Floating photovoltaics (FPV), or “floatovoltaics,” are spreading across water bodies worldwide. From California’s vineyards to China’s massive energy projects, these solar systems glide atop irrigation ponds, reservoirs, and wastewater treatment plants. 



They produce clean energy without consuming precious land, a seemingly perfect solution in a space-constrained world.



But the water beneath these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floating-solar-panels-could-power-entire-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">panels</a> isn’t empty. It teems with life. Birds drift, dive, nest, and hunt in these waters. As FPV systems expand, they introduce a new dynamic to these habitats - and nobody knows yet what the consequences might be.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-floating-solar-and-bird-habitats">Floating solar and bird habitats</h2>



A recent study from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Davis</a>, published in the journal Nature Water, raises a vital question: Can renewable energy and wildlife coexist without collateral damage? The researchers, part of the UC Davis Wild Energy Center, are among the first to examine how waterbirds respond to FPV systems.



“That’s why it’s so important to understand how waterbirds are going to respond to floating solar and if there is the possibility for conservation concessions at new floating solar facilities,” said Elliott Steele, a postdoctoral scholar with the UC Davis Wild Energy Center within the Energy and Efficiency Institute.



Steele’s words are urgent. Bird populations are plummeting. Habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and avian influenza have combined into a perfect storm of threats. If floating solar disrupts waterbird behavior, it could exacerbate an already dire situation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bird-responses-to-floating-solar-systems">Bird responses to floating solar systems</h2>



Imagine a black-crowned night heron standing motionless on a solar <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floating-solar-panels-could-power-every-home-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">panel</a> before dawn. Below, cormorants dart through the water, jostling for a place to perch. A black phoebe builds a nest beneath the panels, sheltered but close to human-made structures.



These are not imagined scenes. During their fieldwork, the UC Davis researchers observed all these behaviors. Birds are not just interacting with FPV systems — they are adapting to them, sometimes in unexpected ways.



“Our team has been documenting such a diversity of bird <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floridas-waterbirds-expert-divers-with-bold-hunting-techniques/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behavior</a> with floating PV, so we immediately knew this was a very important interaction, especially given the precipitous decline in waterbird numbers globally,” said senior author and UC Davis Professor Rebecca R. Hernandez.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-and-risks-of-floating-solar">Benefits and risks of floating solar</h2>



Renewable energy projects have not always considered <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-americas-birds-scientists-declare-a-full-on-emergency-in-the-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife</a>. Now, as FPV systems expand, researchers are determined not to repeat past mistakes. The UC Davis team identified five areas demanding urgent study.



First, the researchers are exploring how waterbirds interact with FPV structures, questioning whether these birds use the solar panels as nesting sites, hunting perches, or safe resting places.



In addition, they are investigating the direct and indirect effects of FPV systems on waterbirds. While a panel may provide shelter to one species, it may simultaneously deter another.



The team is considering how conservation strategies can be tailored to specific sites, regions, and seasons, recognizing that bird populations vary significantly in their behaviors and needs.



Furthermore, they are examining how best to design monitoring systems at FPV sites. Should they rely on cameras, sensors, or traditional bird counts to collect data effectively?



The researchers are also assessing the potential for pollutants to be released from FPV systems. If such contamination occurs, they aim to determine what can be done to mitigate the risks to aquatic and avian life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-renewable-energy-design">Rethinking renewable energy design</h2>



Study co-author Emma Forester is a Ph.D. candidate with the UC Davis Land, Air and Water Resources department and the Wild Energy Center.



“There are some things we wished we’d known before other kinds of renewable energy were developed,” said Forester.



“While we’re at this critical threshold of renewable energy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-panels-are-1000-times-more-powerful-with-new-tech-breakthrough/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">development</a>, we want to put more thought into the design that can benefit birds and other wildlife as we go forward.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-balancing-act-energy-vs-ecology">The balancing act: Energy vs. ecology</h2>



Floating solar systems present a compelling case for water conservation. They can reduce evaporation by shading the water surface, an added benefit in drought-prone areas. But there’s a catch.



While some birds, like the black-crowned night heron, seem to thrive on the panels, others might not. Researchers observed birds using FPV systems in various ways - nesting, perching, feeding - but the long-term impacts remain unclear.



