Invisible industrial pollutants called PFAS are chemicals steadily building up in polar bears, seals, seabirds, and in humans who depend on Arctic wildlife for food. 



A new investigation reports concentrations high enough to endanger hormone balance, immunity, and long‑term survival across the Far North.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-chemical-spread-in-the-arctic">Tracking chemical spread in the Arctic</h2>



The work follows per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-microbes-discovered-destroys-pfas-forever-chemicals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PFAS</a>) as they ride winds and currents from distant factories to the polar ice. 



Researchers from the United States, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Canada, Norway, and the United Arab Emirates combined field data with computer models to trace the chemicals’ spread.



“The research highlights how PFAS can affect reproduction, immune systems, and even increase <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forever-chemicals-in-tap-water-increase-cancer-risk-by-up-to-33/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cancer risk</a> in both humans and animals,” said co‑author Khaled Abass, an associate professor at the <a href="https://www.sharjah.ac.ae/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sharjah</a>.



“Alarmingly, people living in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-alters-the-atmosphere-in-the-remote-arctic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic</a> who rely on traditional foods such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/these-marine-mammals-killer-whales-dolphins-permanently-lost-ability-to-ever-walk-again/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine mammals</a> are also exposed to these chemicals,” Abass said.



Hunters who prize seal, whale, or walrus now face a dilemma between cultural practice and safety. Because PFAS accumulate in fatty tissue as they climb the food web, a single meal can deliver a substantial dose.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-arctic-chemicals-affect-humans">How Arctic chemicals affect humans</h2>



“The long‑range transport of PFAS reminds us that environmental problems don’t respect borders - what we release in one part of the world eventually ends up in another,” said co‑author  Elsie M. Sunderland, a professor of environmental chemistry at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard University</a>.



Once dissolved in seawater or attached to airborne dust, the molecules drift northward year after year, freezing into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-ice-is-losing-its-cooling-power-making-the-earth-even-warmer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea ice</a> or settling in snow. 



“Physiological, endocrine, and reproductive effects linked to PFAS exposure were largely similar among humans, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/polar-bears-are-suffering-from-an-energy-deficit-due-to-lack-of-food-access/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polar bears</a>, and Arctic seabirds,” wrote the study authors.



“For most polar bear subpopulations across the Arctic, modeled serum concentrations exceeded PFOS levels in human populations, several of which already exceeded the established immunotoxic thresholds for the most severe risk category.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shared-health-risks-across-species"><a></a>Shared health risks across species</h2>



“The similarities in health effects across species - humans, animals, and birds - are deeply concerning and underscore the interconnectedness of environmental and human health,” said lead author Rainer Lohmann of the <a href="https://www.uri.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Rhode Island</a>.



“The Arctic acts like a mirror - what we find here reflects the global scale and persistence of PFAS pollution. It’s a warning signal we cannot ignore,” noted study senior author Pál Weihe of the <a href="https://www.setur.fo/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of the Faroe Islands</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vulnerable-humans-and-animals">Vulnerable humans and animals</h2>



Even the remote pack ice cannot block the spread. “Even in the most remote corners of our planet, industrial pollution finds its way into the bodies of animals and people. PFAS are persistent, mobile, and harmful - we need a global solution,”  Abass said.



Field surveys back his concern. “The Arctic is uniquely vulnerable, and both legacy (old) and emerging PFAS continue to be detected at concerning levels,” he noted.



“For most polar bear subpopulations across the Arctic, modeled serum concentrations exceeded PFOS levels in human populations, several of which already exceeded the established immunotoxic thresholds for the most severe risk category.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-variants-keep-appearing">New variants keep appearing</h2>



Rules have removed some early PFAS from commerce, yet factories keep releasing substitutes. “Increasing trends of certain long‑chain PFCAs (C9–C20), including PFNA, are observed in the Arctic, highlighting the persistence and ongoing threat of these contaminants,” the authors explained.



“Communities that rely on traditional diets face significantly higher PFAS concentrations than those relying more on market foods. In fact, similar results can even be found in industrialized countries, showing that Arctic Indigenous communities involuntarily serve as sentinels of contamination concerns.



“PFAS contamination poses challenges to food security and sovereignty as well as to multiple species’ health across the Arctic.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-action-needed-to-protect-the-arctic">Action needed to protect the Arctic</h2>



The project grew from the <a href="https://www.amap.no/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program</a> and has already reached ministries in Denmark, Canada, and elsewhere.



