We often think of <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/the-unnoticed-and-underappreciated-world-of-ecosystem-services/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a> in terms of what we can see – the plants, the animals, the landscape. But there's a hidden dimension to our natural world: sound. From the calls of birds to the whisper of wind through the trees, soundscapes are a vital part of healthy ecosystems. New research reveals a surprising truth: invasive plants are altering the soundscapes, and the consequences could be far-reaching.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environment-soundscapes">Environment soundscapes</h2>



The soundtrack of an environment is referred to as its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changing-ocean-soundscapes-impact-animals-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soundscape</a>. Imagine it as the collective voice of a specific area, comprising all the sounds you can hear: the calls of animals, the rustle of leaves, the pattering of rain, and even the distant, almost imperceptible hum of human activity. 



A soundscape does more than fill the background; it forms a dynamic communication network that threads through the ecosystem. Each component of the soundscape plays a crucial role. 



Animal calls, for instance, are not just mere sounds but are vital for the survival and reproductive success of species. They can signal territory boundaries, warn of predators, or even lead mates to each other. 



Plant sounds can indicate the presence of animal activity or changes in wind patterns. They offer cues about weather conditions or environmental disturbances.



Similarly, the sound of water — from raindrops hitting the ground to streams flowing over rocks — adds another layer of information. It reflects the health and dynamics of the hydrological aspects of the ecosystem. Even the subtle sounds generated by human activities can influence animal behaviors and ecological processes.



Together, these sounds create a rich, ever-changing symphony that reveals the ecological narrative of an area. By listening to and analyzing these soundscapes, researchers can gain insights into the unseen interactions and health of ecosystems. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-listening-for-ecosystem-clues">Listening for ecosystem clues</h2>



A team of researchers at Virginia Tech, led by Grace O'Malley and Gabrielle Ripa, is listening closely to these sonic signatures to better understand hidden changes within our environments. 



Their innovative approach is part of a growing field called soundscape ecology, where scientists study the relationships between <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/top-5-strangest-animal-sounds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sounds</a> and the overall health of an ecosystem.



"It's kind of a new way of thinking, in terms of thinking about the ecosystem as a whole instead of about this frog species or this bird species," said O’Malley. "Think about it across all taxonomic levels."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-invasive-plants-alter-ecosystem-sounds">Invasive plants alter ecosystem sounds</h2>



Invasive plants don't simply change what we see; they can dramatically alter the acoustic environment of an ecosystem. To understand this impact, the researchers ventured into areas heavily affected by invasive plants. They strategically placed recording devices and then compared the soundscapes to locations where native habitats were being restored.



The results were striking. "I was surprised that we were able to observe differences between the two habitats in such a short amount of time," said O'Malley. "The invasive plants may actually be changing the soundscape."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-invasive-plants-change-the-soundtrack">How invasive plants change the soundtrack</h2>



The research team is currently exploring precisely how invasive species disrupt the acoustic world. Here are a few key mechanisms they're investigating:



<ul>
<li>Altering sound travel:&nbsp;Dense thickets formed by invasive plants can physically change the way sound waves move through an environment. This could interfere with essential communications between animals.</li>



<li>Muffling native voices:&nbsp;Invasive plants often outcompete and displace native species. This means the calls, chirps, and other sounds of these native animals disappear from the soundscape, reducing its complexity and potential information flow.</li>



<li>Introducing new noises:&nbsp;Some invasive plants produce their own distinct sounds, whether through the way their leaves rustle in the wind or other unique auditory signatures. These add unfamiliar and potentially disruptive sounds to the acoustic mix.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ongoing-research">Ongoing research </h2>



This fascinating research is still in its early stages. "It’s a call to other scientists that this is something that we think could be going on," said Ripa. "We offer suggestions as to what we think could be reasons why invasive plants might be impacting soundscapes and some potential mechanisms that maybe we should be looking into.”



While a lot remains to be explored, the researchers believe that soundscapes could become a kind of early warning system for spotting ecological change – all we need to do is listen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contributing-to-invasive-plants-and-soundscape">Contributing to invasive plants and soundscape</h2>



<ol>
<li>Notice the soundscapes around you: The next time you go for a walk, close your eyes for a moment and tune in to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breakthrough-plants-emit-sounds-when-they-are-stressed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sounds</a> you hear. This can be as simple as noticing the different birdsong patterns in your own neighborhood.</li>



<li>Join a citizen science project: Apps and websites like eBird (for bird calls) allow you to record and share data, helping scientists track changes over time and geography.</li>



<li>Support invasive plant control: Look for volunteer opportunities in your local parks, or make sure your own garden is full of native species.</li>
</ol>



"This project has been exciting, inspiring, and above all else, fun," said study co-author Professor Meryl Mims. "Sound is an integral part of how we and other organisms experience and understand our surroundings."



