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...

Forests with higher levels of diversity are more resilient to extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deadly-honey-bee-diseases-are-influenced-by-the-weather/">weather</a> conditions than forests with fewer species, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters</a>. The researchers also found that diverse forests with a greater number of species grow more consistently and produce more wood.&nbsp;



The study was focused on data from the Biodiversity Ecosystem Functioning Experiment China (BEF-China), the world's largest experiment studying forest biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems.



In recent decades, forests are under an increasing amount of stress as a result of climate change and they do not always have the ability to adapt to rising temperatures. The trees experience reduced growth and carbon absorption, which acts as a reinforcing feedback factor that further drives global warming.&nbsp;



When the forests suffer, ecosystems services like climate regulation, water storage and the provision of materials for building also decline.



The researchers set out to identify the factors that influence the functioning of forests under environmental stress and how these factors interact. The study revealed that diverse forests are best safeguarded against the effects of climatic stress.&nbsp;



For example, explained the study authors,&nbsp; if some tree species in a forest grow less due to extreme weather conditions such as heavy rainfall or drought, others can counterbalance the loss. This stabilizes the overall forest system.



The study also showed that diverse forests provide more stable timber growth and wood production than less species-rich forests because they have improved weather protection.



Study lead author Florian Schnabel said that the connection between species richness and stable productivity, as well as the mechanisms underlying this connection, had previously only been shown in grassland experiments.



"We can now, for the first time, show this under experimental conditions for highly diverse subtropical forest ecosystems."



The experts report that the stability of forest growth in this study was not primarily linked to the number of different tree species - but to their different functional characteristics. While one tree species may grow well in a wet year, another grows better a dry one. These characteristics and interactions affect the growth stability of the entire tree community.



"In particular, the trait based mechanism underlying the links between tree species richness, asynchrony and community stability remain unknown for forests," said study co-first author Dr. LIU Xiaojuan.



The findings suggest that drought tolerance, hydraulic conductance, and evaporative capacity are especially important factors in tree growth stability. The more diverse the characteristics of a forest community, the more stable that the community's biomass production rate will be under unstable environmental conditions.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</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

Diverse forests are more resilient and productive

Forests with higher levels of diversity are more resilient to...

Extreme weather events created by human-caused climate change have increased throughout the world. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crops-have-a-drought-memory-that-prepares-them-for-tough-times/">Droughts</a>, flooding, and storms often occur in combinations that intensify the impacts.&nbsp;



Research on extreme weather events has been mainly focused on the terrestrial impacts, and few studies have looked closely at changes occurring in the largest part of the Earth - the ocean.&nbsp;



In 2011, a heatwave off the coast of western Australia destroyed biodiverse kelp forests. This is probably the worst case known of the “blob,” a massive bubble of warm water that formed in the Pacific, killing millions of sea birds, fishes and other animals.&nbsp;



A team of scientists led by Professor Nicolas Gruber at ETH Zurich developed an ocean model to examine this extreme weather event. The researchers concluded that it was not only high temperatures that caused the mass die-offs, but also a combination of events occurring simultaneously.&nbsp;



“When marine life is confronted with multiple stressors at once, it has difficulty acclimatizing," said Professor Gruber. "For a fish species that’s already living at the upper end of its optimal temperature range, an added oxygen deficiency can mean death.”



In a paper published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>, the scientists call upon other researchers to pay greater attention to extreme weather events in the world’s oceans.&nbsp;



“To assess the risks of these kinds of events, we urgently need to study the chain of different environmental factors leading to such extremes more closely – and not only in individual regions, but also at the global level,” said Professor Gruber.



Leading by example, the scientists analyzed extreme weather events in the period from 1861 to 2020 and compared this to preindustrial times. The results showed that the number of warm ocean days has increased annually from an average of four to an average of 40.



Even though this is an obvious problem, the unfortunate reality is we know much less about marine ecosystems than the ones on land in which we live. For example, we do not know the tolerances of many different marine species.&nbsp;



"We know from Swiss forests that beech trees are less drought-​tolerant than, for instance, pines,” said Meike Vogt, a senior researcher in Gruber’s group.



“We lack broad understanding of the ecosystem structure and function in the various ocean regions. Only when we have this foundation will we be able determine the impact of climate change and extremes."



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

How does extreme weather impact marine ecosystems?

Extreme weather events created by human-caused climate change have increased...