“While specific industry engagement is not highlighted, the work directly informs global policy discussions and regulations affecting chemical manufacturers and environmental health bodies,” Abass said.



The team urges tougher international standards, faster phase‑outs, and investment in safer substitutes. Only global cooperation, they argue, can prevent “forever chemicals” from undermining Arctic ecosystems - and the communities that depend on them - for generations to come.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724064301?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science of The Total Environment</a>.



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Forever chemicals threaten Arctic wildlife and human health

Invisible industrial pollutants called PFAS are chemicals steadily building up in polar bears, seals, seabirds, and in humans who depend on Arctic wildlife for food. A new investigation reports concentrations high enough to endanger hormone balance, immunity, and long‑term survival across the Far North. Tracking chemical spread in the Arctic The work follows per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as they ride winds and currents from distant factories to the polar ice. Researchers from the United States, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Canada, Norway, and the United Arab...

Shellfish will find it very hard to escape ocean warming because they are migrating the wrong way. Bottom-dwelling creatures like sea scallops, blue mussels, and quahogs are responding to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sea-turtles-will-lose-habitats-due-to-climate-change-and-coastal-development/">climate change</a> by moving into warmer waters. 

In a new study, experts at <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> have discovered the reason for these wrong-way migrations, which threaten the survival of some commercially important shellfish. 

The researchers found that rising ocean temperatures are advancing the timing of spawning among shellfish, snails, starfish, and other invertebrates. This results in the earlier release of larvae that are pushed into warmer waters by ocean currents.

The team analyzed six decades of data for 50 species of bottom-dwelling invertebrates. They found that about 80 percent have disappeared from the Georges Bank and the outer shelf between the Delmarva Peninsula and Cape Cod, including off the coast of New Jersey.

The marine species that are moving in the wrong direction toward warmer waters share a few important traits, according to the researchers. They are weak swimmers and rely on ocean currents for transportation as larvae, and they tend to be sedentary or fixed to the seafloor as adults.

Warming waters have caused the fish to spawn earlier in the spring or summer, which exposes the larvae to patterns of wind and water currents they would not normally experience. 

The currents push the larvae into even warmer waters to the southwest and inland, and they are less likely to survive. Furthermore, the adults remain in the areas, and get caught up in a reinforcing feedback loop in which the waters are even warmer and so is the timing of spawning.

The researchers compare this phenomenon to "elevator-to-extinction" events, such as when butterflies and birds respond to warmer temperatures by shifting uphill into cooler areas until they are completely eliminated from the regions they once inhabited. 

Shellfish and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates could potentially thrive in cooler regions, but the earlier currents prevent weak-swimming larvae from reaching safety.

The researchers noted that further research is needed to determine whether the effects are similar on the U.S. Pacific coast or other ocean areas.

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

&nbsp;

Shellfish are migrating away from safety as the ocean warms

Shellfish will find it very hard to escape ocean warming...

Broken fragments of coral reef may look like nothing more than litter on the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/remote-australian-beaches-plastic/">beach</a> or seafloor, but coral rubble can support more animals than living corals, according to researchers at the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a>.

Study lead author Dr. Kenny Wolfe said that reef rubble habitat, which is often overlooked as desolate, unattractive, and "dead," is very much alive.

"When people think of coral reefs they often think of larger invertebrates that are easily found, such as sea cucumbers, starfish and giant clams," said Dr. Wolfe. "But interestingly, dead coral rubble supports more of what we call 'cryptic' animals than live coral."

"Cryptic animals are simply hidden creatures, that include tiny crabs, fishes, snails and worms - all of which hide in the nooks and crannies of the reef to avoid predation."

"And just like on land with small insects and bugs, biodiversity in the sea can be dominated by these tiny invertebrates."

Since cryptic animals are masters at hiding, they are not always easy to locate and study. The UQ researchers designed 3D-printed coral stacks called RUBS (RUbble Biodiversity Samplers) to survey cryptic animals on coral reefs.

The 3D-printed structures resemble the surrounding reef rubble so that it can lure cryptic reef organisms to be unknowingly monitored.

"Every piece of coral or rubble is different," said Dr. Wolfe. "RUBS provide a uniform method to survey the hidden majority on coral reefs."

