Marine,Biodiversity,Above,Healthy,Coral,Reef,In,The,Coral,Triangle

When thinking about fossils, we often picture dinosaurs. But reefs can also hold an ancient history. Tiny fish bones and shark scales also become fossils in these habitats, quietly preserving the story of ancient oceans.



A striking study from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (<a href="https://stri.si.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">STRI</a>) has now revealed how humans disrupted Caribbean reefs in the past.



Scientists analyzed fossilized coral reefs from Panama’s Bocas del Toro and the Dominican Republic. These reefs, exposed and well-preserved, date back 7,000 years. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-humans-changed-reef-fish-communities">Humans changed reef fish communities </h2>



The researchers compared the fossilized reefs with nearby living <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-hidden-hotspot-where-soft-corals-are-thriving/">reefs</a> to reveal how overfishing changed fish communities.



In the ancient reef sediments, the team found thousands of fossilized otoliths (fish ear bones) and dermal denticles (shark scales).



These fossils gave clues to species composition and size. The results show a massive shift in predator-prey dynamics, unlike anything seen before.



One of the most alarming findings was a 75% drop in shark numbers. These top predators once played a key role in maintaining reef balance. As their numbers fell, populations of prey fish surged. They doubled in abundance and increased 17% in size.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-predator-release-effect">The predator release effect</h2>



The study offers hard evidence for the “predator release effect.” Scientists had long predicted this outcome, but they lacked solid prehistoric data to prove it. 



Now, the fossils confirm what models once assumed: removing predators lets prey populations explode.



Meanwhile, fish targeted by humans, like larger groupers and snappers, became 22% smaller. This shrinking trend matches what we observe today. 



Overfishing seems to have pushed these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-temperature-swings-boost-coral-reef-resilience/">species</a> toward early maturity and smaller size.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-fish-stay-the-same">Some fish stay the same</h2>



Remains from tiny cryptobenthic reef fishes, which live in coral crevices, told a different story. Their size and abundance remained unchanged over thousands of years.



Despite fishing and upheaval above them, these reef dwellers stayed stable. Their resilience surprised the researchers.



“The stability of these fish shows remarkable resistance to external pressures,” noted the researchers. Even as top predators vanished and fishing intensified, these hidden <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-reef-awareness-day-2025-bringing-corals-back-to-life/">species</a> kept going, unchanged.



To measure these shifts, the scientists examined 807 shark denticles and 5,724 otoliths. They also studied coral branches for bite marks left by damselfish. 



Fossil and modern samples showed that damselfish now bite more often - likely because they face fewer predators.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fish-bones-reveal-big-reef-changes">Fish bones reveal big reef changes</h2>



Otoliths grow in layers like tree rings. This allows scientists to estimate the age and size of fish at time of death. By comparing fossil otoliths with modern ones, researchers could track size changes across millennia.



Dermal denticles, the scale-like structures on shark skin, helped identify shark presence. These tiny features tell a big story: as shark numbers decreased, populations of prey species expanded.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/coral-reefs_fish-otoliths_credit-Erin-Dillon_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/coral-reefs_fish-otoliths_credit-Erin-Dillon_1s.webp" alt="Fish otoliths — the calcium carbonate structures found in fishes' inner ears — from human harvested fish, prey fish (those eaten by predatory fish) and reef-sheltered fish (also known as cryptobentic fish) found in 7000 year-old fossilized Caribbean reefs from Panama and the Dominican Republic. Credit: Erin Dillon" class="wp-image-1976075"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fish otoliths - the calcium carbonate structures found in fishes' inner ears - from human harvested fish, prey fish (those eaten by predatory fish) and reef-sheltered fish (also known as cryptobentic fish) found in 7000 year-old fossilized Caribbean reefs from Panama and the Dominican Republic. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Erin Dillon</figcaption></figure>



Bite marks from damselfish also gave insights. These aggressive little fish defend territories and leave distinct marks. More bites today means more damselfish - again pointing to the effects of predator loss.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-reef-fish-history-with-fossils">Tracing reef fish history with fossils</h2>



This fossil evidence gives scientists a rare and valuable baseline. It shows how Caribbean reef fish communities looked before human fishing began to alter their structure. 



