Colorful,Parrotfish,Feeding,On,A,Tropical,Coral,Reef

Coral reefs are among the most dazzling ecosystems on Earth. When viewed from above, they display intricate structures and colors. But many reefs also show curious rings of bare sand encircling them. These circles, called grazing halos, appear in satellite images as pale outlines around patches of coral.



The origin of grazing halos has long puzzled scientists. Why do they form in some places and not others? Why do they vary in size? And most importantly - do they reveal something about the health of the reef?



A new study published in The American Naturalist suggests a surprising answer. It’s not just fear that creates these halos - it’s also the way <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breaks-in-ancient-coral-growth-reveal-earths-climate-past/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral</a> shelter is arranged.



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



One widely accepted theory to explain grazing halos involves fear. Fish like parrotfish and other herbivores leave the safety of coral to feed on algae or seagrass. 



However, they do not venture far because predators like sharks lurk in the open. To avoid becoming prey, these fish tend to graze close to shelter.



Their grazing creates visible halos - rings where the vegetation has been eaten. The behavior aligns with what ecologists call the “landscape of fear.” 



According to this idea, prey animals avoid open areas and concentrate activity near shelter, altering how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-may-be-more-resilient-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a> look.



But this explanation has gaps. Some reefs that are full of predators lack halos. Others, where predator populations have collapsed due to overfishing, still show clear halos. 



Something else must be shaping these patterns - something embedded in the landscape itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reef-shelter-layout-and-halo-formation">Reef shelter layout and halo formation</h2>



The new study points to the layout of coral shelters as a missing piece. The researchers examined how the spatial distribution of reef <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-may-not-adapt-quickly-enough-to-survive-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">structures</a> influences halo formation. Do halos behave differently when coral is clustered tightly versus scattered widely?



The team used Heron Island in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to test their ideas. This site is a hub for reef science and faces ongoing threats from climate change - coral bleaching, storm damage, and ocean acidification all pose serious risks.



The study explored how coral shelter layout affects where herbivores graze. Clusters of coral provide tightly packed shelter. 



Scattered coral creates more distance between safe zones. The team predicted that these differences would shape how halos appear - or disappear - across the seascape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-models-predict-halo-shapes-on-reefs">Models predict halo shapes on reefs</h2>



To explore this, the researchers built two mathematical models. The first was geometric. It examined how simple circular shapes - representing coral patches - overlap on the seafloor. This helped predict how much vegetation should remain depending on how the shelters are arranged.



Study lead author Theresa Ong is an assistant professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth.



“If the shelter <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-could-vanish-if-temperatures-continue-to-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">habitat</a> is tightly packed in one space, then there’s not much room for nervous prey to explore and less vegetation to eat. But if shelter is more evenly distributed, the halos carve out more empty space in the landscape and their distinctive patterns disappear into one another as they overlap," noted Professor Ong.



The geometric model revealed that clustered coral leads to clearer, more distinct halos. Scattered coral causes the rings to overlap and blur, making them harder to detect. This may explain why halos vary across reefs - even when predator presence remains constant.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grazing-patterns-change-over-time">Grazing patterns change over time</h2>



Geometry only tells part of the story. Grazing patterns change over time as vegetation regrows and fish populations fluctuate. So, the team developed a second model - one that added time and movement into the equation.



The dynamic model showed two scenarios. When coral patches are dispersed, fish must travel further to feed. This can lead to overgrazing - vegetation disappears, fish numbers drop, vegetation returns, and the cycle begins again. Halos may vanish and reappear in a rhythmic pattern.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/coral-reef_grazing-halos_great-barrier-reef_credit-Google-Earth_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/coral-reef_grazing-halos_great-barrier-reef_credit-Google-Earth_1s.webp" alt="Overview view of Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and close-up view of a selected reef region (box in overview) where macroalgae cover is dense and coral halos (vegetation-free space surrounding coral patch reefs) are prevalent. Example 1X-scale plots (47 × 47 m) are indicated by arrows to illustrate increasing dispersion in coral patch distributions. Credit: Google Earth Pro" class="wp-image-1968578"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Overview view of Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and close-up view of a selected reef region (box in overview) where macroalgae cover is dense and coral halos (vegetation-free space surrounding coral patch reefs) are prevalent. Example 1X-scale plots (47 × 47 m) are indicated by arrows to illustrate increasing dispersion in coral patch distributions. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Google Earth Pro</figcaption></figure>



When coral is clustered, grazing remains more localized and consistent. This leads to more stable halo patterns. 