And then there’s pollution. Solar panels are not inert objects. As they age, they can degrade, releasing chemicals into the water. What happens to the fish, algae or the birds? These questions linger, unanswered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-designing-for-wildlife">Designing for wildlife</h2>



To ensure that FPV systems are truly green, wildlife considerations must be integrated from the start. 



Hernandez and her team emphasize that waterbirds are ideal subjects for these studies. They occupy both the water and the air, making them sensitive indicators of environmental change.



But there’s a deeper challenge. Conservation strategies that work in California may fail in Florida. Solutions for herons may not suit cormorants. Customization is key.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-at-stake">What’s at stake</h2>



Floating solar may be new, but the questions it raises are not. When energy projects collide with nature, unintended consequences often follow. As renewable energy scales up, researchers must consider not just the panels but the ecosystems they disrupt.



Floating solar has enormous potential. But without rigorous, long-term studies, that potential could come at a steep ecological cost. For now, the researchers at UC Davis are watching the waterbirds - and hoping the world will pay attention.



The study, funded by the <a href="https://uckeepresearching.org/california-climate-action/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">California Climate Action Seed Grant</a>, <a href="https://www.enelgreenpower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enel Green Power</a>, and several U.S. government agencies, is a starting point. 



The research team includes scientists from UC Davis, the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Geological Survey</a>, the <a href="https://www.ucf.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Central Florida</a>, <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lancaster University</a>, and <a href="https://www.enelgreenpower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enel Green Power</a> in Italy.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00429-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Water.</a>



Image Credit: Rebecca R. Hernandez, UC Davis.



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Floating solar panels affect bird habitats in unexpected ways

Floating photovoltaics (FPV), or “floatovoltaics,” are spreading across water bodies worldwide. From California’s vineyards to China’s massive energy projects, these solar systems glide atop irrigation ponds, reservoirs, and wastewater treatment plants. They produce clean energy without consuming precious land, a seemingly perfect solution in a space-constrained world. But the water beneath these panels isn’t empty. It teems with life. Birds drift, dive, nest, and hunt in these waters. As FPV systems expand, they introduce a new dynamic to these habitats - and nobody knows yet what the...

In a study that compared 25 years of satellite data from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> (ESA), scientists have found that 24 percent of the glacier ice in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-increase-ice-mass-loss/">West Antarctica</a> is now unstable as a result of thinning caused by warming ocean water. 

Experts at the <a href="https://cpom.org.uk/">UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling</a> (CPOM) used over 800 million measurements of Antarctic ice sheet height from between 1992 and 2017. The data was recorded by radar altimeter instruments on the ERS-1, ERS-2, Envisat, and CryoSat satellite missions.

Along with simulations of snowfall over the same time period, the measurements made it possible to distinguish which changes in ice-sheet height had been caused by weather events that affect snow, and which were caused by longer-term climate changes that affect ice.

Some regions in the ice sheet had thinned by up to 122 meters, and the most rapid changes were discovered in areas where ocean melting has triggered glacier imbalance. “Parts of Antarctica have thinned by extraordinary amounts. So we set out to show how much was down to changes in climate and how much was instead due to weather,” said CPOM Director Andy Shepherd.

The team determined that fluctuations in snowfall drive small changes in ice height over large areas for a few years at a time, and the most extreme changes in ice thickness coincide with signs of glacier imbalance that have persisted for decades.

“Knowing how much snow has fallen has really helped us to isolate the glacier imbalance within the satellite record. We can see clearly now that a wave of thinning has spread rapidly across some of Antarctica’s most vulnerable glaciers, and their losses are driving up sea levels around the planet,” said Professor Shepard.

“After 25 years, the pattern of glacier thinning has spread across 24% of West Antarctica, and its largest ice streams – the Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers – are now losing ice five times faster than they were in the 1990s. Altogether, ice losses from East and West Antarctica have added 4.6 mm of water to global sea level since 1992.”

“This is a fantastic demonstration of how satellite missions can help us to understand how our planet is changing,” said ESA engineer Marcus Engdahl. “The polar regions are hostile environments and are extremely difficult to access from the ground. Because of this, the view from space is an essential tool for tracking the effects of climate change.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical 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

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Andrew Shepherd

One-fourth of West Antarctic ice is now unstable

In a study that compared 25 years of satellite data...

Research led by the <a href="https://www.utas.edu.au/">University of Tasmania</a> has revealed that a remote territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean is immersed in plastic debris. The beaches of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands were found to be littered with 414 million pieces of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-health-threats/">plastic pollution</a> totaling around 238 tons. 