Since the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/over-half-of-the-worlds-vertebrates-reside-in-the-tropics/">tropics</a> are becoming hotter due to climate change and deforestation, the ability of outdoor workers to perform their jobs safely is increasingly reduced. This is the conclusion of research led by <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a> and published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.11.016">OneEarth</a>.



The study suggests that in recently deforested locations, almost five million people lost at least half an hour of safe outdoor work time per day.



“There is a huge disproportionate decrease in safe work hours associated with heat exposure for people in deforested locations versus people in forestated locations just over the past 15 or 20 years,”&nbsp;said study lead author Luke Parsons, a climate expert at Duke.



“There is a small amount of climate change that has happened over the same 15-year period, but the increase in humid heat exposure for people living in deforested relative to forested locations was much larger than that from recent climate change.”



Since trees block out the sun’s radiation and cool down the air through evapotranspiration (a process when plants transport water from the soil and evaporate it through the leaves), deforestation is associated with an increase in local temperatures.



“The trees in the tropics seem to limit the maximum temperatures that the air can reach. Once we cut those trees down, we lose that cooling service from the trees, and it can get really, really hot,” explained Parsons.&nbsp;



“In the Brazilian Amazon, for example, where huge swaths of the rainforest have been cleared in the last 15 or 20 years, the afternoons can be up to 10 degrees Celsius warmer than forested regions.”



Using satellite data and meteorological observations, Parson and his colleagues tracked the temperature and humidity levels in 94 countries with tropical forests in America, Africa, and Asia, from 2003 to 2018. They estimated that, in recently deforested areas, approximately five million people lost about half an hour, and 100,000 lost up to two hours of safe outdoor work time per day.



“I think the research has a positive message and a negative message. The negative message is that if we cut down trees, we not only cause problems for the ecosystem and global carbon emissions, but we also lose local cooling services that provide a comfortable and safe place to work.”&nbsp;



“But the positive message is that if we can prevent forest loss, we can maintain cooling services along with all the other benefits forests provide. Importantly, the relationship between the health of the forests and nearby people offers an additional, locally relevant reason to prevent tree loss,” Parsons concluded.



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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

Deforestation made outdoor work unsafe for millions

Since the tropics are becoming hotter due to climate change...

The rising concentration of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-meadows-absorb-less-co2-than-previously-thought/">carbon dioxide</a> in the atmosphere is causing major changes in ocean surface temperatures and acidification, to the detriment of an increasing number of marine ecosystems. 



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a> shows that the way fish interact in groups has been significantly modified by both ocean acidification and global warming. In particular, fish shoals become less cohesive and less capable of dodging predators when the water is more acidic.



“Fish show gregarious behavior and cluster in shoals, which helps them to acquire food and protect themselves against predators,” said study leader Ivan Nagelkerken, a professor at the University of Adelaide’s <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/">Environment Institute</a> and Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories.



“Many gregarious tropical species are shifting poleward under current ocean warming and interacting in new ways with fish in more temperate areas.”



The scientists investigated how fish species interacted and behaved when water temperatures and acidification changed under controlled laboratory conditions. When coordinating together in a shoal after being spooked by predators, tropical and temperate fish species usually tend to move to the right. However, this bias significantly diminished in conditions when ocean acidification levels were higher.&nbsp;



“Mixed shoals of tropical and temperate species became less cohesive under future climate conditions and showed slower escape responses from potential threats,” explained study co-author Angus Mitchell, a doctoral student at the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a> who performed the laboratory experiments.



These findings suggest that climate stressors such as acidification or warming have a direct effect on fish behavior and the ways in which different species of fish interact.



“Strong shoal cohesion and coordinated movement affect the survival of a species: whether to acquire food or evade predators,” said Professor Nagelkerken.



“If the ability for fish to work together is detrimentally affected it could determine the survival of particular species in the oceans of the future. Tropical species may initially fare poorly when moving into new temperate areas,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16022">Global Change Biology</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

Ocean acidification disrupts the behavior of fish shoals

The rising concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is...

The last and longest full moon of the year will be visible for three consecutive nights, starting Friday, December 17, 2021, and is set to peak at 11:37 p.m. EST on Saturday. This event is celebrated in many parts of the globe and is often associated with local cultural and historical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baltic-pottery-reveals-ancient-culinary-traditions/">traditions</a>. 