By deciphering the sonic code of nature, we may have a powerful new tool for protecting biodiversity and keeping our wild places healthy. The next time you hear rustling leaves or a bird's song, remember that you are tapping into a vast symphony of life – one that's constantly changing and worth listening to.



The study is published in <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2729" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a>.



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Invasive plants alter the soundscape of ecosystems

We often think of ecosystems in terms of what we can see – the plants, the animals, the landscape. But there's a hidden dimension to our natural world: sound. From the calls of birds to the whisper of wind through the trees, soundscapes are a vital part of healthy ecosystems. New research reveals a surprising truth: invasive plants are altering the soundscapes, and the consequences could be far-reaching. Environment soundscapes The soundtrack of an environment is referred to as its soundscape. Imagine it as the collective voice...

Human activities and climate change are altering the conditions of Lake Baikal, the world's oldest and deepest lake. Researchers have found that a shift in the composition of the Siberian lake is putting its unique wildlife at risk. 

Lake Baikal holds one-fifth of the world's unfrozen freshwater, and 75 percent of the species found here are not found anywhere else in the world. In 1996, the lake was designated as a World Heritage Site.

The current investigation has revealed that warming waters have led to the rapid decline of important microscopic algae known as diatoms. These algae hold a critical position at the bottom of the food chain, providing essential nutrients to other organisms such as fish and plankton. 

The algae are being steadily replaced by diatoms that are usually found in other parts of the world. The new diatoms are lighter and grow faster, which is causing a shift in natural feeding patterns and could affect energy and nutrient cycles as well. These disturbances would have a major impact on the lake’s biodiversity. 

“The results from this study reveal how Lake Baikal has responded to human pressures in the 20th and 21st Century,” said Dr Sarah Roberts, a former PhD student at the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a>. 

“By analyzing the diatoms, we have been able to reconstruct how they have changed over the last 40 years. This information can then be used to assess the impact of global climate change and local catchment disturbance on the lake during the 20th and 21st Century.”

Previous studies have shown that human-induced <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-lake-evaporation/">climate change</a> has increased temperatures in Lake Baikal and reduced seasonal ice-cover duration. At the same time, untreated sewage waste has carried overly-enriched nutrients into the water, and thick mats of green filamentous algae have collected near some areas of the shore.


Although the entire lake was affected by a shorter duration of seasonal ice cover, the researchers were surprised to find that diatom responses were restricted to the south basin, with little evidence of change in the north of the lake.

Study co-author Dr. Elena Vologina is an expert from the Institute of Earth's Crust at the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

“Diatoms are exceptional indicators of changing environmental conditions,” said Dr. Vologina. “The conclusions of our paper, obtained from the analyses of sediment archives, are confirmed by sediment trap experiments which reveal that increased water temperatures over the last two decades have caused alterations in the amount and composition of diatoms in Lake Baikal.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</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 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

The world’s oldest lake is at risk of losing rare species

Human activities and climate change are altering the conditions of...

A new powder has been created by scientists at the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a> that can filter and remove CO2 from the air at factories and power plants. According to the researchers, they have managed to make the substance twice as efficient in preventing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/higher-co2-levels-forgetful/">CO2</a> from reaching the atmosphere. 

Once the powder is saturated with carbon dioxide captured at large facilities, the powder could be transported to storage sites and buried underground.

The substance was developed in the lab of Zhongwei Chen, who is a professor of Chemical Engineering. He explained that the technique used by the team could also be used to produce carbon powders for other applications, such as water filtration and energy storage.

“This will be more and more important in the future,” said Professor Chen. “We have to find ways to deal with all the CO2 produced by burning fossil fuels.”


In a process known as adsorption, CO2 molecules stick to the surface of carbon when they come in contact with it. Carbon is an ideal candidate for CO2 capture because it is abundant, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly.

The research team, which also included experts at several universities in China, set out to improve the adhesive performance of adsorption by manipulating the size and concentration of pores in carbon materials.

Ultimately, the researchers developed a system that uses heat and salt to extract a black carbon powder from plant matter. The powder is made up of carbon spheres that have an abundance of microscopic pores.

Professor Chen explained, “The porosity of this material is extremely high. And because of their size, these pores can capture CO2 very efficiently. The performance is almost doubled.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/carbon">Carbon</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

Scientists create powder that can help capture and store CO2

A new powder has been created by scientists at the...