The study’s lead author, Dr. Jennifer Lavers, captured worldwide attention in 2017 when she reported that beaches on Henderson Island in the South Pacific had the highest known density of plastic debris anywhere on the planet. 

Although the density of the plastic pieces found on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands beaches is lower than what was found on Henderson Island, the total volume outweighs the South Pacific island’s debris by 221 million tons. 

Dr. Lavers said that remote islands like these, which do not have large human populations depositing garbage nearby, provide an indication of the amount of plastic debris circulating in the world's oceans.

“Islands such as these are like canaries in a coal mine and it's increasingly urgent that we act on the warnings they are giving us,” said Dr. Lavers. “Plastic pollution is now ubiquitous in our oceans, and remote islands are an ideal place to get an objective view of the volume of plastic debris now circling the globe.”

“Our estimate of 414 million pieces weighing 238 tons on Cocos (Keeling) is conservative, as we only sampled down to a depth of 10 centimeters and couldn't access some beaches that are known debris ‘hotspots.’ Unlike Henderson Island, where most identifiable debris was fishing-related, the plastic on Cocos (Keeling) was largely single-use consumer items such as bottle caps and straws, as well as a large number of shoes and thongs.”

[caption id="attachment_1872746" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Cocos-Islands-debris-close-up.-Credit-Jennifer-Lavers.jpg.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872746" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Cocos-Islands-debris-close-up.-Credit-Jennifer-Lavers.jpg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="488" /></a> Image Credit: Jennifer Lavers[/caption]

Study co-author Dr. Annett Finger pointed out that the global production of plastic continues to increase, and that almost half of the plastic produced over the past 60 years was manufactured in the last 13 years.

“An estimated 12.7 million tonnes of plastic entered our oceans in 2010 alone, with around 40 percent of plastics entering the waste stream in the same year they're produced,” said Dr. Finger. “As a result of the growth in single-use consumer plastics, it's estimated there are now 5.25 trillion pieces of ocean plastic debris.”

“Plastic pollution is a well-documented threat to wildlife and its potential impact on humans is a growing area of medical research. The scale of the problem means cleaning up our oceans is currently not possible, and cleaning beaches once they are polluted with plastic is time consuming, costly, and needs to be regularly repeated as thousands of new pieces of plastic wash up each day.”

“The only viable solution is to reduce plastic production and consumption while improving waste management to stop this material entering our oceans in the first place.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit:  Jennifer Lavers

Remote Australian beaches are littered with 414 million pieces of plastic

Research led by the University of Tasmania has revealed that...

Years of satellite data help map ocean salinity levels. Years of satellite data have helped researchers create one of the longest and most accurate datasets of global ocean salinity.

Having an accurate record of sea-surface salinity will aid in future studies examining how human-made climate change is impacting the world’s water cycle and ocean currents as both of these are directly linked to water salinity.

The project, which will be presented at the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/esas-living-planet-symposium/">Living Planet Symposium,</a> is part of the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Space_for_our_climate/ESA_s_Climate_Change_Initiative/(print)">European Space Agency’s Climate Change Initiative</a> which seeks to incorporate satellite data into long-term datasets for 22 climate variables, salinity among them. 

Ocean buoys and ships have long been used to measure sea salinity and records as far back as the 1950s show a growing trend in increasing salinity in some parts of the ocean. However, inconsistent and limited datasets have made studying this trend a challenge. Years of satellite data help map ocean salinity levels

To help remedy this, ESA researchers turned to the skies and created a thorough dataset spanning nine years of Earth observation data collected from satellites. 

Data from <a href="https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/SMOS">ESA’s SMOS</a> satellite mission, the <a href="https://smap.jpl.nasa.gov/">US’s SMAP mission</a>, and the <a href="https://aquarius.nasa.gov/">Aquarius satellite mission</a> were used to help compile the dataset. 

“By combining and comparing measurements from the missions’ various radiometers, the precision of sea-surface salinity maps is improved by roughly 30% thanks to the increased number of measurements and reduced inter-calibration error,” said Jacqueline Boutin, the leader of the research team. 

Ocean salinity plays a role in both ocean current circulation and seawater density, which is the amount of water that is denser than freshwater. Sea salinity is also linked to the global water cycle, and sea-surface saltiness impacts the amount of freshwater that evaporates from the ocean. 