"By sampling the RUBS' structures over time, the team were able to identify changes in the cryptic population, adding pieces to the puzzle and filling in the unknowns of coral reef food webs."

"This data fills important knowledge gaps, such as how small cryptic animals support coral reefs from the bottom of the food chain, all the way up to bigger predators."

According to Dr. Wolfe, this approach to surveying corals represents a new step in understanding corals, whether they are considered dead or alive.

"We're really pulling back the curtain on just how alive these 'degraded' reefs are. These are important habitats, which support coral reef biodiversity and important food webs."

"This new technology is a new opportunity for reef management, particularly for reef education and awareness. We're excited to learn about and celebrate the diversity of life in this misunderstood habitat."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/2041210X">Methods in Ecology and Evolution </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

&nbsp;

Dead coral rubble supports a surprising amount of life

Broken fragments of coral reef may look like nothing more...

A team of researchers at <a href="https://admissions.fsu.edu/">Florida State University</a> is providing new insight into nutrient transport in the Gulf of Mexico.

While it is known that the Gulf of Mexico receives high levels of nutrient runoff, it has not been clear whether these nutrients travel out of the Gulf and affect the chemical composition of surrounding waters in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-may-hold-200-million-tons-of-microplastics/">Atlantic</a> Ocean.

"The Gulf of Mexico is an economically important body of water, as the surrounding areas rely on it for tourism, fisheries and oil production, and it also has significant ecological diversity," said study lead author Samantha Howe.

"It is important to track the nutrient input from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River System to the Gulf as those nutrients contribute to harmful algal blooms on the Northern Gulf Shelf."

The northern shelf waters of the Gulf receive particularly high inputs of nutrients, mainly from the Mississippi River, and this high nutrient load impacts ecosystems and makes the region more susceptible to algae growth. 

Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous enter rivers and tributaries through fertilizer runoff, soil erosion, animal waste, and sewage. But what happens to the nutrients after they reach the Gulf? 

"In order to assess and manage ecological challenges in the Gulf, it is critical to understand whether the nutrients are processed and retained nearshore or whether they are transported to the North Atlantic," said Howe. "This finding is valuable to know, as these ecosystems must harbor the nutrient burden."

To investigate, the researchers collected and analyzed water samples taken during four different research expeditions to the Gulf and the Florida Straits from 2011 to 2018.

The study produced no evidence that nitrate from the Mississippi River is mixing across the Northern Gulf shelf into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The findings are consistent with recent modeling that indicates 90 percent of Mississippi River nutrients are retained in the near-shore ecosystem, and do not leave the Gulf.

The research is the first of its kind to measure isotopic composition of nitrate in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as to construct a new isotopic profile from the Florida Straits. The profiles were compared with previously obtained measurements from the Atlantic Ocean and with the magnitude of nitrogen inputs to the Gulf.

Howe initiated the research as part of her undergraduate thesis while working in the research lab of study co-author Professor Angela Knapp.

"Samantha's thesis looked for distinct geochemical signatures of nitrate from the Mississippi River and whether this nitrate made it off the Northern Gulf of Mexico shelf into the deep waters of the Gulf that mix with the Loop Current and leave via the Florida Straits to enter the North Atlantic," said Professor Knapp.

"This work has important implications for understanding the fate of nutrients from the Mississippi Atchafalaya River System and how to manage human inputs to coastal ecosystems."

The study is published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21699291">JGR Oceans</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Experts track nutrient transport in the Gulf of Mexico

A team of researchers at Florida State University is providing...

A new mathematical model developed at the <a href="https://www.rit.edu/">Rochester Institute of Technology</a> (RIT) is shedding light on the fate of one of the world's oldest societies, the Indus Valley Civilization. The researchers found that climate change altered <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sonoran-monsoon-blaming-climate-change/">monsoon</a> patterns just before the Bronze Age society collapsed.

The Indus River Valley Civilization was thriving in modern-day Pakistan in 2600 BC at the same time as ancient Egypt, yet suddenly declined before vanishing around 1300 BC. Some experts have theorized that the Indus Valley Civilization was destroyed in a war by northern invaders, while other theories have pointed to earthquakes or climate change. 

In a new paper, RIT Professor Nishant Malik outlines his new mathematical technique. He designed the method to study paleoclimate time series, which are datasets that provide information about past climates based on indirect observations.