Without such deep-time context, conservation efforts often rely on incomplete or recent data that miss the full picture of ecological change.



Now, researchers and reef managers can clearly see which parts of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-coral-collapse-may-help-save-the-great-barrier-reef/">reef</a> ecosystem shifted due to human influence - and which components, like tiny reef-sheltered fish, remained stable across millennia.



“This study demonstrates the power of the fossil record for future conservation,” the researchers stated. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-term-impacts-of-human-activity">Long-term impacts of human activity</h2>



These 7,000-year-old fossils give us a clearer view of the long-term impacts of human activity on reef food webs, fish sizes, and predator-prey dynamics.



They also help identify which reef species and relationships are most at risk from continued pressure. 



By looking back in time through the fossil record, scientists gain crucial insight to guide better decisions in reef conservation, fishing policies, and biodiversity management today.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/-m5uNoWKIgo
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Discovering and studying prehistoric coral reefs on dry land.</figcaption></figure>



The research was a collaboration among top institutions including the&nbsp;Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), the&nbsp;Marine Science Institute at the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Texas, Austin</a>, and the&nbsp;Center for Biodiversity Outcomes at <a href="https://www.asu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arizona State University</a>.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2503986122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Fossils reveal how humans completely changed Caribbean reef ecosystems

When thinking about fossils, we often picture dinosaurs. But reefs can also hold an ancient history. Tiny fish bones and shark scales also become fossils in these habitats, quietly preserving the story of ancient oceans. A striking study from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) has now revealed how humans disrupted Caribbean reefs in the past. Scientists analyzed fossilized coral reefs from Panama’s Bocas del Toro and the Dominican Republic. These reefs, exposed and well-preserved, date back 7,000 years. Humans changed reef fish communities The researchers compared...

Earth's permafrost became less susceptible to thawing about 400,000 years ago, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a>. This indicates that more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-greening-will-not-slow-local-climate-changes/">carbon</a> is stored in the frozen ground than what was anticipated.

"The stability of the last 400,000 years may actually work against us, in that it has allowed carbon to steadily accumulate in permafrost over this time," said study co-author Professor David McGee. 

"Melting now might lead to substantially greater releases of carbon to the atmosphere than in the past."

In the Northern Hemisphere, nine million square miles of land contains a permafrost layer made up of soil, sediment, and rocks that have been frozen solid for years. Within this permafrost, a massive amount of carbon is stored in the form of decayed plant and animal material.

It is estimated that Earth's permafrost holds more than 1,400 gigatons of carbon, which could potentially be released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and methane as temperature continue to rise. Scientists are trying to understand more about the stability of permafrost in order to predict how it will impact future global warming. 

In collaboration with experts at Boston College, the MIT team analyzed cave deposits in locations across western Canada to reconstruct the history of permafrost over the last 1.5 million years. The study revealed that between 1.5 million and 400,000 years ago, permafrost was prone to thawing, even in high Arctic latitudes. 

However, the results also showed that the planet's permafrost shifted to a more stable state in the last 400,000 years, and permafrost thaw has been since limited to sub-Arctic regions. In this state, the permafrost has retained most of the carbon that it has accumulated, with no opportunity to release it. 

The investigation was focused on 74 samples of stalagmites, stalactites, and flowstones from caves in the southern Canadian Rockies, Nahanni National Park in the Northwest Territories, and the northern Yukon.

The experts found that cave deposits collected from the Yukon and the farthest northern sites did not contain any samples younger than 400,000 years old. This indicates that permafrost thaw has not occurred in those sites since then.

"There may have been some shallow thaw, but in terms of the entire rock above the cave being thawed, that hasn't occurred for the last 400,000 years, and was much more common prior to that."

McGee said that seeing evidence of a much less stable Arctic prior to 400,000 years ago suggests that the Arctic can be a very different place. "It raises questions for me about what caused the Arctic to shift into this more stable condition, and what can cause it to shift out of it."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Permafrost could release much more carbon than expected

Earth's permafrost became less susceptible to thawing about 400,000 years...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a>, experts have discovered that fish have been swallowing microplastics since the 1950s. The researchers examined the guts of freshwater fish preserved in museum collections, and found that concentrations of microplastics have dramatically increased over time.

