Seafood,On,Ice,At,The,Fish,Market

Alternative seafood is emerging as a vital solution in the fight to protect marine ecosystems. As pressure from overfishing, pollution, and climate change intensifies, scientists and policymakers are exploring new ways to reduce strain on the ocean. 



While many marine mysteries remain, one issue is clear - traditional fishing practices are pushing the ocean toward ecological collapse.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-global-impact-of-overfishing">The global impact of overfishing</h2>



Researchers point out that nearly 90% of marine fisheries today are either fully exploited or already overfished. On top of that, pollution and habitat degradation are erasing biodiversity across oceans, rivers, and coasts. 



<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/global-industrial-fishing-footprint-spd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A 2018 study</a> showed that commercial fishing operations now cover more than 55% of the ocean surface - four times more than the land used for agriculture.



This crisis impacts people as well as marine life. Around 3 billion rely on the ocean for food and jobs. With the population expected to hit 10 billion by 2050, seafood demand is rising twice as fast.



But wild fisheries can only do so much. Even under perfect management, there’s a ceiling on how many fish can be caught each year. 



The researchers note that reducing the burden of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overfishing-and-habitat-degradation-have-devastated-marine-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">overfishing</a> through better fishery management is possible, but it requires setting limits on how much can be caught, where and when, and with which methods. There’s another way forward - one that doesn’t get as much attention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alternative-seafood-as-a-sustainable-solution">Alternative seafood as a sustainable solution</h2>



Alternative seafood - like plant-based fish or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sushi-of-the-future-the-first-ever-lab-grown-eel-is-a-success/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lab-grown</a> (cultivated) tuna - is emerging as a powerful tool to meet demand without draining the ocean. 



These products can help shift consumer choices away from wild-caught fish and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farmed-seafood-supply-is-at-risk-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">farmed seafood</a> that contribute to environmental stress.



As the researchers explain, plant-based and cultivated fish hold enormous potential for feeding a growing population the fish they love while easing pressure on the conventional fishing industry and, in turn, reducing harm to our oceans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reshaping-the-seafood-industry">Reshaping the seafood industry</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fishing-communities-cooperate-to-survive-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fishing</a> isn’t just affected by climate change - it’s also a contributor. Fuel-intensive vessels and aquaculture feed production release greenhouse gases.



But climate change is striking back. Rising ocean temperatures are pushing fish populations toward the poles, leaving tropical waters increasingly empty. Some regions could see up to a 40% drop in seafood catch potential by 2050.



To make matters worse, warming waters are also making seafood riskier. Infections from Vibrio bacteria, which can be deadly, are increasing worldwide. Still, there’s hope. 



Research shows that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2705-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant-based and cultivated seafood</a> - especially when produced using renewable energy - could offer a more climate-resilient alternative.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diversifying-the-seafood-supply">Diversifying the seafood supply </h2>



A recent whitepaper titled <a href="https://gfi.org/resource/climate-benefits-of-accelerating-global-production-of-alternative-seafood/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Building climate policy momentum for alternative seafood</a> highlights the potential environmental benefits of diversifying the seafood supply.



“Renewable energy is critical to realizing the climate benefits of cultivated meat and seafood. Life-cycle assessments project that emissions from cultivated meat produced with renewable energy will be in the lower range of aquaculture emissions and less than the emissions of most wild-capture," noted the researchers.



"Further, cultivated seafood is expected to require even less energy than cultivated red meat and poultry, in large part because seafood can be cultivated at lower temperatures than terrestrial meats."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seafood-and-biodiversity-loss">Seafood and biodiversity loss</h2>



The ocean does more than provide seafood - it helps regulate the climate, generates oxygen, and supports global food systems. 



But marine biodiversity is rapidly declining. A 2019 report found that human activity has significantly altered two-thirds of marine areas, up from 40% just a decade earlier.



Pollution, overfishing, climate change, and ocean acidification are driving this loss, leading to ecosystem collapse, food insecurity, and rising disease risk. 



Even aquaculture, which now accounts for half of global seafood production, can harm coastal habitats and disrupt ecosystems when poorly managed.



While some fisheries and farms have adopted more sustainable practices, they haven’t kept pace with environmental pressures. Diversifying the seafood supply with alternative proteins is becoming increasingly important.



The New Blue Foods for Biodiversity <a href="https://gfi.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/New-blue-foods-for-biodiversity.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">whitepaper</a> outlines how plant-based and cultivated seafood can help ease the strain. By reducing overfishing and bycatch, these alternatives give wild stocks a chance to recover.