By measuring a specific isotope in stalagmites collected from a cave in South Asia, scientists were able to reconstruct a record of monsoon rainfall in the region for the past 5,700 years. However, studying paleoclimate time series poses several problems that make it challenging to analyze them with the mathematical tools that are typically used to understand climate, said Professor Malik.

"Usually the data we get when analyzing paleoclimate is a short time series with noise and uncertainty in it. As far as mathematics and climate is concerned, the tool we use very often in understanding climate and weather is dynamical systems. But dynamical systems theory is harder to apply to paleoclimate data." 

"This new method can find transitions in the most challenging time series, including paleoclimate, which are short, have some amount of uncertainty and have noise in them."

The mathematical technique draws on methods from the fields of machine learning and information theory. Based on this approach, the analysis showed that there was a major shift in monsoon patterns just before the end of the Indus civilization, and the pattern reversed course right before it declined. This trend is consistent with abrupt climate change.  

Professor Malik said he hopes the method will allow scientists to develop more automated techniques to identify transitions in additional paleoclimate data.

The study is published in <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/journal/cha">Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

New model shows the Indus civilization collapsed due to climate change

A new mathematical model developed at the Rochester Institute of...

Despite the fact that tropical forests host some of the most diverse species on the planet, very little is known about how animals in the rainforest are directly affected by precipitation. To address this issue, a team of researchers has developed an analytical tool that can be used by scientists to factor in the environmental conditions that are most optimal for any given species, including <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/heavy-rains-flood-a-million-homes-in-bangladesh/">rainfall</a>.

Study lead author Alice Boyle is an associate professor in the Division of Biology at Kansas State University.

"We understand exactly how most animals respond to temperature, but the same is not true for rain," said Professor Boyle. "When animal biologists see rainfall effects in their studies, they assume it must be about how plants are responding to rainfall and how that affects the food supply for the organisms they're studying. But there can be direct physiological consequences of rain related to feeding behavior, predation, pathogens, and more. There's a lot more going on than food supply."

The researchers propose that animals have a hygric niche, which they define as the collection of physiological, behavioral, and ecological processes that predict how warm-blooded organisms will perform under various levels of precipitation.

"Prior to this, there was no unifying conceptual framework to understand why responses to precipitation might differ between species or even within the same species, depending on the location of the study," said Professor Boyle. "We've heard from scientists who have said, 'Wow, how come I've never thought about this before?' I think this new framework is probably going to change the way many people study the distributions, physiology, and demographic responses of endotherms."

Study co-author Jeff Brawn is a professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a>. 

"This concept has implications for conservation of sensitive organisms, long term. In terms of planning where to invest conservation dollars or where to prioritize habitat, we should be looking at rainfall refugia where precipitation regimes are likely to stay intact over time," said Professor Brawn.

The team developed the concept of the hygric niche using decades of bird and mammal research from the tropics to help distinguish between the effects of rainfall and moisture. However, weather patterns are shifting due to climate change.

"Human-caused changes to climate are resulting in some areas getting wetter, and other areas getting drier," wrote the study authors. "Also, it is not just the amount of precipitation that is changing; the timing and magnitude of storms are also changing, and we have very little idea of how any of this will affect animals."

The experts outlined the ways in which too much or too little precipitation can affect foraging behavior, reproductive and population growth rates, and competitive interactions among animals. 

"Even if you can see intact forest out to the horizon, if the precipitation regimes change, the integrity of that ecosystem may be compromised. And that's concerning," said Professor Brawn.

While this concept was conceived with tropical systems in mind, the researchers said it can be applied to ecosystems and organisms outside the tropics.

"The next steps involve the research community testing key assumptions and predictions of our model," wrote the study authors. "One of the hardest but most important tasks is to understand whether rainfall affects different animal species for the same or different reasons. Is it really mostly about food, or are these less-obvious physiological costs more important than we thought? Answering these questions will be crucial to doing effective conservation and climate change mitigation in the tropics."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/home">Trends in Ecology and Evolution</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Not enough is known about how rainfall affects tropical animals

Despite the fact that tropical forests host some of the...

New research from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> has revealed that carbon uptake by the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/marine-heatwaves-will-intensify-in-the-strongest-ocean-currents/">ocean</a> has been largely underestimated. According to the experts, previous studies have failed to account for a specific measurement of water temperature that has a critical influence on how much carbon is absorbed.