"For the last 10 or 15 years it's kind of been in the public consciousness that there's a problem with plastic in the water. But really, organisms have probably been exposed to plastic litter since plastic was invented, and we don't know what that historical context looks like," said study co-author Professor Tim Hoellein of Loyola University Chicago. "Looking at museum specimens is essentially a way we can go back in time."

Study co-author Caleb McMahan is an ichthyologist at the Field Museum who cares for two million fish specimens, most of which are preserved in alcohol and stored in jars in the museum's underground Collections Resource Center. 

McMahan explained that these specimens are more than just dead fish - they are a snapshot of life on Earth. "We can never go back to that time period, in that place."

The study was focused on four common fish species that the museum had chronological records of dating back to 1900: largemouth bass, channel catfish, sand shiners, and round gobies. 

"We would take these jars full of fish and find specimens that were sort of average, not the biggest or the smallest, and then we used scalpels and tweezers to dissect out the digestive tracts," said study lead author Loren Hou. "We tried to get at least five specimens per decade."

To find microplastics inside of the fish, the team treated their digestive tracts with hydrogen peroxide. 

"It bubbles and fizzes and breaks up all the organic matter, but plastic is resistant to the process," explained Hou. "It just looks like a yellow stain, you don't see it until you put it under the microscope."

"We look at the shape of these little pieces. If the edges are frayed, it's often organic material, but if it's really smooth, then it's most likely microplastic." 

To determine where the microplastics came from, the researchers teamed up with collaborators at the University of Toronto to examine the samples using Raman spectroscopy, a technique that uses light to analyze the chemical signature of a sample.

The amount of microplastics present in the fish guts was found to drastically increase over time. There were no plastic particles before mid-century, yet these concentrations skyrocketed in the 1950s - when manufacturing was industrialized.

"We found that the load of microplastics in the guts of these fishes have basically gone up with the levels of plastic production," said McMahan. "It's the same pattern of what they're finding in marine sediments, it follows the general trend that plastic is everywhere."

One of the major sources of plastic particles found in the fish guts was fabric. 

"Microplastics can come from larger objects being fragmented, but they're often from clothing," said Hou.

"It's plastic on your back, and that's just not the way that we've been thinking about it," said Hoellein. "So even just thinking about it is a step forward in addressing our purchases and our responsibility."

While it is not clear how ingesting microplastics affected the fish in this study, the outcome was probably not great. 

"When you look at the effects of microplastic ingestion, especially long term effects, for organisms such as fish, it causes digestive tract changes, and it also causes increased stress in these organisms," said Hou.

The researchers hope the stark findings will serve as a wake-up call. "The entire purpose of our work is to contribute to solutions," said Hoellein. "We have some evidence that public education and policies can change our relationship to plastic. It's not just bad news, there's an application that I think should give everyone a collective reason for hope."

The researchers noted that the study highlights the importance of natural history collections in museums. 

"Loren and I both love the Field Museum but don't always think about it in terms of its day-to-day scientific operations," said Hoellein. "It's an incredible resource of the natural world, not just as it exists now but as it existed in the past. It's fun for me to think of the museum collection sort of like the voice of those long dead organisms that are still telling us something about the state of the world today."

"You can't do this kind of work without these collections," said McMahan. "We need older specimens, we need the recent ones, and we're going to need what we collect in the next 100 years."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19395582">Ecological Applications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Microplastics have been abundant in fish guts since the 1950s

In a new study from the Field Museum, experts have...

The combination of lamb grazing and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/investment-in-solar-energy-is-urgently-needed-to-meet-climate-targets/">solar</a> energy production increases the overall productivity of land, according to a study from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>.

The research is the first of its kind to investigate livestock production under agrivoltaic systems, which optimize land's potential by using it for both solar energy and agricultural production.

For the investigation, the researchers compared lamb growth and land productivity in pastures with solar panels and traditional open grassland. 

In the solar pastures, the experts found higher quality food for lamb grazing. They also noted that lambs gained similar amounts of weight in both types of pastures. 

Solar panels are valuable in terms of energy production, which increases the productivity of the land. The solar panels also provided the lambs with shade, allowing them to preserve energy. Furthermore, lamb grazing alleviates the need to manage plant growth under the solar panels with herbicides or regular mowing.