While in the United States, this moon is known as the “Cold Moon,” a Mohawk name referring to the chilly weather conditions during this period, in Europe, ancient pagans called it the “Moon before Yule,” in honor of Yuletide, an annual indigenous three-day festival during which pre-Christian Germanic peoples celebrated the winter solstice.&nbsp;



In druid traditions, the so-called “Oak Moon” is connected to the ancient druid custom of harvesting mistletoe from oak trees at the onset of winter, a practice that was first documented by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder in the 1st century CE.



The Cold Moon is also celebrated in several Eastern traditions. For Hindus, this moon is associated to the Datta Jayanti festival, which commemorates the birthday of the Hindu god Dattatreya (Datta), and to the Thiruvathira festival that takes place annually in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu and celebrates the meeting between Lord Shiva and the Goddess Parvathi.&nbsp;



For the Buddhists in Sri Lanka, the “<a href="https://www.officeholidays.com/holidays/sri-lanka/unduvap-full-moon-poya">Unduvap Full Moon Poya</a>” marks the arrival in Anuradhapura, an ancient political and religious capital city, of a tree sapling supposedly collected from the famous Bodhi tree under which Buddha is said to have attained Enlightenment. The sapling was brought to Anuradhapura by King Ashoka’s daughter, Sangamitta, in the third century BCE.



In China, this moon is currently called “Chang’e Moon,” in the honor of the Chinese astronauts who landed on the moon in the Chang’e space missions from December-January 2013, 2019, and 2020. These space missions and the holiday get their name from the Chinese goddess of the moon, Chang’e, who lived on the moon with her pet rabbit Yutu.&nbsp;



Regardless of its name or cultural associations, this moon remains a spectacular event all over the world, offering breathtaking views of the night sky during an entire weekend.



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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

Longest full moon of the year will peak Saturday

The last and longest full moon of the year will...

In order to better understand how climate change will affect ecosystems, a team of 80 international scientists have recently performed an unprecedented <a href="https://www.laurameredith.com/?page_id=1293">experiment</a>: they forced the world’s only enclosed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/top-10-rainforests/">rainforest</a> (located in the University of Arizona's <a href="https://biosphere2.org/">Biosphere 2</a> research facility) through a four-month long controlled <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/europe-will-face-more-frequent-and-extreme-droughts/">drought</a> and recovery.



The researchers noted that, although there was a 70 percent drop in the rainforest’s carbon storage capacities during the drought period, an intricate web of water-use strategies and soil interactions emerged to support the forest’s resilience against severe drought.



"The forest was, in some ways, surprisingly resilient to the drought," said study lead author Laura Meredith, an assistant professor in the&nbsp;<a href="https://snre.arizona.edu/">School of Natural Resources and the Environment</a> at the University of Arizona.



"We used stable isotopes to trace the movement of carbon and water through the ecosystem under normal conditions and severe drought, which revealed surprising plant-ecosystem interactions," Professor Meredith explained.&nbsp;



"Importantly, individual plants did not all respond to drought in the same way. Some were highly drought sensitive and quickly slowed their critical carbon and water cycling to play it safe, while others were more tolerant of drought and maintained their function even under more risky drought conditions."



Large, drought-sensitive trees which generally consume the most water, suffered the fastest and most severely from the lack of water. However, they did not immediately tap into the water resources in the deep soil, as researchers expected.



“Instead, they drastically reduced their water consumption and only resorted to their deep-water reserves under very extreme drought," said another of the project leaders, Christiane Werner, a professor of Ecosystem Physiology at the <a href="https://uni-freiburg.de/">University of Freiburg</a>. "In this way, they conserved the deep-lying water reserves for as long as possible."



On the other hand, large, drought-tolerant trees held onto their canopy leaves the longest, providing shade to the undergrowth to protect it against further dehydration.



"Having a diversity of drought responses within the plants helped maintain greater carbon and water cycling functions of the entire ecosystem, both during the fullest extent of drought, as well as for quickly responding to the renewed availability of moisture with the arrival of rain," Meredith explained.



“Experimental ecosystems, like what we have at Biosphere 2, allow researchers to understand the holistic response of an entire ecosystem to stress. As we work to understand and predict ecosystem function in response to global change, we have to consider plant functional groups and their interactions with soils and the atmosphere, in both observational and modeling studies," she concluded.



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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

Diverse water-use strategies help forests cope with drought

In order to better understand how climate change will affect...

According to a study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>, the Brazilian wildfires in the Pantanal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coastal-wetlands-are-a-powerful-weapon-against-flooding/">wetland</a> in 2020 potentially killed almost 17 million vertebrates, including lizards, birds, and primates.



