Hotter summers are not just uncomfortable, they also changing the odds of getting sick from food. A new analysis links warmer air, higher moisture, specific dewpoint ranges, and longer daylight to spikes in Salmonella infections across two European countries. 



The team showed that risk climbs when average temperatures rise above about 50°F and days stretch past 12 to 15 hours.



Lead author <a href="https://www.londonntd.org/research/researchers/laura-c-gonzalez-villeta" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Laura C. González Villeta</a> of the University of Surrey’s <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/school-veterinary-medicine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Veterinary Medicine</a> led work that tied laboratory confirmed Salmonella cases to local weather conditions using a transparent statistical approach.



The bacteria called Salmonella cause <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15697-salmonella" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food poisoning</a> that often brings diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Common symptoms usually start within hours to a few days and most people recover without treatment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmonella-and-the-weather">Salmonella and the weather</h2>



Researchers linked daily case counts from the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UK Health Security Agency</a> to detailed weather from the <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Met Office</a>, then checked the model with national surveillance data from the Netherlands. 



They examined 14 factors, including temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, sunshine, and dewpoint temperature.



Instead of forcing a complex equation to fit the data, the group calculated a conditional incidence that directly describes how often cases occur when specific combinations of weather are present. 



That method lets you see which trio of conditions lines up with higher infection counts without hiding the signal inside a black box.



The approach showed consistency when moved from one country to another after accounting for reporting differences. That matters because public <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/to-get-fit-and-stay-healthy-walk-this-exact-distance-every-day/">health</a> tools work best when they travel across borders without losing accuracy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-model-found">What the model found</h2>



Risk rose when average air temperatures topped roughly 50°F, day length sat between 12 and 15 hours, and dewpoint hovered around the mid 40s to about 50°F. The same pattern appeared regardless of location.



Not every weather knob seemed important. Wind speed, air pressure, and sunshine duration had little or no association with reported cases in this dataset.



Seasonal peaks in late summer were reproduced when the model fed on local weather. That gave officials a way to anticipate risk based on last week’s skies rather than waiting for lab reports to trickle in.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-weather-boosts-salmonella">How weather boosts Salmonella</h2>



Broader evidence lines up with these findings. A large <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11530612/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meta-analysis</a> of 23 Salmonella studies found about a 5 percent rise in risk for every 1.8°F increase in temperature.



Europe’s outbreak history shows why this topic matters. In 2018, nearly one in three foodborne outbreaks in the European Union were caused by Salmonella, according to an EFSA <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/salmonella-most-common-cause-foodborne-outbreaks-european-union" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>.



That baseline risk has not disappeared in recent years. Surveillance summaries still identify Salmonella as a leading cause of foodborne outbreaks across the region, with eggs and mixed foods often involved, as noted in EFSA’s public <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/7666" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">publication</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-means-for-public-health">What this means for public health</h2>



“The study highlights how weather plays a significant role in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-are-overlooked-sources-of-antibiotic-resistant-salmonella/">Salmonella</a> outbreaks and provides a valuable tool for predicting future risks and tailoring interventions, particularly in the context of climate change,” said Dr. Villeta. The work is not just about describing patterns.&nbsp;



Weather aware forecasting can help agencies time inspections, target hygiene messaging, and plan surge capacity when the odds of illness tick up. 



Food businesses can also adjust cold chain checks, staff training, and consumer advice when riskier conditions line up.



Individuals are not powerless either. Keep cold foods cold, cook poultry and eggs to safe temperatures, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, and wash hands and surfaces, especially when the air is warm and the day runs long.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-tech-forecasting-tools">High-tech forecasting tools</h2>



Most forecasting tools lean on regression or time series fits that struggle with tangled, non linear interactions. 



The conditional incidence approach shows how combinations of temperature, humidity, and daylight align with cases, which is easier to interpret and to explain.



That clarity helps separate what drives risk from noise. It also allows public health teams to identify factor combinations that do not explain much, saving effort where it will not pay off.



Model outputs replicated real world peaks and mapped risk at fine spatial scales. That is the level where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childrens-screen-time-shapes-their-mental-health-as-teens/">health</a> departments and food producers make day to day choices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limits-and-next-steps">Limits and next steps</h2>



The model tracks reported cases, which understate total infections. Even so, de trending and validation across two countries suggest the weather signals are real.



Future tests in different climates and income settings would show how far the method travels. Adding data on livestock density, land use, and consumer behavior could sharpen predictions without losing transparency.



Better early warnings do not replace basic food safety, but they can make those steps more timely. That is useful as warmer summers and longer heat seasons become more common.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journalofinfection.com/article/S0163-4453(25)00004-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Infection</a>.



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Warmer weather is impacting global food supply, but not in the way you think

Hotter summers are not just uncomfortable, they also changing the odds of getting sick from food. A new analysis links warmer air, higher moisture, specific dewpoint ranges, and longer daylight to spikes in Salmonella infections across two European countries. The team showed that risk climbs when average temperatures rise above about 50°F and days stretch past 12 to 15 hours. Lead author Dr. Laura C. González Villeta of the University of Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine led work that tied laboratory confirmed Salmonella cases to local weather...