The amount of carbon exchanged between the atmosphere and the ocean, which is known as carbon flux, is influenced by differences in temperatures at the water's surface versus a few meters down. Based on this phenomenon, the study found a significantly higher net flux of carbon into the ocean than what has been reflected in climate models, indicating that the ocean is a much larger carbon sink that what was realized. 

The team calculated fluxes from 1992 to 2018 and found that at certain times in specific locations, up to twice as much carbon was exchanged compared to projections from other models.

"Half of the carbon dioxide we emit doesn't stay in the atmosphere but is taken up by the oceans and land vegetation 'sinks'," said study co-author Professor Andrew Watson.

The scientists have compiled a large database of near-surface carbon dioxide measurements called the <a href="https://www.socat.info/">Surface Ocean Carbon Atlas</a>, which can be used to calculate the flux of CO2 from the atmosphere into the ocean.

"Previous studies that have done this have, however, ignored small temperature differences between the surface of the ocean and the depth of a few meters where the measurements are made," said Professor Watson.

"Those differences are important because carbon dioxide solubility depends very strongly on temperature."

"We used satellite data to correct for these temperature differences, and when we do that it makes a big difference - we get a substantially larger flux going into the ocean."

Professor Watson said the difference in ocean uptake that was calculated in the study amounts to about 10 percent of global fossil fuel emissions.

"Our revised estimate agrees much better than previously with an independent method of calculating how much carbon dioxide is being taken up by the ocean," said study co-author Dr. Jamie Shutler.

"That method makes use of a global ocean survey by research ships over decades, to calculate how the inventory of carbon in the ocean has increased."

"These two 'big data' estimates of the ocean sink for CO2 now agree pretty well, which gives us added confidence in them."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

The oceans absorb much more carbon than previously thought

New research from the University of Exeter has revealed that...

Scientists have discovered that the population numbers of Yosemite's spotted owls remained essentially the same after a megafire that destroyed one-third of their suitable habitat. According to the researchers, the success of these owls may be due to the unique structure and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/many-forests-will-never-be-forests-again-after-a-wildfire/">fire</a> management strategy of Yosemite.

The park provides prime habitat for the California Spotted Owl, which is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In 2013, a massive wildfire known as the Rim Fire burned 256,000 acres of the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park. A new study from the <a href="https://www.birdpop.org/">Institute for Bird Populations</a> found that California Spotted Owl numbers and nesting rates remained stable in areas of the park that were burned by the megafire. 

Between 2015 and 2017, the researchers searched Yosemite for spotted owls, locating their territories and investigating their breeding status. The team used satellite data to examine habitats in the study area, including how severely they were burned.

"What surprised me, primarily, was not that owls were still present, but they were still present in the same numbers and still successfully setting up territories and breeding," said study lead author Lynn Schofield. 

The researchers found that the owls had avoided the most severely burned areas, but still resided in territories within the fire's perimeter.

While California Spotted Owls managed to tolerate the Rim Fire, Schofield warned that not all fires are created equal. Fire suppression efforts since the 1970s have minimized fire activity in Yosemite, and the park's forests have not been commercially logged since the early 1900s, which creates a very unique forest structure.

"In Yosemite there is a diversity of forest habitat," said Schofield. "This means the Rim Fire burned with a diversity of severities creating a range of post-fire habitat for owls to choose from." 

The study authors noted that in portions of the adjacent Stanislaus National Forest that were also burned by the Rim Fire, the severity was more uniform, and this was likely due to the contrasting logging and fire management system.

High intensity "megafires" like the Rim Fire are expected to become more frequent in the Sierra Nevada, which poses one of the biggest conservation threats to the California Spotted Owl. 

The study findings indicate that Yosemite's owl population has greatly benefited from the park's fire management strategy, as well as from the diverse habitats that have been preserved here. 

"At Yosemite, restoring fire to its natural role is one of our management priorities," said study co-author Sarah Stock, a wildlife ecologist at Yosemite. "It's gratifying to see that this strategy is paying off for the park's wildlife."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management">Forest Ecology and Management</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Spotted owls greatly benefit from Yosemite's fire management strategy

Scientists have discovered that the population numbers of Yosemite's spotted...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a>, researchers have identified proteins that control water and nutrient uptake in plant roots. This breakthrough could reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, and may ultimately improve the resilience of agricultural <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-one-step-closer-to-engineering-flood-resistant-crops/">crops</a> to heat, drought, and flooding.

