It is no secret that some lifestyles demand more resources than others. But recent climate findings highlight how individuals with vast wealth have exerted a larger influence on global warming and temperature shifts than previously realized.



In a 2025 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02325-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a>, the world’s wealthiest 10% are reported to have caused two-thirds of observed global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-global-heat-in-january-2025-defied-climate-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warming</a> since 1990. 



This work was led by lead author Sarah Schöngart, an alumna of the 2024 Young Scientists Summer Program, who is currently associated with <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a>, and published by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (<a href="https://iiasa.ac.at" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIASA</a>).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wealthy-emitters-drive-climate-warming">Wealthy emitters drive climate warming</h2>



Scientists indicate that the top 1% of high-income earners contributed 26 times the global average to monthly 1-in-100-year heat extremes worldwide, and 17 times more to intense drought <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">events</a> in the Amazon region.&nbsp;



“We found that wealthy emitters play a major role in driving climate extremes, which provides strong support for climate policies that target the reduction of their emissions,” explained Schöngart at the end of her remarks.



Researchers also noticed that emissions from the richest 10% in major economies, such as the United States and China, caused a two- to threefold increase in dangerous heat conditions across vulnerable tropical areas. 



These hotspots include Southeast Asia, southern Africa, and other regions with limited resources to handle amplified environmental stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consequences-for-vulnerable-regions">Consequences for vulnerable regions</h2>



“Addressing this imbalance is crucial for fair and effective climate action,” says coauthor <a href="https://iiasa.ac.at/staff/carl-schleussner" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carl-Friedrich Schleussner</a>, who leads the Integrated Climate Impacts Research Group at IIASA. 



Communities in zones already prone to high temperatures and scarce rainfall are dealing with more frequent hazards linked to wealth-driven pollution.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Experts</a> have underscored how nations or groups with historically low <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-innovation-takes-the-lead-in-environmental-action/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a> often face disproportionate impacts. Scientists note that these areas experience higher chances of weather disasters, yet have fewer means to respond or rebuild.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finances-fuel-climate-warming">Finances fuel climate warming</h2>



Several analysts believe that climate discussions should not only focus on personal consumption but also on the massive financial investments of wealthy individuals. 



When these investments support high-emission ventures, the world sees greater rises in heat extremes and drought occurrences.



Groups like the <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Nations Environment Programme</a> have called for policy measures that redirect funds to cleaner solutions. 



Advocates argue that this could help reduce future harm while encouraging fair contributions from top earners who have the greatest capacity to shift investments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rebalancing-climate-responsibility">Rebalancing climate responsibility</h2>



Income-based emission studies raise questions about how to share the costs of adaptation and recovery. 



Observers suggest that policies aimed at rebalancing responsibility might also improve public acceptance of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-now-impacting-earths-rotation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> strategies, since people often want to see genuine efforts toward equity in carbon reduction.



“If everyone had emitted like the bottom 50% of the global population, the world would have seen minimal additional warming since 1990,” says Schleussner. 



This observation hints that tailored policies targeting disproportionate emissions could produce meaningful changes.



Scientists stress that tackling climate threats involves more than quick technical fixes. 



Those with higher incomes often have greater capacity to choose low-carbon lifestyles or to fund transformational climate solutions, making their role especially crucial in reducing warming trends.



Researchers emphasize that individuals in affluent groups have a unique chance to spark large-scale shifts. 



That could entail demanding cleaner supply chains, backing renewable energy, or encouraging sustainable investment portfolios, all of which can shape future climate outcomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-warming-inequality">Global warming inequality</h2>



The study estimates that the top 10% of earners contributed 6.5 times more to global warming than the average person, while the top 1% contributed 20 times more. 



For the top 0.1%, the figure skyrockets to 76 times the global average - an eye-opening statistic that illustrates how a small share of the population has driven a large share of climate disruption.



If everyone had emitted like the top 10%, global temperatures would have risen nearly 3°F (1.6°C) more since 1990. But if everyone had lived like the bottom 50%, there would have been almost no additional warming at all. 



That contrast highlights how the burden of global warming cannot be pinned on “humanity” in general - it’s coming from a concentrated source.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



Climate experts believe that ongoing conversations about carbon taxes and financial regulations might incorporate these findings for more equitable action. 



Some advocate for measures that hold top emitters accountable and support the communities that are most affected by intensifying weather events.



Others propose progressive policy instruments that reflect actual emissions contributions. 



Policymakers are increasingly exploring how to ensure elite pollution is addressed, while resources for adaptation and recovery become more accessible in low-income nations.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02325-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Climate Change</a>.



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Wealthy elite responsible for vast majority of global climate warming

It is no secret that some lifestyles demand more resources than others. But recent climate findings highlight how individuals with vast wealth have exerted a larger influence on global warming and temperature shifts than previously realized. In a 2025 analysis, the world’s wealthiest 10% are reported to have caused two-thirds of observed global warming since 1990. This work was led by lead author Sarah Schöngart, an alumna of the 2024 Young Scientists Summer Program, who is currently associated with ETH Zurich, and published by the International Institute...