The models suggest that both stable and cyclic halos can exist on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/restored-coral-reefs-can-bounce-back-in-just-four-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">healthy reefs</a> - and both tell stories about how the ecosystem is functioning.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-all-changes-are-alarming">Not all changes are alarming</h2>



A major insight from the study is that halo patterns - whether stable or oscillating - are not in themselves signs of reef health or decline. What matters more is how those patterns change over time.



“Oscillating halos are not necessarily a sign of overfishing or poor reef health,” said Ong. “What’s more concerning is if static halos suddenly start cycling or if cyclic halos suddenly become static, which could indicate a major shift in system health and resilience.”



In other words – it’s not the presence or size of the halo that reveals the truth, but whether its behavior shifts in ways that suggest underlying ecological change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-satellites-for-reef-surveillance">Using satellites for reef surveillance</h2>



Studying coral reefs directly is expensive and difficult. That’s where satellite imagery offers a powerful advantage. Researchers can quickly scan large areas and assess general patterns - even from space.



“There are a lot of endemic species on reefs, especially on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-is-on-the-brink-of-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Great Barrier Reef</a>, which we could easily lose due to the compounding effects of climate change and overfishing,” noted Professor Ong.



“So gaining a better understanding of how halo patterns reflect reef community dynamics may be useful in reef conservation efforts.”



Halos might become an early warning system. Their changes could alert scientists to shifts in predator numbers, herbivore behavior, or coral shelter integrity - all of which influence reef resilience.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-halo-dynamics-beyond-reefs">Halo dynamics beyond reefs</h2>



The models developed by the team aren’t limited to coral reefs. They apply to any system where grazing happens near shelter. 



Think of cattle grazing near trees, or deer feeding near forest edges. The same logic - of safety shaping movement - plays out across ecosystems.



Still, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-could-vanish-if-temperatures-continue-to-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral reefs</a> are especially fragile. Climate change is heating the oceans, acidifying waters, and disrupting food webs. Even subtle changes in reef structure can lead to major ecological shifts.



From overlapping rings of sand to predictive models and satellite imagery - this work reveals that coral reefs are writing their own story in patterns we can now begin to understand. We just have to learn how to read the halos.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/735688" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The American Naturalist</a>.



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What 'grazing halos' and parrotfish reveal about coral reef health

Coral reefs are among the most dazzling ecosystems on Earth. When viewed from above, they display intricate structures and colors. But many reefs also show curious rings of bare sand encircling them. These circles, called grazing halos, appear in satellite images as pale outlines around patches of coral. The origin of grazing halos has long puzzled scientists. Why do they form in some places and not others? Why do they vary in size? And most importantly - do they reveal something about the health of the reef?...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.gwu.edu/">George Washington University</a> (GW) have estimated that up to 33 million asthma-related emergency room (ER) visits are triggered by exposure to ozone or fine particulate matter (PM2.5). While it has been long recognized that inhaling polluted air can trigger asthma attacks, this study is the first to quantify the effect of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-intelligence/">air pollution</a> on asthma cases around the globe.

Study lead author Dr. Susan C. Anenberg is an associate professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health.

“Millions of people worldwide have to go to emergency rooms for asthma attacks every year because they are breathing dirty air,” said Dr. Anenberg. “Our findings suggest that policies aimed at cleaning up the air can reduce the global burden of asthma and improve respiratory health around the world.”

Affecting around 358 million people, asthma is the most prevalent chronic respiratory disease in the world. The new research suggests that car emissions and other types of air pollution are severely increasing the frequency of serious asthma attacks.

[caption id="attachment_1861217" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/pollution.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1861217" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/pollution.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="496" /></a> Image Credit: Susan C. Anenberg/GW Milken Institute School of Public Health[/caption]

Dr. Anenberg and her team started their investigation by examining emergency room visits for asthma in 54 countries and Hong Kong. The researchers then combined this data with epidemiological exposure-response relationships, and also with global pollution levels recorded by satellites.

The study revealed that between 9 and 23 million annual asthma emergency room visits may be triggered by ozone worldwide, while another 5 to 10 million asthma emergency room visits were linked to fine particulate matter.

Approximately half of the asthma-related emergency room visits attributed to air pollution occurred in South and East Asian countries, particularly across India and China.

In the United States, where the air is relatively clean compared to South and East Asian countries, ozone and particulate matter were estimated to contribute up to 33 percent of all asthma-related ER visits in the country.

Daven Henze is the principal investigator on the project and an associate professor at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a>.

“The value of using satellites is that we were able to obtain a consistent measure of air pollution concentrations throughout the world,” said Professor Henze. “This information allowed us to link the asthma burden to air pollution even in parts of the world where ambient air quality measurements have not been available.”

