Coral reefs in the Florida Keys, Hawaii, and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are showing alarming signs of stress. Where bright, living structures once stretched across the seafloor, many now appear ghostly and drained of color. 



The vivid greens, yellows, and blues of the corals have faded. What remains looks more like underwater ruins than living ecosystems. This phenomenon, known as coral bleaching, happens when climate-driven <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-are-rising-faster-than-expected-and-likely-to-accelerate/">ocean warming</a> disrupts the delicate relationship between coral and the algae that live inside them.



Though the organisms remain alive, bleaching makes them vulnerable - to disease, starvation, and eventually, death.



But recent research out of <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>, in collaboration with Duke University and the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, has uncovered something hopeful: certain corals can pass their heat tolerance to their offspring. This finding could help protect reefs around the world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-corals-under-climate-stress">Corals under climate stress</h2>



Coral reefs support nearly a quarter of all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/body-size-of-85000-marine-species-mapped-in-new-database/">marine species</a>. They also protect coastlines and help sustain millions of people globally. 



Recently, researchers discovered that resistance to heat isn’t just a fluke of one generation - It can be inherited.



“The Coral Resilience Lab in Hawaii has developed amazing methods to breed and rear corals during natural summer spawning,” said study co-author Rob Quinn.



“This is a true scientific collaboration that can support coral breeding and reproduction to cultivate more resilient corals for the warming oceans of the future.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-color-behind-the-corals">The color behind the corals</h2>



In exchange for shelter and nutrients, the algae use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-finally-decoded-the-process-of-photosynthesis/">photosynthesis</a> to produce sugars that feed their host - providing up to 95 percent of the energy it needs. It’s a tight-knit relationship. But when water gets too warm, that partnership breaks down.



Bleached coral has kicked out its algae. It becomes pale. It loses its source of energy. And it starts to struggle.



“Corals are like the trees in an old-growth forest; they build the ecosystems we know as reefs on the energetic foundation between the animal and algae,” said study co-author Crawford Drury.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-lab-to-ocean-collaboration">A lab-to-ocean collaboration</h2>



Michigan State University, far from any tropical reef, brings a unique set of tools to the table. Samples collected from spawning events in Hawaii are sent to MSU, where researchers use a method called metabolomics to study them.



This technique lets scientists see what’s happening inside a coral’s cells at a specific moment. The goal is to find the biochemical fingerprints linked to thermal tolerance.



The experts analyzed sperm, eggs, embryos, larvae, and algae. The results showed that heat resistance comes from both the coral and its algae - and that this resistance successfully passes from parent to offspring.



“HIMB and MSU have developed a really amazing partnership. I’m just happy they’ve let me be a part of it. I can’t wait to see what comes out of it next,” said Ty Roach, a visiting faculty at Duke University and lead author of the new study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-eggs-carry-algae">Coral eggs carry algae</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natural-sunscreen-helps-blue-rice-corals-adapt-to-warming-climate/">Rice coral</a> comes in many forms - some branch out like tiny fingers, others spread flat like layered shelves. But they all share a remarkable feature: little grain-like bumps that inspired the name, and a surprising ability to pass thermal tolerance to the next generation.



Unlike many coral species that acquire algae from surrounding seawater, rice coral packages its eggs with algae from the start. 



This means that both the coral and its symbiotic algae begin their journey together from the very first moments of life. That early partnership offers a head start in facing warming oceans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-heat-in-coral-babies">Studying heat in coral babies</h2>



Quinn and his team used MSU’s advanced instruments to examine the chemistry of each sample. They set out to investigate whether the molecules linked to heat resistance - such as specific lipids - appeared consistently across generations.



The researchers discovered that even embryos and larvae, the earliest life stages, showed chemical signatures tied to their parents’ heat resilience.



“Corals usually spawn based on the lunar cycle; for our experiment, this means late nights around the summer new moons and months of work rearing coral larvae and juveniles,” Drury said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-traits-passed-during-spawning">Heat traits passed during spawning</h2>



One of those long nights left a big impression on MSU graduate student Sarah VanDiepenbos.



“It was such a serene, beautiful experience. The timing is impeccable, as the process only lasts 20 to 30 minutes total,” she said. 



The coral bundles slowly float upward, trying to find another gamete to combine with once they get to the surface. This release is gradual, so they can have a maximum chance of finding spawn from a different coral.



“To have this algae’s thermal tolerance remain through an entire generation and all the stages of coral development - that’s surprising, and promising for the future of coral reefs,” Quinn said. 



