancestors of modern placental mammal groups postdate the K-Pg extinction that occurred 66 million years ago and wiped-out 70 percent of all species.



“The timeline of mammal evolution is perhaps one of the most contentious topics in evolutionary biology. Early studies provided origination estimates for modern placental groups deep in the Cretaceous, in the dinosaur era. The past two decades had seen studies moving back and forth between post- and pre-K-Pg diversification scenarios. Our precise timeline settles the issue,” explained study co-senior author Phil Donoghue, a paleontologist at the University of Bristol.



The method developed in this study could be used in future research to shed more light on other contentious evolutionary timelines that require analysis of large datasets.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04341-1">Nature</a>.



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

Scientists shed new light on the timeline of mammal evolution

A new study led by Queen Mary University of London,...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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"

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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



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.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today's Video of the Day from <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



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.

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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes 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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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.

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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