Dr. Anenberg concluded, “We know that air pollution is the leading environmental health risk factor globally. Our results show that the range of global public health impacts from breathing dirty air are even more far reaching--and include millions of asthma attacks every year.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution prompts millions of asthma attacks across the world

Researchers at George Washington University (GW) have estimated that up...

A new look at the history of oil drilling in Los Angeles has revealed that this activity likely contributed to a spike in moderate <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-earthquake-modelling-method/">earthquakes</a> between 1935 and 1944. According to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/">Los Angeles Times</a>, oil pumping may have been responsible for as many as half of the mid-sized earthquakes that struck the region in the early 20th century. 

In a report published by the American Geophysical Union, the researchers re-examined historical data on earthquake damage in the LA Basin.

Study lead author Susan Hough is a geophysicist at the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> in Pasadena. Hough told the Los Angeles Times: “The LA Basin could be a generally safer place for natural earthquakes than what we’ve estimated.”

There was an increase in moderate earthquakes between 1935 and 1944, with an average of one magnitude 4.4 to 5.1 quake every two years. Based on the data from sensors that began monitoring in 1932, the researchers examined the locations of the earthquakes. They found that many of the disturbances occurred near active oil fields.

“All these little earthquakes happened in the 1930s,” said study co-author Roger Bilham, a geologist at the University of Colorado. “It looked like the LA region was very active seismically, and of course it is quite active, but if you throw away those earthquakes induced by oil you come up with a lower rate of seismicity.”

According to the researchers, oil companies were drilling deep into active faults prior to the 1950s. The study revealed that earthquakes often occurred within months of an oil well expansion that extended beyond 1.9 miles underground.

Earthquake activity was reduced after the oil companies started using water-flooding wells to bring up oil in the late 1950s. The study authors pointed out that the earlier method of oil drilling did not actually cause the earthquakes, but simply accelerated quakes that would have happened in the next few hundred years. 

“It turns out it would be almost impossible for the things they were doing in the 1930s not to produce earthquakes,” said Bilham. “In California, they were sucking out the oil so fast they were setting up these giant stresses near the oil fields, forces enough to break rock. And we know that they did break the rock because they produced earthquakes in the oil fields that severed the pipes.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21562202">Journal of Geophysical Research</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

Image: 1933 Long Beach, California Earthquake Damage

Early 20th century oil drilling increased LA earthquake risk

A new look at the history of oil drilling in...

In the first global study of its kind, researchers at the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales</a> have identified a "clear link" between <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-early-death/">air pollution</a> and an increased risk of dementia. 

The experts found that people were more likely to develop dementia later in life after long-term exposure to two types of air pollutants, particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrous oxide (NO2).

Dementia cases are increasing by more than 20 percent a year, particularly in developed countries where air pollution levels are the highest. The experts are specifically concerned about nitrogen dioxide and smog emitted from old diesel cars.

After microscopic particles in air pollution are inhaled into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, scientists theorize that the toxic particles then reach the brain and trigger inflammation that is associated with a higher risk of stroke and cognitive impairment. 

The team reviewed 40 studies on dementia risk in Canada, Sweden, Taiwan, Britain and the United States, which involved around 1,500 participants.

‘This study finds mounting evidence that air pollution increases the risk of developing dementia later in life," said study lead author Dr. Ruth Peters. "However, unlike the majority of established dementia risk factors, it is very difficult for someone to reduce their exposure to air pollution, especially if they live somewhere where pollution levels are high."

"This is concerning because the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 91 percent of the world's population lives in places where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits. This research shows that government regulation that reduces our exposure to air pollution has a huge potential health and economic benefit."

In the UK alone, around 850,000 people have dementia, and this number is projected to jump to one million by 2025 and two million by 2050. 

Beyond hereditary factors, dementia has been linked to smoking, obesity, and a lack of exercise. The new research suggests that air pollution is also a major contributor, and supports the findings of previous studies. 

Last year, a study led by King's College London revealed that people living in heavily-trafficked areas with high levels of NO2 and PM2.5 are 40 percent more likely to develop dementia. 

"The causes of dementia are complex and not fully understood, so it’s important that people who live in cities do not worry unduly about the link between air pollution and dementia," said Hilda Hayo, CEO of Dementia UK. "People are living longer which is also contributing to rise in dementia diagnosis rates."

"Nevertheless, everything that is good for your heart is also good for your brain, so we suggest people make healthy choices, including eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly - away from main roads wherever possible."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.j-alz.com/">Journal of Alzheimer's Disease</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Alex Tihonovs

Air pollution exposure increases the risk of dementia

In the first global study of its kind, researchers at...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tyrannosaurus-rex-big-run/">Tyrannosaurus rex</a>, who is famous for being a deadly carnivore, was likely assisting in the widespread dispersal of fruit seeds. A recent report in <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a> suggests that T Rex was inadvertently planting fruits across the landscape in its droppings after devouring plant-eating animals.