Spread throughout the upper 100 meters of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dragonflies-may-migrate-across-the-indian-ocean/">ocean</a>, microscopic phytoplankton are known to be as important in modifying the planet’s carbon cycle as all the land plants combined. With this in mind, a team of scientists from <a href="https://www.sun.ac.za/">Stellenbosch University</a> set out to establish whether phytoplanktonic organisms are active in the Southern Ocean during the Antarctic winter months.



Until their study, not much was known about the conditions that characterize the Southern Ocean during the winter, or whether phytoplankton become dormant during this time. The conditions turned out to be very challenging, with sub-zero temperatures and freezing, gale force winds - not to mention the enormous waves that sometimes towered as high as 20 meters.&nbsp;



Under these conditions, oceanic sampling is rarely conducted. Therefore, knowledge about the wintertime activity of the phytoplanktonic organisms has been very limited.&nbsp;



During July and August 2017, a research team from Stellenbosch University’s Center for Trace and Experimental Biogeochemistry (TracEx) conducted the most comprehensive winter study in the Southern Ocean to date.



Sampling was conducted from the South African polar research vessel SA Agulhas II and the trip was funded by the South African National Antarctic Program (SANAP), the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), and the National Research Foundation (NRF).&nbsp;



The scientists found that phytoplankton are indeed active during the icy cold, dark winter months. Dr Ryan Cloete, a postdoctoral fellow in SU’s Department of Earth Sciences and first author of two recent publications on the topic, says their findings are contrary to the general view that the Southern Ocean is biologically dormant during winter.



“Akin to leaves falling off trees during autumn because of unfavourable growth conditions, the assumption was that phytoplankton would also not be active during the winter. One of our major findings is that phytoplankton are indeed active during winter in the Southern Ocean, although not to the levels we see in summer. How phytoplankton are able to adapt to winter conditions is not well understood, and our research on trace nutrients is the first step in figuring out these adaption strategies,” he explains.



Apart from photosynthesizing, which results in a net intake of carbon dioxide and the production of oxygen into the atmosphere as a by-product, phytoplankton are critical producers in the oceanic food chain. They form food for zooplankton, such as krill, which are then eaten by fish, seals, penguins, whales and other consumers.



Dr. Cloete explained that the winter season in the Southern Ocean is extremely important for setting the biological stage for the spring and summer seasons.



“In winter, strong storms and winds serve to create a more unstable surface layer which penetrates beneath the stable summer surface waters, which are now depleted in nutrients after the growing season. This allows mixing with the nutrient rich waters found in the sub-surface waters," said Dr. Cloete.



"With the help of increased sunlight hours and calmer seas, this winter pulse of nutrients to the surface helps catalyze and sustain spring and summer phytoplankton blooms which, in turn, attracts whales, dolphins and penguins to the Southern Ocean."



“Observing winter systems is helping us understand various adaptation and survival strategies of phytoplankton under adverse growth conditions as well as nutrient recharge processes in extreme nutrient depleted surface waters at the end of the summer season. This is extremely important as the Southern Ocean circulation hub dictates that these waters are transported northwards, influencing ocean productivity throughout much of the global low-latitude ocean."



This global process involves the movement of large volumes of water, via the ocean’s current systems. At the poles, the cold and dense surface seawater sinks to the deep ocean, from where it flows in large ocean currents to eventually return to the surface through mixing and wind-driven upwelling in the warmer latitudes. Scientists call this the great ocean conveyor belt, and it can take water almost a thousand years to complete the journey. The Southern Ocean acts as a central hub whereby inflowing waters are modified and redistributed throughout the global ocean.



In addition, the Southern Ocean plays a fundamentally important role in regulating Earth’s climate. “It is estimated to store about 75 percent of the global oceanic uptake of excess heat and 35 percent of the global uptake of excess carbon from the atmosphere," said Dr. Cloete. "The Southern Ocean is also the only ocean that directly connects the three major ocean basins; the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In other words, what happens in the Southern Ocean has an impact on the global ocean.”



The findings are important because they give a more complete picture of the atmosphere-to-ocean carbon transfer cycle over all seasons. Global climate models are currently based predominantly on data from spring and summer seasons, so the addition of data from winter will make models more representative. For scientists, this is a step forward in analysing the sensitivity of this transfer to climate change.



Professor Alakendra Roychoudhury is a specialist in environmental and marine biogeochemistry at SU and head of the TracEx research group. He said that the findings reaffirm the&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/an-ocean-like-no-other-the-southern-oceans-ecological-richness-and-significance-for-global-climate-151084">Southern Ocean’s global influence</a>&nbsp;in regulating the climate and the marine food web.



“The earth system is intricately coupled through physical, chemical and biological processes with self-correcting feedback loops to modulate variability and negate climate change," said Professor Roychoudhury. "Our research is a prime example of this coupling where biochemical processes happening at microscopic level at the interface of water and microorganisms, is influenced by large scale ocean circulation and mixing."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/marine-chemistry">Marine Chemistry</a>.