They also help prevent habitat damage and pollution, since they require less land and don’t disturb the ocean floor. And unlike many aquaculture systems, they minimize antibiotic use, supporting microbial diversity and slowing the spread of resistant pathogens.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-high-cost-of-tuna-popularity">The high cost of tuna popularity</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bluefin-tuna-a-sushi-delicacy-will-likely-be-extinct-within-50-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tuna</a> is a favorite across the globe, especially in the U.S. where canned tuna is second only to shrimp in popularity. 



Americans eat nearly one billion pounds a year. Worldwide, more than 7 million metric tons of tuna and similar species are harvested annually. That demand has consequences.



Seven out of 61 known tuna species were labeled as threatened in 2011. Tuna fishing also harms other marine animals, like turtles and sharks, that get caught in the same waters. 



Thankfully, innovation is catching up. Several companies are now creating tuna alternatives without fish.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alternative-seafood-companies">Alternative seafood companies</h2>



In Chicago, Aqua Cultured Foods raised $5.5 million to expand its production of fungi-based seafood. Using a special fermentation process, the company creates whole-muscle seafood cuts like scallops, shrimp, and tuna. 



Their products offer a sustainable and allergen-free option, and the new investment will help launch them in restaurants this year.



In Canada, Konscious Foods received a $5 million investment through the PacifiCan Business Scale-up and Productivity program. This support will help the company increase production, grow exports, and create over 40 new jobs in British Columbia. 



The company makes frozen sushi meals - including tuna avocado rolls - using Canadian-grown ingredients like quinoa, carrots, and tomatoes. They’re also working on new items, such as plant-based smoked salmon, crab cakes, and shrimp.



In Austria, Berlin-based BettaF!sh partnered with supermarket chain BILLA AG to launch the TU-NAH sandwich, now available across BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores. 



This collaboration reflects a shared focus on sustainability and aims to bring plant-based seafood to more consumers across Europe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alternative-seafood-as-a-global-opportunity">Alternative seafood as a global opportunity</h2>



A New York Times article once suggested that if you can't find anything good from the sea, it might be better to cook something else. Thanks to alternative seafood, that “something else” no longer means compromising on flavor or nutrition.



By scaling plant-based and cultivated seafood, it’s possible to feed a growing population without pushing marine ecosystems to the brink. As the researchers emphasize: “Building a better food system will require a diversity of solutions.”



“Alternative seafood is the future of sustainable seafood. To scale this industry, we need bold innovators and committed champions - across climate, biodiversity, public health, and food security - who are ready to make it a global priority. An ocean of opportunity awaits.”



Thanks to the <a href="https://gfi.org/">The Good Food Institute</a> for providing the background research for this article.



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There are not "plenty of fish" in Earth's oceans to feed 10 billion people, something must change

Alternative seafood is emerging as a vital solution in the fight to protect marine ecosystems. As pressure from overfishing, pollution, and climate change intensifies, scientists and policymakers are exploring new ways to reduce strain on the ocean. While many marine mysteries remain, one issue is clear - traditional fishing practices are pushing the ocean toward ecological collapse. The global impact of overfishing Researchers point out that nearly 90% of marine fisheries today are either fully exploited or already overfished. On top of that, pollution and habitat degradation...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-summer-weather-severe/">we have reported</a>, the impacts of climate change are being felt with increasing severity each passing year. Meanwhile, the lack of any major policy or climate consensus is putting the world’s nations in a sort of climate paralysis. 

While we know that atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are steadily warming up the planet, what is less clear is how these changes or climate policy will impact global economies, food demand and security, and health and wellbeing. 

As climate change progresses, these unknown variables that make enacting environmental policy difficult are putting the world’s populations at risk. 

In the face of all this policy uncertainty, some companies are using the projected impacts of climate change to their advantage and profits are as high as ever. 

A recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a> feature <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/11/magazine/climate-change-exxon-renewable-energy.html">details</a> how some businesses, including big oil and gas companies, are profiteering off of the projected impacts of climate change, not to help reduce emissions or slow climate change, but simply because there’s money to be made. 

You probably wouldn’t immediately associate Exxon Mobile with solar power, but recently the company invested in solar energy in Texas seizing an opportunity to help supply cheap electricity to fracking operations in the state. 

Investors are buying up lithium and other precious metal mines as demand for these metals increases with the rise in electric vehicles that run on batteries. 

The investment management company Merrill Lynch is advising clients to invest in vertical farms and hydroponic advancements in anticipation of future water and food shortages, the New York Times reports. 