Wildfires blazed in the Pantanal Wetland from January to November 2020, wreaking havoc on the world's largest tropical wetland. Walfrido Moraes Tomas, Ronaldo Morato, and fellow researchers estimated the wildfire animal fatalities by counting carcasses in burned areas. In the early aftermath of the fire, the experts sampled corpses at intervals along tracts of the marsh (a total of 114.43 kilometers).



The researchers discovered 302 carcasses and were able to identify the species in the majority of cases, despite their poor state. The experts estimated the total number of animal deaths by multiplying their figures for small vertebrates (those weighing less than 2kg) and medium-to-large vertebrates (those weighing more than 2kg).



From January to November 2020, the authors estimate that between 13,206,700 and 18,811,300 small vertebrates were killed across the 39,030 km2 charred area of the Pantanal wetlands. Small lizards, birds, and rodents were among the small vertebrates that suffered fatalities.&nbsp;



The scientists also calculated that between 691,090 and 1,196,570 medium-to-large creatures, including ungulates and primates,&nbsp; perished instantly during the Brazilian wildfires. Overall, the study estimates that a total of 16,952,000 vertebrates were lost in the fires.



According to the study authors, some species known to have been killed by the fires, including&nbsp; jaguars, pumas, and tapirs, were likely overlooked in their survey. They also point out that their estimate does not take into account the whole impact of the flames, which would have resulted in animal mortality as a result of habitat destruction.



The researchers concluded that their study demonstrates the devastating impact of wildfires in the Pantanal wetlands in 2020, as well as the need of preventing similar calamities.



"Our estimates indicate that at least 16.952 million vertebrates were killed immediately by the fires in the Pantanal, demonstrating the impact of such an event in wet savanna ecosystems," wrote the study authors.



"The Pantanal case also reminds us that the cumulative impact of widespread burning would be catastrophic, as fire recurrence may lead to the impoverishment of ecosystems and the disruption of their functioning."&nbsp;



"To overcome this unsustainable scenario, it is necessary to establish proper biomass fuel management to avoid cumulative impacts caused by fire over biodiversity and ecosystem services."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-02844-5">Scientific Reports</a>.



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By <a href="http://mailto:ashikha92@gmail.com">Ashikha Raoof</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nearly 17 million animals perished in Brazilian wildfires

According to a study published in Scientific Reports, the Brazilian...

In cold temperatures, brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat generates heat to keep the body warm, and has significantly more mitochondria (subcellular organelles that help producing energy) than white adipose tissue. Thus, it can burn <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-who-are-obese-have-a-harder-time-burning-calories/">calories</a> and produce heat by activating the mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp-1). The stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) after exposure to cold, exercise, or calorie restriction induces white fat browning. BAT activation and fat browning are essential in the fight against cardiovascular conditions, as well as obesity.



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.shibaura-it.ac.jp/en/">Shibaura Institute of Technology</a>, Japan, has discovered that the dietary administration of flavanols, chemical compounds with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that can be found in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cocoa-can-help-people-live-longer-healthier-lives/">cocoa</a>, apples, grapeseed, and red wine, can also activate BAT and enhance browning of adipose tissue by activating the SNS. These findings show a direct connection between fat browning and flavanol consumption, which could help scientists develop new treatments for obesity-related disorders.



By administering both single and multiple doses of flavanols to mice, the researchers found that flavanols activate fat browning via the SNS, which secretes catecholamine neurotransmitters such as adrenaline and noradrenaline. The white fat cells of mice that were fed flavanols daily for two weeks eventually turned brown, exhibiting notable structural changes.



“Although the mechanism of adipose browning is not fully understood, it is possible that repeated administration of FLs may produce browning via catecholamines and its receptors,”&nbsp;explains study lead author Naomi Osakabe, a professor of Bioscience and Engineering at the Shibaura Institute. “Further studies will be required to understand how this process is induced by FL-rich foods.”



Previous findings have already proven the positive role of flavanols in improving glucose and insulin levels. According to Professor Osakabe and her colleagues, the results of this new study can significantly contribute to scientific advances in the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases, such as cardiovascular illness or obesity.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/12/4214">Nutrients</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

Foods rich in flavanols can help burn excess fat

In cold temperatures, brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat...