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

The Southern Ocean has a strong influence on the carbon cycle

Spread throughout the upper 100 meters of the ocean, microscopic...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.vub.be/en/home">Vrije University Brussel</a> (VUB) has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-could-make-earth-inhospitable-by-2500/">climate</a> change severely affects lakes all over the world. According to the research team, global changes in lake temperatures and ice cover are not caused by natural climate variability and can only be explained by the massive greenhouse gas emissions that started with the Industrial Revolution.



At the beginning of their project, the scientists observed that lake temperatures are gradually rising and the seasonal ice cover is shorter worldwide. “This is very convincing evidence that climate change caused by humans has already impacted lakes,” said study lead author Luke Grant, a doctoral student at VUB.



In a second step, they developed multiple computer simulations with which they predicted future developments under different global warming scenarios. In a low greenhouse gas emission scenario, the average warming of lakes is estimated to stabilize at +1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and the duration of ice cover to be 14 days shorter. On the other hand, in a high-emission scenario, lake temperatures could increase by 4 degrees Celsius and they could have 46 fewer days of ice.



The scientists concluded that for every degree Celsius increase in global air temperatures, lakes are estimated to warm by 0.9 degrees Celsius and lose 9.7 days of ice.&nbsp;



“These physical properties are fundamental to lake ecosystems,” explained Grant. “As impacts continue to increase in the future, we risk severely damaging lake ecosystems, including water quality and populations of native fish species. This would be disastrous for the many ways in which local communities depend on lakes, ranging from drinking water supply to fishing.”



“Our results underline the great importance of the Paris Agreement to protect the health of lakes around the world,” added study senior author Wim Thiery, a climate expert at VUB. “If we manage to drastically reduce our emissions in the coming decades, we can still avoid the worst consequences for lakes worldwide.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00833-x">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

Global warming will have major consequences for lakes worldwide

A new study led by Vrije University Brussel (VUB) has...

Computer simulations suggest that interactions between communities of plankton (the myriad microorganisms inhabiting the oceans and supplying most of the Earth’s oxygen) will be affected by climate change in different ways, depending on their location.&nbsp;



At the poles, plankton communities will be severely damaged due to rises in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/temperatures-are-rising-unexpectedly-fast-on-the-tibetan-plateau/">temperature</a>. Meanwhile, in the tropics they will suffer from increased salinity, and in temperate zones plankton groups will be transformed by a reduced flow of nutrients.



Between 2009 and 2013, the <a href="https://oceans.taraexpeditions.org/en/">Tara</a> research schooner sailed around the world and collected samples of plankton from every ocean, resulting in the largest inventory of marine plankton. The discoveries of this expedition were published in 2015 in a special issue of the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/toc/science/348/6237?_ga=2.115029831.1335720469.1634281480-2046344334.1629960599">Science</a>.



“That publication provided a snapshot of all the microorganisms in the oceans - the species, and the abundance of each one. It was one of the largest genetic sequencing projects executed to date,” said&nbsp;Hugo Sarmento, a professor in the Hydrobiology Department of the <a href="https://www.ufscar.br/foreign-visitor/about-ufscar">Federal University of São Carlos</a> (UFSCar).&nbsp;



“However, when we analyzed the data, we realized that these organisms depend on each other to survive and form complex microbial assemblages. They interact in many more ways than we imagined, and climate change will have a significant impact on them.”



In the latest study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abg1921">Science Advances</a>, Professor Sarmento and colleagues used statistical tools to analyze the data from the Tara expedition, and reconstructed the networks of interaction among the microorganisms.&nbsp;



Based on this information, in conjunction with environmental factors including temperature, availability of nutrients, and salinity, the scientists projected the potential effects of climate change on these communities.



“We ran the simulations for several stressors,” said Professor Sarmento. “In the temperate zone, nutrient regime changes appeared to be most important, whereas in the tropics the main stressors for plankton networks were temperature, albeit less so than at the poles, and salinity.”



“Given that the largest increases will occur precisely in polar regions, we can foresee major changes in the functioning of these communities, with important consequences for the equilibrium of the system."



Such changes may result in lower oxygen production, and will probably affect the oceans’ capacity to capture and store atmospheric carbon. Moreover, the plankton biomass, which is the foundation for the marine food chain, will also be severely affected, endangering a large variety of ecosystems.



---



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

Climate change will profoundly affect plankton communities

Computer simulations suggest that interactions between communities of plankton (the...

A new study from <a href="https://www.jcu.edu.au/">James Cook University</a> has found that most pet owners are not prepared to save their pets in the case of a natural disaster. According to the researchers, developing disaster response plans for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pets-are-playing-a-lifesaving-role-this-year-during-the-pandemic/">pets</a> can actually save human lives as well.&nbsp;



Dr. Yetta Gurtner from JCU's Centre for Disaster Studies supervised the study. She said that it's well known that human-animal relationships can inhibit effective emergency responses and evacuations, and cause premature returns to dangerous areas.&nbsp;



"The desire to safeguard animals in an emergency situation can ultimately result in human fatalities, and people who risk their safety for the welfare of animals remain a significant emergency management issue," said Dr Gurtner.



