As the global population grows, pressure on farm systems and biodiversity intensifies. How we grow food shapes the planet’s health. From wheat fields in the Midwest to rice paddies in Southeast Asia, farmland is expanding and changing rapidly. But at what cost?



For decades, environmentalists and policymakers have debated two main strategies to boost food production. One is expansion - clearing more land for farms. The other is intensification - increasing the yield on existing farmland through high-input practices like pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation.



The common belief is that intensification is less damaging to biodiversity. But a new study by researchers at University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>) reveals that this assumption may not always hold.



The findings challenge long-held views and call for a more informed, flexible strategy in agricultural policy and conservation. The study invites us to question how food security and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wildlife-day-2025-a-global-call-to-protect-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental protection</a> can truly coexist.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farm-expansion-and-intensification">Farm expansion and intensification </h2>



At first glance, farmland intensification seems ideal. It promises more food from the same land, sparing natural ecosystems from conversion. Yet the study led by Dr. Silvia Ceaușu at the UCL Center for Biodiversity &amp; Environment Research suggests a deeper problem.



“Feeding the global human population comes at an increasing cost for our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-are-the-biggest-drivers-of-biodiversity-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planet</a>'s biodiversity. Our new research highlights that it's actually more complicated than that,” noted Dr. Ceaușu.



Using a large global dataset, the researchers analyzed biodiversity patterns around farms producing maize, wheat, rice, and soybean - crops that make up over half of the world’s calorie intake.



The experts focused on areas where some natural vegetation remained, excluding untouched wildlands. They then assessed biodiversity in terms of species richness, total abundance, and how widespread species were.



The results revealed that both expansion and intensification damage biodiversity, but the extent varies by region, crop type, and existing vegetation. In some areas, intensification harmed local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-biodiversity-scientists-discover-hidden-pattern-guiding-species-distributions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a> more than converting new land.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boosting-farm-yields-can-harm-biodiversity">Boosting farm yields can harm biodiversity</h2>



Much of modern agricultural planning encourages “closing yield gaps,” meaning increasing production in areas where crop yields lag behind their potential. The logic is to reduce the need for land expansion. But this new study shows that doing so may come with serious ecological consequences.



“We show that farmland expansion is indeed drastically changing local biodiversity. However, once agriculture is established, intensifying agricultural practices can further degrade local biodiversity, sometimes more so than by further removing natural vegetation from the area,” noted Dr. Silvia Ceaușu.



This challenges the narrative of intensification as a safe compromise. It also suggests that even well-meaning conservation policies might backfire if they overly favor intensification without context.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-pressure-is-changing-biodiversity-faster-than-we-realize/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">implications</a> stretch far. International trade agreements often restrict imports from newly converted farmland but welcome goods from intensified farms. That distinction might be too simplistic, especially when intensified farms are located in biodiversity hotspots.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complexity-over-simplicity-in-agricultural-policy">Complexity over simplicity in agricultural policy</h2>



One of the most striking conclusions of the study is that there is no universal rule. Every landscape is different. What works in temperate monocultures may fail in tropical mosaics. This variation makes broad policies difficult to apply effectively.



“Simple suggestions like favoring farmland intensification over expansion are not always effective - there’s no one-size-fits all solution for sustainable agriculture,” noted Professor Tim Newbold at UCL.



Instead of relying on single-solution strategies, policymakers must consider specific ecological, social, and agricultural data. This includes understanding which species are at risk, how ecosystems function locally, and what kind of vegetation remains around farms.



It’s not just about where and how we farm - but also about what lives nearby, and what might disappear as farming intensifies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farm-practices-reshape-biodiversity-over-time">Farm practices reshape biodiversity over time</h2>



Beyond ecological damage, the study touches on evolutionary consequences. As intensified agriculture becomes more common, it reshapes entire ecosystems. 



Only species that can adapt to altered environments survive. Over time, this selects for generalist traits - those that thrive in simplified, human-managed landscapes.



This process, described in the study as a shift in "evolutionary filters," could gradually lead to less diverse and more homogenized wildlife communities. 



Specialists, who depend on complex, intact ecosystems, are the first to vanish. This affects not only biodiversity statistics but also ecosystem function and resilience.



In intensified landscapes, nature becomes simpler. And while simple might seem efficient for farming, it rarely is for ecology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-farmland-use">Rethinking farmland use </h2>



While the researchers don’t endorse farmland expansion into untouched habitats, they do caution against assuming that intensification is always benign. In certain contexts, expansion into already degraded or marginal lands could do less harm than squeezing more output from heavily farmed areas



“There is likely a balance that can be struck between intensification and expansion… informed by local and crop-specific data,” noted co-author David Leclère of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (<a href="https://iiasa.ac.at" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIASA</a>), Austria.