Pacific Gas and Electric, one of the nation's largest utility companies, may be ordered to pay billions of dollars in damages if found responsible for deadly California wildfires. In a document obtained by <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/">CNBC</a> last month, PG&amp;E acknowledged that its equipment may have sparked the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/california-fire-evacuations/">Camp Fire</a> on November 8, 2017.

PG&amp;E could also face murder charges if the company is found to be liable for the fire, according to a brief filed in Northern California’s federal district court. The state is investigating whether the company properly managed the operation and maintenance of its equipment.

Prosecutors said the investigation will examine PG&amp;E’s safety practices to see if it committed a crime “with the requisite mental intent.”

The <a href="http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/2277">Camp Fire</a> was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state of California, claiming at least 88 lives. High winds fueled the fire, which consumed the town of Paradise in less than 24 hours.

Some victims of the Camp Fire have already sued PG&amp;E over negligence and health and safety code violations. These lawsuits follow dozens of others against the utility that are related to previous fires in 2017.

In a statement, PG&amp;E  said that its “most important responsibility is public and workforce safety. Our focus continues to be on assessing our infrastructure to further enhance safety and helping our customers continue to recover and rebuild.”

“Throughout our service area, we are committed to doing everything we can to help further reduce the risk of wildfire.”

According to prosecutors, PG&amp;E could be charged with additional felony charges if the utility is found to have acted recklessly. If the company did not properly clear vegetation around its power lines and poles, lesser charges will be sought including involuntary manslaughter.

PG&amp;E believes that global warming is to blame for the increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires in California, stating that “drought, extreme heat, and 129 million dead trees” are making it more likely for fires to spark.

On October 1, PG&amp;E wrote to federal officials: “California is now experiencing the devastating impact of extreme weather and climate-driven natural disasters, including the massive wildfires that occurred in Northern and Southern California in 2017, and the largest wildfires in California’s history during 2018. Extreme weather is no longer a theoretical issue, it has become the new normal.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: NASA (Joshua Stevens) - NASA Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager

PG&E faces murder charges, billions in damages for deadly wildfires

Pacific Gas and Electric, one of the nation's largest utility...

Biologists and engineers from The Netherlands and Mexico are describing studies and field observations around the Caribbean Sea that demonstrate just how effective seagrass beds are in protecting tropical beaches from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-beach-erosion-threatens-protected-marine-areas/">erosion</a>. The experts report that seagrass beds can reduce the need for the expensive beach nourishments that are currently used. 

Study lead author Rebecca James is a PhD-candidate at the <a href="https://www.rug.nl/?lang=en">University of Groningen</a> and the <a href="https://www.nioz.nl/en">Royal Dutch Institute for Sea Research</a> (NIOZ).

“A foreshore with both healthy seagrass beds as well as calcifying algae, is a resilient and sustainable option in coastal defense,” said James. “Because of erosion, the economic value of Caribbean beaches literally drains into the sea.”

The study authors focused on beaches of the Caribbean Sea, where economies largely  depend on revenue from tourism that is centered around the beaches. 

“With the increase of coastal development, the natural flow of water and sand is disrupted, natural ecosystems are damaged, and many tropical beaches have already disappeared into the sea,” explained study co-author Rodolfo Silva.

“Until now, expensive coastal engineering efforts, such as repeated beach nourishments and concrete walls to protect the coast, have been made to combat erosion. Rising sea-level and increasing storms will only increase the loss of these important beaches.”

The team conducted a simple experiment to determine to what extent seagrass beds are able to hold sand and sediment on the beach foreshores. 

“We showed that seagrass beds were extremely effective at holding sediment in place,” said James. “Especially in combination with calcifying algae that ‘create their own sand,’ a foreshore with healthy seagrass appeared a sustainable way of combating erosion.”

Study co-author Dr. Brigitta van Tussenbroek said the team discovered that the amount of erosion was strongly linked to the amount of vegetation. At beaches where seagrass beds were destroyed, there was an abrupt increase in erosion, which created a need for expensive modifications. 


Bas Roels of World Wildlife Fund Netherlands said: “To date, seagrass beds are too often regarded as a nuisance, rather than a valuable asset for preserving touristically valuable coastlines. This study could change this perspective completely.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience">BioScience</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

Seagrass plays an important role in preserving beaches

Biologists and engineers from The Netherlands and Mexico are describing...