The researchers surveyed 242 pet owners in Townsville, a coastal city in northeastern Queensland that is threatened with many types of natural disasters. The results showed that the majority of pet owners were uncertain and underprepared for an emergency.



According to Dr. Gurtner, about half of the respondents indicated that they did not have a household disaster kit or an evacuation plan. Among those who did, only 39 percent had designated plans to evacuate their pets.



"Importantly, 91 percent indicated they would not be willing to leave pets behind," said Dr Gurtner. She noted that previous studies reported that only 70 percent of people who were advised to leave their home during a disaster had complied, and many were unwilling to leave pets behind. There were some cases where a family member stayed behind with pets while the rest of the household evacuated.&nbsp;



Dr. Gurtner said the twin phenomena of under-preparedness for disaster and affection for pets may present an opportunity for emergency planners.



"Other researchers have suggested the 'pets as a protective factor' principle in which companion animal guardianship can actually motivate owners to be proactive in disaster risk management planning."



"They suggest that focusing on individual disaster preparedness 'for the sake of your pet' will deliver better engagement for planning for pet evacuation and self-reliance that will, in turn, yield higher human survival rates."



Dr. Gurtner explained that states and territories have many different policies regarding the accommodation of pets in emergency shelters.



"Given the varied contexts and capacities, people who own animals should seek advice from local authorities for up-to-date information specific to local circumstances."



"In the Townsville survey, 71 percent indicated they were uncertain whether local government shelters allowed pets and almost 4 per cent believed, falsely, that companion animals other than recognised assistance animals were allowed in Queensland storm shelters."



In conclusion, Dr. Gurtner said that if pet owners do not want to leave their pets behind in the case of a natural disaster, they should ensure their plans include appropriate arrangements for their pets. For more information on how to keep your pets safe, check out the <a href="https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-should-i-consider-if-i-need-to-evacuate-my-animal-in-a-natural-disaster">RSPCA guide</a> to protecting pets in emergencies.



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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

Most pet owners are not prepared for a natural disaster

A new study from James Cook University has found that...

A research team led by <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> estimates that if greenhouse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/feeding-cattle-seaweed-could-reduce-methane-emissions/">emissions</a> are not quickly curbed, Earth will be unrecognizable by 2500, with some regions becoming completely inhospitable. The projections suggest that by this time in our planet's future, the Amazon will be barren, the American Midwest tropical, and India will be too hot to inhabit.



Although many scientific studies talk about the long-term impacts of climate change in terms of increasing greenhouse emissions, temperatures, or sea levels, most of them don’t look further than 2100. According to the McGill study, published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.15871">Global Change Biology</a>, to fully grasp and plan for climate impacts, scientists and policymakers should look well beyond the end of this century.&nbsp;



“The Paris Agreement, the United Nations, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s scientific assessment reports, all show us what we need to do before 2100 to meet our goals, and what could happen if we don’t,” said study lead author Christopher Lyon. “But this benchmark, which has been used for over 30 years, is short-sighted because people born now will only be in their 70s by 2100.”



“We need to envision the Earth our children and grandchildren may face, and what we can do now to make it just and liveable for them. If we fail to meet the Paris Agreement goals, and emissions keep rising, many places in the world will dramatically change.”



By running global climate model projections based on time-dependent projections of greenhouse gas concentrations for low, medium, and high mitigation scenarios up to the year 2500, the scientists found that the Earth might become largely inhospitable for future generations.



Under low and medium mitigation scenarios, in which global warming will not be limited to values below two degrees Celsius, vegetation could move to the poles, leaving currently rich ecosystems such as the Amazon Basin barren. The densely populated tropics will likely become too hot to be inhabitable, and global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-levels-are-rising-at-an-alarming-rate/">sea levels</a> will keep rising.



“These projections point to the potential magnitude of climate upheaval on longer time scales and fall within the range of assessments made by others,” said Dr. Lyon. Thus, climate projections and the policies that depend on them should look further into the future in order to fully grasp the long-term scope of climate impacts.



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

Climate change could make Earth inhospitable by 2500

A research team led by McGill University estimates that if...

Invasive shrubs in Northeastern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-create-cloud-cover-that-cools-the-climate/">forests</a> are stifling the growth of native species, according to a new report. The researchers conducted a three-year study of invasive shrub removal to investigate how the native plants responded in The Arboretum at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a>.



The non-native shrubs sprout leaves earlier in the spring, and keep them longer in the fall, which gives them a competitive advantage. The invasive plants absorb more sunlight than native shrubs and lower the temperatures on the forest floor.&nbsp;



Study lead author Erynn Maynard-Bean explained that invasive shrubs are flourishing in temperate, deciduous forest understories of eastern North America where resources - especially light - are limited.



"Light and temperature influence ecosystem processes, likely slowing the growth of native plants," said Maynard-Bean. "We saw a pattern of reduced maximum air temperature in the presence of invasive shrubs during the growing season of most years."



The researchers detected 26.8 percent less light energy infiltration beneath invasive shrubs compared to native shrubs, with differences largest in the spring.