Plants produce brightly-colored, seeded fruits to entice herbivores to eat them and disperse the seeds in their waste. Carnivores also become seed dispersers after consuming the herbivores.

A team of researchers led by Tetsuro Yoshikawa at the <a href="https://www.nies.go.jp/index-e.html">National Institute for Environmental Studies</a> set out to investigate if the carnivorous dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period may have been seed dispersers. 

The team analyzed data on the body weight and diet of 51 living bird species that are the closest living relatives of T. rex. Using this information, the experts developed a computer model to estimate how long seeds persist in a bird’s gut before being excreted.

The model enabled the researchers to predict how long seeds may have remained inside of a T. rex. The study revealed that seeds would likely have persisted for five to seven days before passing through the digestive system.

According to Yoshikawa, the fact that T. rex was highly mobile means that the dinosaur dispersed seeds across a large area. Yoshikawa told New Scientist that further research is needed to understand T. rex’s role in seed dispersal. “Our result is a first step to the modelling, and the estimates for dinosaurs are quite rough.”

Yoshikawa added that the model could be improved with more information on the type of seeds that were consumed and with a better understanding of T. rex’s diet.

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.oikosjournal.org/">Oikos Journal</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tyrannosaurus rex ate meat but also accidentally planted fruit

Tyrannosaurus rex, who is famous for being a deadly carnivore,...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT) are reporting that the color of the ocean will shift in the coming decades as climate change has an increasing effect on the world's <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/phytoplankton-influence-cloud-formation-movement/">phytoplankton</a>. Both blue and green regions will be intensified, and satellite detection of these differences will provide early warning of large-scale changes to marine ecosystems.

The researchers have developed a global model that simulates the growth and interaction of different species of phytoplankton. The model also predicts how the mix of species will change in specific locations as temperatures rise.

By simulating the way that phytoplankton absorb and reflect light, the experts were able to determine how the ocean's colors will change. The team ran the model through the end of the 21st century and found that more than 50 percent of the world's oceans will shift in color by the end of this century. 

Blue ocean regions, such as those in the subtropics, will become even more blue. This will reflect the presence of less phytoplankton and less marine life in general. Some of the greener ocean regions, including those near the poles, will turn even deeper green as larger blooms of more diverse phytoplankton emerge.

“The model suggests the changes won't appear huge to the naked eye, and the ocean will still look like it has blue regions in the subtropics and greener regions near the equator and poles,” said study lead author Stephanie Dutkiewicz. “That basic pattern will still be there. But it'll be enough different that it will affect the rest of the food web that phytoplankton supports.”

Satellites have taken continuous measurements of the ocean's color since the 1990s, and these measurements are used to derive the amount of chlorophyll and phytoplankton in a given ocean region. According to Dutkiewicz, however, chlorophyll does not necessarily reflect the sensitive signal of climate change. Significant shifts in chlorophyll could be caused by global warming, but they could also be due to natural variability.

“Chlorophyll is changing, but you can't really see it because of its incredible natural variability,” said Dutkiewicz. “But you can see a significant, climate-related shift in some of these wavebands, in the signal being sent out to the satellites. So that's where we should be looking in satellite measurements, for a real signal of change.”

The model shows that climate change is already altering the makeup of phytoplankton and the color of the oceans. By the end of the century, our blue planet may appear visibly changed.

“There will be a noticeable difference in the color of 50 percent of the ocean by the end of the 21st century,” said Dutkiewicz. “It could be potentially quite serious. Different types of phytoplankton absorb light differently, and if climate change shifts one community of phytoplankton to another, that will also change the types of food webs they can support.”

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

Earth’s oceans will get more blue and green by the end of the century

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are reporting...

An international team of scientists has used climate models to predict future changes in the occurrence of the so-called Quasi-Resonant Amplification (QRA) events that are associated with persistent weather extremes. The QRA events are based on the idea that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-midterm-elections/">climate change</a> will not just increase the likelihood of extreme weather conditions, but will alter the flow of the jet stream itself, resulting in more flooding, droughts, and wildfires. 

The researchers found that, if the burning of fossil fuels continues at the current rate, the world will experience summers that are even more extreme than that of 2018 due to the impact on the jet stream. On the other hand, the rapid disappearance of aerosols may mitigate this impact for several decades if countries like China phase out fossil fuels.

In the summer of 2018, the world witnessed devastating flooding in Japan, record heat waves in North America, Europe, and Asia, and wildfires in Greece and even across parts of the Arctic. In California, the combination of heat and drought triggered the worst wildfire season ever recorded.