The goal isn’t to choose one path but to design farming systems that work for both people and the planet.



“We would not suggest expanding farmland into intact natural areas as it is vital for the planet that such unmodified landscapes are preserved,” said Dr. Newbold.



In other words, any new expansion must avoid primary forests, wetlands, and biodiversity-rich habitats. The challenge lies in identifying and managing lower-risk landscapes while avoiding additional intensification that might push ecosystems past recovery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-consumers">The role of consumers </h2>



For consumers, the picture remains complex. It’s difficult to track how sustainable any specific food product is, especially when impacts vary so widely across regions and crops. However, individuals still hold some power.



The researchers recommend reducing food waste and cutting back on meat consumption. Both actions lower agricultural demand and reduce pressure on biodiversity. 



These changes, while small at the individual level, can aggregate into meaningful shifts when adopted widely.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-farming-and-biodiversity">Balancing farming and biodiversity </h2>



As the climate crisis unfolds and food insecurity grows, the global community must confront difficult questions. How do we produce enough food without sacrificing biodiversity? Can we make space for nature and still nourish billions?



This new study makes one thing clear: the answers will not come from easy slogans or blanket policies. They will come from detailed data, local context, and a willingness to embrace complexity.



Feeding the world is not just a technical challenge - it is a deeply ecological one. And how we respond will determine the kind of world future generations inherit.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-025-02691-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.



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Feeding the world without harming nature: The complex balance of farming

As the global population grows, pressure on farm systems and biodiversity intensifies. How we grow food shapes the planet’s health. From wheat fields in the Midwest to rice paddies in Southeast Asia, farmland is expanding and changing rapidly. But at what cost? For decades, environmentalists and policymakers have debated two main strategies to boost food production. One is expansion - clearing more land for farms. The other is intensification - increasing the yield on existing farmland through high-input practices like pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation. The common belief...

The Arctic Ocean was filled with freshwater at least twice in the last 150,000 years, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en/">Alfred Wegener Institute</a>. The experts report that the Arctic Ocean, as well as the Nordic Seas, did not contain salt during two separate glacial periods.

The researchers determined that these oceans were filled with large amounts of freshwater under shelf ice that was up to 900 meters thick. The water could be released into the North Atlantic in very short periods of time. 

The study has revealed that the floating parts of the northern ice sheets covered large parts of the Arctic Ocean in the past 150,000 years. During two time periods, freshwater accumulated under the ice, which transformed the Arctic Ocean for thousands of years.

"These results mean a real change to our understanding of the Arctic Ocean in glacial climates," said study first author Dr. Walter Geibert. "To our knowledge, this is the first time that a complete freshening of the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic Seas has been considered - happening not just once, but twice."

According to Dr. Geibert, the decay of naturally occurring uranium always results in the production of the isotope thorium-230 when water is salty. "This substance accumulates at the sea floor, where it remains detectable for a very long time due to its half-life of 75,000 years."

"Here, its repeated and widespread absence is the giveaway that reveals to us what happened. According to our knowledge, the only reasonable explanation for this pattern is that the Arctic Ocean was filled with freshwater twice in its younger history - in frozen and liquid form,"explained Dr. Jutta Wollenburg.

A range of past climate fluctuations could be explained by the existence of enormous amounts of freshwater stored in the Arctic Ocean that were available for rapid release.

"The remains of coral reefs have pointed to a somewhat higher sea level in certain cold periods than reconstructions from Antarctic ice cores, or reconstructions from the calcareous shells of small marine organisms, would suggest," said Dr. Geibert. 

"If we now accept that freshwater may not only have been stored in solid form on land, but some of it also in liquid form in the ocean, the different sea level reconstructions agree better and we can reconcile the location of the coral reefs with calculations of the freshwater budget."

Freshwater release from the Arctic may also be responsible for certain climate change events during the last glacial period, when temperatures in Greenland would abruptly rise by 8-10 degree centigrade within a few years.

"We see an example here of a past Arctic climate tipping point of the Earth system," said Dr. Geibert. "Now we need to investigate in more detail how these processes were interconnected, and evaluate how this new concept of the Arctic Ocean helps in closing further gaps in our knowledge, in particular in view of the risks of manmade climate change."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The Arctic Ocean was filled with freshwater at least twice in history

The Arctic Ocean was filled with freshwater at least twice...

Climate change may have directly contributed to the emergence of SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>. The alarming research has revealed that climate-driven forest growth in Southern China now supports dozens of additional bat species, along with 100 more types of coronaviruses.

"The fact that climate change can accelerate the transmission of wildlife pathogens to humans should be an urgent wake-up call to reduce global emissions," said Professor Camilo Mora of <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">UH Manoa</a>, who initiated the project.

The findings represent the first evidence of a mechanism that links climate change to the pandemic. The experts report that large-scale changes in the vegetation across southern China have created the perfect environment for bats to thrive in. 