This difference in light energy is significant, Maynard-Bean noted. "Think of it this way, it's like a 60-watt lamp in every 10 square feet of the forest is removed by the presence of invasive shrubs, on average, across the growing season."



The researchers periodically recorded temperature data hourly and daily throughout the study period. They calculated the difference in temperatures between invasive shrub plots and native shrub plots.&nbsp;



According to Maynard-Bean, temperatures fluctuated in the experiment. The variation resulted from different surfaces the sunlight hits on the forest floor, she explained, and how much moisture is present.



"Sunlight warms the surface, and then that heat transfers to the air. But it turns out to be extremely variable, because it depends on how wet the surfaces are - water will absorb a lot of that energy, not changing the temperature. It's also dependent on the type of material on the forest floor. It's mostly leaf litter, but also sticks, logs and rocks change the rate of transfer of light energy into temperature."



Maynard-Bean said that the results of the study may explain a phenomenon that scientists have witnessed associated with invasive forest plants.



"First, we know that invasive shrubs negatively impact bees, butterflies and amphibians in forest understories," said Maynard-Bean. "Those are exothermic species, meaning their activity and development is highly influenced by light and temperature in the understory. So, this could help explain why we don't find as many butterflies, bees and amphibians in invaded understories as we do in uninvaded understories."



The findings may also explain why Eastern forests have grown increasingly fire resistant, to the detriment of fire-tolerant plant species such as oak, said Maynard-Bean, adding that lower light conditions have potential implications for forest litter quality and decomposition rates.



"The darker, cooler conditions caused by the invasion of nonnative shrubs have the potential to exacerbate the mesophication - the transition of a fire-adapted community to a fire-intolerant one - of Eastern deciduous U.S. forests."



"Decades of forest fire suppression have allowed mesophytic, or shade-tolerant, species to shift the understory toward more cool, damp and shaded conditions resistant to burning."



The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.



The study is published in the <a href="http://naturalareas.org/about_the_natural_areas_journa.php">Natural Areas Journal</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

Invasive shrubs are transforming Northeastern forests

Invasive shrubs in Northeastern forests are stifling the growth of...

Corals are the foundation of tropical reef systems worldwide, where they help form habitat suitable for countless other associated species. In the past 30 years, however, corals have suffered degradation due to pollution, overfishing and global warming. The Caribbean has lost 80-90 percent of its coral cover, a 2015 bleaching event killed nearly half of the remaining corals along the Great Barrier Reef, and the Indo-Pacific coral reefs are under threat.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Against this backdrop, two researchers from the <a href="https://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Institute of Technology</a> set out to investigate whether newly established coral species grow better in the presence of other coral species, or whether competition between different species restricts growth rates. Cody Clements and Mark Hay traveled to Mo'orea, French Polynesia, in the tropical Pacific Ocean, where they planted coral gardens differing in coral species diversity to evaluate the relative importance of mutualistic versus competitive interactions between the corals as they grew.&nbsp;&nbsp;



This research has relevance in terms of understanding how to promote reef recovery during the early stages following large-scale coral loss, such as occurs more and more frequently due to the warming of the seas. “The frequency of these&nbsp;<a href="https://cos.gatech.edu/news/kim-cobb-testifies-house-committee-natural-resources">big bleaching and heating events</a>&nbsp;that are killing off corals has increased fairly dramatically over the last 20 to 30 years. There are hot spots here and there where coral reefs are still good, but they’re small and isolated in general,” said Hay, Regents Professor and Teasley Chair in the School of Biological Sciences.&nbsp;



The researchers conducted field experiments in which they established corals on raised, 40 cm x 40 cm platforms, or gardens, in shallow ocean waters. They manipulated coral diversity and density to see whether these factors affected coral survival and productivity.



The team used an ingenious system involving Coca-Cola bottles, suggested by Clements, a Teasley Postdoctoral Fellow in the&nbsp;<a href="https://biosciences.gatech.edu/">School of Biological Sciences</a>. The platform surfaces “have Coca-Cola bottlecaps embedded in the top of them,” explained Professor Hay. “We can then cut off the necks of Coke bottles, glue corals into the upside-down necks of these things, and then screw them in and out of these plots.&nbsp;This allows us to not only arrange what species we want where, but every couple of months we can unscrew and weigh them so we can get accurate growth rates.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Professor Hay noted that many previous, similar experiments involved bringing corals into a lab to “pit species against each other.” But he points out, “We do all of our experiments in the real world. We’re not as interested in whether it&nbsp;can&nbsp;happen, but whether it&nbsp;does&nbsp;happen.”



The researchers found that corals benefitted from increased biodiversity, but only up to a point. “Corals planted in gardens with an intermediate number of species – three to six species in most cases – performed better than gardens with low, or one, species, or high, as in nine, species," said Clements. "However, we still do not fully understand the processes that contributed to these observations.”



This finding implies that damaged coral reefs may be re-established more effectively if several different species of corals are grown in proximity to one another. However, it also implies that, if species are lost from a coral reef there may come a point where too few species co-exist and the positive effects of multi-species assemblages are lost.