Our planet is experiencing massive losses in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reef-biodiversity-expected-to-shuffle-but-not-decline/">biodiversity</a> due to several factors, including climate change, diseases, pollution, invasive species, and habitat loss due to agriculture and industrialization. Around the globe, an estimated 25 percent of plant and animal species are considered vulnerable, meaning that over one million species could face extinction within decades.



This year, the United States <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">Fish and Wildlife Service</a> (FWS) has declared 23 species extinct. This marks the largest group of animals and plants to be formally deemed extinct at once under United States’ main wildlife protection law, the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/endangered-species-act.html">Endangered Species Act</a> (ESA), since it was passed in 1973. Previously, only 11 species have been classified as extinct.



The 23 species include 11 birds, eight freshwater mussels, two types of fish, a fruit bat, and a flowering plant from the mint family. Eleven of these species were native to the Pacific Islands and Hawaii, and fell victim to the risks posed by their very limited geographical distribution.



As this list suggests, birds are currently among the most endangered species. According to FWS, avian populations as a whole diminished by over three billion birds since 1970, mostly due to anthropogenic environmental changes.



Some species have probably been extinct for quite some time, even if they have just reached this list now. For instance, the ivory-billed woodpecker, America’s largest woodpecker known to bird watchers as the “Lord God Bird,” had last been seen in 1944 in northeastern Louisiana. Since then, deforestation in the U.S. South has destroyed its habitat, leading it to extinction. Similarly, Bachman’s warbler, one of America’s rarest songbirds has last been spotted in the wild in the United States in 1962.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



If actions to mitigate climate change and environmental destruction due to human expansion are not taken immediately, this list will grow significantly in the coming years, marking severe biodiversity losses.



"With climate change and natural area loss pushing more and more species to the brink, now is the time to lift up proactive, collaborative, and innovative efforts to save America's wildlife," urged U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.



A list and description of the 23 species can be found <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/animal-extinct-biodiversity-2021/">here</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

The United States recently declared 23 species extinct

Our planet is experiencing massive losses in biodiversity due to...

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a major factor impacting our climate. According to many scientists, a solution for diminishing the amount of CO2 from the atmosphere is to restore natural CO2 reservoirs on the coasts that have been destroyed in the past decades, including mangrove <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellite-data-reveals-vulnerable-tropical-forests-on-a-global-scale/">forests</a>, salt marshes, or seagrass meadows. However, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.hereon.de/">Helmholz-Zentrum Hereon</a> has found, in some cases, seagrass meadows absorb far less CO2 than previously thought.



Seagrasses are aquatic plants thriving in shallow, light-flooded water. They are anchored by their roots to the soft seabed and are vital grazing grounds and nurseries for many marine animal species. In order to develop their tissues, seagrasses absorb CO2, and when they ultimately die and become deposited in the sediment of the seabed, they act as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-sinks-are-a-powerful-weapon-against-climate-change/">carbon sinks</a>.



Yet, according to recent findings, fighting climate change by recultivating seagrass meadows is not as simple as many scientists believed. In fact, some seagrass meadows appear to release even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than they store.&nbsp;



“By taking measurements in seagrass meadows off the coast of Florida, we could show that some of these tropical seagrass meadows absorb considerably less carbon dioxide than has long been thought. In contrast, on some coasts, they even emit more CO2,” said study lead author Bryce Van Dam, a biochemist at the Helmholz-Zentrum.



Van Dam and his colleagues found that carbonates, substances winding up in the sea through the weathering of rocks, play a fundamental role in binding the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in the seawater. The more carbonate the water contains, the more CO2 it can ultimately absorb and store.



In the warm tropical waters, the metabolic processes of the seagrass plants convert the dissolved carbonates to lime, which trickles to the seafloor.&nbsp;“The result is that these seagrass meadows hardly bind any carbon dioxide. On the contrary, they tend to release carbon dioxide through various other biochemical processes,” explained study co-author Helmuth Thomas, a biochemist at&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.hereon.de/institutes/carbon_cycles/index.php.en">Hereon Institute of Carbon Cycles</a>.



“We cannot rely on blue carbon offsets to counteract the CO2&nbsp;that we put into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. Rather, we must first reduce CO2&nbsp;emissions and then protect these coastal habitats for the many financial and environmental benefits they offer us, which may not always include CO2&nbsp;sequestration,” concluded Van Dam.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126.sciadv.abj1372">Science Advances</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

Seagrass meadows absorb less CO2 than previously thought

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a major factor impacting our...