Airplane manufacturers are creating planes that can adapt to high temperatures, and in Australia, real estate companies are buying up farmland at a discounted price from drought-stricken farmers. 

Pharmaceutical companies are turning to vaccines for mosquito-borne diseases like dengue which could devastate southern states in the US.

All of these businesses and industries are operating and profiting off of climate change and its projected impacts, seeing an opportunity and seizing it. 

For some people like Jeremy Grantham who began to see a financial opportunity in climate change in 1997, the choice to invest in renewables and shift away from carbon isn’t just a matter of making money but the only viable option in a warming world. 

“Sooner or later, there will be a carbon tax,” Grantham told the New York Times, “You have a certainty. It will happen. Or we’ll be on our way to a failed civilization.”

--

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>

Climate change policy paralysis allows big business to cash in

As we have reported, the impacts of climate change are...

Even when you can’t see them, fungi are all around you. Most plants are host to many different species of fungi, living within and between their cells. These fungi are called endophytes, meaning “inside plant,” and they can form parasitic or symbiotic relationships with their host plant. Most of the time, they live inside the plant without ever producing symptoms.
<h2>Mycorrhizae</h2>
Though mushrooms superficially resemble plants, they do not photosynthesize. Instead, they collect most of their energy from decaying plants. Mycorrhizal fungi have found another way around this problem. These fungi happily share their nutrients with plants in exchange for something they don’t come by so easy: sugar! 

One of the best-known relationships between plants and fungi are mycorrhizae. These networks of mycelium (fungal roots) provide essential nutrients to forests. 

Mycelial threads are much slimmer than plant roots. This increased surface area makes fungi great at absorbing nutrients from the soil. In addition, fungi secrete enzymes to digest plants and animals.

Nitrogen is often a limiting factor in plant growth. This nutrient is essential for making proteins. Though the atmosphere is 78% nitrogen, plants cannot “fix” this gas. Instead, they rely on bacteria or fungi to provide nitrogen to them. Many plants are happy to share some of their energy to <a href="https://www.caseyhofford.com/2018/10/16/fungi-are-friends-not-foes/">take advantage of nitrogen from mycorrhizae</a>.

Over half of all plant rely on mycorrhizae to survive. 90% of known plant species have been observed benefiting from this relationship. 
<h2>Endophytes provide a chemical defense</h2>
Fungi produce many interesting chemicals that provide protection against bacteria or <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plants-evolve-defenses-herbivores/">herbivores</a>. Many endophytes also produce toxins. By producing these secondary metabolites inside of a plant, they provide protection against herbivores.

Natural toxins are often useful to humans. Though they evolved as a defense, they can be a source of medicine. Both traditional and modern medicine lean heavily on natural products. Many modern drugs are based upon compounds found in plants, bacteria, and fungi. Evolution has had a long time to discover uniquely useful compounds. 

A prime example of this is penicillin. This antibiotic was discovered by accident. A fungus, Penicillium, contaminated a petri dish of bacteria. The fungus naturally produced penicillin to fight the bacteria. When <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4520913/">Alexander Fleming </a>saw this, he realized its significance for human health. Purified penicillin brought about a revolution in modern medicine.

Endophytic fungi in plants also produce interesting compounds. The anticancer drug Taxol is produced by a fungus in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18289120">bark of the yew tree</a>. Though this drug is currently expensive and difficult to produce, culturing the fungus may provide a cost-effective solution.

Another endophyte with interesting effects grows within the related <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/ipomea-purpurea/">morning glory</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/argyreia-nervosa/">Hawaiian baby woodrose</a> vines. This fungus produces lysergic acid amide, or LSA as well as other ergoline alkaloids. These chemicals are closely related to the psychedelic drug LSD. Related chemicals are also used as vasoconstrictors to treat migraines.

But not all endophytes are good. Many of the<a href="http://website.nbm-mnb.ca/mycologywebpages/NaturalHistoryOfFungi/Endophytes.html"> toxins produced by endophytes are toxic to cattle</a>. When these grow in grazing areas they can have huge economic consequences. Because endophytes often show no signs in the plant, this problem is very difficult to combat.

Endophytes produce many <a href="http://plantsciences.montana.edu/facultyorstaff/faculty/strobel/endophytes.html">other interesting compounds</a>. Many of these are valuable to human and animal health.
<h2>Fungi are extremely diverse</h2>
Fungi reside in their own kingdom of life, outside or plants, animals, and bacteria. Their sedentary life leads many to think of them as a type of plant. In reality, they are far more closely related to animals. Animals and fungi are both heterotrophs, meaning they get their energy from other life. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/plant-cells-and-fungus-cells/">cellular structure of fungi </a>also shares characteristics with human cells. However, fungi are extremely diverse and unique.
<h3>How many species of fungi are there?</h3>
It is difficult to say how many species of fungi exist. Though there have only been 120,000 species of fungi identified, scientists estimate that there are <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php">millions of unidentified species</a>. 