“Coral lipid biochemistry is maintained through all stages of development during reproduction. These lipids come from both the host coral and its algal symbiont, indicating there is crosstalk between them to prepare the next generation to resist bleaching.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-resilience-in-a-changing-climate">Coral resilience in a changing climate</h2>



The results don’t just offer insight. They offer an opportunity for action. Understanding how thermal resistance is passed down gives scientists better tools for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/restored-coral-reefs-can-bounce-back-in-just-four-years/">restoring reefs</a>. It also gives them a clearer sense of which corals are worth breeding in a changing climate.



“Our metabolomics research at MSU could support reef restoration efforts at places like the Kāneʻohe Bay by identifying corals that are resistant to bleaching,” Quinn said.



The oceans are changing. But thanks to research like this, we might be ready for what comes next.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61102-8">Nature Communications</a>.



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Baby corals inherit a powerful climate change defense from their parents

Coral reefs in the Florida Keys, Hawaii, and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are showing alarming signs of stress. Where bright, living structures once stretched across the seafloor, many now appear ghostly and drained of color. The vivid greens, yellows, and blues of the corals have faded. What remains looks more like underwater ruins than living ecosystems. This phenomenon, known as coral bleaching, happens when climate-driven ocean warming disrupts the delicate relationship between coral and the algae that live inside them. Though the organisms remain alive, bleaching makes...

According to the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> (ESA), twin satellites from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission have imaged previously unknown burn scars in sub-Saharan Africa, revealing that fires have been more prevalent across this region than previously thought.

Satellites are a very important tool for monitoring <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pge-charges-deadly-wildfires/">wildfires</a> to detect where they are located and how they are spreading. Satellite imaging is also useful for mapping burn scars, particularly in remote areas. 

The ESA reports that wildfires are responsible for up to 35 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions each year. For this reason, satellite data is needed to help scientists predict the effect of wildfires on climate change. 

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission launched a pair of satellites with high-resolution imaging capabilities to monitor the health of the world's vegetation and to map changes across land surfaces. The mission has now produced the first detailed map of burn scars left behind by wildfires.

A recent study was focused on Copernicus Sentinel-2 observations of sub-Saharan Africa, a region that accounts for around 70 percent of all burned area across the entire globe. 

The scientists discovered that a total of 4.9 million square kilometers of land burned in 2016, which is 80 percent more than what had been documented by satellites with lower resolutions. The new burn areas were mainly caused by smaller fires that are typically associated with land use changes, especially when land is being cleared for agricultural purposes.

[caption id="attachment_1867117" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/burn-scars.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1867117" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/burn-scars.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="394" /></a> Burn scars near Cape Town, Image Credit: Copernicus Sentinel data, European Space Agency (ESA)[/caption]

“This increase the amount of burned area and the fact that it is made up of small areas came as no surprise as Copernicus Sentinel-2 has a resolution of 20 m, more than ten times the zoom of other satellite instruments,” explained study lead author Ekhi Roteta from the <a href="https://www.ehu.eus/en">University of the Basque Country</a>.

“The additional impact of these small fires may be underrepresented which suggests an increase in the contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. It would therefore be useful to include these data in existing climate models.”

“The next step would be create a global map of burned areas at 20 m resolution to reveal the evidence of more small fires, which in turn could lead to greater clarity on greenhouse gas emissions, land-cover change and land management.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/remote-sensing-of-environment">Remote Sensing of the Environment</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Satellites reveal more widespread burn scars across Africa

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), twin satellites from...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/index.html">University of Tokyo</a> have found that heat waves may make people more susceptible to the flu. A study in mice showed that their immune response to the influenza virus was weakened by exposure to extreme heat.

While it is known that rising temperatures will contribute to poor nutrition in regions where crop yields will suffer, this is the first time that experts have investigated how <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/heat-waves-male-fertility/">heat waves</a> may impact flu immunity.

“Flu is a winter-season disease. I think this is why no one else has studied how high temperatures affect flu,” explained study co-author Professor Takeshi Ichinohe.

For the study, the researchers exposed healthy, young adult female mice to either refrigerator-cold temperatures around 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit, room temperatures at about 71.6 degrees, or heat wave temperatures at around 96.8 degrees Fahrenheit.


The study revealed that the immune systems of mice in hot rooms did not respond effectively when they were infected with the flu. The heat inhibited a critical step taken by the immune system when it recognizes the influenza virus and mounts a specific response.


Beyond this effect, however, the heat-exposed mice showed no other significant changes to their immune system. They demonstrated normal reactions to flu vaccines and their gut bacteria remained normal, despite the heat.

“Does the immune system not respond to influenza virus maybe because the heat changes gene expression? Or maybe because the mice don't have enough nutrients? We need to do more experiments to understand these details,” said study co-author and doctoral student Miyu Moriyama.

The study findings may help to explain why individuals often become sick while recovering from a different illness.