Rising levels of atmospheric CO2 and higher temperatures have transformed tropical shrubland into deciduous forest, which is the most suitable habitat for bats. 

In any given area, the number of coronaviruses present is closely linked to the number of bat species nearby. The experts discovered that an additional 40 bat species have moved into the southern Chinese Yunnan province in the past century, harboring around 100 more types of bat-borne coronaviruses. Genetic data suggests that SARS-CoV-2 originated in this global hotspot.

"Climate change over the last century has made the habitat in the southern Chinese Yunnan province suitable for more bat species," said study first author Dr. Robert Beyer. "Understanding how the global distribution of bat species has shifted as a result of climate change may be an important step in reconstructing the origin of the COVID-19 outbreak."

For their investigation, the researchers created a map of the world's vegetation as it was a century ago. Next, they analyzed the global distribution of bat species in the early 1900s. By comparing this to current distributions, the experts could derive how the number of bat species  changed across the globe over the last century due to climate change.

"As climate change altered habitats, species left some areas and moved into others - taking their viruses with them. This not only altered the regions where viruses are present, but most likely allowed for new interactions between animals and viruses, causing more harmful viruses to be transmitted or evolve," said Dr. Beyer.

Each bat species harbors an average of 2.7 coronaviruses, while the world's bat population carries around 3,000 different coronaviruses. A climate-driven increase in bat species in any region also increases the chances that a coronavirus could be introduced to humans in that area. 

While most coronaviruses carried by bats cannot jump into humans, there are now three such deadly viruses that have, including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) CoV, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) CoV-1 and CoV-2.

The researchers found that climate change has also increased the number of bat species living in Central Africa, and in parts of Central and South America.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/science-of-the-total-environment">Science of the Total Environment</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Urgent wake-up call: climate change linked to COVID-19

Climate change may have directly contributed to the emergence of...

Rapidly changing ocean soundscapes are disrupting marine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/burrowing-animals-in-the-mojave-desert-escape-the-heat-of-climate-change/">animals</a> on a global scale, according to a new study led by Professor Carlos Duarte of King Abdullah University. The experts report that mitigating these impacts is key to achieving a healthier ocean.

"Sound is the sensory cue that travels farthest through the ocean and is used by marine animals, ranging from invertebrates to great whales, to interpret and explore the marine environment and to interact within and among species," wrote the researchers.

"Ocean soundscapes are rapidly changing because of massive declines in the abundance of sound-producing animals, increases in anthropogenic noise, and altered contributions of geophysical sources, such as sea ice and storms, owing to climate change." 

"As a result, the soundscape of the Anthropocene ocean is fundamentally different from that of preindustrial times, with anthropogenic noise negatively impacting marine life."

For more than a century, sounds from activities such as fishing, shipping, and development have increasingly contributed to underwater noise pollution. Based on the analysis of more than four decades of published research, the experts found that this noise adversely affects the behavior and physiology of marine animals. 

"We find evidence that anthropogenic noise negatively affects marine animals. Strong evidence for such impacts is available for marine mammals, and some studies also find impacts for fishes and invertebrates, marine birds, and reptiles," wrote the study authors. 

'Noise from vessels, active sonar, synthetic sounds, and acoustic deterrent devices are all found to affect marine animals, as are noise from energy and construction infrastructure and seismic surveys."

According to the researchers, noise is not the only consequence of human activities, as some areas of the ocean have also become quieter. For example, the hunting of large marine mammals, including highly vocal whales, has led to drastic declines in the abundance of sound-producing animals.

The study authors emphasize that, unlike many other anthropogenic stressors on marine ecosystems, the harmful effects of noise pollution could be addressed and mitigated with new regulations.

"Changing ocean soundscapes have become the neglected 'elephant in the room' of global ocean change," wrote the researchers. "In an era when societies increasingly look to the 'blue economy' as a source of resources and wealth, it is essential that ocean soundscapes be responsibly managed to ensure the sustainable use of the ocean."

"The evidence summarized here encourages national and international policies to become more ambitious in regulating and deploying existing technological solutions to mitigate marine noise and improve the human stewardship of ocean soundscapes to maintain a healthy ocean." 

The study is published by <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">AAAS</a> in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Changing ocean soundscapes impact animals worldwide

Rapidly changing ocean soundscapes are disrupting marine animals on a...

California's rainy season has shifted from November to December, prolonging the destructive wildfire season by nearly a month. This transition has taken place over the last six decades, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.agu.org/">American Geophysical Union</a>. 

The research does not definitively link the shifting rainy season to climate change. However, the results are consistent with climate models that predict warmer and drier autumn conditions in California.

Wildfires are the biggest hazard during California's dry season from May to October. The start of the rainy season in November alleviates the threat of wildfire by making the plants too moist to ignite.