QRA events produce extreme summer weather when the jet stream becomes locked in place.

Study co-author Michael Mann is a distinguished professor of Atmospheric Science and director of the <a href="http://www.essc.psu.edu/">Earth System Science Center</a>.

“Most stationary jet stream disturbances will dissipate over time,” explained Professor Mann. “However, under certain circumstances the wave disturbance is effectively constrained by an atmospheric waveguide, something similar to the way a coaxial cable guides a television signal. Disturbances then cannot easily dissipate and very large amplitude swings in the jet stream north and south can remain in place as it rounds the globe.”

“If the same weather persists for weeks on end in one region, then sunny days can turn into a serious heat wave and drought, and lasting rains can lead to flooding,” added co-author Stefan Rahmstorf of the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/pik-frontpage">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</a> (PIK).


Professor Mann said that by summer 2018, climate change impacts on extreme weather were no longer subtle. “It played out in real time on our television screens and newspaper headlines in the form of an unprecedented hemisphere-wide pattern of extreme floods, droughts, heat waves and wildfires.”

Previous work by Professor Mann and his colleagues showed a connection between extreme climate events and climate-induced changes in the jet stream. QRA events cannot be accurately identified in climate models, but one thing that climate models capture with certainty is temperature change.

“QRA events have been shown to have a well-defined signature in terms of the latitudinal variation in temperature in the lower atmosphere,” explained Professor Mann. “The change in temperature with latitude and how it responds to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations depends on physics that are well understood and well represented by the climate models.”

The researchers found that the pattern of amplified Arctic Amplification, or Arctic warning, not only slows down the jet stream but also increases the frequency of QRA episodes.

The researchers concluded that climate models are likely underestimating how future climate change could lead to more persistent summer weather extremes like those observed during the summer of 2018. If carbon dioxide emissions continue at the same rate, the incidence of QRA and associated extreme weather events will also continue to increase at the same rate that they have in recent decades.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Extreme weather will only get worse if CO2 emissions continue

An international team of scientists has used climate models to...

Since 1970, Earth’s wildlife populations have declined by 60 percent. The <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Foundation</a> (WWF) recently released its <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/living-planet-report-2018">Living Planet Report</a> for 2018 and it has revealed some startling findings. 

Human activity is prompting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/population-declines-underway-extinct/">extinction rates like never before</a>, and global wildlife populations have dropped by 60 percent in 40 years. The biggest threats to biodiversity and species’ survival have been overfishing and deforestation. 

Our consumption of natural resources, greenhouse gas emissions, and sprawls of urban and agricultural development are causing drastic declines in mammal, bird, fish, reptile, and amphibian populations around the world. 

According to the report, in the past 30 years, Earth has lost about half of its shallow water corals. One-fifth of the Amazon, one of the most richly biodiverse regions on Earth, has been lost over the past 50 years. 

90 percent of seabirds have plastic in their stomachs today, and African elephants in Tanzania have declined by 60 percent due to ivory poaching. 

According <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/29/health/wwf-wildlife-population-report-intl/index.html">CNN</a>, in Borneo, 100,000 orangutans were lost between 1999 and 2015 

The window of time we have to act and reverse catastrophic declines is quickly closing in. 

“This report sounds a warning shot across our bow,” said Carter Roberts, the president and CEO of <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/living-planet-report-2018">WWF-US</a>. “Natural systems essential to our survival—forests, oceans, and rivers—remain in decline. Wildlife around the world continue to dwindle. It reminds us we need to change course. It’s time to balance our consumption with the needs of nature, and to protect the only planet that is our home.”

“We are the first generation to know we are destroying our planet and the last one that can do anything about it,” Tanya Steele, the WWF Chief Executive in the UK, added in a statement. 

Humanity is reliant on Earth’s resources, but the report shows how poorly we are managing them. 

The WWF has called for a global deal to help conserve biodiversity on Earth. 

196 nations that are part of the <a href="https://www.cbd.int/">Convention on Biological Diversity</a> have been urged to consider developing conservation targets to help stem the tide of wildlife loss. 

“If we want a world with orangutans and puffins, clean air and enough food for everyone, we need urgent action from our leaders and a new global deal for nature and people that kick starts a global program of recovery,” Steele told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6331433/Wildlife-populations-plummeting-face-human-activity-report-warns.html">Daily Mail.</a>

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Since 1970, Earth’s wildlife populations have declined by 60 percent

Since 1970, Earth’s wildlife populations have declined by 60 percent....

A growing collection of studies has demonstrated the impact of rising temperatures and heat stress on the productivity of workers. However, the majority of this research was focused on workers based in developing countries, so the pattern of heat-related work productivity loss (WPL) on a global scale has remained unclear.