Casparian strips are bands of cell wall materials that form a tight barrier between the cells in plants to block the extracellular movement of water and nutrients. These strips, which play a critical role in normal plant development, are formed by the precise buildup of lignin in the space between adjacent cells. 

In the current study, the experts have demonstrated that blue copper proteins called uclacyanins are essential in the biosynthesis of lignin and the formation of Casparian strips.

Developing crops with improved water and nutrient uptake efficiency could help solve the global issue of food insecurity, which is expected to become an even greater challenge as a result of climate change and population growth. 

Study lead author Guilhem Reyt is a researcher in the School of Biosciences and Future Food Beacon at the University of Nottingham.

"This research is important in revealing the molecular mechanics underpinning efforts to improve mineral nutrient and water use efficiencies and enhanced stress tolerance, making crops more able to withstand flooding, drought, nutrient deficiencies and trace element toxicities," said Reyt.

"Such improvements in agricultural and horticultural crops could also potentially benefit subsistence farmers with limited access to inorganic fertilizers which include nitrogen, phosphate and potassium and also sulphur and magnesium. This would help to reduce the cost burden such fertilizers impose and reduce the environmental and ecological damage their production and excess use causes. Improved water use efficiency and stress tolerance will also improve yields for subsistence farmers cultivating marginal lands."

"An improved understanding of how roots acquire important trace elements and minerals should provide an important molecular mechanistic underpinning to efforts to improve food quality by helping to increase the content of essential mineral nutrients and reduce toxic trace elements in food crops."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Scientists find proteins that control nutrient uptake in plants

In a new study from the University of Nottingham, researchers...

What if aerial search teams could locate dead bodies by analyzing forest cover? Forensic botanists say it's possible. While the impacts of human <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/organic-carbon-stored-underground/">decomposition</a> on surrounding vegetation are not yet fully understood, the experts theorize that changes in a plant's chemistry could signal nearby remains.

Thick vegetation can be a disadvantage for search teams working on the ground, but a new study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a> is designed to explore how forest cover may actually be advantageous in the search for dead bodies. 

Study senior author Neal Stewart Jr. is a professor of Plant Sciences at the <a href="https://www.utk.edu/">University of Tennessee</a> (UT).

"In smaller, open landscapes foot patrols could be effective to find someone missing, but in more forested or treacherous parts of the world like the Amazon, that's not going to be possible at all," said Professor Stewart. "This led us to look into plants as indicators of human decomposition, which could lead to faster, and possibly safer body recovery."

The experts will investigate the relationship between plants and human decomposition at UT's Anthropology Research Facility, also known as the "body farm." This site is used by forensic scientists to analyze how bodies decompose under various conditions. 

During decomposition, the soil chemistry is changed in the area immediately surrounding the body, which is called the "cadaver decomposition island." Future experiments will investigate how changes in an island's soil nutrient composition manifest in nearby plants.

"The most obvious result of the islands would be a large release of nitrogen into the soil, especially in the summertime when decomposition is happening so fast," said Professor Stewart. "Depending on how quickly the plants respond to the influx of nitrogen, it may cause changes in leaf color and reflectance."

To distinguish between animal and human remains, the scientists must identify metabolites that are specific to human decay. The experts speculate that there are specific metabolites, like those from drugs or food preservatives, that will affect the appearance of plants in unique ways.

"One thought is if we had a specific person who went missing who was, let's say, a heavy smoker, they could have a chemical profile that could trigger some sort of unique plant response making them easier to locate. Though at this stage this idea is still far-fetched," said Professor Stewart.

By gaining a better understanding of the impacts of cadaver metabolites on plants, imaging technology can be developed to scan plants for precise signals of nearby human decomposition. Some of this technology already exists, but scientists still need to know which signals and plant species to look for. 

"We've actually built a whole plant imager that can analyze fluorescence signatures," explained Professor Stewart. "But the first steps are going to be very fine scale, looking at individual leaves and measuring how their reflectance or fluorescence changes over time when plants are near human remains." 

Ultimately, drones and other tech could be used to analyze a wide stretch of area in a short amount of time.

"When you start to think about deploying drones to look for specific emissions, now we can think of the signals more like a check engine light - if we can quickly fly where someone may have gone missing and collect data over tens or even hundreds of square kilometers, then we'd know the best spots to send in a search team."