Fireworks have been banned across the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-galapagos-islands/">Galapagos Islands</a> in an effort to protect the region's wildlife. Government officials in Ecuador announced the ban on Friday, just days before annual New Year's Eve fireworks celebrations were to take place. 

The local council said in a statement that it had passed “unanimously a resolution that prohibits the importation, sale, distribution and use of fireworks or pyrotechnics in the Galapagos province.”

The campaign against fireworks was initially launched in 2017. Now that the legislation has passed, the new laws will take effect immediately. Fireworks that do not produce sound are an exception to the ban.

The Galapagos Islands are located just over 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. Thousands of tourists that visit the islands every year are drawn to the pristine environment and rare animal species.

Previous studies have shown that the loud noises produced by fireworks have a detrimental effect on both wild and domestic animals. The noise causes stress and anxiety, as well as fear that can cause animals to flee into dangerous areas such as roadways. 

The fear also causes some birds to leave the nest, and they can become so disoriented that they cannot find their way back to the nest to care for their young. Furthermore, when birds or mammals ingest the remains of fireworks, it usually leads to death. 

Officials in the Galapagos Islands said that many wild animals had previously suffered from heart problems and nervous stress because of noise from fireworks. They also explained that the ban on fireworks will help to prevent air and water pollution.

Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835, and the rare wildlife later inspired his Theory of Evolution, which is the idea that all species share a common ancestor, change over time, and give rise to new species.

Lorena Tapia, the president of the Galapagos Islands’ local council, wrote on Twitter: “This is a gift to conservation for Ecuador and the world. Ecosystems as sensitive as that of the Galapagos Islands are affected by fireworks, especially its fauna, which is unique.”
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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

Galapagos Islands ban fireworks to protect animals

Fireworks have been banned across the Galapagos Islands in an...

One ton of plastic waste found washed up on English beach. A group of volunteers and environmentalists recently removed 1,000 kilograms (one metric ton) of plastic shipping and fishing waste that had washed up on a beach along Worbarrow Bay in Dorset, England.

Among the debris were pieces of rope, nets, and even oil drums filled with used engine oil, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6542307/Volunteers-collect-ONE-TONNE-plastic-waste.html">Daily Mail</a> which reported on the pick-up effort. 

Steve Trewhella, a conservationist, headed a clean-up crew of twelve volunteers that worked to clean up the beach.One ton of plastic waste found washed up on English beach 

“We removed an estimated 1,000 kgs of litter from Worbarrow Bay, and a handful of volunteers filled a very large tractor-trailer,” Trewhella told the Daily Mail. “It was a depressing sight yet it’s the same thing every year, this is not a new problem. The vast majority of items were fishing or shipping related - nets, rope and plastic drums.”

The plastic waste came from shipping and fishing vessels that carelessly dumped their waste overboard, and some of the waste originated from the US and Canada, showing just how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-oceans-triple/">widespread the ocean’s plastic problem truly is</a>.

[caption id="attachment_1864561" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-01-at-1.13.57-PM.png"><img class="wp-image-1864561" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-01-at-1.13.57-PM.png" alt="" width="700" height="426" /></a> Image Credit: Steve Trewhella/SWNS[/caption]

What is particularly problematic is that Worbarrow Bay and its beaches are part of the Jurassic Coast, a British World Heritage Site. 

If the oil drums had leaked, it could have been devastating to the protected local ecosystem according to the volunteers. 

“Fishing boats show no regard for the environment, throwing debris into the sea rather than paying to have it safely disposed of at port,” Trewhella said. “So long as this is allowed to continue, we can ban all the single-use plastics we want, but it will have little impact on the world's oceans.” 

Much of the ocean’s plastic waste comes from discarded fishing and shipping gear. 

<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22939-w">One study</a> found that fishing nets made up 46 percent of the 79,000 metric tons that is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. 

“I knew there would be a lot of fishing gear, but 46 percent was unexpectedly high,” said Laurent Lebreton, the lead author of the study, told <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/great-pacific-garbage-patch-plastics-environment/"> National Geographic</a>. “Initially, we thought fishing gear would be more in the 20 percent range. That is the accepted number [for marine debris] globally—20 percent from fishing sources and 80 percent from land.”

Discarded fishing nets pose some of the greatest risks for marine wildlife and too many fish, whales, and sharks end up entangled in fishing ropes every year. 

“Tighter regulations need to be in place to ensure ships and fishing vessels return to port with the objects they left it with, and that broken fish boxes, drums, boots, pallets, and other items are not simply thrown into the sea once out of sight,” Trewhella told the Daily Mail. “These objects do not degrade, they often spend years at sea becoming potential homes to species that while interesting do not belong in our waters.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

One ton of plastic waste found washed up on English beach

One ton of plastic waste found washed up on English...