Now, the dataset can help researchers understand the role of climate change in ocean salinity, how ocean salinity impacts El Nino, and ocean salinity’s impact on weather events like cyclones. 

The researchers plan to use the dataset in several water cycle studies in the Bay of Bengal where severe cycles are common. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: ESA–CCI

Years of satellite data help map ocean salinity levels

Years of satellite data help map ocean salinity levels. Years...

Geomagnetic storm could light up the night sky with auroras this week. The <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA) <a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/">Space Weather Prediction Center</a> (SPPC) has issued a geomagnetic storm watch going into effect on May 15th and lasting through May 17th. 

The G2 moderate storm watch forecasts back to back <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/a-beautiful-aurora-borealis-seen-from-the-space-station/">bright displays of the aurora</a> which could be visible in parts of the northern United States and Canada depending on weather conditions and location.

Three Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) were observed by the SWPC earlier this week making their way toward Earth.  When these ejections of bright plasma from the Sun collide with Earth’s magnetic field, it can disrupt power grids and communication systems. 

“The first two CME events are expected to arrive on 15 May, and the third CME is anticipated to arrive the later half of 16 May,” the <a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/g1-minor-watch-effect-15-16-may-2019-utc-days">SWPC</a> said. 

What causes the aurora is the sudden spike in electrons in Earth’s upper atmosphere, and although the SWPC forecasts that the storm will peak at G2 levels, there is little fear that the solar flares will cause much of a disturbance to satellites or power lines. 

However, the strength of the storm is good news for people in the Northern Hemisphere who may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis. 

People living in Canada, Minnesota, Michigan, and Maine have a good chance of seeing the Northern lights light up the night sky if conditions are favorable. 

The SWPC even forecasts aurora displays as far south as Illinois, New York, and Ohio if the geomagnetic storm is strong enough. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Geomagnetic storm could light up the night sky with auroras this week

Geomagnetic storm could light up the night sky with auroras...

The deepest-ever human ocean dive reveals that our garbage beat us there. Former naval officer Victor Vescovo has now descended deeper into the ocean than any other human. His record-setting solo submarine dive seven miles deep in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/life-found-mariana-trench/">Mariana Trench</a> has produced three new marine species, along with some less exciting discoveries in the form of garbage. 

According to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>, Vescovo was literally mapping uncharted new territory in the world’s deepest underwater trench when he noticed plastic trash. 

News outlets initially reported that he saw a candy wrapper and a plastic bag, but a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a> report referred to the waste spotted by Vescovo as being “metal or plastic objects, one with writing on it.”

“I was disappointed to see human contamination in the deepest point in the ocean,” said Vescovo. “With over 7 billion people on the Earth, the oceans are going to be impacted negatively by mankind, but I hope we can at least minimize it in the future.” The deepest-ever human ocean dive reveals that our garbage beat us there

Vescovo told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a> he spent around four hours on the floor of the Mariana Trench, and he was amazed by his surroundings. ‘There was definitely life at the very bottom of the ocean. It was not dead by any means... I felt very excited, privileged to get to see it, but also very much at peace because it really is a quiet, peaceful, place.”

[caption id="attachment_1872707" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/mariana-trench.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872707" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/mariana-trench.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="406" /></a> The bottom of the Mariana Trench, Image Credit: Five Deeps[/caption]

Scientists identified at least three new species of marine animals during the expedition, including a crustacean that resembles a shrimp. The <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a> reports that the specimens collected by the team will be tested for microplastics.

Vescovo’s historic dive replaces a previous record set by movie director James Cameron in 2012 by just over 50 feet.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Five Deeps

The deepest-ever human ocean dive reveals that our garbage beat us there

The deepest-ever human ocean dive reveals that our garbage beat...

According to a new study, led by Gabriela Prestes-Carneiro of <a href="http://www.ufopa.edu.br/ufopa/">Federal University of Western Para, Brazil</a>, a network of fish ponds in the seasonal drylands of Bolivia supported a permanent human settlement about 1,000 years ago. 

This research shows how exactly humans modified their environment to support themselves through the months-long Amazon Basin <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/drought-ozone-pollution-levels/">droughts</a>.

Previous studies have found that humans settled the Llanos de Mojos region in central Bolivia — an area that experiences flooding rain from October to April and then drought throughout the rest of the year — around 500 AD. 

These people built earthen mounds on which to settle, and built a series of shallow ponds, all connected by canals, in order to trap rainwater to last them through the dry season.