According to the researchers, it will be several years before it is feasible to use plants to locate human remains. Currently, the scientists are developing the first of many plant-cadaver experiments at the body farm.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/plant-science/home">Trends in Plant Science</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

&nbsp;

How plants may assist in the search for dead bodies

What if aerial search teams could locate dead bodies by...

What will forests look like at the end of the century? A new study led by <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">UC Boulder</a> suggests that a large number of forests in the western United States will no longer exist. The researchers found that when forests burn across the Southern Rocky Mountains, many will never recover, but will instead transition into <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-activities-grassland-plant-diversity/">grasslands</a> and shrublands.

"We project that post-fire recovery will be less likely in the future, with large percentages of the Southern Rocky Mountains becoming unsuitable for two important tree species - ponderosa pine and Douglas fir," said lead author Kyle Rodman.

In California and other western states, the wildfire season is arriving earlier and lasting longer every year. This new trend is primarily driven by climate change, which means that as global warming intensifies, so will the duration of the fire season. 

Rising temperatures in the spring and summer, reduced snowpack, and earlier spring snowmelt combine to create longer and more intense dry seasons that make forests more susceptible to severe burns.

Previous studies from UC Boulder have examined the sites of individual fires. These forests recovered very slowly, if at all. In the plots surveyed, 80 percent still had no new trees 15 years after the fire.

The research team, which included experts from the U.S. Forest Service, Northern Arizona University, Colorado State University and the University of North Carolina Wilmington, set out to expand on the earlier work. The goal of the current investigation was to project the future by looking at the past.

The study was focused on 22 burned areas, including  710 square miles from southern Wyoming through central and western Colorado to northern New Mexico. Some of these regions that had burned as long ago as 1988. 

The team looked at ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forests, which make up about half of the forested area in the region. "For those of us who live along Colorado's Front Range, these are the trees that we see, live and recreate near on a daily basis," said Rodman.

The researchers used satellite images and field measurements to reconstruct what the forests looked like prior to the fire. Next, by counting juvenile trees and looking at tree rings, they assessed how well the forests were recovering. 

Forests at higher elevations with lower temperatures and more precipitation were found to be in the best shape. Those with more surviving trees nearby were also more likely to rebound.

On the other hand, lower-elevation forests proved to be much less resilient. When the scientists compared the study sites to regions that burned in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the areas that burned more recently failed to bounce back.

"This study and others clearly show that the resilience of our forests to fire has declined significantly under warmer, drier conditions," said study co-author Professor Tom Veblen.

Computer modeling revealed that by 2051, with moderate greenhouse gas emissions, less than 18 percent of Douglas fir and ponderosa pine forests will recover if burned. Under a higher emissions scenario, that number drops to 6 percent for Douglas fir and 3.5 percent for pine forests.

Meanwhile, said Professor Veblen, the number and intensity of wildfires will continue its steady rise. The number of acres burned annually across the country has already doubled since the 1990s.

"The big takeaway here is that we can expect to have an increase in fire continue for the foreseeable future, and, at the same time, we are going to see much of our land convert from forest to non-forest," said Professor Veblen.

Rodman hopes the findings will help land managers better plan where to invest their resources, or not, after a fire. For example, it would be more beneficial to plant seedlings in regions that are likely to recover. Rodman also hopes the projections will people one more reason to care about climate change.

"This was a hard study to write and can be a bit depressing to read, but there are some positive takeaways," said Rodman. "If we can get a handle on some of these trends and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, the outcomes may not look so dire. The future is not written in stone."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14668238">Global Ecology and Biogeography</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

&nbsp;

Many forests will never be forests again after a wildfire

What will forests look like at the end of the...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-living-today-carry-dna-from-an-unknown-ancestor/">Humans</a> have left quite a mark on Earth's oceans, and apparently we are just getting started, according to the first-ever study to map the extent of ocean development. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a> found that 30,000 square kilometers of the sea have been modified by construction. 

When compared to the terrestrial portion of our planet, the amount of ocean development is equivalent to the global area of urbanized land.

Construction in the ocean impacts surrounding areas due to pollution and changes in water flow. If these cascading effects are accounted for, the total area of ocean that has been altered grows to over two million square kilometers.

The research team, which was led by Dr. Ana Bugnot, also projected the rate of future ocean development.

"The numbers are alarming," said Dr. Bugnot. "For example, infrastructure for power and aquaculture, including cables and tunnels, is projected to increase by 50 to 70 percent by 2028."