Overall, the return from grazing was $1,046 per hectare per year in open pastures and $1,029 per hectare per year in pastures with solar panels.

"The results from the study support the benefits of agrivoltaics as a sustainable agricultural system," said study lead author Alyssa Andrew.

Solar photovoltaic installation has increased by an average of 48 percent per year in the United States over the past decade. The researchers noted that current solar capacity is expected to double again over the next five years.

Previous studies have shown that grasslands and croplands in temperate regions are the best places to install solar panels for maximum energy production. However, photovoltaic systems require large areas of land, which can reduce the amount of land available for agricultural use.

Agrivoltaics could eliminate this competition by using the same land for energy production and agricultural use. Some crops, especially those that like shade, can be more productive in combination with solar panels.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems">Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lamb grazing and solar energy increase land productivity

The combination of lamb grazing and solar energy production increases...

The contribution of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to global <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/how-land-subsidence-contributes-to-sea-level-rise/">sea level</a> rise will be much greater than what was previously predicted, according to experts at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>. 

Based on their analysis of a "water expulsion mechanism," the researchers estimate that sea level rise associated with global warming will be at least 20 percent higher than expected. 

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet sits on solid bedrock that rebounds upward as the ice melts and the weight of the ice sheet decreases. When the bedrock lifts up from below the sea level, it drives sea level rise.

The new study has revealed that if the Antarctic ice sheet totally collapsed, the sea level would rise an additional meter compared to current estimates within 1,000 years.

"The magnitude of the effect shocked us," said study co-lead author Dr. Linda Pan. "Previous studies that had considered the mechanism dismissed it as inconsequential."

"If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsed, the most widely cited estimate of the resulting global mean sea level rise that would result is 3.2 meters," said study co-lead author Evelyn Powell. "What we've shown is that the water expulsion mechanism will add an additional meter, or 30 percent, to the total."

The researchers found that by the end of this century, global sea level rise associated with the West Antarctic Ice Sheet would increase 20 percent as a result of the water expulsion mechanism.

"Every published projection of sea level rise due to melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet that has been based on climate modeling, whether the projection extends to the end of this century or longer into the future, is going to have to be revised upward because of their work," said study senior author Professor Jerry X. Mitrovica. "Every single one."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet will drive more sea level rise than expected

The contribution of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to global...

The Brazilian Amazon rainforest released more carbon than it stored over the last decade, and degradation is the biggest driver, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. 

The researchers found that parts of the forest that were degraded but not destroyed accounted for three times more carbon loss than deforestation.

More than 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest is located in Brazil. The Exeter team used satellite monitoring to measure carbon storage from 2010 to 2019.

The experts report that large areas of rainforest were degraded or demolished as a result of climate change and human activity, which led to carbon loss.

In 2019, deforestation wiped out 3.9 million hectares compared to about one million hectares per year in 2017 and 2018. This increase in deforestation was likely due to weakened environmental protection in Brazil.

"The Brazilian Amazon as a whole has lost some of its biomass, and therefore released carbon," said Professor Stephen Sitch. "We all know the importance of Amazon deforestation for global climate change."

"Yet our study shows how emissions from associated forest degradation processes can be even larger."

"Degradation is a pervasive threat to future forest integrity and requires urgent research attention."

Degradation results from tree loss associated with felling and forest fires. Tree mortality is also caused by droughts and other extreme weather events. 

To pinpoint land degradation, the research team used the satellite vegetation index L-VOD developed by scientists at INRAE, CEA and the CNRS. This index, combined with a new technique for monitoring deforestation, allowed the team to evaluate changes in forest carbon stocks.

Even though deforestation rates were 30 percent higher in 2019, carbon losses were greater in 2015 - when extreme El Niño droughts led to increased tree mortality and wildfires. This finding highlights the dramatic impact that degradation can have on overall biomass and carbon storage in the rainforest.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Most carbon loss in Brazilian Amazon tied to degradation

The Brazilian Amazon rainforest released more carbon than it stored...

Wildfires in northern forests have compromised their ability to capture and store <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deciduous-trees-can-offset-carbon-emissions-from-forest-fires/">carbon</a>. Researchers found that current models underestimate the impact of climate change and fires in the world's northernmost forests.