Declining butterfly populations have been linked to fall <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/livestock-production-could-be-hit-hard-by-global-warming/">warming</a> and drier conditions in the western United States, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a>. The experts found that Western butterfly populations have been steadily declining at an estimated rate of 1.6 percent per year over the past four decades. 

The research involved data on more than 450 butterfly species across 72 sites. In particular, the latest population count of the western monarch indicates a 99.9 percent decline over the 42-year study period from 1977 to 2018.

"The monarch population that winters along the West Coast plummeted from several hundred thousand just a few years ago to fewer than 2,000 this past year," said study co-author Professor Katy Prudic. 

"Essentially, the western monarch is on the brink of extinction, but what's most unsettling is they are situated in the middle of the pack, so to speak, in our list of declining butterfly species."

Professor Prudic said the takeaway is that western U.S. butterflies are declining quickly, and autumn warming - not spring warming or land use change - is an important contributor to the decline.

While spring tends to get most of the attention when it comes to climate change, fall warming trends have been observed in 230 cities across the United States. The largest fall temperature increases have been found in much of the Southwest.

"In Arizona, for example, the period between September and November has warmed about 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit per decade since 1895," said study co-author Professor Michael Crimmins. "Fall temperatures have warmed especially fast since the late 1980s and it's not clear why."

The study noted that declining butterfly populations have been observed in areas experiencing these fall warming trends across the West. The researchers suggest fall temperature increases may not only induce physiological stress on butterflies, but may influence development and hibernation preparation. Warmer fall temperatures can also reduce the availability of food or host plants, and extend the length of time that predators are a threat to butterflies.

Study lead author Matt Forister is a professor of Biology at the <a href="https://www.unr.edu/">University of Nevada, Reno</a>.

"The widespread butterfly declines highlight the importance of careful management of the lands that we do have control over, including our own backyards where we should use fewer pesticides and choose plants for landscapes that benefit local insects," said Professor Forister.

"Our report is unique in covering a wide area of relatively undeveloped land as compared to, for example, studies from heavily populated areas of western Europe."

"The fact that declines are observed across the undeveloped spaces of the western U.S. means that we cannot assume that insects are okay out there far from direct human influence. And that's because the influence of climate change is, of course, not geographically restricted."

The findings are shedding new light on the impacts of climate change on Western butterfly populations, and suggest that a new approach is needed for butterfly conservation that is focused on groups of species with similar habitats and needs rather than on individual species. 

"Western butterfly declines are associated with increasing fall temperatures across the U.S. wildlands," said study co-author Katy Prudic. "Conservation, management and restoration on public lands, especially along cooler riparian areas, will be critical for preventing butterfly declines and extinction."

According to the researchers, management of developed areas can have immediate benefits for insect populations but the impacts of climate change across all landscapes cannot be ignored. They noted that society should not assume that the legal protection of open spaces is sufficient without action to limit the advance of human-caused climate change.

"We relied heavily on data from citizen or "community" scientists," said Professor Forister. "Volunteers are generating amazing data these days, and we wouldn't have been able to study as many locations without decades of hard work from hundreds or maybe thousands of people."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Western butterfly populations are steadily vanishing

Declining butterfly populations have been linked to fall warming and...

An alarming amount of seagrass has vanished from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oyster-parasites-have-arrived-in-european-waters/">waters</a> surrounding the UK, and the extent of this loss is much greater than what was previously estimated. In a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>, scientists have found that at least 44 percent of seagrass has been lost from this region since 1936.

Furthermore, the study suggests that nearly 40 percent of the total seagrass loss in the UK has occurred in recent decades. The research was a collaborative effort by experts at University College London, Kings College London, and Swansea University.

"Our paper establishes the best estimate of current seagrass extent in the UK, confirming at least 8,493 hectares, and documents a loss of at least 39% of aerial cover in the last 30 years," said study lead author Dr. Alix Green

"Historically, we show that this loss could be as much as 92%, and that these meadows could have stored 11.4 Mt of carbon and supported approximately 400 million fish." 

Despite the fact that they cover only 0.1 percent of the ocean floor worldwide, seagrass meadows are one of Earth's largest global carbon sinks. Seagrass stores carbon exponentially faster than terrestrial forests, which means it is a very valuable weapon against climate change. As a result of human activities such as coastal development, seagrass is rapidly declining.

While the current status of many seagrass meadows is unknown, previous studies have estimated that almost 30 percent of seagrass has been lost worldwide. 

There are two native species of seagrass in the UK - Zostera marina and Zostera noltii - which are both protected by law. For their investigation, the researchers analyzed several datasets to estimate the aerial extent of seagrasses. 

The findings highlight the urgent need to protect seagrass meadows and restore those that have been degraded or lost. 

"The next decade is a crucial window of opportunity to address the inter-related crises of biodiversity loss and climate change - the restoration of seagrass meadows would be an important contribution to this," explained study co-author Dr. Peter Jones.