South Korea recently amended a law to ban plastic shopping bags in supermarkets and put hefty fines in place for shops that don’t adhere to the new ruling. 

The ban will come in effect today, January 1st, and aims to help reduce plastic waste. 

According to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/31/asia/south-korea-plastic-bag-ban-intl/index.html">CNN</a>, the ban will impact 13,000 supermarkets, eleven of which have 1,776 square feet or more of sales space within their stores. 

Currently, plastic bags are only available for a price, but this new amendment will ban them altogether. The ban mirrors the efforts of many other countries hoping to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/un-report-calls-for-ban-on-single-use-plastics/">reduce single-use plastics</a> and plastic waste overall. 

The UK, New Zealand, and China all have bans or taxes on plastic bags and shoppers must use paper or cloth shopping bags instead. 

If a supermarket disobeys the ban, fines could reach 3 million won, the equivalent of about $2,700 US dollars, according to CNN. 

South Korea's <a href="http://envfor.nic.in/">Ministry of Environment </a>is also working on reducing other single-use plastic items like drinking straws. 

Every year billions of pounds of plastic waste end up in the world’s ocean, and single-use plastic makes up a large portion of that waste. Plastic bags have been found at the bottom of the <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/single-use-plastic-has-reached-worlds-deepest-ocean-trench">Mariana Trench</a> and in the protected Galapagos Islands. 

Around 40 percent of all plastic produced in the world is used in packaging, and less than one-fifth of all plastic produced is recycled, according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/07/ocean-plastic-pollution-solutions/">National Geographic.</a>

When this plastic ends up in the ocean, it doesn’t degrade and poses major health risks for marine wildlife who can ingest harmful microplastics or become tangled up in plastic debris. 

There is hope though, as CNN reported on a study that found that in northern Europe, there were 30 percent fewer plastic bags along the seabed thanks to plastic bans and taxes, proving that cutting back on plastic bags is effective. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Disposable plastic shopping bags have been banned in South Korea

South Korea recently amended a law to ban plastic shopping...

Successful conservation measures that restore declining populations of species should be a cause for celebration right? 

But what if a species’ growing population in an ecosystem leads to more food competition and inadvertently causes population declines in another species? This was a major concern raised about the growing populations of seals in the Baltic Sea. It was thought that having more seals in the area would decrease fish populations as seals prey on fish. 

However, researchers from <a href="https://www.su.se/english/">Stockholm University</a> have now put an end to the argument showing that seals aren’t the problem. Instead, their new study shows that climate change, nutrient levels in the ocean, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overfishing-history-conservation/">fisheries</a> have a far greater impact on fish stocks than seals do. 

The study factored in human activities like fishing and agriculture and their impact on the environment to see if seals feeding on fish were the main driver of herring, Baltic cod, and sprat declines in the Baltic Sea.

“We currently have 30,000 grey seals in the Baltic Proper, but we can even have more than 100 000 seals and it will still not affect the amount of cod negatively as much as climate change, nutrient load and fisheries. The Baltic is very sensitive to human impact,” said David Costalago, the lead author of the study. 

The research was published in the journal Ambio, and the team created computer simulations to project how climate change and nutrient load will impact commercial fish stocks in the Baltic Sea. 

The simulations projected future fish populations up to the year 2098. High temperatures and high levels of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus were found to be more damaging to cod than herring or sprat.

Overall, the researchers found that climate change, nutrient load, and fishing decreased fish stocks far more than any amount of seals eating the fish. 

The team says that debates surrounding predator-prey relations miss the mark, and in reality, the ecosystem as a whole has to be considered to prevent future damage to marine food webs. 

“We need to start to focus on the main problem that the Baltic is facing for its fish populations - which is for example climate change and eutrophication,” said Monika Winder, an author of the study. “We need to find ways to both secure the revenues of the fishers and guarantee the conservation of the fish stock and good status of the grey seal population.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Jan Kansanen

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com </a>

Climate change, overfishing are the real threat to Baltic Sea fish

Successful conservation measures that restore declining populations of species should...

The most destructive weather event of 2018 was <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hurricane-florence-slams-carolinas/">Hurricane Florence</a>, which caused an estimated $17 billion in damages. Hurricane Michael was a close second, with $15 billion in damages. While these disasters occur naturally, scientists have found that climate change is making them much worse by increasing their intensity and duration.