This question is made particularly difficult by the unique characteristics of fungi. Though we often think of the red and white <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/amanita-muscaria/">Amanita muscaria</a> toadstool as an archetype of fungi, these fruiting bodies are actually quite rare. 

Most of a mushroom’s life is completely hidden. They grow within their “medium”. This can be soil, a dead log or, in the case of endophytes, a living plant. They can cover large areas without being apparent. One of the largest organisms in the world is a fungus, called the humongous fungus. Its mycelial mass <a href="https://www.opb.org/television/programs/ofg/segment/oregon-humongous-fungus/">covers over 3 square miles in Malheur National Forest</a> in Oregon. It may weigh as much as 200 gray whales and be 2,000 - 8,000 years old.

This network of mycelium is the common form of most fungi. Mycelium all looks more or less the same to the naked eye. Though there are differences on the microscopic level, these are difficult to identify.

What we are familiar with is a fruiting body. Toadstools appear in the fall when conditions are favorable for reproduction. They only come above the surface to spread their spores.

These fruiting bodies are the easiest way to determine a fungus’ species. However, many species of fungi only produce microscopic fruiting bodies, called sporangia. These are tiny organs that are difficult to identify. 

Endophytes can be even harder to classify. Many of them don’t reproduce through traditional means. Instead, they are passed between generations of their host plants by growing in the seeds. This is called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/endophyte">vertical transmission</a>. These species may never form spores. This makes it incredibly difficult to define species.

Because it is so difficult to identify a fungal species by morphology, genetic techniques are preferred. However, even with genetics, things are still unclear. There is still uncertainty about what should be called a species. How different the genes should be and even which genes should be compared is debated.
<h2>Why fungi matter</h2>
There is no doubt that fungi are extremely diverse. With millions of unidentified species, there are sure to be many evolutionary treasure troves. Fungi have provided medical marvels such as penicillin. 

Fungi take advantage of many unique niches. Endophytes are a prime example of how fungi are uniquely adaptable. This flexibility and ubiquity make fungi a great source of genetic diversity.

The number of unidentified species represents a huge bank of evolutionary experience for humans to draw upon. As we face <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistance-supermarket-produce/">widespread antibiotic resistance</a> and new diseases, discovering new sources of drugs is essential. By cataloging and exploring the diversity of fungi we will be more prepared to face new challenges. 

--

By <a href="mailto:casey.hofford@gmail.com">Casey Hofford</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Fungi are everywhere… even when you can’t see them

Even when you can’t see them, fungi are all around...

A new study from the <a href="http://www.americanornithology.org/">American Ornithological Society</a> has found that harsh winter conditions negatively impact birds that are forced to leave their homes in northern forests and wander far from their normal ranges to find food. The researchers used data from citizen scientists to show how these <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/feeding-birds-helpful-harmful/">winter</a> movements, known as “irruptions,” significantly reduce the size of breeding populations the following summer.

Irruptions bring seldom-seen boreal birds to the south in large numbers, which is a treat for birdwatchers. On the other hand, little is known about how the birds are affected by these journeys. 

The current study was focused on Red-breasted Nuthatches, a useful species to study because they consistently return to the same core breeding areas after massive irruptions. This makes it possible to compare their breeding populations from one year to the next.

Erica Dunn of <a href="https://weather.gc.ca/canada_e.html">Environment Canada</a> analyzed more than fifty years of records from Ontario's Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) against citizen science data from Project FeederWatch, the Christmas Bird Count, and eBird. She confirmed that fall irruptions at Long Point are a good indicator of the state of nuthatches across North America in any given year. 

Next, Dunn used Breeding Bird Survey data to examine the numbers of nuthatches in summers following major irruptions. The study revealed that breeding population density noticeably dropped following winters where nuthatches had wandered farther than usual.

This is the first study to show a clear link between the extent of winter irruption and population density during the following breeding season. The researchers believe that the stress of travel, exposure to predators, and the desperation to find food in unfamiliar places may be taking a toll on the birds.

“This paper actually had its genesis over 30 years ago, when I was running LPBO's Ontario Bird Feeder Survey and noticed that feeder watchers were reporting more nuthatches in winters following large fall irruptions at Long Point. When the biggest irruption ever at LPBO occurred in 2012, I was inspired to use their fifty-plus years of data to investigate that old observation in more detail,” said Dunn. 