Prestes-Carneiro and her team conducted osteological and taxonomic identifications on the remains of over 17,000 fish at the most significant archaeological pond-based site in this region, called Loma Salavtierra. 

They were able to identify over 35 different taxa of fish, with the majority being swamp-eels, armored catfish, lungfish, and tiger-fish. All of these species are adapted to live in low-oxygen, level-fluctuating waters — as was the case of the pond waters.

These findings, published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0214638">PLOS One</a>, tell researchers that these ponds were most likely used to harvest fish year round.

"The savanna, in contrast to the large Amazonian rivers, presents a distinct set of fishing habitats where humans likely established specific fishing strategies,” the authors note.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Prestes-Carneiro et al., 2019

Bolivian fish ponds supported ancient human settlement

According to a new study, led by Gabriela Prestes-Carneiro of...

Research led by the Christian charity group <a href="https://www.tearfund.org/">Tearfund</a> has revealed that plastic waste is responsible for a death every 30 seconds in the developing world. Sir David Attenborough, the vice-president of <a href="https://www.fauna-flora.org/">Fauna &amp; Flora International</a>, referred to plastic pollution as an “unfolding catastrophe.”

The researchers found that between 400,000 and a million people die each year from diseases such as cancer caused by living in close proximity to mismanaged <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-health-threats/">plastic waste</a>. 

The plastic garbage serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies, and rats, which can carry malaria and dengue fever. Plastic waste also accumulates in waterways and causes flooding that can spread waterborne diseases. 

Children who are exposed to the plastic pollution are twice as likely to get intestinal bugs like cholera, which is extremely dangerous and often deadly. 

Single-use plastics shipped from wealthy countries are a major contributor to the issue. The researchers said that Britain alone exports 650,000 tons of plastic waste every year to countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.

According to the report, “No Time to Waste,” a double-decker busload of plastic waste is burned or dumped in developing countries every second. The burning of plastic waste causes an estimated one-fifth of the 3.7 million deaths that are attributed to air pollution each year. 

“This report is one of the first to highlight the impacts of plastic pollution not just on wildlife but also on the world’s poorest people,” said Sir Attenborough.

“It is high time we turn our attention fully to one of the most pressing problems of today - averting the plastic pollution crisis - not only for the health of our planet, but for the wellbeing of people around the world.”

The authors of the report are calling for international companies to cut the amount of single-use plastic products they produce in half by 2025. In addition, Tearfund is asking four major companies - Nestle, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Unilever - to take responsibility for their plastic waste in developing countries. 

The research was presented by Sir David Attenborough at a meeting of the Wall Street Journal CEO Council.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Maxim Blinkov / Shutterstock

Plastic waste kills a person every 30 seconds in developing countries

Research led by the Christian charity group Tearfund has revealed...

M-44 devices, often known as “cyanide bombs,” are a controversial tool used by government officials to control predation on livestock and endangered species. These tools are placed into the ground near areas where coyotes, foxes and other predator species roam. When the device is set off by passing wildlife, it sprays sodium cyanide, killing the predator.

Environmentalists and animal advocates have long called for the end of their use. With the recent ban on the use of M-44s for predator control in Oregon, groups are one step closer to this goal.

M-44s have been used by the elusive Wildlife Services within the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a> beginning in the late 1960s. Their use was suspended by the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> in 1972 before being allowed again in 1975.

M-44s are often criticized for being indiscriminate killers that cause undue pain and suffering to its victims. In 2017 alone, Wildlife Services killed<a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/wildlife-services-04-23-2018.php"> 2.3 million</a> animals, including non-target and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dogs-domesticated-america-10000-years/">domesticated species</a>.

[caption id="attachment_1872650" align="aligncenter" width="329"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/m44.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1872650" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/m44.jpg" alt="" width="329" height="285" /></a> M44 cyanide device, Image Credit: Guy Connolly, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research[/caption]

The devices not only pose a threat to animals but humans as well. In<a href="https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/environment/article217956755.html"> March 2017</a>, a boy and his pet dog made national news when they encountered a M-44 device just 350 yards from their Idaho home. The boy had noticed the device, which looks like a pipe or water sprinkler, and tried to pick it up. The device then sprayed sodium cyanide onto the boy and his dog. The boy survived the incident but suffered from nausea and headaches. The family dog died in front of the young boy.