For example, human-caused climate change is worsening hot and dry conditions in the western United States, which sets the stage for more intense wildfires. Meanwhile, rising ocean temperatures are fueling more severe hurricanes, and a wetter, warmer atmosphere is producing heavier rainfall. 

Beyond the record-breaking California wildfires of 2018, Greece and Sweden also experienced deadly fires after a devastating heat wave lingered across Europe throughout the summer. 

Kevin Trenberth is a climate scientist at the <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a> in Boulder, Colorado.

“Climate change is adding to what’s going on naturally, and it’s that extra stress that causes things to break,” Trenberth told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>. “It takes the experience well outside anything that’s been experienced before. It crosses thresholds. As a result, things break, people die, and things burn.”

The Washington Post reports that Africa may have endured the hottest temperature ever measured since record-keeping began on July 5, 2018, when the Saharan city of Ouargla reached 124.3 degrees Fahrenheit. On the same day, temperatures were estimated to reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit on the Arctic coast of northern Siberia.

Natural disasters cost a total of $155 billion this year across the globe. The United States was hit especially hard, including the Kilauea eruption in Hawaii, from which recovery efforts will cost hundreds of millions.

Despite the high cost of extreme weather events in 2018, however, the damage does not compare to 2017. According to Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Research Center, 2017 was the costliest weather year in U.S. history with more than $300 billion in damage.

Trenberth told the Washington Post, “Climate change is here, and it’s already costing tens of billions of dollars a year. I think the climate costs in the future are greatly underestimated.”

A paper published last week by the UK charity <a href="https://www.christianaid.org.uk/">Christian Aid</a> detailed the most expensive weather disasters of the year. 

“Extreme weather hit every populated continent in 2018, killing, injuring and displacing millions, and causing major economic damage,” said Christian Aid. “Throughout the year, and across the world, droughts, floods, fires, heatwaves, typhoons and hurricanes have made the news and captured public attention.”

The report also stated that the extreme weather events of 2018 “are not normal: they were worsened or made more likely by climate change, or both.”

“There will not be any new normal as long as greenhouse gas emissions continue to push up global temperatures - extreme weather events will constantly become increasingly common and more extreme.”

The full report by Christian Aid can be found <a href="https://mediacentre.christianaid.org.uk/download/?id=4170&amp;pn=21e38f435ea050ce63ac6b7e52c58d72-pdf#link=%7B%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22href%22:%22https://mediacentre.christianaid.org.uk/download/?id=4170&amp;pn=21e38f435ea050ce63ac6b7e52c58d72-pdf%22,%22target%22:%22%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22,%22linkText%22:%22new%20study%20by%20Christian%20Aid%22%7D">here</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 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Climate change made extreme weather worse in 2018, research confirms

The most destructive weather event of 2018 was Hurricane Florence,...

This past Sunday, NBC’s <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-december-30-2018-n951406">Meet the Press</a> was an hour-long special completely dedicated to the climate crisis. Politicians like California Governor Jerry Brown and scientists spoke with NBC’s panel of journalists including Chuck Todd about the serious ramifications of increased fossil fuel use, carbon emissions, and climate change. California Gov. Brown says we must go to war against climate change

At the start of the show, Todd made it clear that the Climate Crisis special would not give any airtime to climate deniers. 

“But just as important as what we are going to do this hour is what we're not going to do. We're not going to debate climate change, the existence of it,” Todd said. “The Earth is getting hotter. And human activity is a major cause, period. We're not going to give time to climate deniers. The science is settled, even if political opinion is not.”

As we have reported, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/majority-republicans-climate-change/">science of climate change is undeniable</a> and human activity is the main driving force behind increases in greenhouse gases, temperatures, and weather extremes. 

Unfortunately though, it is still somehow a debated issue for people like the President of the United States, whose policies directly reflect his stance on climate change. 

California’s Governor Jerry Brown spoke with Chuck Todd about the dangers of unchecked climate change and the problems California, in particular, is facing. Brown said that fire seasons were getting longer and wildfires were happening all year rather than a few months during the summer and fall. 

During the interview, Governor Brown said that the US should be investing time and money into new technologies, fuel-efficient cars and reducing emissions, rather than focusing on tariffs. 

Brown likened climate change to an enemy to the country that we all have to come together and fight like we did in World War II, but we can only do that with a united front with the President in the lead. 

“I would point to the fact that it took Roosevelt many, many years to get America willing to go into World War II and fight the Nazis,” said Brown. “Well, we have an enemy, though different, but perhaps, very much devastating in a similar way. And we've got to fight climate change. And the president's got to lead on that.” 

Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, also spoke with Todd at length about the disconnect between an administration pushing for fossil fuels and denying climate change and the realities of climate change driven weather extremes and disasters. 

“It would be a lot more helpful if we had a climate champion rather than a climate denier in the White House,” Bloomberg said. “You know, I've always thought Trump has a right to his opinions, but doesn't have a right to his own facts.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NASA

California Gov. Brown says we must go to war against climate change

This past Sunday, NBC’s Meet the Press was an hour-long...

Utah is a paradise for a lover of the outdoors.  From hot deserts to a chilly alpine high point of <a href="https://www.summitpost.org/kings-peak/150376">13,528</a> feet elevation above sea level, Utah has plenty of opportunity for boating, fishing, hiking, hunting, skiing, rock climbing and anything else done outside.  Considering the shear natural beauty and scale of undeveloped land, it’s not surprising that Utah is also home to <a href="http://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/national-parks.html">13 National Park Service Units</a>, including five national parks and three national monuments administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

<a href="https://www.deseretnews.com/top/2318/0/From-03-to-811-What-percentage-of-each-state-is-owned-by-the-federal-government.html">Deseret News</a> reports that there are 35,033,603 acres of federal land in Utah, making up 66.5% of the state as of 2012.  According to the <a href="https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/National%20Reports/Visitation%20By%20State%20and%20By%20Park%20(2017%20-%20Last%20Calendar%20Year)">National Park Service</a>, it’s 13 units in Utah saw a total of 15,152,428 visitors in 2017 alone and that doesn’t include the National Monuments managed by the BLM.  Utah is also home to 44 of its own <a href="https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/?view=list">state parks</a>, some of which are spectacular in their own right.  Utah was also until recently, host to <a href="https://www.outdoorretailer.com/">Outdoor Retailer</a>, the largest national trade show for outdoor retail companies.  That last part changed as the political fight over federal lands heated up after Trump was elected.  

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/patagonia-fighting-trump/">Patagonia</a> and other brands in the outdoor industry pushed to move the Outdoor Retailer Show from Salt Lake City Utah to Denver Colorado due to what was an unfriendly attitude by Utah’s state government towards federal land conservation.  Even as Utah enjoys more visitors to its parks than most of its neighbors, even as it profited from the Outdoor Retailer trade show, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/utahs-tenacious-efforts-to-take-back-federal-land-stand-out">PBS</a> reports that the state has done more than any other to win back control of federal lands.

In 2012, Utah legislature passed a law demanding the federal government give it back 30 million acres of land, in 2017 a Utah congressman introduced a bill to sell more than 4,600 square miles of federal land before pulling it.  After Trump’s administration proposed severely slashing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/canyon-tree-frogs-bears/">Bear’s Ears National Monument</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-grand-staircase-escalante/">Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument</a>, the government of Utah seemed to cheer.    

As late as November of this year, <a href="https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900041730/how-much-are-utahs-federal-lands-worth-state-going-to-try-to-find-out.html">Deseret News</a> reported that Utah legislators were planning on tallying up the amount of revenue that would be made if the state’s federal lands were managed privately.  After calculating the number, Utah planned to bill the federal government for the difference. This year, the <a href="https://www.doi.gov/">US Department of the Interior</a> already gave Utah $40.7 million in lieu of federal taxes, but the state’s government suspects the land managed by the department is worth much more.  Utah has a long history of opposition to the federal government, including federal lands. During the civil war, the <a href="https://www.utahhumanities.org/stories/items/show/243">US stationed troops</a> in Utah because of the state’s suspect loyalty to the union.  As much as Utah seems to chafe over the federal management of its lands, something interesting has happened during the current partial government shutdown.

As Trump and Congress continue their stalemate over funding for his border wall, many national parks are closed, leaving employees in a difficult position.  <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2018/12/27/national-parks-closed-during-federal-government-shutdown/2424786002/">USA Today</a> reports that National Parks websites no longer have up to date information on conditions.  This means that you won’t have flood, fire or storm warnings on parks you may visit. Access may change without notice as well.  Trails, roads or other services may be closed without any warning. Besides this, many National Parks are simply completely closed.  Other parks have no trash or toilet service, some offer the golden opportunity for a free visit without staff to collect fees. Big Bend National Park in Texas posted signs that the park itself remains open during the shutdown but offers no visitor services, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/12/28/680720032/national-parks-many-are-open-during-the-shutdown-their-bathrooms-not-so-much">NPR</a> reports.  

Some states have stepped in to fill the gaps left by the federal government.  Arizona is paying for trash services and trail snow removal crews in the iconic Grand Canyon National Park.  Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee is partially open thanks to the state. 