In recent decades, the rainy season has been arriving progressively later. Furthermore, the rainy seasom is expected to become shorter as a result of global warming

For the current investigation, the researchers analyzed rainfall and weather data in California over the past six decades. They determined that the official onset of California's rainy season is 27 days later than it was in the 1960s. When the rain does finally arrive, the majority of it is limited to the months of January and February.

Study lead author Jelena Lukovi a climate scientist at the University of Belgrade in Serbia.

"What we've shown is that it will not happen in the future, it's happening already," said Lukovi. "The onset of the rainy season has been progressively delayed since the 1960s, and as a result the precipitation season has become shorter and sharper in California."

The findings suggest that California's wildfire season will last even longer in the years to come. The state's worst-ever wildfire season was in 2020. when nearly 10,000 fires burned more than 4.2 million acres of land.

A longer dry season will create more overlap between wildfire season and the inundation of Santa Ana winds that bring hot, dry weather to California in the fall. 

"It's not just a matter of making the vegetation drier and keeping all else equal," said UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain. "You're also increasing the number of opportunities for extremely dry vegetation and extremely strong offshore winds to coincide."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

California's rainy season has been pushed forward by a month

California's rainy season has shifted from November to December, prolonging...

Small burrowing animals are coping with environmental changes in the Mojave Desert much better than the local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/babbler-birds-are-shifting-their-behavior-in-the-wrong-direction/">birds</a>, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">AAAS</a> and <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">UC Berkeley</a>.

The experts report that animals like the cactus mouse and the white-tailed antelope squirrel have experienced different exposures to climate warming compared to native birds, despite living in the same part of the Mojave Desert.

"Scientists tend to assume that most species in a region experience the same exposure to temperature or precipitation changes, and that they all respond in the same way. But we're finding now that animals have diverse strategies for reducing their exposure to hot and dry conditions that could kill them," said study senior author Professor Steven Beissinger. 

"You should see these differences most strongly in a harsh environment like the desert, where life is really on the edge."

Over the last 100 years, the Mojave Desert has become hotter and drier. During this time period, UC Berkeley scientists noted a collapse in native bird populations, which is likely due to the stress of higher temperatures. In 2018, the team reported that bird populations have declined rapidly, with 61 study sites losing an average of 43 percent of the species that were present a century ago.

In the new study, the same team has found that small mammal populations in the desert have remained relatively stable since the beginning of the 20th century.

"Mammals have shown this remarkable stability," said Professor Beissinger. "It's really quite interesting that, in the same region, with the same level of climate change, these two very similar taxa have responded very differently to the changes taking place."

Based on computer model simulations, the researchers determined that small mammals are more resilient to climate change because they can escape the hot sun by diving into underground burrows. Birds need extra water to maintain a healthy body temperature, and are more active during the day compared to burrowing animals

"It's becoming clear that animals across the planet are responding to climate change by shifting where they live and shifting when they breed, and we're starting to get really strong evidence of population declines in certain areas that may be associated with warming," said study lead author Professor Eric Riddell. 

"Some estimates now suggest that one in six species will be threatened by climate change over the next century. Figuring out which species those are, what kind of traits they have, will be critical."

"Desert species have been thought to be relatively invulnerable to climate warming, but many desert species are already at or near their temperature and aridity tolerance limits. Each species also has different degrees of resilience," said study co-author Lori Hargrove, an ecologist at the San Diego Natural History Museum. 

"Climate change may seem minor, only a few degrees, but it has already had, and is having, direct and significant impacts on many species, each of which, in turn, affects other species, with cascading effects yet to be realized."

According to the study authors, modeling approaches that combine physiology and behavior are needed to more accurately predict a species' persistence in the face of climate change.

"This study has made me realize just how complicated predicting the effects of climate change truly are," said Professor Riddell. "It isn't just about where the landscape is warming and where it isn't warming. It's a really complex process that involves many aspects of an organism's biology, including their physiology, their behavior, their evolution -- it's all coupled. You need to take a really integrative approach to understand it."

The study is published in the journal Science.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Burrowing animals in the Mojave Desert escape the heat of climate change

Small burrowing animals are coping with environmental changes in the...

Mammals with habitats that have been affected by deforestation have higher levels of stress, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a>. When researchers analyzed hormones in the fur of rodents and marsupials living in smaller patches of South America's Atlantic Forest, they found that these mammals are under more stress compared to animals living in more intact <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fruit-eating-mammals-fertilize-the-soil-in-tropical-forests/">forests</a>.

"We suspected that organisms in deforested areas would show higher levels of stress than animals in more pristine forests, and we found evidence that that's true," said study co-author Professor Noé de la Sancha.