An international team of experts from the <a href="http://english.iap.cas.cn/">Institute of Atmospheric Physics</a> and the <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> set out to investigate. The study was focused on a survey that was designed to examine the effect of heat stress on work productivity loss worldwide. The researchers analyzed 4,363 responses to the survey, which was conducted in 2016.

The analysis revealed that the annual heat-related work productivity loss was 6.6 days for developing countries and 3.5 days for developed countries. 

The researchers found evidence that the WPL is inversely proportional to the level of a country's development. They also identified some regions that will be more vulnerable to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/heatwaves-severe-frequent/">heat waves</a> due to relatively low adaptability to heat, including Central Asia and northern Europe.

To estimate work productivity loss in the future, the team used various greenhouse gas concentration scenarios. When global warming reaches 1.5 degrees Celsius, the annual WPL will be 9 days for developed countries and 19 days for developing countries. If global warming is increased by four degrees Celsius, the annual WPL will reach 33 days in developed countries and 94 days in developing countries.

“Heat waves surely impact more seriously the developing countries in general, but our study quantitatively estimated how much heat waves would reduce the productivity and identified the most vulnerable regions over the world,” said study co-author YU Shuang. “Our results call for attention to the need of adaptation to increasing heat waves by improving protective infrastructure especially for the developing regions in the Belt and Road.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-cleaner-production">Journal of Cleaner Production</a>.

--

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>

As global temperatures rise, work productivity will decline

A growing collection of studies has demonstrated the impact of...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-delhi/">93 percent of the world’s children breathe toxic air, report finds Air pollution</a> is a leading threat to children’s health, as a new <a href="http://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) report found that over 40 percent of the world’s population, including one billion children under the age of 15, are breathing unsafe air. 

The report was released in advance of today’s first ever WHO conference on air pollution. The shocking findings show that in 2016, 600,000 children died due to respiratory infections from breathing polluted air. Additionally, 93 percent of the world’s children are breathing in dangerous levels of pollutants every day.

Studies have shown that air pollution stunts development, increases the risk of some cancers, and is a leading cause of early death in many countries. 

“Polluted air is poisoning millions of children and ruining their lives,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General. “This is inexcusable. Every child should be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and fulfill their full potential.”

“Air pollution is stunting our children’s brains, affecting their health in more ways than we suspected. But there are many straight-forward ways to reduce emissions of dangerous pollutants,” added Maria Neira, the Director of the Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health at WHO.

Air pollution is a major problem in low and middle-income countries where development, indoor pollution, and unregulated emissions consistently degrade indoor and outdoor air quality. 

98 percent of all children under five breath in small particulate matter levels above what is considered safe, according to the WHO. 

<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/29/health/air-pollution-children-health-who-india-intl/index.html">CNN</a> reported that in India yesterday, the average level of PM2.5, particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, was 354 and anything over 25 is deemed unsafe by the WHO. 

Children, who are lower to the ground where air pollution concentrations are higher, are more likely to suffer from air pollution because they breathe more than adults and in their early years spend more time inside near heating and cooking fumes. 

The goal of the conference today is to discuss what actions are necessary to reduce air pollution, emissions, and improve air quality for the millions of people at risk of breathing in high levels of pollution. 

World leaders, policymakers, government agencies, and researchers will work together to decide how to proceed in the future to lessen the threats of air pollution worldwide. 

“WHO is supporting implementation of health-wise policy measures like accelerating the switch to clean cooking and heating fuels and technologies, promoting the use of cleaner transport, energy-efficient housing and urban planning,” said Neira. “We are preparing the ground for low emission power generation, cleaner, safer industrial technologies, and better municipal waste management.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

93 percent of the world’s children breathe toxic air, report finds

93 percent of the world’s children breathe toxic air, report...

A new study published in the <a href="https://sites.agu.org/">American Geophysical Union’s</a> <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2018JD029449">Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres</a> has found that planes passing over rain and snow can intensify the precipitation in that area 10-fold. The burst of precipitation is caused by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/airplane-carbon-dioxide-levels/">aircraft</a> wings cutting through clouds of supercool water droplets above a layer of active rain or snow.

“The interesting thing about this feature is that it is caused by aircraft, but it is not caused by pollution," said lead author Dimitri Moisseev, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki </a>and the <a href="https://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/">Finnish Meteorological Institute</a>. "Even if there would be absolutely ecological airplanes, which don't have any combustion, no fuel or anything, it would still happen.”

Moisseev noticed this phenomenon when he saw streamers of heightened precipitation via scans from the University of Helsinki Kumpula campus radar antenna. These straight patches of severe precipitation appeared on a background of lighter rain or snow and bowed toward the Helsinki-Vantaa airport.