Along with the others, some of Utah’s National Parks will remain open.  Arches, Bryce and Zion National Parks with have custodial services paid for by the state of Utah.  The Utah Office of Tourism is even updating information on the parks on its own website, <a href="https://www.visitutah.com/">VisitUtah.com</a>.  Not only National Parks are kept running in Utah, ski resorts are sometimes operated on US Forest Service land are to remain open and fully operational.  However, even Utah’s funding for parks is set to run out as costs pile up. 

An article in the <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/12/18/if-government-shuts-down/">Salt Lake City</a> Tribune worries about the consequences of keeping parks open to visitors with delayed emergency response times and lack of visitor services.  It’s interesting that in Utah the people and the government seem more interested in capitalizing on the land and protecting people from it than protection of the land.  The goal of environmentalism and perhaps conservation is to protect the environment itself and promote an intimate relationship between humans and that environment.

Sometimes intimate relationships are messy.  Instead of loving the land, the government of Utah seems to only understand profiting from it.  The parks that remain open in Utah remain open to make money, no other reason. As to the other parks with open gates, roads and trails made dangerous in the absence of rangers, I say enjoy the land but fear for its future.  I’d like to end this article with a quote from a man made famous in his irreverent love of the land in Utah and throughout the US southwest. In his book, Desert Solitaire, Ed Abbey wrote about people enjoying the outdoors:

“A venturesome minority will always be eager to set off on their own, and no obstacles should be placed in their path; let them take risks, for godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches - that is the right and privilege of any free American.”

If the government is set on anarchy, the least we can do is make the most of it, as Utah is soon set to join the rest of the nation in ending National Park Services.                                  

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Utah’s national parks remain open during government shutdown

Utah is a paradise for a lover of the outdoors....

2018 has been the year of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-eases-safety-offshore-drilling/">rollbacks</a>, and the Trump administration has not been subtle about its stance on pushing for fossil fuel use and mining. As the demand for minerals, oils, and natural gas continues to increase, we have to dig deeper and set up more mining operations to fulfill that demand. 

There are some major decisions regarding seabed mining expected in the coming year which could open up a gold-rush-like frenzy to set up deep-sea mining operations. 

But if seabed mining increases, it could negatively impact deep-sea ecosystems, according to a new paper written by researchers from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter </a>and <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/">Greenpeace</a>.

The paper, published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, calls for expanded protections of deep-sea ecosystems rather than more mining. 

“Some areas targeted for seabed mining are known to be hotspots for biodiversity, including habitat for endemic corals and nursery grounds for sharks,” said Kathryn Miller, a co-author of the study. 

Policy experts and scientists from Exeter teamed up with members of Greenpeace to review the deep-sea regulations and see if these would continue to be effective with added threats like mining. The goal of the paper was to create a discussion before there are any major decisions made on deep-sea mining. 

One of the major arguments is that although demand for minerals is increasing, deep-sea mining is not a sustainable solution and there are much better alternatives that would still meet energy and industrial demands while keeping the seabed safe. 

The researchers say that deep-sea mining would not be necessary with a “circular economy,” which is one that relies heavily on recycling and reusing metals and reducing overconsumption. 

Along with recycling metals, the researchers say that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-protected-areas-expanded/">Marine Protected Areas</a> must be preserved and expanded with better monitoring and stricter consequences for mining or fishing in protected areas. 

“Many marine scientists are concerned that, once the first commercial contract for mining is issued, there will be no going back,” said Miller. “Before that happens, we should be absolutely certain that we have looked carefully at all the other options for a more sustainable future.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: DJ Amon &amp; CR Smith

Deep-sea mining could damage delicate deep-sea ecosystems

2018 has been the year of rollbacks, and the Trump...

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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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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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



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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



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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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Aerial,Photo,Of,River,In,Amazon,Rainforest,Jungle,In,Peru

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center</a> describes how scientists are using autonomous sound sensors to monitor deforestation in the Amazon. By recording soundscapes, the experts can determine which animals are present through their distinct sounds.&nbsp;



Using this method, sounds can be used as scientific measurements to analyze the effects of deforestation. The researchers will gain a better understanding of how the acoustics of a forest can be used to measure its health.&nbsp;



"From space, parts of the Amazon rainforest that have previously been logged or burned may look lush and green, like a place buzzing with activity and full of sounds. But inside the rainforest, the animal life may tell a different story, of a harsh environment and a quieter soundscape," says NASA.



Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center&nbsp;



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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