"Small mammals, primarily rodents and little marsupials, tend to be more stressed out, or show more evidence that they have higher levels of stress hormones, in smaller forest patches than in larger forest patches."

"A lot of species, all over the world, but especially in the tropics, are understudied," said study lead author Professor Sarah Boyle of Rhodes College. "There is not a lot known about many of these animals in terms of even their baseline hormone levels."

The Atlantic Forest is the second largest forest in South America. Over the last 500 years, large areas of the forest have been cleared for agricultural and urban development. Today, less than one-third of the original forest remains.

Habitat destruction can drastically change the lives of animals as they must learn to cope with less land and food and possibly more contact with predators. The experts explain that in small doses, stress is not a bad thing for the animals. 

"A stress response is normally trying to bring your body back into balance," said study co-author Professor David Kabelik. "If something perturbs you and it can cause you to be injured or die, the stress response mobilizes energy to deal with that situation and bring things back into a normal state. It allows you to survive." 

For example, if an animal encounters a predator, stress hormones give them the adrenaline they need to run away. "But then these animals are placed into these small fragments of habitat where they're experiencing elevated stress over prolonged periods, and that can lead to disease and dysregulation of various physiological mechanisms in the body."

The study was focused on patches of forest in eastern Paraguay, which has been hit particularly hard by deforestation in the last century. The researchers captured 106 mammals in areas that ranged from two to 1,200 hectares and collected samples of animal fur, which contains hormones that accumulate over time. 

"Hormones change in the blood minute by minute, so that's not really an accurate reflection of whether these animals are under long-term stress or whether they just happened to run away from a predator a minute ago, and we were trying to get at something that's more of an indicator of longer term stress," explained Professor Kabelik.

"Since glucocorticoid stress hormones get deposited into the fur over time, if you analyze these samples you can look at a longer term measure of their stress."

In the lab, the fur was converted into a fine powder and the hormones were extracted. The experts analyzed hormone levels using enzyme immunoassay.

"You use antibodies that bind these hormones to figure out how many are there," said Professor Kabelik. "Then you divide that by the amount of fur that was in the sample, and it tells you the amount of hormones present per milligram."

The results showed that the animals from smaller patches of forest had higher levels of glucocorticoid stress hormones than animals from larger patches of forest. 

"Our findings that animals in the small forest patches had higher glucocorticoid levels was not surprising, given the extent to which some of these forested areas have been heavily impacted by forest loss and fragmentation," said Professor Boyle.

The study provides new insight into the effects of deforestation on animals, and may ultimately shed light on the circumstances in which animals can pass diseases to humans. 

"If you have lots of stressed out mammals, they can harbor viruses and other diseases, and there are more and more people living near these deforested patches that could potentially be in contact with these animals," said Professor de la Sancha. "By destroying natural habitats, we're potentially creating hotspots for zoonotic disease outbreaks."

"Big picture, this is really important because it could be applicable to forest remnants throughout the world. The tropics hold the highest diversity of organisms on the planet. Therefore, this has potential to impact the largest variety of living organisms on the planet, as more and more deforestation is happening. We're gonna see individuals and populations that tend to show higher levels of stress."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Animals affected by deforestation are stressed out

Mammals with habitats that have been affected by deforestation have...

A potentially toxic species of plankton algae may take over a critical role in the future of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-favors-some-arctic-insects-over-others/">Arctic</a> food chain, according to a new study from <a href="https://international.au.dk/">Aarhus University</a>. These algae survive through photosynthesis, but also by eating other algae and bacteria, which gives them a major advantage in the rapidly changing environment of the Arctic.

The plankton community that produces food for the entire Arctic food chain is being transformed by sea ice decline. The base of this food web is formed of tiny plankton algae, which use light and nutrients to produce food through photosynthesis.

As sea ice becomes thinner in the Arctic, plankton algae are exposed to more light. While it seems that this would boost algae numbers and provide more food for fish, the effects are much more complicated. 

The experts explain that more sunlight in the sea will only lead to a higher production of plankton algae if they also have enough nutrients, and this is often not the case. 

Freshwater that is entering the Arctic Ocean from melting glaciers is lacking in nutrients, and this water is now spreading out further across fjords and into the sea. The fresh water sits on top of the denser saltwater, preventing nutrients from the deeper layers from mixing up towards the surface where plankton algae are active. 

This is where the so-called mixotrophic plankton algae come in, because they do not rely entirely on sunlight and nutrients for their survival. The fact that these algae can also obtain energy by eating other algae and bacteria allows them to stay alive and grow without adequate light for photosynthesis. 

In northeast Greenland, a team of researchers measured the production of plankton algae under the sea ice in the high-Arctic fjord Young Sound.

"We showed that the plankton algae under the sea ice actually produced up to half of the total annual plankton production in the fjord," said study lead author Dorte H. Søgaard.