It has been known that air pressure change from passing aircrafts can trigger supercooled water droplets to freeze. This happens when air quickly expands in the wake of wing and propeller tips, therefore causing a local drop in pressure and temperature. Many had theorized that planes could also increase intensity of rain and snow in underlying clouds via this same process, however, this was never observed until now.

To prove that the planes were causing the uptick in precipitation severity, Moisseev and his team analyzed the University of Helsinki's weather radar data between 2008 and 2018. They found 17 days where the characteristic linear streamers appeared between December 2008 and January 2018. Archived flight paths confirmed that aircrafts passed within 1 to 6 miles (2 to 10 kilometers) of the intensified precipitation in most of those 17 cases.

"The intensified precipitation basically follows the track of an airplane above the cloud," Moisseev explained. "It could extend over hundreds of kilometers, but the cross-section would be maybe 100 meters. So it's a very narrow, long feature." 

Moisseev and his colleagues believe that airplane-created ice crystals probably fall from a supercooled upper cloud layer into a lower layer where rain and/or snow is occuring, thus creating more weather from the lower cloud layer.

Although the punch of precipitation is artificially created, the natural process that occurs when planes cut through storm systems could help meteorologists study the formation of precipitation and help them "nowcast" natural rain and snow conditions 2 to 6 hours into the future. This would be a huge jump forward for airport operations.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Planes passing over weather patches can intensify precipitation

A new study published in the American Geophysical Union’s Journal...

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Planet Earth faces an extinction crisis and, depending on the scientist you ask, may be in the midst of a "<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-hunted-6th-extinction/">sixth mass extinction</a>." Last month, a U.N. report banged the alarm bells with a forecast of up to 1 million species lost due to human activity. Those disappearances, in turn, would bring tremendous losses for human civilization. 

From billions of dollars in unpollinated crops to a spiritually devastating planet devoid of our natural companions, extinctions could rob humanity of much of what it needs to survive and thrive. 

"The diversity of species are responsible for the benefits that humans get from the environment, and the benefits are immense," said Nick Haddad, a <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> biologist who studies insect conservation. "If we lose the biodiversity that's projected, a million species, then, it's unclear how human civilization can function." 

And the blame for those extinctions lies at the feet of humanity itself, due to habitat destruction, overharvesting, climate change and other anthropogenic pressures, May's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/1-million-species-extinction/">report</a> emphasized.

The study tasked hundreds of scientists with examining thousands of studies on extinction. (The UN published a <a href="https://www.ipbes.net/sites/default/files/downloads/spm_unedited_advance_for_posting_htn.pdf">summary</a> from the report in May; the full report will arrive later this year.)  Along with the top-line prediction on species loss, the report examined trends in 18 categories of nature's contributions to humans. And aside from the production of some resources, like energy and lumber, all those contributions have declined and stand to fall further with species loss, the report found. 

"There has been an increase in crop production and an increase in various types of material production," said Stephen Polasky, coordinating lead author on the report's section on nature's contributions and a <a href="https://umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a> ecologist. "But virtually all the others — pollination and those regulatory services, the decline in the ability to filter air and water, the sort of more nonmaterial, cultural, spiritual services — all of those have declined."

$577 Billion in Crops

Even those increases in production come with obvious trade-offs, like the conversion of forests to cropland. Farmers can also trace better crop yields to pesticide use, which ironically contributes to loss of the insect pollinators crucial to agriculture.

Such pollinator loss puts "between $235 billion and $577 billion" of annual agricultural production at risk globally, the report said. These insects face threats not only from pesticide use, but also habitat loss, producing the so-called "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/magazine/insect-apocalypse.html">insect apocalypse</a>," Haddad said. And insect losses are indeed dire. 

For example, "the western monarch butterfly's populations have dropped by 97%," Haddad said. "I mean this is literally on the verge of total loss."

Studies have also linked tremendous agricultural losses to the disappearance of pest predators, said Gerardo Ceballos, an ecologist at Mexico's <a href="https://www.unah.edu.hn/">Universidad Nacional Autónoma</a> and a visiting professor at <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford</a>. "By losing the bats in a particular area, just in an island," he said, "it will cost something like $1 billion in insect[-related] losses of crops."

Beyond crops, food resources could also dwindle with the collapse of fisheries from overfishing, pollution and other causes.

A Blow to Human Health

Mass extinction has financial implications beyond agriculture, too. 

"Tourism to protected areas generates an estimated $600 billion annually," Polasky said. 

And the planet's biomass provides a valuable climate-change protection by storing, or sequestering, carbon — 5.6 gigatons per year, worth $840 billion annually, Polasky said.