For their investigation, the experts analyzed 30 years of NASA satellite imaging data. The results suggest that forests will not be able to sequester as much carbon as expected in the coming decades.

Study senior author Mark Friedl is an environmental Earth scientist at <a href="https://www.bu.edu/homepage-alt/">Boston University</a>.

"Fires are intensifying, and when forests burn, carbon is released into the atmosphere," said Friedl. "But we're also seeing longer growing seasons, warmer temperatures, which draws carbon out of the atmosphere (and into plants)."

"More CO2 in the atmosphere acts as a fertilizer, increasing growth of trees and plants - so, scientifically, there's been this big question out there: What is happening on a global scale to Earth's forests? Will they continue to absorb as much carbon as they do now?"

Today, forests capture about 30 percent of all human-related carbon dioxide emissions, which Friedl calls a "huge buffer on anthropogenic climate change." However, the new study.reveals that scientists have been underestimating the impact of fires and other disturbances on Earth's northern forests.

"Current Earth systems models appear to be misrepresenting a big chunk of the global biosphere. These models simulate the atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere, and our results suggest (the model-based simulation of northern forests) has been way off," said Friedl.

"It is not enough for a forest to absorb and store carbon in its wood and soils. For that to be a real benefit, the forest has to remain intact - an increasing challenge in a warming, more fire-prone climate," said study lead author Jonathan Wang.

"The far north is home to vast, dense stores of carbon that are very sensitive to climate change, and it will take a lot of monitoring and effort to make sure these forests and their carbon stores remain intact."

According to Friedl, northern forests are losing conifers, in particular. "Fires come in and burn, and then the most opportunistic types of species grow back first - like hardwoods - which then get replaced by conifers such as black spruce."

"But over the last 30 years, which isn't a long time frame in the context of climate change, we see fires taking out more forests, and we see hardwoods sticking around longer rather than being replaced by conifers."

The overall biomass of northern forests is declining, and this may be due to the fact that conifers are better adapted to cold climates than hardwood trees.

"An often-stated argument against climate action is the supposed benefits that far northern ecosystems and communities will enjoy from increased warmth," said Wang. He hopes the findings will help people understand that the global climate crisis has serious issues for the far north, as well. 

"It may be greening, in some sense, but in reality the climate-driven increase in wildfires is undoing much of the potential benefits of a warming, greening north."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Northern forests are losing their ability to store carbon

Wildfires in northern forests have compromised their ability to capture...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a>, experts have discovered that the rate at which plant life changes throughout an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/few-of-earths-wilderness-areas-remain-ecologically-intact/">ecosystem</a> increases significantly after human settlement. The most dramatic changes were found in locations that have been settled within the last 1,500 years.

The researchers analyzed fossilized pollen samples dating back 5,000 years, which were extracted from sediments on 27 islands. 

Through their analysis, the experts were able to determine the composition of each island's vegetation, including how plant life changed from the oldest to the most recent pollen samples.

"Islands provide the ideal environment to measure human impact as most were settled in the past 3,000 years when climates were similar to today's conditions," said study lead author Dr. Sandra Nogué.

"Knowing when the settlers arrived on an island means that scientists can study how the composition of its ecosystem changed in the years before and after."

For 24 out of 27 islands, there was a consistent pattern in which human arrival accelerated the turnover of vegetation by an average factor of eleven. 

The most rapid changes in plant life occurred on islands that were settled more recently, such as the Galápagos, which were first inhabited during the 16th century. Islands that were settled more than 1,500 years ago saw a slower rate of change.

"This difference in change could mean that the islands populated earlier were more resilient to human arrival but it is more likely that the land-use practices, technology and introduced species brought in by the later settlers were more transformative than those of the earlier settlers," explained Dr. Nogué.

The vegetation trends were observed across a range of locations and climates. For example, islands like Iceland had results similar to tropical islands like Tenerife.

There are a number of natural factors that drive ecosystem changes, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, extreme weather, and changing sea levels. However, the researchers found that human disturbance surpasses all of these events, and anthropogenic changes are often irreversible. 