"Mixotrophic plankton algae have the advantage that they can sustain themselves by eating other algae and bacteria as a supplement to photosynthesis when there isn't enough light. This means that they are ready to perform photosynthesis even when very little light penetrates into the sea." 

"In addition, many mixotrophic algae can live in relatively fresh water and at very low concentrations of nutrients - conditions that often prevail in the water layers under the sea ice in the spring when the ice melts."

The researchers measured an algal bloom driven by mixotrophic algae in Young Sound for nine days. The algae belong to a group called haptophytes, many of which are toxic. The team found that these algae bloomed in quantities similar to those previously observed in the Skagerrak, where they killed large amounts of salmon in Norwegian fish farms.

"We know that haptophytes often appear in areas with low salinity - as seen in the Baltic Sea, for example. It is therefore very probable that these mixotrophic-driven algae blooms will appear more frequently in a more freshwater-influenced future Arctic Ocean and that this shift in dominant algae to a mixotrophic algae species might have a large ecological and socio-economic impact," said Søgaard.

According to the researchers, this is the first time that a bloom of mixotrophic algae has been recorded under the sea ice in the Arctic.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Nature: Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Toxic plankton algae could change the fate of the Arctic food web

A potentially toxic species of plankton algae may take over...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.agronomy.org/">American Society of Agronomy</a> has investigated sources of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/late-rainy-season-signals-upcoming-food-insecurity/">food</a> contamination in the soil. According to Professor Angelia Seyfferth, it all comes down to the soil's chemistry. 

For her latest research, Professor Seyfferth has been studying rice. She reports that the elements arsenic and cadmium are often present in the paddies where rice is grown. 

"Contaminants being taken up by crop plants is a route of dietary exposure to contaminants that is understudied," said Professor Seyfferth. "We can help decrease human exposure to toxins by applying our knowledge of soil chemistry."

Small amounts of arsenic and cadmium are present in many food products. In fruits and vegetables, the elements can pose a threat to human health depending on their levels of concentration and how much of the contaminated food an individual eats. 

Arsenic and cadmium are harmful to the body in high concentrations, and can even cause cancer over time. These elements are found in different chemical forms depending on their environment. If a contaminant in the soil resembles a nutrient, it is likely to be taken up by plants growing in the soil. 

"How food is grown affects not only the concentration of contaminants, but also where the contaminants are stored within the food," explained Professor Seyfferth. "If we understand the chemical forms of contaminants in soil, we can design solutions to decrease plant uptake of them."

When it comes to rice, arsenic can be taken up when the field is flooded, while cadmium is more likely to be taken up when the field is not flooded. 

Professor Seyfferth has been searching for a way to prevent plants from taking up arsenic and cadmium. One method that can be used is adding materials to the soil, called amendments. By using these materials, researchers can help control the chemical forms and plant uptake of contaminants in the soil.

In the current study, Professor Seyfferth found that adding rice husk residue to rice paddy soils can help lower the amount of arsenic and cadmium absorbed by plants. 

Rice husk residue is high in the element silicon, which is an important nutrient for rice. The chemical form of silicon is similar to the form of arsenic taken up by rice plants when fields are flooded. Rice husk residue also makes the soil less acidic, which can help lock up cadmium so that it is not readily available.

"Not all sources of silicon behave the same way though," said Professor Seyfferth. "In order for it to be effective, the silicon source must provide silicon in a high enough concentration during the time the rice plant is filling grain. Rice husk residue is a successful source because it breaks down slowly and releases silicon throughout the growing season."

The study showed that adding rice husk residues can also help prevent yield loss. Considering that half of the world depends on rice as a staple food, the research has great potential.

For most American adults, the amount of arsenic and cadmium they consume from rice is not enough to cause concern. However, there are other populations that eat these products more frequently.

"People need to be aware of their daily load of contaminants, which depends on their body weight, the concentration and chemical form of the contaminant in the food, and the amount consumed," said Professor Seyfferth.

"The daily load is highest for people who consume rice multiple times a day and who may also have arsenic in their drinking water. Some examples include populations in South and Southeast Asia."

The study was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the University of Delaware. 

The research was presented at the 2020 <a href="https://www.acsmeetings.org/">ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting</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

Soil is a source of food contamination

A new study from the American Society of Agronomy has...

During the last ice age, extensive sea ice prevented oxygen from reaching waters in the deep ocean. This interference complicated the relationship between oxygen and carbon, according to a new study from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>.

"The sea ice is effectively like a closed window for the ocean," said study co-author Andreas Schmittner. "The closed window keeps fresh air out; the sea ice acted as a barrier to keep oxygen from entering the ocean, like stale air in a room full of people. If you open the window, oxygen from outside can come in and the air is not as stale."