"Global warming is produced not only by the use of fossil fuels but also by losing the ecosystems that maintain this balance," Ceballos said. "And so we're losing so many tropical and other forests because of human activities that we are losing the capability to maintain a stable climate." 

From 2010 to 2015, according to the U.N. report, about 79 million acres of "primary or recovering forest" vanished.

Well-functioning ecosystems, with diverse species, also crucially balance and clean our air and water, Ceballos added. And human health leans on species diversity in the doctor's office, too, as 25 to 50% of drugs, including 70% of cancer drugs, come from or are inspired by nature, Polasky said. Future species loss means, potentially, the loss of as-yet-undiscovered drugs.

Lost Connections

Extinction happens within the context of massively complicated ecological webs, and so the causes and effects can be equally complex. One species' loss can amplify the pressures on another, as seen, for example, when tree loss increases flooding, making waterways silty and unlivable for fish. 

Ceballos also gave the example of prairie dogs. Once considered a pest, their populations fell as the government paid bounties to hunt them. Studies later showed that the rodents maintained grasslands by removing invasive species and burrowing in soil. Lost grasses, in turn, deprived bison (and domestic cattle) of feeding grounds.

The interconnected losses of species diversity, in fact, could compound so greatly that the effects destroy far more than a few industries, Ceballos said. The production of tens of millions of climate refugees, the further loss of the ability to adequately feed the planet, and other effects could mean the end of human civilization — if nothing is done, he said.

"We're losing so many species at such a high rate that we are collapsing the whole environmental system that produces our well-being," he said. "And that basically will mean the end of civilization as we know it."

Scientists alerting the world about the dangers of species loss point out, too, that we should care for reasons beyond the practical and self-focused. Our fellow species wouldn't deserve to die at our hands, even if the threat to us weren't so dire, Ceballos said.

"All these plants and animals have been our companions since we started our journey as humanity 3 million years ago," Ceballos said. "We are in large part what we are because of all them."

Stay tuned to <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> for a follow-up on solutions to the extinction crisis.

--

By <a href="mailto:michael.dhar@gmail.com">Michael Dhar</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/JMP_Traveler

One million species gone: What humanity stands to lose

Planet Earth faces an extinction crisis and, depending on the...

Could air pollution increase the risk of developing psychiatric disorders?. Air pollution and poor air quality has been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory disease, an increased risk of some cancers, decreased well being, and even <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-shorten-life-expectancy/">premature death</a>. 

Now, a new study has found a potential link between poor air quality and higher rates of psychiatric disorders.

An international team of researchers from academic institutions in the United States, Denmark, and Sweden reviewed and analyzed a US health insurance claims database, and a population dataset from Denmark. 

There is an array of genetic and environmental factors that increase the risk of developing a mental disorder. It’s been suggested that the interplay of genetic, neurochemical, and environmental factors at different levels can impact the progression, severity, and onset of mental illnesses.  

For this study, the researchers wanted to investigate the impacts of air pollution on mental health for people. 

“We hypothesized that pollutants might affect our brains through neuroinflammatory pathways that have also been shown to cause depression-like signs in animal studies,” said Andrey Rzhetsky, the leader of the study. 

The researchers used 87 measurements of air quality from the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> and a national pollution register from Denmark. 

The researchers were able to estimate air pollution exposure at the individual level for 1.4 million Danes and at the county level for 151 million US individuals.  

“We strived to provide validation of association results in independent large datasets,” said Rzhetsky.

Poor air quality was linked to higher rates of both bipolar disorder and major depression in the US and Danish datasets. Air pollution exposure within the first ten years of life in Denmark also correlated with a two-fold increase in developing a personality disorder or schizophrenia. 

“Our study shows that living in polluted areas, especially early on in life, is predictive of mental disorders in both the United States and Denmark,” said Atif Khan, the first author of the study. “The physical environment - in particular air quality - warrants more research to better understand how our environment is contributing to neurological and psychiatric disorders.”

The researchers note that the study results created quite a stir among the scientific community, and opinions were so divided that the study was published alongside a companion article.

“A causal association of air pollution with mental diseases is an intriguing possibility,”  John Ioannidis wrote in the companion piece. “Despite analyses involving large datasets, the available evidence has substantial shortcomings, and a long series of potential biases may invalidate the observed associations. More analyses by multiple investigators, including contrarians, are necessary.”

Both the <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3000353">study</a> and <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3000370">companion piece</a> were published in the journal PLOS Biology.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/LukeandKarla.Travel

Could air pollution increase the risk of developing psychiatric disorders?

Could air pollution increase the risk of developing psychiatric disorders?....

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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



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.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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