“We’ve done the manipulations, and the corals should be competing with each other, but in fact they do better together than they do on their own,” said Professor Hay. “We are still investigating the mechanisms causing this surprising result, but our experiments consistently demonstrate that the positive interactions are overwhelming the negative interactions in the reef settings where we conduct these experiments. That means when you take species out of the system, you’re taking out some of those positive interactions, and if you take out critical ones, it may make a big difference.”



“Corals are the foundation species of these ecosystems – providing habitat and food for numerous other reef species,” said Clements. “Negative effects on corals often have cascading impacts on other species that call coral reefs home. If biodiversity is important for coral performance and resilience, then a ‘biodiversity meltdown’ could exacerbate the decline of reef ecosystems that we’re observing worldwide.”



Clements said their research demands more investigation into questions such as &nbsp; why corals perform better in mixed species communities than single-species communities, and why the biodiversity effect diminishes at the highest level of coral diversity. “We need a better mechanistic understanding of how diversity influences these processes to predict how biodiversity loss will impact corals, as well as how we may be able to harness biodiversity’s positive influence to protect corals,” said Clements.



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

Corals get a boost from other coral species in underwater gardens

Corals are the foundation of tropical reef systems worldwide, where...

A research team led by the <a href="https://www.bigelow.org/">Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences</a> has just received a $10 million grant from the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a> to continue their study of how methane emissions by cattle could be reduced. During the course of the investigations, which was initiated in 2019, the scientists found that replacing cattle’s usual grain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-the-mysterious-jellyfish-diet-revealed/">diet</a> with seaweed could decrease by 20 percent the amount of methane released in the atmosphere.



Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, trapping 30 times more heat than carbon dioxide and thus contributing significantly to global warming. Cows are notorious for releasing large amounts of methane into the atmosphere (approximately 25 percent of the total methane emissions) by passing gas or burping.&nbsp;



“Despite the best efforts to try to find ways to reduce that carbon ‘hoofprint,’ there’s lots more that can be improved in terms of changing cow’s diets. We think that seaweed can be part of that solution,” said project lead Nichole Price, a senior research scientist and director of the <a href="https://www.bigelow.org/services/seafood-solutions/">Center for Seafood Solutions</a> at Bigelow Laboratory.



The Bigelow Laboratory has spent the last two years developing tools to evaluate how changing the cattle’s diet to seaweed could potentially help reducing methane emissions. The scientists tested how a variety of nutrient-rich Maine seaweeds could help not only reduce cows’ methane emissions, but also improve their health and even the quality of the soil where they pasture.



“This is some of the most exciting research I’ve been a part of," Price said. "It has the potential to curb global methane emissions, and our approach can also directly support the region’s dairy and seaweed farmers."



According to Price, creating new seaweed products could bolster Maine’s seaweed aquaculture industry, help recycling crucial nutrients, remediate a variety of ocean conditions, and empower the dairy industry to improve the health of cattle and of the planet in general.



The scientists screened several types of seaweeds for important compounds that could make them good candidates for a feed additive.



"Different types of seaweeds have different impacts on the complex microbial environment inside a cow’s rumen," explained Sabrina Greenwood, an associate professor of Animal Nutrition at the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a>.&nbsp;



"The approach taken by this project provides an incredible opportunity to really push ahead with identification and refinement of natural nutritional supplements that could be great for both the cow and the environment."



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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

Feeding cattle seaweed could reduce methane emissions

A research team led by the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean...

Oceans play a significant role in protecting biodiversity as they provide valuable resources, absorb oxygen, and control the weather. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dragonflies-may-migrate-across-the-indian-ocean/">Ocean</a> pollution is an increasing threat to these marine ecosystem services. A surprising new study from the <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a> and the Marine Biological Association (MBA) suggests that paint flakes could be one of the most abundant types of microplastic particles in the ocean.



The two organizations have partnered on multiple projects related to ocean plastics over the past two decades. One such study, published in 2019, revealed that the concentration of plastics in the open oceans has increased significantly since the late 1950s.



According to scientists, paint flakes are the second most abundant waste material in the oceans after microplastic fibers. The concentration of microplastic fibers is estimated to be around 0.16 particles per m3.



The scientists conducted a spectrum of surveys across the&nbsp; North Atlantic Ocean and found that an average of 0.01 paint flakes was present in each cubic metre of seawater.&nbsp;&nbsp;



MBA's Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) was used to collect data for the study. The recorder was fitted with silk meshes and towed in surface waters comparable to the spaces occupied by marine mammals. The CPR collected seawater samples from the Arctic Ocean to Spain, and from the eastern United States to Sweden in 2018



More than 3600 samples were collected during the study. About 2.8 percent (102 samples) contained flakes in all the silks analysed. During the same period, 48.8 percent (1,763) of the silks contained fibers or strands in them.



The results indicated that the density of paint flake distribution was higher in the shelf seas of northwest Europe in comparison to the open or more remote ocean environments.&nbsp;



“We now know that plastics are everywhere, and that most organisms are likely ingesting them, however there is less known about how harmful this ingestion might be. This study has highlighted that paint flakes are an abundant form of microplastic that should not be overlooked, particularly as some may have toxic properties.” said study co-author Dr Clare Ostle, the coordinator of the Pacific Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey.