The results of the research contradict previous ideas about the relationship between oxygen and carbon dioxide in deep ocean waters. A better understanding of this relationship will provide valuable insights into how the world's oceans may respond to climate change, explained Schmittner.

The ocean plays an important role in the carbon cycle, in which carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in surface waters. Here, algae convert the carbon into organic matter, and respiration of that organic matter removes oxygen as carbon sinks to the deep ocean. 

The process of transferring carbon from the surface waters to the deep ocean is called the biological pump.

As temperatures rise, the ocean is losing oxygen - a trend that is expected to persist. This would lead scientists to expect higher oxygen concentrations during the last ice age when oceans were colder, said Schmittner, but sediment collected previously from below the sea floor shows lower oxygen levels in the deep ocean during that period.

To investigate, the researchers used modeling to calculate the lower oxygen levels in the deep ocean. The study revealed that disequilibrium played an important role in the carbon cycle. Deep ocean oxygen concentrations were reduced because surface waters were less equilibrated with the atmosphere. 

According to Schmittner, the disequilibrium was a result of the vast sea ice mainly over the Southern Ocean, as well as higher iron fertilization from the ice age atmosphere, which was dustier.

This means that deep ocean oxygen levels are not just influenced by the biological pump process, but also by sea ice extent, just as a room's air quality may change by the opening or closing of a window, said Schmittner. He noted that the method used for this study could also be applied to future climate modeling.

"Current models cannot separate effects from the biological pump on ocean oxygen from sea ice or other influences," said Schmittner. "This changes our understanding of the process and the reasons for those changes."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo">Nature Geoscience</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Deep ocean oxygen levels are affected by sea ice

During the last ice age, extensive sea ice prevented oxygen...

Dionaea,Muscipula,,,Known,As,Flytrap,,In,Closeup,,Isolated,On

The Venus flytrap is equipped with an elaborate system for trapping its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-lions-have-mastered-the-timing-to-prey-on-chinook-salmon/">prey</a>. The leaves of the flytrap contain highly sensitive hairs, and even the slightest touch to one of these hairs produces an electrical signal that spreads throughout the entire leaf. The Venus flytrap responds to the electrical signals, known as action potentials, by snapping shut in a matter of milliseconds.

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.uni-mainz.de/eng/">Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz</a>, researchers have discovered that the electrical signals produced by flytraps generate magnetic fields. The experts managed to measure this biomagnetism using atomic magnetometers.

"You could say the investigation is a little like performing an MRI scan in humans," said study lead author and physicist Anne Fabricant. "The problem is that the magnetic signals in plants are very weak, which explains why it was extremely difficult to measure them with the help of older technologies."

The researchers noted that upon stimulation, plants elicit electrical signals that can travel within a cellular network analogous to the animal nervous system. 

"It is well-known that in the human brain, voltage changes in certain regions result from concerted electrical activity which, in the form of action potentials (APs), travels within nerve-cell arrays," they wrote. 

"Electro- and magneto physiological techniques like electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, and magnetic resonance imaging are used to record this activity and to diagnose disorders." 

The interdisciplinary team of researchers has demonstrated that electrical activity in the Venus flytrap is also associated with magnetic signals. 

"We have been able to demonstrate that action potentials in a multicellular plant system produce measurable magnetic fields, something that had never been confirmed before," said Fabricant.

The Venus flytrap is triggered shut after receiving two consecutive electrical signals. These signals are not just produced as result of touch, but also by other stimuli such as heat. For the study, the researchers used heat stimulation to induce electrical signals and obtain their magnetic measurements.

The detection of magnetic signals from living organisms, also known as biomagnetism, has been studied much more in humans and animals than in plants.

Using atomic magnetometers, the researchers detected magnetic signals with an amplitude of up to 0.5 picotesla from the Venus flytrap. This level of magnetism is millions of times weaker than the Earth's magnetic field. 

"The signal magnitude recorded is similar to what is observed during surface measurements of nerve impulses in animals," explained Fabricant. 

Going forward, the researchers plan to measure smaller signals from other plant species. This type of technology may ultimately be used as a noninvasive method for testing the electromagnetic responses of crop plants to threats in their environment, such as pests or sudden temperature changes.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Venus flytraps produce magnetic fields

The Venus flytrap is equipped with an elaborate system for...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> have developed a new method for predicting how fast the sea level will respond to global warming. The study reveals that previous projections have been too conservative, and that ocean levels will rise faster than what has been predicted.

Professor Aslak Grinsted explained that ocean levels have been rising throughout the last 150 years, which is called the industrial period.

"We expect, of course, that there is a connection between rising temperature and the rate indicating the momentum of the rise. Observations are telling us that the rate has been accelerating over the past 150 years," said Professor Grinsted. 