“It was truly a project without a particular goal or hypothesis - I simply had a great dataset and wanted to see what I could learn from it. Citizen science data are great for this kind of exploration, because the datasets are so large and are freely available to anyone who wants to work with them.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.americanornithology.org/content/auk-ornithological-advances">The Auk: Ornithological Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Harsh winters are significantly impacting bird populations

A new study from the American Ornithological Society has found...

Andrew Wheeler, the head of the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a>, has said that he believes mainstream scientific opinions that human-caused climate change is a reality. It’s just not his top priority as EPA chief.

That revelation comes after new study by EPA scientists was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-019-0444-6">Nature Climate Change</a>. The paper urges action on climate change, declaring the urgency of the issue and pushing for strategies to address the potential effects.

“Just because our scientists publish something in a journal doesn’t mean that that’s agency policy or all the other scientists at the agency agree with that particular study,” Wheeler told <a href="http://time.com/">Time</a>.

The declaration isn’t the first time Wheeler has said his focus is not on climate change. In a speech in Washington, D.C. on March 20 he said that water issues are the most pressing environmental issue facing the world.

“There will be some who say this all stems from climate change, but the truth is these water issues have been around for generations, and are causing immediate deaths annually,” he said.

Access, geography, lack of infrastructure and limits to technology have been causing water issues for centuries, the EPA chief said.

Following the publication of the study in Nature Climate Change earlier this week, Wheeler reiterated that the suggestions laid out by EPA scientists Jeremy Martinich and Allison Crimmins are not agency policy, and climate change is not the agency’s top priority. 

Former EPA chief Scott Pruitt planned a rollback of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clean-water-protections-trump/">key regulations in the Clean Water Act</a>, designed to protect small waterways and wetlands from contamination, before he resigned in July 2018 amid an ethics scandal. 

Wheeler, a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/andrew-wheeler-confirmed-epa-administrator/">former coal lobbyist</a>, allowed those rollbacks to move forward while acting head of the EPA. He was confirmed as the agency’s leader in February. 

“When you have a thousand children that die a day from lack of drinking water, that’s a crisis and that’s a crisis that we — we collectively as the world — know how to solve that problem,” he told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-epa-text/text-transcript-of-reuters-interview-with-epa-administrator-andrew-wheeler-idUSKCN1RO02H">Reuters</a> in an interview on April 11.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

EPA chief: climate change not a top priority

Andrew Wheeler, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,...

An international team of researchers from the United States, the UK, and Indonesia has developed the first detailed computer model to represent the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano in an effort to better understand how the catastrophic event occurred. 

The model simulations have revealed that there are 40 volcanoes worldwide that have the potential to initiate a deadly <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/collapse-mount-etna-tsunami/">tsunami</a> comparable to the one triggered by the eruption of Anak Krakatau. 

The experts are warning that millions of people in coastal regions are at risk, and that disaster warning systems must be improved to include volcano-triggered tsunamis.

“One of the aspects of events such as Anak Krakatau is that we are now aware of a hazard hovering in the background and there are millions of people who live adjacent to volcanoes,” said marine geologist and study first author David Tappin of the <a href="https://www.bgs.ac.uk/">British Geological Survey</a>.

“Warning systems in all the world's oceans are predicated on large earthquakes. Volcanoes are still little understood. But I don't think anyone has actually looked at the particular hazard those people have except from eruptions.”

“Existing disaster warning systems are not best designed to handle events like the Anak Krakatau landslide,” said Tappin. “Suddenly, we are aware of this (threat of tsunamis) and hopefully we will do something about it.”  

The volcanic island of Anak Krakatau violently erupted on December 22, 2018. The eruption caused a massive submarine landslide and triggered the tsunami wave that ultimately killed 437 people in Indonesia.

Two-thirds of the island fell into the sea when the volcano erupted, and the team found that this land crashed into an unusually deep submarine trough to the southwest, which was positioned about 720 feet beneath the ocean’s surface.

Using model simulations, the researchers predicted that the island’s collapse would have generated multiple tidal waves, with the second and third waves being the largest. This finding was confirmed by observations and records collected by four tidal gauges located around the strait.

“Anak Krakatau is really important because suddenly we have an event we can study,” said Tappin. He explained that the research “demonstrates yet again the lack of preparedness of countries threatened by tsunamis, and highlights the urgent need for better mitigation and warning.”

The study was presented during the annual general assembly of the <a href="https://www.egu.eu/">European Geosciences Union</a> in Vienna.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How many volcanoes have the potential to trigger devastating tsunamis?