With this in mind, the study authors advise that conservation strategies must account for the long-term impact of humans and the degree to which ecological changes today differ from prehuman times.

"Whilst it is unrealistic to expect ecosystems to return to their pre-settlement conditions, our findings may help to inform targeted restoration efforts and provide greater understanding into the islands' responsiveness to change," said Dr. Nogué.

The study is published 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

How much have humans impacted the world's plant life?

In a new study from the University of Southampton, experts...

Arctic greening will not occur quickly enough to sequester a substantial amount of atmospheric <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deciduous-trees-can-offset-carbon-emissions-from-forest-fires/">carbon</a> dioxide, according to a new study from <a href="https://uci.edu/">UC Irvine</a>.

As the climate warms and more plants grow in the Arctic, there was hope that the vegetation would absorb large amounts of CO2 during photosynthesis. The new research suggests that the greening landscape will not be as powerful of a carbon sink as previously expected. 

The study was led by Jon Wang, an Earth system scientist at UCI, and Professor Mark Friedl of Boston University.

"What does greening really mean? Can we really trust it to save us from climate change?" said Wang. "A big question is: What'll happen to the carbon that's currently stored in these forests as above-ground biomass in the face of a changing climate?"

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is that much of the carbon is not staying stored in the plants. This is because wildfires and timber harvests are becoming more common in the Arctic - as climate change impacts high latitudes at an accelerated rate.

"What we found overall is across this whole domain over the past 31 years the carbon stocks have increased modestly," said Wang. "What we estimate is that 430 million metric tons of biomass has accumulated over the last 31 years - but across this domain it would've been nearly double if it weren't for these fires and harvests that are keeping it down."

According to Wang, the assumption before was that Arctic greening was happening and it was going to help draw climate-warming carbon dioxide concentrations down - but no one knew the exact extent of that help.

To investigate, the researchers used observational satellite data to model the amount of carbon stored in biomass across a 2.8 million square kilometers in Canada and Alaska.

ICESat data provides measurements of the height of forest canopies, while Landsat data extends back 31 years to 1984 and provides information about plant biomass abundance. 

The study showed that plant biomass had increased, but not as much as previous computer models suggested it would. The difference is that previous models have struggled to account for increasing frequency and severity of wildfires in the Arctic. 

Wang hopes the results will help scientists construct more accurate models to inform the world of what to expect from climate change throughout the remainder of this century. 

Study co-author James Randerson believes the new data are important because they provide an independent means to test climate models, and because of the way they represent feedbacks between the carbon cycle and the climate system. 

"The rates of carbon accumulation in this region are lower that what previous studies have indicated, and will push the science community to look elsewhere for the main drivers of the terrestrial carbon sink," said Randerson.

"The change is good news for climate - but it's also much lower than we might've expected, because these fires have raged, and gotten more severe," said Wang.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Arctic greening will not slow local climate changes

Arctic greening will not occur quickly enough to sequester a...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>, experts describe the value of wasps as predators and pollinators. Based on evidence from over 500 studies and roughly 33,000 species, the researchers found that these insects play underestimated roles in the health of humans and ecosystems.

"Wasps are one of those insects we love to hate - and yet bees, which also sting, are prized for pollinating our crops and making honey," said lead author Professor Seirian Sumner.

"In a previous study, we found that the hatred of wasps is largely due to widespread ignorance about the role of wasps in ecosystems, and how they can be beneficial to humans."

"Wasps are understudied relative to other insects like bees, so we are only now starting to properly understand the value and importance of their ecosystem services. Here, we have reviewed the best evidence there is, and found that wasps could be just as valuable as other beloved insects like bees, if only we gave them more of a chance."

When it comes to protecting crops, predation by insects is worth at least $416 billion per year worldwide, and wasps are top predators of other insects. For example, they regulate populations of crop-damaging arthropods like caterpillars.

While solitary wasps typically target a specific pest, social ones may be useful to control a range of crop-eating pests.

According to the researchers, wasps could be used as a sustainable form of pest control in developing countries, especially tropical ones, where farmers could bring in a local species with minimal risk to the natural environment. 

The UCL team recently published a study which found that common wasps are effective at managing pests that attack maize and sugarcane in Brazil.

The current study reveals that wasps pollinate 960 plant species, including 164 species that are completely dependent on them for pollination. 