"This means we can create a picture of how the connection between temperature and sea level rise has been, historically. But 150 years is not very long, actually, because of the great inertia in the warming of the oceans and inland ice sheets, so several hundreds of years can pass before we see the full consequences of warming in the atmosphere." 

"This is why we compare the observations with the results from the detailed computer models we use to depict a future scenario. Among others, the climate panel of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has gathered these projections, made from a collection of many smaller models. These, in turn, have been validated, obviously, as well as can be done."

The IPCC predictions of future ocean levels are based on a complex network of models for ice sheets, glaciers and rising sea temperatures.  However, when there is only a limited amount of data for the models, the projections are not reliable. For example, there was no data available to account for melting ice in Antarctica before satellite observations in the 1990s. 

"We have better historical data for the sea level rise in total, which, in principle, allows for a test of the combined puzzle of models. However, it has not been part of the routine to make sea level hindcasts at IPCC, so presently we are not able to tell if these models are capable of reproducing the historical sea level," explained Professor Grinsted.

"At the Niels Bohr Institute, we have used this situation as our starting point, and so we observe how sensitive the models are in reacting to warming. We expect that if we compare observational data from the fairly short period of time from 1850 onwards with the sensitivity of the models, it should allow us to assess whether the models are realistic or not."

The researchers hope their new method of validating future scenarios by looking into the past can improve how sea level rise will be analyzed in the future. 

"Apparently, the models we are basing our predictions of sea level rise on presently are not sensitive enough. To put it plainly, they don't hit the mark when we compare them to the rate of sea level rise we see when comparing future scenarios with observations going back in time," said Professor Grinsted.

According to Professor Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen, it is crucial for our faith in model-based climate predictions that they are able to reproduce the climate as realistically as possible.

"We hope this new comparison metric will be adopted to as large extent as is possible and can become a tool we can apply in comparing different models," said Professor Christensen. "A good example is that we don't expect the sensitivity to be the same all the way back to the last millennium or several millions of years back in time, but the added understanding of how the sensitivity might change over time is something we can add to the comparisons between models and observations." 

"Besides, we'd like to see the method applied to the individual processes contributing to sea level rise. This might make the understanding of the sensitivity even more detailed, we believe."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/12601">Ocean Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ocean levels are set to rise faster than expected

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a new...

Many people blame the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic on a lack of safety precautions and social distancing measures, but a new study suggests that a second outbreak of COVID-19 was inevitable due to the weather. 

Experts at the <a href="https://www.aip.org/">American Institute of Physics</a> report that specific weather parameters - including temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed - can be used to predict the second wave of a pandemic.

In a previous study, the AIP team set out to understand how various components of the climate influence the spread of the coronavirus. 

The researchers analyzed the effects of temperature, humidity, and wind speed on the aerosol droplet cloud and virus viability. They found that evaporation is a critical factor in virus transmission.

"We found high temperature and low relative humidity lead to high evaporation rates of saliva-contaminated droplets, thus significantly reducing the virus viability," said study co-author Talib Dbouk.

The experts determined that the concentration of the aerosol droplet cloud, as well as the distance it travels, can persist at high temperatures when the relative humidity is high. The study also revealed that wind speed plays a role in the spread of viruses.

The results of the study predicted a second wave of the pandemic in the fall and winter seasons, when low temperatures and high wind speeds would increase airborne virus survival and transmission.

In the current study, Dbouk and co-author Dimitris Drikakis emphasize that climate effects must be accounted for in models that are used to predict the behavior of an epidemic. 

Current epidemiological models typically rely on only two basic parameters, transmission rate and recovery rate. While these two rates are often assumed to be constants, the researchers say this is not the case. They have developed a new weather-dependent variable called the Airborne Infection Rate index.

When the experts applied the AIR index to models of Paris, New York City, and Rio de Janeiro, the timing of the second outbreak in each city was accurately predicted. 

Furthermore, the data showed that the virus behaved very differently in Rio de Janeiro compared to Paris and New York, which can be explained by seasonal variations in the northern and southern hemispheres.

The study authors stress the importance of accounting for these seasonal variables when designing safety measures.

"We propose that epidemiological models must incorporate climate effects through the AIR index," said Drikakis. "National lockdowns or large-scale lockdowns should not be based on short-term prediction models that exclude the effects of weather seasonality."

"In pandemics, where massive and effective vaccination is not available, the government planning should be longer-term by considering weather effects and design the public health and safety guidelines accordingly," said Dbouk. "This could help avoid reactive responses in terms of strict lockdowns that adversely affect all aspects of life and the global economy."

Drikakis and Dbouk expect another improvement in infection numbers as temperatures rise and humidity falls. Regardless, they note that masks should still be worn and social distancing guidelines should continue to be followed. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/journal/phf">Physics of Fluids</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Second wave of COVID-19 pandemic was driven by the weather

Many people blame the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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.

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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