That’s one of the problems with the devices. To the untrained eye, M-44s look unassuming. Without proper signage, a person could easily accidentally set the device off. Even with displayed warnings, domesticated dogs risk setting the device off.

The agency mandates that warning signs are placed in all areas containing M-44 devices. Yet, the nonprofit group Predator Defense<a href="https://www.predatordefense.org/m44s.htm#stats"> says</a> they have repeatedly found a lack of warning signs in their investigations.

According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/wildlife_damage/fs-m44-device.pdf">document</a>, “Wildlife Services certified applicators cannot place M-44s within 0.5 mile of occupied residences. A variance reducing that distance to 0.25 mile may be approved in instances where features of the property and landscape are such that potential for human or pet exposure to an M-44 is not probable. Wildlife Services notifies residents within 0.5 mile of M-44 locations.”

The family affected by the M-44 device in March 2017 say that they were never notified by Wildlife Services about the placement of the device.

Wildlife Services has been scrutinized for other shortcomings including the covering up of non-target killings.

An<a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/investigations/wildlife-investigation/article2574599.html"> investigation</a> by the Sacramento Bee details an incident where an employee found a deceased golden eagle, a federally protected species, caught in a neck snare. The employee called his supervisor who then informed him to “go get a shovel and bury it and don't say nothing to anybody.”

Environmentalists and animal advocates warn that Wildlife Services has been operating with little oversight for years.

The ban on M-44s in Oregon is an important step towards ending the use of the devices and reining in Wildlife Services. The bill passed with almost unanimous support and <a href="https://myemail.constantcontact.com/FOR-IMMEDIATE-RELEASE--Oregon-has-banned-M-44--cyanide-bombs--.html?soid=1114995572448&amp;aid=wkPM0OOhFwg">environmentalists hope</a> the passage will encourage the 13 other states that currently use M-44s to ban their use.

At the federal level, attempts have been made to ban M-44s. In 2017, Representative Peter DeFazio introduced legislation to ban the use of sodium cyanide and Compound 1080 for predator control. Although the bill did not pass, similar legislation has since been<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2471/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Chemical+Poisons+Reduction+Act%22%5D%7D&amp;r=1&amp;s=1"> reintroduced</a>.

Also in 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency<a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/carnivore_conservation/pdfs/EPA-2017-Petition-Response-11-16-18.pdf"> denied a petition</a> to cancel the registrations of M-44s.

Despite the lack of governmental action, there is growing opposition to M-44s among the public. A<a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/public-overwhelmingly-wants-ban-on-cyanide-bombs-2019-05-08/"> recent analysis</a> of public comments received by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on a proposal to renew M-44 device registrations found that over 99.9% of the 22,400 commenters supported a ban on the devices.

“It is far past time to eliminate these cruel killing devices altogether,” said Kelly Nokes, Shared Earth wildlife attorney for the Western Environmental Law Center in a<a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/public-overwhelmingly-wants-ban-on-cyanide-bombs-2019-05-08/"> press release</a>. “M-44s are an inhumane relic of the past and an unnecessary safety risk that have no place on our public landscape in 2019.”

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By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Oregon bans controversial ‘cyanide bombs’ used to kill wildlife

M-44 devices, often known as “cyanide bombs,” are a controversial...

The <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency’s</a> (ESA) <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Living_Planet_Symposium">Living Planet Symposium</a> is well underway in Milan, Italy this week with over 4,000 people are in attendance. 

The symposium, held every three years, is the largest Earth observation conference in the world 

While not all satellites are used to observe and monitor Earth’s climate, surface temperature, and oceans, satellites are playing an increasingly important role in how researchers<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cutting-edge-satellites-methane/"> gauge climate change</a> and work to tackle global warming. 

This year’s conference is not only dedicated to the Earth’s environment and climate but also the many new opportunities that satellites create for businesses, development, sustainability, and enrichment. 

Some of the topics slated to be presented at the symposium include how satellite data can open the door to innovations in artificial intelligence, technology, engineering, and science. 

“From space you don’t see borders, and this is the same for us – the countries of Europe are working together for a coherent approach that includes common goals and a full integration of space to bring the biggest benefits to society,” said General Jan Worner, ESA director, during a welcome speech that kicked off the conference. 

In a first for the ESA’s conference, over 2,000 children are presenting their own programs and work showcasing the importance and value that the younger generation has when it comes to science, innovation, and our planet’s future. 