An international team of researchers from the United States, the...

Neonicotinoids are a class of pesticides that were once extremely common, but after numerous studies showed that the pesticides hurt key pollinators, many countries have implemented <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/european-union-ban-pesticides/">restrictions and bans</a>. 

While neonicotinoids have been deemed harmful and dangerous to bee colonies, there has been a new push to find safer alternatives that effectively target pests and diseases. 

One potential frontrunner was flupyradifurone which was thought to be much safer for bees and yet still effective as an insecticide.

Flupyradifurone acts similarly to neonicotinoids, but the agent is chemically different which is why it works so well to eradicate pests, and it’s considered safe for bees, according to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a>. 

But now, a new study published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.0433">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a> has found that when used in conjunction with a popular fungicide, flupyradifurone is harmful to bees. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/">University of California</a> and the <a href="https://sites.anses.fr/en/minisite/abeilles/eurl-bee-health-home">European Union Reference Laboratory for Honeybee Health</a> exposed lab bees to both flupyradifurone and the fungicide propiconazole to mirror what pollinators would experience in fields and gardens. 

The combination was particularly dangerous for the bees, and the researchers found that honey bees exposed to the two agents were apathetic and exhibited poor coordination. 

Worker bees were also four times more vulnerable to the impacts of the pesticide and fungicide compared to bees that stayed in the hive. 

“This result is troubling because the official guidelines for pesticide risk assessment only test in-hive bees,' wrote the researchers in their study. “Risk assessment requires relatively limited tests that only marginally address bee behaviour and do not consider the influence of bee age and season.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pesticide said to be safer for bees still has a harmful impact

Neonicotinoids are a class of pesticides that were once extremely...

Melting and retreating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-rise-massive-glacier-melts/">glaciers</a> pose a significant risk to rising sea levels, but now researchers have issued an equally ominous warning as climate change continues to drive up Arctic temperatures.

Embedded within layers of glacial ice lies radioactive material from past nuclear meltdowns and weapon testing and as glaciers melt, these elements could be released into the environment yet again. 

Glaciers are not just a time capsule with records of past climate and environmental changes, but are also a ticking time bomb, according to an international team of researchers who studied nuclear fallout material in glacier sediments for the first time. 

The researchers analyzed sediments and samples from glaciers collected from 17 survey sites in the Arctic, Iceland, Antarctica, British Columbia, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Alps. 

Radioactive material was present at all the sites, and some of the samples had concentrations of radioactive material ten times higher than other areas and were comparable to levels found within a nuclear exclusion zone. 

The material found embedded in the glaciers chronologically lined up with nuclear disasters like Chernobyl in 1986 and the Fukushima meltdown in 2011, as well periods of heavy weapons testing in the 1950s and 1960s.

“We're talking about weapons testing from the 1950s and 1960s onwards, going right back in the development of the bomb,” said Caroline Clason, a member of the research team.  “If we take a sediment core you can see a clear spike where Chernobyl was, but you can also see quite a defined spike in around 1963 when there was a period of quite heavy weapons testing.”

[caption id="attachment_1871157" align="aligncenter" width="631"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/M-Huss.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1871157" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/M-Huss.jpg" alt="" width="631" height="828" /></a> Image Credit: M. Huss[/caption]

The question is, how did the nuclear material end up in the glaciers in the first place? 

When a nuclear explosion occurs, or radioactive material is released into the atmosphere, the resulting particles fall back to Earth in the form of acid rain or snow. 

“Radioactive particles are very light, so when they are taken up into the atmosphere they can be transported a very long way,” Clason told AFP. “When it falls as rain, like after Chernobyl, it washes away and it's sort of a one-off event. But as snow, it stays in the ice for decades and as it melts in response to the climate it's then washed downstream.” 

If we look at the Chernobyl disaster, for example, heavy concentrations of radioactive material including Caesium were released into the atmosphere contaminating much of the surrounding regions. 

“These materials are a product of what we have put into the atmosphere,” Clason said. “This is just showing that our nuclear legacy hasn't disappeared yet, it's still there. And it's important to study that because ultimately it's a mark of what we have left in the environment.” 

--

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>

Melting glaciers could release radioactive material stored inside

Melting and retreating glaciers pose a significant risk to rising...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California Davis</a> has found that heavy rainfall over the Indian Ocean, eastern Pacific Ocean, and Southeast Asia can be used to predict <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-waves-weaken-flu/">heat waves</a> across central California. According to the researchers, a major rainfall event in one of these regions is a good indication that temperatures will reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit within four to 16 days.