The experts note that many wasps are also generalist pollinators that visit a wide variety of plants, which means that they can serve as "backup pollinators" if a plant loses its local primary pollinator.

Furthermore, wasp venom and saliva have antibiotic properties, while yellowjacket venom has shown promise in treating cancer. In some tropical countries, wasp larvae are even harvested for food. 

According to study co-author Dr. Alessandro Cini, the value of wasps in supporting our crops remains poorly understood. "We hope that by rehabilitating their bad reputation, we can collectively get the most value out of these fascinating creatures."

"Alongside other insects, many wasp species are declining from factors such as climate change and habitat loss," added study first author Ryan Brock.

"As such, there is urgent need to address their conservation and ensure that habitats continue to benefit from the far-reaching ecosystem services that wasps provide."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1469185x">Biological Reviews</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

Wasps are undervalued as predators and pollinators

In a new study from University College London, experts describe...

Unexpected air pollutants are on the rise in cities across India, according to a study led by the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a>. The researchers determined that fine particle pollution (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are increasing in Kanpur and Delhi.

"We wanted to demonstrate the utility of satellite observations to monitor city-wide air pollution in the UK where ground-based measurements are in abundance and in India where they are not," said study lead author Karn Vohra.

"Our approach will be able to provide useful information about air quality trends in cities with limited surface monitoring capabilities. This is critical as the WHO estimates that outdoor air pollution causes 4.2 million deaths a year."

The experts analyzed data from satellites which monitor the global sky on a daily basis. According to Dr. Eloise Marais of UCL, there is more than a decade of freely available observations from instruments in space to monitor and assess air quality in cities throughout the world. 

"Greater use of these in the UK, India, and beyond is paramount to successful air quality policies," said Dr. Marais.

The researchers set out to estimate trends in a range of air pollutants in the UK and India from 2005 to 2018. The study period coincided with well-established air quality policies in the UK, and with rapid development in India.

In 2018, the World Health Organization ranked Kanpur as the most polluted city in the world. The researchers believe that the rising levels of PM2.5 and NO2 in Kanpur and Delhi are tied to increasing vehicle ownership, industrialization, and the limited effect of air pollution policies. 

Meanwhile, in London and Birmingham, the team found moderate yet continuous declines in PM2.5 and NOx, which reflect the effectiveness of policies that have been established in the UK to the target sources of these pollutants.

Furthermore, the team discovered that formaldehyde increased in Delhi, Kanpur, and London over the course of the study period. Formaldehyde is associated with sources such as industrial emissions and fuel combustion from traffic.

"We were surprised to see the increase in formaldehyde above Delhi, Kanpur and London - a clue that emissions of other volatile organic compounds may be changing, potentially driven by economic development and changes in domestic behavior," said study co-author Professor William Bloss.

"Our results emphasise the need to monitor our air for the unexpected, and the importance of ongoing enforcement of measures for cleaner air."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.atmospheric-chemistry-and-physics.net/">Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics</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

Pollutants are increasing in some of the world's most polluted cities

Unexpected air pollutants are on the rise in cities across...

Wild chimpanzees at Gombe National Park in Tanzania are greatly affected by human antibiotic consumption. In a recent study, nearly half of all fecal samples collected from the chimpanzees were found to contain bacteria that is resistant to a major class of antibiotics.

Study lead author Thomas Gillespie is an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Rollins School of Public Health at <a href="http://www.emory.edu/home/index.html">Emory University</a>.

"Our results suggest that the antibiotic-resistant bacteria is actually spreading from people to non-human primates by making its way into the local watershed," said Professor Gillespie.

"People are bathing and washing in the streams, contaminating the water with drug-resistant bacteria where wild chimpanzees and baboons drink."

The researchers were specifically looking for resistance to drugs called sulfonamides, which are often used by people in the region to treat diarrheal diseases. 

The team tested fecal samples from humans, domestic animals, chimpanzees, and baboons in and around Gombe National Park, as well as the stream water used by these groups.

Overall, sulfonamide resistance appeared in 74 percent of the human samples, 48 percent of chimpanzee samples, 34 percent of baboon samples, and 17 percent of the domestic animal samples. Traces of the drug were detected in 19 percent of the samples taken from local streams.