The researchers conducted a detailed chemical analysis of sample flake particles collected during the surveying X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry in university labs. The results recorded significant quantities of pollutants such as copper, lead, zinc and iron. These results were consistent with the chemical composition of paints found on the hulls and components of ships deployed in the Atlantic region.



The additives used to enhance the antifouling and anti-corrosive properties of paints might have caused an increase in the level of concentration of these pollutants. According to the authors, the presence of these pollutants could pose a threat to ocean ecosystems.&nbsp;



“Paint particles have often been an overlooked component of marine microplastics but this study shows that they are relatively abundant in the ocean. The presence of toxic metals like lead and copper pose additional risks to wildlife.” said study lead author Dr Andrew Turner, an associate professor (Reader) in Environmental Sciences at the University of Plymouth.



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/science-of-the-total-environment">Science of the Total Environment</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

Paint flakes are surprisingly abundant in the North Atlantic

Oceans play a significant role in protecting biodiversity as they...

Islands have long been seen as hotspots of evolution where newly arriving species adapt and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reef-biodiversity-expected-to-shuffle-but-not-decline/">diversify</a>, isolated from mainland competitors. Initially, rates of evolution on islands are high, while organisms radiate to fill the available niches. This pattern has been seen on countless islands around the world.



However, while island fauna is often unique and highly specialized due to its adaptation to specific conditions prevalent on islands, it is viewed as somewhat disadvantaged when attempting to recolonize mainland habitats.



“The traditional thinking is that plant and animal groups that evolve on islands can’t invade the mainland because the mainland has more species, and thus a more competitive biotic milieu due to higher rates of competition, predation, parasitism, etc.,” said Professor <a href="https://biology.wustl.edu/people/jonathan-losos">Jonathan B. Losos</a>, director of the Living Earth Collaborative at <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis</a>. “So, the idea is that species on islands aren’t ‘tough’ enough to cut it on the mainland.”



Professor Losos and colleagues used a time-calibrated phylogeny and measurements of relevant ecological and morphological diversity in neotropical Anolis lizards (anoles) to test this theory. Anoles originated in South America, but then colonized several different Caribbean islands, where they underwent adaptive radiation. Thereafter, some species returned from these islands to the Central American mainland, where they continued to diversify.



Some 2.8 million years ago the Isthmus of Panama formed, thereby reconnecting the two mainland groups of anoles, those that had secondarily recolonized Central America, and those descended from the ancestral South American species. The authors used their data to find out&nbsp;what happened when mainland and island evolutionary radiations collided.



The island&nbsp;Anolis&nbsp;species and, to a lesser extent, the ancestral South American anoles, underwent more rapid rates of initial evolution, as empty ecological niches were filled. In contrast, the&nbsp;Anolis&nbsp;species that recolonized the Central American mainland from the islands diversified ecologically without developing significant morphological differences between species.



The findings demonstrate that contrary to popular belief, the recolonizing Central American&nbsp;Anolis&nbsp;species outcompeted the ancestral South American&nbsp;Anolis&nbsp;species. When the species from the mainland radiation (Central America) that came originally from island ancestors, met with the incumbent mainland radiation from South America, the ensuing interactions favored the island-derived species.



According to Professor Losos, the findings show that islands are hotspots of evolution, even for mainland recolonization, rather than being evolutionary dead ends.&nbsp;



“In recent years, many studies have documented contradictory examples of island species successfully invading the mainland,” said Professor Losos. “Our study goes further by showing that island species not only can invade, but diversify greatly.”



The study is published this week in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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

Islands are not evolutionary dead ends for animals

Islands have long been seen as hotspots of evolution where...

Little,Girl,Running,On,Meadow,With,Sunset

A recent study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> has revealed that children with a connection to nature during the first <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/over-one-third-of-americans-had-covid-19-by-the-end-of-2020/">COVID-19</a> lockdown showed less behavioral and emotional problems than children without that connection. The study also found that children from wealthy economic backgrounds tended to increase their connection to nature during the pandemic.&nbsp;



The results of the study suggest that kids from less affluent backgrounds likely experienced more mental health challenges during COVID-19 because they had a lower connection with nature compared to their wealthier peers.



“We know that access to and engagement with nature is associated with wide-ranging benefits in children and adults, including lowering levels of anxiety and depression, and reducing stress," said study first author Dr. Samantha Friedman.



"The COVID-19 lockdowns meant that children no longer had their normal school activities, routines and social interactions. The removal of these barriers gave us a novel context to look at how changes in connection with nature affected mental health."



"Connecting with nature may have helped buffer some UK children against the effects of the lockdown, but we found that children from less affluent families were less likely to have increased their connection to nature during that time.”