Study co-author Richard Grotjahn is a professor in the Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources at UC Davis.

“We want to know more about how extreme events are created,” said Professor Grotjahn. “We know that such patterns in winter are sometimes linked with areas of the tropics where thunderstorms are enhanced; we wondered if there might be similar links during summer for those heat waves.”

Heat waves are not uncommon across the Central California Valley, which spans 450 miles from just north of Los Angeles up to Redding. Around half of the nation’s fruits and nuts are grown on trees across the region, and heat waves can lead to major agricultural losses. 

In 2006, central California’s dairy industry was hit hard with about $1 billion in economic losses from extreme heat, and the ability to predict these weather events could lead to proactive solutions. 

For the current study, the scientists analyzed summer heat wave data from from 1979 to 2010 that had been collected by 15 National Climatic Data Centers stations located throughout the Valley. Based on this information, the researchers identified 24 heat waves.

These hot weather events were then compared to the phases of a large, traveling atmospheric circulation pattern called the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). This pattern is characterized by heavy rain that migrates across the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Study first author Yun-Young Lee is a researcher at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APEC_Climate_Center">Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Climate Center</a> in Busan, South Korea.

“It's well known that tropical rainfall, such as the MJO, have effects beyond the tropics,” said Lee. “So, a question comes to mind: (is) hot weather in the Central California Valley partly attributable to tropical rainfall?”

The study revealed that enhanced rainfall in the tropics does, in fact, precede heat waves in specific and relatively predictable patterns. The researchers also determined that hot weather in the Central Valley is most common after intense MJO activity in the eastern Pacific Ocean, followed by strong MJO activity in the Indian Ocean.

“The more we know about such associations to large-scale weather patterns and remote links, the better we can assess climate model simulations and therefore better assess simulations of future climate scenarios,” said Professor Grotjahn.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/376">Advances in Atmospheric Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

California heat waves can be predicted by thunderstorms across the globe

A new study from the University of California Davis has...

At the current rate, carbon dioxide emissions from the UK are driving the loss of around 386 square miles of Arctic sea ice each year, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Fund</a> (WWF).

In 2018 alone, the UK produced enough <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/co2-emissions-56-million-years/">CO2 emissions</a> to melt an area of sea ice larger than the size of Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Cardiff combined. 


Global warming is more intense in the Arctic than it is anywhere else in the world, as the air and water temperatures are rapidly rising. Recent studies have shown that the negative impacts of this extreme climate change will be felt in other regions of the world thousands of miles away.

“What is happening in the Arctic is nothing short of a crisis and the world needs to wake up and act,” said Rod Downie, the Chief Polar Advisor at WWF. “Sea ice decline is one of the most visible signs of climate change on our planet. And it’s not just crucial to Arctic people and species like polar bears and walrus, but to the health of the planet as a whole.”

“The bright surface of the ice reflects sunlight away from the planet and back into space, helping to keep our planet cool. But when this ice melts, it is replaced by dark ocean which absorbs the sun’s rays, heating up our planet.”

Downie pointed out that the twelve lowest Arctic sea ice extents on record have all occurred in the last 12 years. In 2015, world leaders came together to establish the Paris Agreement in an effort to limit future global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Last year, the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> (IPCC) issued a special report that warned how much rising temperatures will threaten human well-being and ecosystems once 1.5°C of warming is exceeded.


“This Special Report demonstrates, with great scientific authority, the need for far-reaching and immediate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The global average temperature is already more than 1°C higher than the pre-industrial era,” said World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas.

“Arctic sea is shrinking and sea level rise is accelerating. We are suffering more extreme weather. Every fraction of a degree in temperature rise makes a difference.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

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UK CO2 emissions melt hundreds of square miles of Arctic ice each year

At the current rate, carbon dioxide emissions from the UK...

The microorganisms that help keep coral reef ecosystems healthy and thriving have different levels of activity at night and during the day, according to a new study. 

Corals are just one part of a reef ecosystem, and each piece<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diversity-abundance-coral-reef-health/"> plays a key role in the health and adaptability</a> of coral reefs. 

Reefs are home to a diverse array of marine wildlife from algae to large predators like sharks, and the very bottom of the food chain sits bacteria and other microorganisms. These microorganisms recycle organic matter into useful nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.sdsu.edu/">San Diego State University,</a> the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii at Mānoa</a>, and <a href="https://scripps.ucsd.edu/">Scripps Institution of Oceanography</a> conducted a study comparing the day and night rhythms of bacteria from reef ecosystems. 