"Yet this is an underestimate: there is a dearth of information on ocean development, due to poor regulation of this in many parts of the world."

"There is an urgent need for improved management of marine environments. We hope our study spurs national and international initiatives, such as the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, to greater action."

Oceanic modifications include tunnels and bridges; infrastructure for energy extraction, such as oil and gas rigs; shipping ports and marinas; aquaculture infrastructure; and artificial reefs.

Dr. Bugnot said that ocean development is nothing new, yet, in recent times, it has rapidly changed. "It has been ongoing since before 2000 BC. Then, it supported maritime traffic through the construction of commercial ports and protected low-lying coasts with the creation of structures similar to breakwaters."

"Since the mid-20th century, however, ocean development has ramped up, and produced both positive and negative results."

"For example, while artificial reefs have been used as 'sacrificial habitat' to drive tourism and deter fishing, this infrastructure can also impact sensitive natural habitats like seagrasses, mudflats and saltmarshes, consequently affecting water quality."

Dr. Bugnot noted that marine development mostly occurs in coastal areas, which are the most biodiverse and biologically productive ocean environments.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natsustain">Nature Sustainability</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

&nbsp;

Ocean development is expected to grow at an alarming rate

Humans have left quite a mark on Earth's oceans, and...

After NOAA scientists placed satellite tags on 26 loggerhead sea turtles in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-may-hold-200-million-tons-of-microplastics/">Atlantic</a> Ocean in 2011, 18 of the turtles ended up in the direct path of Hurricane Irene. The study reveals intriguing details about how both adult and juvenile sea turtles behave in extreme weather conditions.

The tagged turtles were located in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB), a coastal region that spans southern Massachusetts down to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. 

Study lead author Leah Crowe is a contract field biologist at the <a href="https://nefsc.noaa.gov/">NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center</a>.

"Hurricanes are some of the most intense weather events loggerheads in the mid-Atlantic experience, and we thought it was worth investigating how turtles in our dataset may be influenced by these dramatic environmental changes," said Crowe.

"It was a perfect storm situation in terms of location, timing, and oceanographic conditions. We found that the turtles responded to the changes in their habitat in different ways."

The satellite tags recorded the turtles' location and dive behavior, as well as sea-surface temperatures for just over a year. 

The data showed that the turtles aligned themselves with surface currents and moved northward during the hurricane, which was likely to conserve energy.

After the storm, turtles that stayed in their familiar foraging areas were observed diving for at least an hour, compared with dives that lasted  less than 30 minutes before the hurricane. In addition, turtles that left their foraging areas moved south much earlier than usual after the hurricane passed.

"Loggerheads experience environmental changes in the entire water column from the surface to the bottom, including during extreme weather events," said Crowe. "This study was an opportunistic look at turtle behavior during a hurricane. Their behavior makes loggerheads good observers of oceanographic conditions where they forage."

Previous studies have found that loggerheads are  sensitive to changes in water temperatures throughout the water column. Hurricanes cause the water layers to mix, which creates cooler surface temperatures. This mixing disrupts the boundary layer between warm surface waters and colder, deeper waters, known as the thermocline.

The researchers found that ocean temperatures recorded by the satellite tags were consistent with observations from weather buoys and autonomous gliders operating in the region.

"We determined that as the storm passed, the tagged turtles altered their dive behavior and movement patterns," wrote the study authors.

"These observed changes in behavior can provide insight into turtle reactions to other perturbations. The turtle-borne tags also recorded the environmental changes to the water column as the hurricane passed through the MAB, highlighting these data as a valid resource for weather forecasting models alongside other in situ data sources."

The study showed that turtle behavior did not return to normal within two weeks after the storm.

"The long-term cumulative effects of a changing climate and the increase in intensity of hurricanes and other storms is something that needs to be looked at. Changes in sea turtle movements and behavior can affect abundance estimates and management decisions," said Crowe. "This study reminds us that turtles live in a dynamic environment, and we cannot assume their behavior will be consistent throughout space and time."

The researchers concluded that future analysis of turtle behavior should consider the dynamic environments in which they live.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://movementecologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/">Movement Ecology</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

&nbsp;

Sea turtles recorded their own behavior during a hurricane

After NOAA scientists placed satellite tags on 26 loggerhead sea...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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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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