The study used an online survey to collect data on 376 families with children from three to seven years old. Over half of these families reported that children increased their connection to nature during the pandemic. Not only does the research point to the benefits of a connection to nature for children, it also gives actionable data.&nbsp;



“Our study revealed the wide range of ways that parents can help children get more connected to nature. This might be a bit daunting to some, but it doesn’t have to be camping in the woods and foraging for food – it really can be as simple as going for a walk near your house or sitting outside for ten minutes a day," said Dr. Friedman.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/25758314">People and Nature</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

Nature improved mental health of children during lockdown

A recent study from the University of Cambridge has revealed...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/livingoceansfoundation/">Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation</a> (KSLOF) has investigated the state of coral reefs around the world. The researchers surveyed and mapped coral reefs in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deserted-oil-tanker-is-a-danger-to-public-health/">Red Sea</a>.



The <a href="http://www.livingoceansfoundation.org/publication/global-reef-expedition-final-report/">Global Reef Expedition Final Report</a> provides valuable baseline data on the status of coral reefs at a vital point in time that can aid the conservation efforts both locally and globally. The report also offers guidance to researchers and scientists on conservation measures.&nbsp;



Coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. They provide a wide range of environmental and economic benefits. Today, coastal reefs are declining due to various natural and man-made factors such as coastal development, pollution, disease, severe storms, and climate change.&nbsp;



As the oceans continue to warm, massive coral bleaching incidents have become increasingly common and severe. Scientists estimated that there was a 50 percent decline in coral reefs in the last 40 years.&nbsp;



To address this crisis, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, a US-based nonprofit environmental organization, launched the Global Reef Expedition. This research was the result of the collective work of hundreds of scientists from around the world, who conducted tens of thousands of standardised scientific assessments at over 1,000 reefs in 16 nations.&nbsp;



Scientists working on the project collaborated closely with local experts, managers, educators, and government officials to assist the foundation in collecting the data needed to establish science-based solutions for the conservation of reefs.&nbsp;



The expedition aimed to map and characterize coral reef ecosystems, assess the current status of and threats to the world’s reefs and study the factors that enhance a reef’s ability to resist, survive, and recover from major disturbance events such as bleaching, cyclone damage, and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.



“The Global Reef Expedition was a monumental achievement. It owes its success to nimble planning and a common vision shared by a broad group of forward-thinking scientists, managers, and educators,” said Sam Purkis, KSLOF’s Chief Scientist. “I have no doubt that the baseline determined by the Global Reef Expedition for the world’s reefs will remain a reference for centuries to come."



During the course of the study, the Global Reef Expedition also engaged in education and outreach projects to promote ocean literacy, enlighten students and community leaders about coral reefs, and encourage conservation action.



The report emphasizes that in order to battle the coral reef crisis, prompt action is required to address climate change and overfishing.&nbsp;



“One of our most significant findings from the Global Reef Expedition was that nearly every country we studied showed signs of overfishing. Even on some of the most remote and well-protected reefs,” said Renée Carlton, the lead author of the report. She noted that finding fewer and smaller fish on the reef poses problems for the health of the reef itself as well as the people who depend upon them for protein and income.&nbsp;



“We know marine protected areas work, in most instances these reefs had some of the best coral cover and reef fish communities, but climate change, storms, and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish can still have deadly consequences to a reef, no matter how remote or well-protected it is.”



According to the experts, control measures such as reducing pollution and establishing marine protected areas can be exercised to save local reefs from the adverse influences of these global problems. The report suggests that with proper implementation, these measures may be able to aid in the preservation of the remaining reefs.



The study found that the participation of local communities in the conservation efforts was essential to achieving success. The foundation was able to provide countries with the data they required to manage their marine resources effectively by involving local experts and government officials in data collection, combining scientific findings with outreach and education efforts, and addressing disparities in ocean literacy.



“Findings from the Global Reef Expedition are already helping countries protect and preserve their reefs and coastal marine resources,” said Alexandra Dempsey, the Director of Science Management at the Foundation. “Marine protected areas, fisheries closures, and traditionally managed areas have been established in The Bahamas, Jamaica, Fiji, and the Cook Islands, using information collected on the Expedition."&nbsp;



The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation ensured that the data and results from the study is shared freely with all stakeholders to aid them in their conservation efforts.&nbsp;



The Global Reef Expedition was funded and initiated by Prince Khaled bin Sultan. Upon completion of the research, he expressed his hope that the discoveries will help to “leave a legacy of ocean protection, so our children, and their children's children, can also enjoy the beauty and magic of a coral reef.”



Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation:&nbsp;



The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization established in the United States that combines scientific study, outreach, and education to conserve and restore the world's oceans. The Living Oceans Foundation, as part of its commitment to Science Without Borders®, distributes data and information to organisations, governments, scientists, and local people so that they can use the most up-to-date science to work toward long-term ocean protection. www.livingoceansfoundation.org&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.livingoceansfoundation.org/publication/global-reef-expedition-final-report/">Global Reef Expedition Final Report</a> was published on October 7th, 2021. Copies of the report are available to view and download on the foundation’s website at lof.org.



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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

Global Reef Expedition reveals the extent of the coral reef crisis

A new study from the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans...

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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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



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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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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