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications and is one of the first studies of its kind to examine the day and night rhythms of reef microorganisms.

“Investigations of day-night rhythms of reef processes are required to holistically understand the functional roles of microbial players in these ecosystems,” said Linda Wegley Kelly, the co-lead author of the study.

The research team surveyed reefs along the Southern Line Islands south of Hawaii and sampled the water above the reef at night and during the day. They analyzed the samples and were able to measure differences in water chemistry and microbe abundance and diversity.

[caption id="attachment_1871154" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/coral-reef.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1871154" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/coral-reef.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="511" /></a> Measuring reef processes on Millennium Atoll, Image Credit: Jennifer Smith[/caption]

Not only did the researchers find that microorganisms had different patterns of activity during the day compared to at night, but also these changes were consistent across different reefs separated by hundreds of miles. 

Microbe activity across the reefs decreased at night but increased the next day. 

One group of microbes, Psychrobacter, make up 40 to 70 percent of the microbial marine reef community, but at night, Psychrobacter levels are 100 times less abundant compared to the day. 

“Those who study reefs know that these ecosystems change significantly from day to night, but this study reveals one previously invisible aspect of that change: a dramatic and predictable shift--not only in what microbes are doing--but which groups are most abundant,” said Craig Nelson, a co-leader of the study. 

The researchers will continue to study these important processes and work to understand what drives microbial day-night rhythms.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Brian Zgliczynski

Coral reef microbes have distinct day and night rhythms

The microorganisms that help keep coral reef ecosystems healthy and...

The government of Nepal is sending a team of surveyors to the top of Mount Everest to obtain a new measurement of its true height. Some scientists believe the mountain shrunk after a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/2015-quake-mount-everest-shorter/">powerful earthquake</a> in 2015, and officials are hoping to settle the debate.

In April of 2015, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal that claimed nearly 9,000 lives and injured 22,000 people. Beyond causing an estimated $10 billion in damages, some experts claim that the tremor knocked an inch off the world's tallest mountain. 

A team led by John Elliott, a geophysicist at the University of Leeds, used satellite data to measure displacements in the mountains about 100 miles from Mount Everest, closer to Kathmandu. The researchers found that the impact of the earthquake shrunk the tallest mountains.

In 2017, Elliott said that the finding was controversial because conventional wisdom suggests that massive quakes should be building mountains instead of shrinking them. In fact, some of the lower mountains observed in the study had been built up to some extent.

On Wednesday, four climbers who spent the last two years preparing to measure Mount Everest embarked on their mission. The team was not only trained on how to measure the peak, but also on how to survive the harsh conditions at the top of the mountain. 

“It will not be easy to work in that terrain, but we are confident our mission will be successful,” said expedition leader and chief surveyor Khim Lal Gautam. According to officials, the climbers will be carrying advanced equipment to collect the remaining data to derive the true height of the peak.

Currently, the height of Mount Everest is widely recognized as being 29,029 feet, which may change after the expedition. This is the first time that the Nepalese government has conducted its own survey of the mountain.

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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

Nepal launches mission to measure Mount Everest to see if it has shrunk

The government of Nepal is sending a team of surveyors...

A team of experts led by Professor Doyne Farmer at the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> has recently proposed the theory that slight interventions in social and political systems can greatly affect how <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-allergy-season-longer/">climate change</a> is addressed. According to the study authors, small interventions may have a far-reaching influence on whether a climate crisis is successfully avoided. 

The researchers argued that current approaches to mitigate climate change, including global agreements to reduce CO2 emissions, have been largely ineffective. For example, 195 world leaders came together to establish the ambitious targets of the Paris Agreement, but there has not yet been enough action to reach these targets. 

Professor Farmer’s team is introducing the concept of sensitive intervention points (SIPs), which are unique situations within socio-economic and political systems where seemingly small and simple interventions can initiate radical change. 

In some ways, SIPs are similar to tipping points, which is a term used by climate scientists to describe critical thresholds within the Earth's environment. Once a threshold is crossed and the tipping point is reached, massive and irreversible changes are triggered.

For example, a tipping point will be reached when the melting of polar ice triggers rapidly warming ocean temperatures and leads to the catastrophic shutdown of Atlantic circulation. 

SIPs could have the same power for positive climate-relevant social and political changes, according to the Oxford team. With this in mind, the study authors are calling for the creation of a multidisciplinary research program to identify, model, and develop approaches to implementing future SIPs that would potentially promote new solutions to address climate change.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Small interventions could lead to effective climate change solutions

A team of experts led by Professor Doyne Farmer at...

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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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