The Little <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-climate-shift-a-million-years-ago-linked-to-ocean-currents/">Ice Age</a>, which set about 600 years ago, was one of the coldest periods during the past 10,000 years. It was responsible for crop failures, famines, and pandemics throughout Europe, resulting in the misery and death of millions of people. Until now, the causes of this cooling remained mysterious. 



New research led by the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts Amherst</a> has found a rather paradoxical answer to the puzzle of the Little Ice Age: the cooling appeared to have been triggered by an unusually warm episode.



By analyzing a 3,000-year reconstruction of North Atlantic sea surface temperatures, the researchers noticed a sudden change from very warm temperatures in the late 1300s to unprecedented cold conditions only 20 years later, in the early 1400s. Apparently, there was an abnormally strong northward transfer of warm water in the late 1300s, which peaked around 1380, and resulted in the unusual warming of the waters south of Greenland and the Nordic Seas.



Usually, there is always a transfer of warm water from the tropics to the Arctic through a process called the <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/oceans/amoc">Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation</a> (AMOC). However, in the late 1300s, AMOC strengthened significantly, moving north far more water than before, and causing rapid arctic ice loss. From the late 1300s to early 1400s, vast amounts of ice were flushed out into the North Atlantic, cooling its waters and diluting their saltiness, ultimately causing AMOC to collapse. According to the scientists, this collapse triggered a substantial global cooling.



One of the causes for the changes in atmospheric circulation affecting the AMOC has been the unusually high solar activity recorded in the late 1300s, which led to higher atmospheric pressure over Greenland. At the same time, fewer volcanic eruptions provided a cleaner atmosphere that was more responsive to changes in solar output.



In the wake of these discoveries, scientists are wondering whether out current climate change could cause such an abrupt cooling event. While the diminishing of artic ice due to global warming makes such a scenario rather unlikely, other climatic processes currently at play could have quite unpredictable results.



“Persistent periods of high pressure over Greenland in summer have been much more frequent over the past decade and are linked with record-breaking ice melt,” said study lead author François LaPointe, a postdoctoral fellow in Geosciences at UMass Amherst.&nbsp;



“Climate models do not capture these events reliably and so we may be underestimating future ice loss from the ice sheet, with more freshwater entering the North Atlantic, potentially leading to a weakening or collapse of the AMOC.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abi8230">Science Advances</a>.&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

Scientists reveal the surprising cause of the Little Ice Age

The Little Ice Age, which set about 600 years ago,...

A <a href="https://www.coastal.ca.gov/meetings/agenda/#/2021/12">virtual hearing</a> will take place on December 16 where the California Coastal Commission will decide whether or not to allow the US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service to poison Southeast Farallon Island. The island is part of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.&nbsp;



The US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service (USFWS) is proposing a plan to distribute 1.5 tons of cereal bait laced with a powerful poison by helicopter on the island in an attempt to eradicate house mice. Unfortunately “non-target” animals will also be killed if the plan is carried out.&nbsp;



The USFWS estimates that as many as 1,050 Western Gulls could suffer poisoning under the plan. The agency claims that this amount of casualty would still allow recovery of the gulls within a couple of decades, but previous USFWS estimates suggest as many as 3,000 gulls could be killed.&nbsp;



“The proposed poison drop would wreak havoc on the delicate Farallon Island ecosystem," said Lisa Levinson, campaigns director of <a href="https://www.idausa.org/">In Defense of Animals</a>. "Scientific data indicates that Brodifacoum could remain in crabs and even the smallest living creatures. This deadly poison would become part of the food web, killing exponentially more animals than it could possibly save. We urge the California Coastal Commission to choose contraception over killing for the health and well-being of all Farallones animal residents.”&nbsp;



Indeed, brodifacoum is an anticoagulant poison that can spread through a food web, accumulating in greater concentrations in predators, it impacts mammals, birds and other animals. The poison also has a history of up to 38% failure rate in eradication efforts on other islands. Richard Charter of the <a href="https://oceanfdn.org/projects/coastal-coordination/">The Ocean Foundation</a> encouraged citizens to speak out against this plan.&nbsp;



“This is a unique chance for the public to speak for protection of their coast and its wildlife," said Charter. "I am confident that those who care about our coast will take this convenient opportunity to weigh in on the inappropriateness of this dangerous anticoagulant poison being so casually spread around such a sensitive place.”&nbsp;



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

US agency plans to drop poison in a marine sanctuary

A virtual hearing will take place on December 16 where...

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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