"This will involve restrictions such as reduced boat anchor damage, restricting damaging fishing methods and reducing coastal pollution, including through marine protected areas."

The study revealed that not all seagrass meadows in the UK have suffered equally, with some sites showing signs of recovery. "The catastrophic losses documented in this research are alarming but offer a snapshot of the potential of this habitat if efforts are made to protect and restore seagrass meadows across the UK. We hope that this work will spur continued, systematic mapping and monitoring of seagrass meadows across the UK and encourage restoration and rehabilitation projects," said Dr. Green.

"These meadows have the potential to support our bountiful fisheries and help us win the fight against climate change and environmental degradation. The UK is lucky to have such a resource in our waters, and we should fight to protect it!"

"Now is the time to create financial mechanisms that reduce the flow of nutrients into our coastal seas, and offsetting mechanisms to allow a pathway of carbon finance into the conservation and restoration of these systems," noted study co-author Dr. Richard Unsworth. He said that by reversing seagrass loss, we can improve our fisheries, reduce coastal erosion and fight climate change.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science">Frontiers in Plant Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Seagrass loss is much worse than expected in the UK

An alarming amount of seagrass has vanished from the waters...

A new study of tropical rainforests has revealed a previously unknown link between mammal diversity and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-pigs-help-build-and-maintain-tree-diversity-in-rainforests/">forest</a> production. Researchers at <a href="https://www.rice.edu/">Rice University</a> analyzed camera-trap data from 15 wildlife preserves located within tropical rainforests. 

"In general, rainforest ecosystems are extremely diverse, and our study shows that mammal communities in rainforests can be predictably different, and these differences may be controlled, in part, by differences in plant productivity in forests," said study co-author Daniel Gorczynski.

Even in protected areas, it is difficult to keep track of the health of wildlife and ecosystems. The Rice team turned to camera-trap photos from the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network (TEAM), which uses motion-activated cameras to monitor species trends in tropical forests in Asia, Africa, and South America.

According to study co-author Professor Lydia Beaudrot, the study's scientific contributions demonstrate the importance of having the same data collection replicated on the ground in forests all around the world.

"The TEAM data are an incredible resource for basic and applied ecology and conservation," said Professor Beaudrot. "Given the pace of tropical forest loss, it is more important now than ever to use standardized camera-trap data to understand environmental and anthropogenic effects on wildlife."

For each site, the researchers collected data on all species of terrestrial mammals with an average body mass greater than one kilogram. All mammals at the same site were treated as a single community, and data was compiled for communities with as many as 31 species and as few as five. 

By compiling the functional traits for the species in each community - like diet and reproductive habits - the experts calculated the community's "functional diversity." 

"We found that species with unique characteristics - for example, species that are very large or eat unique foods - are relatively more common in forests with high productivity," said Gorczynski. The research also showed that species with unique characteristics were less common at sites with low productivity.

"Higher productivity is thought to make rare resources, like certain food types that unique species often eat, more readily available, which unique species can capitalize on. And because they are unique, they don't have to compete as much with other species for rare resources, and they can persist at higher abundances."

Gorczynski explained that the species that are considered unique varied by site. These included elephants, tapirs, and ground-dwelling monkeys. He noted that this relationship between mammal diversity and productivity had not been previously recognized.

"Most studies of rainforest mammals rely on range maps, which don't give you an idea of how common different species are," said Gorczynski. "We were able to find this relationship because we used camera trap observations. The observational data gives us an idea of how common different species are, which allows us to compare the relative abundances of species with different traits."

According to study co-author Jorge Ahumada, the research also shows that destructive human activities, like deforestation, decrease the diversity of species' traits in protected areas. He said that simply counting the number of species in a tropical forest does not provide a full picture of mammal diversity or ecosystem health. 

"We found that in areas where local species extinctions have been documented due to significant deforestation or poaching, such as in Korup National Park in Cameroon, large carnivores like leopards and golden cats are the first to go," said Ahumada. 

"Without these apex predators, entire food chains can be thrown out of balance. Eventually, populations of smaller herbivores will skyrocket, forcing more competition for the same limited resources."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mammal diversity in rainforests linked to plant productivity

A new study of tropical rainforests has revealed a previously...

Dynamic,Jump,Of,Killer,Whale,Hunting,Fish

A new study has investigated the diversity of fish species that support the diets of Southern Resident killer whales. The researchers found that killer whales rely on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-poop-stores-1-65-billion-tons-of-carbon-annually/">fish</a> from across a massive geographic range that reaches as far north as Alaska and as far south as California's Central Valley.

The diverse salmon stocks each have their own migration patterns and timing. The various species supply food for the killer whales across the entire year. The problem is that, like the killer whales, many of the salmon species they depend on are also endangered.

"If returns to the Fraser River are in trouble, and Columbia River returns are strong, then prey availability to the whales potentially balances out as the whales have evolved to move rapidly throughout their range. But if most of the stocks throughout their range are reduced then this could spell trouble for the whales," explained study lead author and <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/">NOAA Fisheries</a> wildlife biologist Brad Hanson.