“We are looking forward to hearing the latest scientific results. And, with ESA’s next ministerial council, Space19+, in November, we will also be talking about how we will take Earth observation into the future, particularly through innovation and partnerships,” said Josef Aschbacher, the ESA Director of <a href="http://www.esa.int/esapub/br/br114/br114ear.htm">Earth Observation Programmes</a> during a speech. “But crucially we need the engagement of young people, the scientists of tomorrow.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Deimos Imaging, an UrtheCast Company

ESA’s Living Planet Symposium shines a spotlight on Earth observations

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Living Planet Symposium is well...

On the latest episode of HBO's “<a href="https://www.hbo.com/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver">Last Week Tonight with John Oliver</a>,” Bill Nye the Science Guy abandoned his typical mild-mannered TV personality to deliver a profanity-fueled speech about the world's failure to address <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a>.

Nye joined Oliver to drive home the urgency of  the challenges faced by the environment. Oliver showed his support for carbon pricing and the Green New Deal, a proposal introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“To its eternal credit, the Green New Deal has succeeded in getting people talking, but that won't mean anything unless that talk turns into action,” said Oliver. “We're going to need a lot of different policies working tandem, and we have to take action right now, but you don't have to just take that from me. Instead, I'm happy to say Bill Nye has actually agreed to drive the urgency home at this point by actually doing one of his enjoyable, light-hearted demonstrations.”

But what happened next was far from light-hearted. It was more like an all-out verbal assault by Bill Nye, complete with a demonstration in which he lit a wooden globe on fire with a blowtorch. 

“By the end of this century, if temperatures keep rising, the average temperature on earth could go up another 4 to 8 degrees. What I'm saying is, the planet's on f****ing fire,” said Nye. 

“There are several options to put out the proverbial fire on Earth. Are any of them free? No, of course not, you idiots. Grow the f*** up... I didn't mind explaining photosynthesis to you when you were 12, but you're adults now. This is an actual crisis, got it?”

[caption id="attachment_1872667" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/bill-nye.png"><img class="wp-image-1872667" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/bill-nye.png" alt="" width="650" height="362" /></a> Bill Nye appearing on HBO's Last Week Tonight, Image Credit: HBO[/caption]

In a separate segment, Nye discussed carbon pricing, which is an approach to mitigating harmful carbon dioxide emissions by charging a fee to emitters.

“When we release carbon, say, by burning coal or driving an SUV, all of us pay for that in the form of things like fires, floods and crop failures,” said Nye. “Putting a fee on carbon creates incentives to emit less carbon, and, more importantly, it also incentivizes the development of low-carbon technology, which is huge, because that's vital to reducing emissions globally.”

While the tactics used on the show to spread climate awareness were meant to be funny, the topic of carbon emissions has become more serious than ever this week. On Sunday, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography announced that atmospheric CO2 levels were measured at 415 parts per million, which is the highest CO2 concentration in the history of humans.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDcro7dPqpA[/embed]

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: HBO/Last Week Tonight

Bill Nye warns that ‘the planet’s on f***ing fire’ on Last Week Tonight

On the latest episode of HBO's “Last Week Tonight with...

According to a new study from <a href="https://www.mq.edu.au/">Macquarie University</a>, the marine bacteria that are responsible for as much as ten percent of all the oxygen on our planet are vulnerable to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastic-pollution-remote-glaciers/">plastic pollution</a>. 

“We found that exposure to chemicals leaching from plastic pollution interfered with the growth, photosynthesis and oxygen production of Prochlorococcus, the ocean's most abundant photosynthetic bacteria,” said study lead author Dr. Sasha Tetu. “Now we'd like to explore if plastic pollution is having the same impact on these microbes in the ocean.”

Plastic pollution causes an estimated $13 billion in economic damage to marine ecosystems each year. By 2050, plastic pollution is expected to outweigh fish in the ocean. 

“This pollution can leach a variety of chemical additives into marine environments, but unlike the threats posed by animals ingesting or getting entangled in plastic debris the threat these leachates pose to marine life has received relatively little attention,” said study co-author Dr. Lisa Moore.

In an unprecedented analysis, the researchers investigated how these chemicals affect photosynthetic marine bacteria, the smallest life forms in our oceans.

“We looked at a group of tiny, green bacteria called Prochlorococcus which is the most abundant photosynthetic organism on Earth, with a global population of around three octillion (~1027) individuals,” said Dr. Tetu.