Professor Gillespie is a disease ecologist who helped pioneer the "One Health" approach to protecting humans, ecosystems, and biodiversity. In collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute in Tanzania, Professor Gillespie works on projects to help farmers co-exist with primates and other wildlife in ways that minimize the risk of pathogen exchange between species. HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, spilled over from chimpanzees to people.

"It's important to consider both sides of the story - human health and well-being, as well as conservation of chimpanzees and other species," said Professor Gillespie.

The number of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park is down to about 95. The population has been hit hard by disease and habitat fragmentation.

Diarrheal diseases are common in the region, and people often use cheap sulfonamide antibiotics that are available without a prescription. 

"The majority of people in our sampling harbored bacteria resistant to the sulfonamide medication they are taking," said Professor Gillespie. "In those cases, they're spending their money on a drug that is not helping them get better. Overuse of such drugs creates the potential for more lethal, antibiotic-resistant 'super bugs' to emerge."

More local guidance is needed on the proper use of antibiotics, said Professor Gillespie. He noted that it is also important to improve hygiene for wash-related activities in area streams, as well as to improve disposal of human waste materials.

"By misusing antibiotics, people can actually harm not only themselves, but also the species they share an environment with. After drug-resistant bacteria jump into chimpanzees, it can further evolve with the chimpanzees and then spill back into humans." 

"We need to be thinking about infectious diseases within evolutionary and ecological frameworks, something that's not often done in medicine."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/pathogens">Pathogens</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

Overuse of antibiotics threatens wild chimpanzees

Wild chimpanzees at Gombe National Park in Tanzania are greatly...

Flowers that bloom in the forest in early spring are key to bumble <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-social-life-of-bees-was-driven-by-maternal-insincts/">bee</a> survival, according to a new study from the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign</a>.

Bumble bee populations have been declining for more than a decade across North America, primarily due to habitat loss. 

While efforts to support wild bees in the Midwest often focus on the native flowers found in prairies, the new study suggests that bumble bees largely depend on springtime flowers in forests. The experts found that these flowers are steadily declining.

The researchers explained that the scarcity of early season flowers in forests - a primary food source for bumble bees at this time of year - likely endangers the queen bees' ability to start their nesting season and survive until other floral resources become available.

"We went through long-term vegetation data from 262 random sites across Illinois, most of them privately owned," said study co-author David Zaya. The vegetation data was collected through the Critical Trends Assessment Program, which began in 1997 at the Illinois Natural History Survey.

"We filtered our data to look at two subsets of plants: those used by bumble bees generally, and those thought to be preferred by the endangered rusty patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis," said study lead author John Mola. "We then looked at how the abundance and richness of these bumble bee food sources either increased, decreased or stayed the same since 1997."

The team also used historical records to map the availability of floral resources throughout the year for each habitat type: forest, grassland and wetland. 

"We found that bumble bee food-plant cover has increased within Illinois grasslands by about 7% since 1997," said Mola. "This is great because it suggests that restoration or management actions by landowners is succeeding."

Over the same time period, however, satellite data revealed that total acreage devoted to grassland in the state shrank by about 7.5 percent. "It may not matter much that the typical grassland is better if there's less of it," said Mola.

The study showed that the richness of floral resources in grasslands increased, but there was an opposite trend in forested areas. Since 1997, food plants for bees in forests have declined by three to four percent.

"The biggest finding of this study was that forest plants that bloom in spring appear to be declining, and the timing of those flowers matches up almost perfectly with when queens are out and foraging," said Zaya. "We can't say for sure, but if declining food is contributing to bumble bee declines, it is most likely related to when the queens are trying to establish nests."

The abundance of forest flowers is known to be influenced by deer and invasive shrubs. Meanwhile, climate change is altering the flowering times for many plants, which could deprive bees of food at a critical time. 

"The forest is a really important habitat for bees early in the season that often gets overlooked in pollinator conservation planning," said Mola. "This has me thinking very carefully about the role of forests in bumble bee conservation."

The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652664">Journal of Applied Ecology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Forest flowers are critical for the survival of bumble bees

Flowers that bloom in the forest in early spring are...

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

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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