The experts analyzed more than 150 prey and fecal samples collected from killer whales from 2004 to 2017. The research has produced the most comprehensive picture yet of Southern Resident prey over the course of the year.

"When so many prey species are endangered, then they lose some of that diversity," said Hanson. "The question for managers is how do you support and improve this diverse portfolio of species and stocks."

The analysis revealed that the killer whales prey almost exclusively on Chinook salmon when they are available in the summer. Over the rest of the year, they diversify their diet to include other species such as steelhead, chum, and coho salmon. 

Most of the salmon consumed by the whales during the winter and spring months come from three large river systems: the Columbia, Sacramento, and rivers entering Puget Sound.

The researchers pointed out that increased production of hatchery fish could help support the 75 remaining whales, but that this strategy is not without risks. Study co-author Robin Baird explained that many hatchery fish are already available for killer whales at certain times of the year. Increasing the diversity of hatchery fish in the wintertime, when the whales appear to have less food, may be most helpful.

"We don't need more cookie-cutter fish that all come back during the time when Chinook are most abundant; we need to diversify and increase availability at other times of the year," said Baird.

NOAA Fisheries has designated the Southern Residents one of nine national species in the spotlight. These species are highly endangered and can benefit from focused recovery efforts, including conservation of their prey. 

Lynne Barre is a marine biologist who is the recovery coordinator for the Southern Residents at NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region.

"Knowing what these whales eat throughout the year and across their various habitats helps us focus recovery efforts for both the Southern Residents and the salmon they rely on," explained Barre.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS One</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Killer whales may need to further diversify their diets

A new study has investigated the diversity of fish species...

A new study from <a href="https://www.brown.edu/">Brown University</a> reveals the enormous impact that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-can-overcome-climate-change-by-being-flexible/">humans</a> have on the global water cycle. The researchers found that even though human-managed reservoirs make up only a small percentage of Earth's water bodies, these reservoirs account for 57 percent of the seasonal variability in water levels.

"We tend to think of the water cycle as a purely natural system: Rain and snowmelt run into rivers, which run to the ocean where evaporation starts the whole cycle again," said study lead author Sarah Cooley. "But humans are actually intervening substantially in that cycle. Our work demonstrates that humans are responsible for a majority of the seasonal surface water storage variability on Earth."

The study was focused on data from NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat-2). The primary goal of the ICESat-2 mission is to track changes in the thickness and elevation of ice sheets around the world. The measurements are obtained using a laser altimeter, and elevation is calculated to an accuracy of 25 millimeters. 

Cooley has been using satellite data to study water levels in Arctic lakes. With this new study, she wanted to use ICESat-2 data to examine lake levels across the planet. 

Cooley said that ICESat-2's laser altimeter has far greater resolution than instruments used to measure water levels in the past, which made it possible to gather a large, precise dataset that included small ponds and reservoirs.

"With older satellites, you have to average results over a large area, which limits observations to only the world's largest lakes," explained Cooley. "ICESat has a small footprint, so we can get levels for small lakes that we couldn't get close to before. That was important for understanding global water dynamics, since most lakes and reservoirs are pretty small."

The satellite measured seasonal water levels in more than 227,000 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs from October 2018 to July 2020. The water bodies ranged in size from the Great Lakes to ponds with areas less than one tenth of a square mile. 

The study revealed that while natural lakes and ponds varied seasonally by an average of .22 meters, human-managed reservoirs varied by .86 meters. This means that, when compared to natural lakes, reservoirs account for 57 percent of the total variation in water levels. 

Human influence on water storage was even stronger in arid regions like the Middle East, American West, India, and Southern Africa, where seasonal variability attributed to human activity exceeds 90 percent.

"Of all the volume changes in freshwater bodies around the planet - all the floods, droughts and snowmelt that push lake levels up and down   humans have commandeered almost 60% of that variability," said study co-author Professor Laurence Smith. "That's a tremendous influence on the water cycle. In terms of human impact on the planet, this is right up there with impacts on land cover and atmospheric chemistry."

According to the researchers, their study provides a critical baseline for tracking the global water cycle as climate change and population growth put new stresses on freshwater resources.

"I think within the next three years we are going to see an explosion of high-quality satellite hydrology data, and we're going to have a much better idea of what's going on with water all over the planet," said Professor Smith. "That will have implications for security, trans-boundary water agreements, forecasting crop futures and more. We're right on the edge of a new understanding of our planet's hydrology."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Humans have a major influence on the global water cycle

A new study from Brown University reveals the enormous impact...

In a new study of peregrine falcons, experts have found compelling evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-grow-more-down-feathers-in-higher-elevations/">birds</a> have a "migration gene." The researchers said their findings add further evidence to suggest that genetics play a strong role in the distance of migration routes.

The study combined satellite tracking and genome sequencing to pinpoint a specific gene associated with migration in peregrine falcons. Best known for their ultrafast diving speeds, which can reach more than 200 miles per hour, peregrine falcons are the fastest birds in the world.