“These tiny microorganisms are critical to the marine food web, contribute to carbon cycling and are thought to be responsible for up to 10 percent of the total global oxygen production,” said Dr. Moore. “So one in every ten breaths of oxygen you breathe in is thanks to these little guys, yet almost nothing is known about how marine bacteria, such as Prochlorococcus respond to human pollutants.”

The team exposed two strains of Prochlorococcus to chemicals leached from plastic grocery bags and PVC matting. The study revealed that exposure to these chemicals impaired the growth and function of the microbes. The chemicals also impacted the amount of oxygen the bacteria  produced and altered the expression of a large number of their genes.

“Our data shows that plastic pollution may have widespread ecosystem impacts beyond the known effects on macro-organisms, such as seabirds and turtles,” said Dr. Tetu. “If we truly want to understand the full impact of plastic pollution in the marine environment and find ways to mitigate it, we need to consider its impact on key microbial groups, including photosynthetic microbes.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio/">Communications Biology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinkrejci/4408273247">Kevin Krejci</a>

Bacteria that are crucial to oxygen production are harmed by plastic litter

According to a new study from Macquarie University, the marine...

Career geologist Mario Wannier has identified tiny glass particles found in beach sands near Hiroshima, Japan as fallout debris from the atomic bomb that hit the city on August 6th, 1945. His study of the particles, published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/anthropocene">Anthropocene</a>, likens the particles to those left over from massive <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/meteor-explosion-bering-sea/">meteorite</a> strikes.

"I had seen hundreds of beach samples from Southeast Asia, and I can immediately distinguish mineral grains from the particles created by animals or plants, so that's very easy," he said. "But there was something else...it's so obvious when you look at the samples," Wannier said of the glassy particles found in the sands of Japan’s Motoujina Peninsula, located near Hiroshima. "You couldn't miss these extraneous particles.”

“They are generally aerodynamic, glassy, rounded — these particles immediately reminded me of some spherule (rounded) particles I had seen in sediment samples from the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary,” Wannier continued, in reference to the mass-extinction event that killed off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. The Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary is now referred to as the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary.

A meteorite impact, such as the one that occurred during the K-Pg boundary, causes liquified ground material to launch into the air, which are formed into glassy droplets during the explosion. However, Wannier noted that the particles found near Hiroshima were slightly different than those that were made during the K-Pg boundary. Some Hiroshima particles had a rubber-like composition, and others were coated in silica or glass.

[caption id="attachment_1872586" align="aligncenter" width="379"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/glass-particles.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872586 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/glass-particles.jpg" alt="" width="379" height="238" /></a> Particles collected from beach sands in Japan's Motoujima Peninsula. Image Credit: Anthropocene, Volume 25, March 2019[/caption]

Together with researchers from <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/">Berkeley Lab</a> and <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">The University of California, Berkeley</a>, Wannier was able to determine that these particles were created during the A-bomb hit, which leveled a 4-square mile area of land and destroyed and damaged about 90% of Hiroshima’s infrastructure.

"This was the worst manmade event ever, by far," Wannier said. "In the surprise of finding these particles, the big question for me was: You have a city, and a minute later you have no city. There was the question of: 'Where is the city — where is the material?' It is a trove to have discovered these particles. It is an incredible story."

The team first looked at the structures and compositions of the particles using an electron microscope. Some particles contained aluminum, silicon and calcium, chromium-rich iron, and microscopic branching of crystalline structures. Others contained mostly carbon and oxygen.

[caption id="attachment_1872587" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/map.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872587" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/map.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="397" /></a> Sites where beach sands were collected and the area that was devastated by the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Image Credit: Google Earth; Anthropocene, Volume 25, March 2019[/caption]

They then measured the particles using X-ray microdiffraction. Together, the findings told Wannier that the particles had formed in extreme conditions, at temperatures exceeding 3,300 degrees Fahrenheit. They were most likely formed within the atomic cloud.

"The ground material is volatized and moved into the cloud, where the high temperature changes the physical condition," Wannier explained. "There are a lot of interactions between particles. There are lots of little spheres that collide, and you get this agglomeration."

The team hopes to carry out studies to determine if these particles contain radioactive elements.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Glass particles in Hiroshima beach sand are fallout debris

Career geologist Mario Wannier has identified tiny glass particles found...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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