For the investigation, the experts tagged 56 peregrine falcons and monitored their migratory journeys by satellite. The annual flight distances and directions of the birds were tracked in great detail.

The peregrine falcons were found to use five migration routes across Eurasia. According to the researchers, these routes were likely established between the last ice age 22,000 years ago and the middle-Holocene 6,000 years ago.

Using complete genome sequencing, the team identified a gene that was associated with differences in migratory distance among peregrine falcons. This gene, ADCY8, is known to regulate long-term memory in other animals.

The researchers frequently found a variant of ADCY8 in long-distance migrant populations of peregrines. This finding indicates that the variant is preferentially selected because it increases long-term memory to support longer migrations.

Study co-author Professor Mike Bruford is a molecular ecologist from the School of Biosciences at <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk">Cardiff University</a>.

"Previous studies have identified several candidate genomic regions that may regulate migration - but our work is the strongest demonstration of a specific gene associated with migratory behaviour yet identified," explained Professor Bruford.

To predict the potential impacts of global warming, the team looked at simulations of future migratory behavior. "In this study we were able to combine animal movement and genomic data to identify that climate change has a major role in the formation and maintenance of migration patterns of peregrines," said Professor Bruford.

The results suggest that if global warming continues at the current rate, peregrine falcons in western Eurasia have the highest probability of population decline and may stop migrating altogether.

"Our work is the first to begin to understand the way ecological and evolutionary factors may interact in migratory birds - and we hope it will serve as a cornerstone to help conserve migratory species in the world," said study co-author Professor Xiangjiang Zhan.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study of peregrine falcons suggests birds have a migration gene

In a new study of peregrine falcons, experts have found...

Wild pigs in Malaysia are typically known for being environmentally destructive, but a new study from the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> suggests that they actually play an important role in building <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-from-ancient-rainforests-can-be-identified-in-fossil-teeth/">rainforests</a>. The research shows, for the first time, that wild pigs help to promote biodiversity across forest ecosystems. 

While studying the impacts of native pigs in Malaysian rainforests, Dr. Matthew Luskin discovered that their nests may be critical to maintaining diverse and balanced tree communities.

"We've shown that wild pigs can support higher diversity ecosystems and are not just nuisances and pests, thanks to a beneficial effect of their nesting practices," explained Dr. Luskin.

"Prior to giving birth, pigs build birthing nests made up of hundreds of tree seedlings, usually on flat, dry sites in the forest."

"As they build their nests, the pigs kill many of the dominant seedlings and inadvertently reduce the abundance of locally dominant tree species, but usually not rarer local species, supporting tree diversity."

Dr. Luskin noted that wild pigs descended from the same species of domestic pigs and both have generally been considered pests by farmers, land managers, and conservationists. "Their negative impacts on natural and cultivated ecosystems have been well documented - ranging from soil disturbances to attacking newborn livestock."

The researchers tagged more than 30,000 tree seedlings in a Malaysian rainforest. After recovering over 1,800 of the tree tags from inside more than 200 pig birthing nests, the experts were able to investigate how tree diversity changed in the areas where pigs nested.

"You could consider pigs 'accidental forest gardeners' that prune common seedlings and inadvertently maintain diversity," said Dr. Luskin. 

"In many regions, there's a focus on managing overabundant pig populations to limit their negative environmental impacts. But our results suggest there may be some positives to maintaining pigs in the ecosystem."

Since the fieldwork was conducted in Malaysia where pigs are native, the impacts of invasive pigs in Australia may not create similar effects, explained Dr. Luskin.

"We're currently in the process of designing new research to study the same pig processes here in Queensland, and we'll also be comparing our initial Malaysian results with conditions in a nearby Malaysian forest that is heavily hunted and where many native pigs have been killed."

"It's an intriguing insight, as pigs have become the most widespread large animal on Earth, so documenting any new ecological impacts has massive repercussions globally."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wild pigs help promote tree diversity in rainforests

Wild pigs in Malaysia are typically known for being environmentally...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.aip.org/">American Institute of Physics </a>(AIP), scientists have developed a model that predicts the probability of plastic debris being transported from one part of the ocean to another. The research is shedding new light on how plastic debris makes its way into ocean garbage patches.

Every day, tons of plastic debris enters the ocean, and most of it accumulates in garbage patches that float on the surface of the ocean. The most well-known floating trash pile, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is estimated to weigh more than 88,000 tons. This is the equivalent of 500 jumbo jets.

The researchers set out to explore which pathways transport debris from the coastline to the middle of the ocean. They also wanted to gain a better understanding of subtropical gyres and how they influence the long-term accumulation of debris.

By analyzing historical trajectories of surface buoys, the AIP team developed a Markov chain model of the oceans' surface dynamics. 

"Surface debris is released from the coast and distributed according to their location's share of the global land-based plastic waste entering the ocean," said study co-author Philippe Miron. 

"To observe the long-term distribution of floating debris, beached debris is reinjected into the system following the same distribution. We call this model 'pollution aware,' because it models the injection, dispersion, and recirculation of debris within the system."

Based on the transition path theory, the researchers set out to identify debris pathways or transition paths connecting a source directly to a target. The team also investigated the connections between garbage patches to predict their ability to retain trash.

"In this work, we focus on pathways from the coast to the subtropical gyres, from one gyre to another, and from the gyres to the coast," said Miron.

"We identified a high-probability transition channel connecting the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with the coasts of eastern Asia, which suggests an important source of plastic pollution there. And the weakness of the Indian Ocean gyre as a plastic debris trap is consistent with transition paths not converging within the gyre."

The experts report that gyres, in general, are weakly connected or disconnected from each other.

"Indeed, in the event of anomalously intense winds, a subtropical gyre is more likely to export garbage toward the coastlines than into another gyre," said Miron.

The researchers confirmed that the North Pacific subtropical gyre attracts the most debris, which has been previously documented. However, they also determined that debris accumulation in the South Pacific gyre  is longer lasting because there are fewer pathways for the garbage to escape and keep moving. 

"Our results, including prospects for garbage patches yet to be directly or robustly observed, namely in the Gulf of Guinea and in the Bay of Bengal, have implications for ocean cleanup activities," said Miron. "The reactive pollution routes we found provide targets - aside from the great garbage patches themselves - for those cleanup efforts."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/journal/cha">Chaos</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Model predicts the fate of plastic debris in the ocean

In a new study from the American Institute of Physics...

Oysters that are exposed to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-heatwaves-will-intensify-due-to-thinning-ocean-layer/">heat</a> and low oxygen conditions early in life are more vulnerable to the same stressors later on, according to a new study from the <a href="https://serc.si.edu/">Smithsonian Environmental Research Center</a> (SERC).

The experts found that in response to repeated  environmental stress, oysters invest more energy in growing their shells than in growing their tissues. As a result, they have larger shells that are less meaty.

"What we all of course want to eat at the raw bar is the oyster tissue," said study lead author Sarah Donelan. "Customers and restaurants might be less pleased if there's less tissue in what looks to be a large oyster."

In the Chesapeake Bay, oysters live mostly in shallow tributaries where oxygen levels can swing drastically during the hot summer months. The researchers explained that these oxygen levels can shift from perfectly healthy in the daytime to near zero at night. To save energy, some oysters react by focusing more on their shell growth. 

Low oxygen was found to have the strongest negative impact on growth. The experts also discovered that early exposure to low oxygen and heat stress led to a drastically sharper decline in tissue growth when the oysters were exposed to these conditions again later in life. 

"Low oxygen and warming waters are a real double whammy for marine organisms," said SERC senior scientist Denise Breitburg. "Warmer water holds less oxygen and causes oxygen to decline faster. At the same time, cold-blooded animals like oysters and finfish require more oxygen at warmer temperatures."

The researchers designed an experiment to investigate whether exposure to threats could shape oysters later in life. Nightly swings of low oxygen were used to put pressure on the shellfish.

"If it's always bad, they can evolve over time to cope with those poor conditions," said Donelan. "But especially for (immobile) organisms like oysters, these fluctuations can be very stressful."

The study was focused on 3,600 young oysters around the age of three months old. The animals were exposed to four possible scenarios, including warmer water, swings of low oxygen, both conditions, or neither condition. 

When the oysters were given a break after 18 days, they were all about the same size regardless of their environments. At this point, there were no significant differences in shell or tissue size among the individuals. 

Two months later, when half of the oysters were returned to the experimental tanks, some effects started to show that may have been dormant.

The oysters that had suffered from both low oxygen and hotter water in the first phase of the experiment started showing signs of strain. Oysters that were facing the challenging conditions for the second time grew their shells more than their tissue. They had half the tissue-versus-shell growth ratio that was observed in oysters who escaped the early double exposure.

The findings raise a new question: why would the oysters not be toughened up by early exposure? Donelan suspects the combination of warming and low oxygen leaves a scar that does not easily heal. "I think that there's likely a physiological change that's irreversible."

The key, said Donelan, is to protect oysters while they are still young. Oysters that were not exposed to the warm water and low oxygen conditions early in life fared much better when they faced the same stressors later on.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19395582">Ecological Applications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Oysters respond to stress by growing less meat on their shells

Oysters that are exposed to heat and low oxygen conditions...

Plants set their circadian clock in the evening to make sure they have enough energy to make it through the night, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a>. The experts identified a metabolic signal that the plants use to set their "bedtime alarm." 

The researchers believe that the newly identified metabolic signal informs the plant on how much sugar is available at dusk so the plant can adjust its metabolism to survive the night. 

Plants use sunlight to produce sugar through photosynthesis, and the sugar is stored up for energy during nighttime hours. It is critical for plants to be able to anticipate the duration of these dark hours so that they do not run out of energy. 

Predicting sunrise and estimating the duration of the night depends on the circadian rhythm, which is a 24-hour cycle that is part of the body's internal clock.

"We think this metabolic signal is acting rather like setting an alarm clock before bedtime to ensure the plant's survival," said Dr. Mike Haydon.

"Plants must coordinate photosynthetic metabolism with the daily environment and adapt rhythmic physiology and development to match carbon availability."

To investigate how sugars alter the circadian clock, the researchers modified the sugar supply of some seedlings and measured their gene expression. They zeroed in on a set of genes regulated by the chemical compound superoxide, which is associated with metabolic activity. 

Most of these genes are active in the evening, including those that regulate the circadian clock. When the experts inhibited the production of superoxide, the evening effects of sugar on the circadian clock genes were also inhibited.

"Distinguishing the effects of light and sugars in photosynthetic cells is challenging," said Professor Ian Graham. "Our data suggest a new role for superoxide as a rhythmic sugar-related signal which acts in the evening and affects circadian gene expression and growth."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plants set a "bedtime alarm" that helps them survive the night

Plants set their circadian clock in the evening to make...

Coral Reef Fiji Pacific Panarama

Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists at the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a> have conducted the first investigation into how many corals there are in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/benefits-of-sea-otters-in-the-north-pacific-greatly-outweigh-costs/">Pacific</a> Ocean, as well as their risk of extinction. Prior to this study, the global number of individual coral colonies was a mystery.

"In the Pacific, we estimate there are roughly half a trillion corals," said study lead author Dr. Andy Dietzel. "This is about the same number of trees in the Amazon, or birds in the world."

The findings are critically important for the conservation of coral reefs, which are severely threatened by climate change.Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean

"We need to know the abundance of a species to assess its risk of extinction," explained Dr. Dietzel. "However, there is very little data on most of Earth's wild animal and plant species - not just corals."

Dr Dietzel said that each of the eight most common coral species in the region have a population size greater than the 7.8 billion people on Earth.

While local losses can be devastating to coral reefs, the results of the new study suggest that the global extinction risk of most species is lower than what was previously thought.

With broad geographic ranges and huge population sizes, the extinctions of many types of corals will unfold over a much longer timeframe than expected.

The analysis shows that 12 of the 80 species considered by the IUCN to have an elevated extinction risk have estimated population sizes of more than one billion colonies, noted Professor Sean Connolly.

"As an example, the finger-coral, Porites nigrescens, ranks amongst the ten most abundant species we examined. It's also not considered to be highly susceptible to coral bleaching - yet it is currently listed by IUCN as vulnerable to global extinction," said Professor Connolly.

On the other hand, Professor Michael Bode pointed out that one third of the species examined that had the lowest population numbers are listed by the IUCN as being of Least Concern.

According to Professor Terry Hughes, the study results have major implications for managing and restoring coral reefs.

"We counted an average of 30 corals per square metre of reef habitat. This translates into tens of billions of corals on the Great Barrier Reef--even after recent losses from climate extremes," said Professor Hughes.

"Coral restoration is not the solution to climate change. You would have to grow about 250 million adult corals to increase coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef by just one percent."

Professor Hughes said the study highlights the opportunity for action to mitigate the threats to reef species - and well before climate change causes global extinctions - to make an eventual recovery of reef coral assemblages possible.

"The challenge now is to protect wild populations of corals, because we could never replace more than a tiny percentage of them. Prevention is better than cure."

"Given the huge size of these coral populations, it is very unlikely that they face imminent extinction. There is still time to protect them from anthropogenic heating, but only if we act quickly on reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature 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

Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean

Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists...

Shops,And,Passenger,Ships,On,The,Banks,Of,The,Royal

Looking into the past, researchers can see that human populations have not always collapsed in the face of climate change. In fact, a new study from <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis</a> reveals that during the early Bronze Age, people in the central plains of China responded quite successfully to long-term <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glass-bottles-have-an-unexpectedly-large-environmental-impact/">environmental</a> changes.

The experts found that when a new climate emerged, humans turned to innovation, including advancement in agriculture and increasingly complex social structures. Such innovations set the stage for a dramatic increase in the human population around 3,900 to 3,500 years ago.

"In China, especially, there has been a relatively simplistic view of the effects of climate," said Professor Tristram R. Kidder. "Our work shows that we need to have a nuanced appreciation of human resilience as we consider the effects of climate and its effects on human societies."

"We have remarkable capacity to adapt. But part of the lesson here is that our social, political and technological systems have to be flexible. People in the past were able to overcome climate adversity because they were willing to change."

The researchers set out to quantify the types of demographic and subsistence changes that took place over the course of thousands of years in the central plains of China. 

Based on pollen data from a lake sediment core collected in Henan Province, the experts determined that a warm and wet climate about 9,000 to 4,000 years ago shifted to a cool and dry climate during the Neolithic-Bronze Age transition.

The team used radiocarbon dating and archaeological data to analyze what people were growing and eating during periods of significant population surges and declines throughout the time when the climate was stable and when it shifted. 

The researchers discovered that as resources began to fluctuate and become more limited in drier conditions, people expanded the number of plants they cultivated for food. They embraced new diversity, including foxtail millet, broomcorn millet, wheat, soybean and rice.

The time when the climate was changing is also marked by innovations in water management approaches for irrigation and new metal tools.

"Certainly, by 4,000 years ago, which is when we see this change in the overall environmental condition, this is a society with complicated political, social and economic institutions," said Professor Kidder. 

"And what I think we are seeing is the capacity of these institutions to buffer and to deal with the climatic variation. When we talk about changes in subsistence strategies, these changes didn't happen automatically. These are human choices."

According to study co-author Michael Storozum, the fact that climate change does not always equal collapse is an important point in both a prehistoric and modern context.

"Humans have been heavily modifying their environments for thousands of years, often in the pursuit of increasing food production which grants societies a higher degree of social resilience," said Storozum.

"As more environmental scientists and archaeologists work together, I expect that our understanding of what makes a society resilient to climate change in prehistoric and historical times will grow as well."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Humans can overcome climate change by being flexible

Looking into the past, researchers can see that human populations...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHHxOej4QfE
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic pollution.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-invisible-threat-in-urban-air">Invisible threat in urban air</h2>



City dwellers face an unseen danger with every breath. New findings from Emory University researchers suggest that fine particulate matter from <a href="http://earth.com/news/traffic-related-air-pollution-might-increase-alzheimers-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vehicle emissions may significantly elevate the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease</a>. The study examined brain tissue samples from 224 individuals who had confirmed diagnoses and volunteered their brains for scientific research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disturbing-connections-emerge">Disturbing connections emerge</h2>



Scientists analyzed neuritic plaques — protein clusters that characterize Alzheimer's — while mapping each participant's exposure to PM2.5 particles based on residential location and surrounding traffic density. The correlation proved more alarming than anticipated. Individuals experiencing higher pollution exposure showed nearly double the likelihood of elevated plaque accumulation in brain tissue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-timing-matters">Timing matters</h2>



The research team discovered that pollution exposure during the final year before death demonstrated the strongest association with brain changes. This timeline suggests relatively rapid impacts from environmental toxins on neural health. The connection remained robust even after accounting for various demographic and health factors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-vulnerability-patterns">Genetic vulnerability patterns</h2>



Perhaps most concerning, people lacking the APOE gene—which naturally predisposes individuals to Alzheimer's — exhibited more than twice the susceptibility to pollution-related brain damage. Study author Dr. Anke Huels noted this indicates environmental elements like air contamination could trigger the disease in cases where hereditary factors don't explain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-health-implications">Public health implications</h2>



These findings, published in <a href="https://www.neurology.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neurology</a>, underscore the critical importance of air quality regulations in urban planning. The research suggests that implementing stricter emission controls and promoting alternative transportation could serve as powerful tools in Alzheimer's prevention.



As cities worldwide grapple with growing traffic congestion and aging populations, this study highlights an urgent need for comprehensive approaches to environmental health that protect both our lungs and our minds.



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Traffic fumes may trigger Alzheimer's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHHxOej4QfE Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-astrobiology">Implications for astrobiology</h2>



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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—–

Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DuSr87SHY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-earth-became-a-frozen-wasteland">When Earth became a frozen wasteland</h2>



Imagine Earth as a giant snowball, frozen solid from the North Pole to the equator. This wasn't the plot of a science fiction movie – it was our planet's reality 700 million years ago during an extreme ice age that has puzzled scientists for decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-discovery">The discovery</h2>



Australian researchers from the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sydney</a> have finally cracked one of geology's greatest mysteries: what caused the Sturtian glaciation and why it persisted for an unprecedented 57 million years. This period occurred long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, when no complex plants or multicellular animals existed.



Dr. Adriana Dutkiewicz, the study's lead author, describes a world completely unlike today's climate. "Imagine the Earth almost completely frozen over," she explained. "The planet was blanketed in ice from poles to equator, and temperatures plunged."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-combination-of-climate-factors">The combination of climate factors</h2>



The research team discovered that this massive freeze resulted from a "double whammy" of geological events. First, plate tectonic activity reduced volcanic carbon dioxide emissions to historically low levels. Volcanic activity typically releases CO2 into the atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect that keeps Earth warm.



Simultaneously, weathering of volcanic rocks in what is now Canada actively absorbed atmospheric CO2, further reducing greenhouse gas concentrations. When atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dropped below 200 parts per million – less than half of today's levels – glaciation engulfed the entire planet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-climate-implications">Modern climate implications</h2>



Published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geology</a>, this research provides crucial insights into Earth's climate system. While geological climate changes occur over millions of years, the study emphasizes that human-induced climate change is happening at a pace ten times faster than previously observed natural changes, highlighting the urgent need to understand our planet's delicate climate balance.



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What caused the planet's longest ice age

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DuSr87SHY 57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists....

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-monitoring-networks">Scientific monitoring networks</h2>



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.



The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.



The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.



The full study was recently published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.



Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.



Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents". In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively. MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.



MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization. The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.



Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.



A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.



This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.



PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.



In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.



As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.



The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.



For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.



The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.



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MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a>



Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.



The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-global-food-security">Implications for global food security</h2>



The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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