“People often lose their appetite when they feel sick. If someone stops eating long enough to develop a nutritional deficit, that may weaken the immune system and increase the likelihood of getting sick again,” said Professor Ichinohe.

“Perhaps vaccines and nutritional supplements could be given simultaneously to communities in food-insecure areas. Clinical management of emerging infectious diseases, including influenza, Zika, and Ebola, may require nutritional supplements in addition to standard antiviral therapies.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com
</a>

Extreme heat waves can weaken the body’s resistance to flu

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have found that heat...

While the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unstable-polar-vortex-brutal-winter/">polar vortex</a> was yesterday’s news, for much of the United States, the dead of winter means more snow, snow, ice, and more snow.

Many residents are stocking up on salt for their sidewalks, and cities keeping roads safe by sending out plows and salting the streets to prevent the snow and ice from freezing over.

Unlike the salt you would use on your sidewalk, the city trucks you see down the highways spraying the road with a salty solution are treating roads to prevent freezing rather than trying melt the ice after the fact.

It all boils down to the chemical properties of salt and how it reacts with water at its freezing point.

Julie Pollock, an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the <a href="https://www.richmond.edu/">University of Richmond</a>, explained the chemistry of road salting in a recent piece for <a href="https://theconversation.com/salt-doesnt-melt-ice-heres-how-it-actually-makes-winter-streets-safe-110870">The Conversation</a>. 

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is salt no matter which way you shake it, but the salt on the road is less pure and gets its brownish color from mineral contamination.

Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and if the ground temperature is freezing or below freezing, ice and snow will form, but salt lowers the freezing point. Salt solutions lower the freezing point to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

But this rule will only apply if the road is pre-treated with a salt-water solution. Salt that’s dumped on the road after a blizzard won’t melt the ice unless subjected to heat from the sun and cars.

“Subjecting the environment to this salt via runoff can have some unintended consequences including negative effects on plants, aquatic animals and wetlands,” Pollock wrote. “But it’s a cheap and effective way to protect roads from ice due to a simple scientific principle: freezing point depression of solutions.”

Sand is also used to help provide friction for road traffic in colder climates where this scientific principle won’t work.

Road salt can seep into wetlands, rivers, streams, and lakes and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/freshwater-streams-polluted-salt/">pollute ecosystems</a>. Sidewalk salt can also be harmful to pets, and there are some pet-friendly options for sidewalk salt that concerned pet owners can use for their walkways.

However, some eco-friendly alternatives are being explored to replace road salt solutions, and these still use the freezing point depression principle, according to Pollock.

Some of the alternatives include brines and beet wastewater from sugar beet processing. Like salt, the sugar lowers the melting point of ice when sprayed onto the road and beet wastewater has less of a negative environmental impact. What’s more, brines, beet wastewater and even molasses additives could be effective in lower temperature climates.

These are also not without their potential consequences though, which is why some researchers are looking to replace road asphalt with solar panels in the hopes of making self-clearing roads, according to another report from <a href="https://theconversation.com/road-salt-makes-winter-driving-safer-but-what-does-it-do-to-the-environment-87860">The Conversation</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How salt trucks keep roads safe… and some eco-friendly alternatives

While the polar vortex was yesterday’s news, for much of...

If you think city traffic is bad now, wait until self-driving cars get on the road. A new analysis suggests that while the autonomous vehicles could <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/self-driving-cars-parking/">ease parking congestion</a>, they’re likely to snarl traffic in city centers as they become more common.

The worst traffic could come in areas where paid parking is common, since self-driving cars may be able to cruise at low speeds instead of needing to be parked.

"Parking prices are what get people out of their cars and on to public transit, but autonomous vehicles have no need to park at all. They can get around paying for parking by cruising," said Dr. Adam Millard-Ball of the <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">University of California, Santa Cruz</a>. "They will have every incentive to create havoc."

Millard-Ball, a transportation planner and associate professor of environmental studies, worries that self-driving cars may have a similar effect as people circling the “Arrivals” area of an airport parking lot rather than paying parking fees.

That kind of gridlock, beyond just causing traffic snarls for anyone hoping to get from Point A to Point B, could lead to losses in parking and public transportation revenue as well.

As few as 2,000 self-driving cars in downtown San Francisco could slow traffic to less than 2 miles per hour, Millard-Ball said. And the price of gas and maintenance isn’t likely to stop it, he said.

"Even when you factor in electricity, depreciation, wear and tear, and maintenance, cruising costs about 50 cents an hour – that's cheaper than parking even in a small town," he said. "Unless it's free or cheaper than cruising, why would anyone use a remote lot?"

Congestion pricing could be a solution, he said. In London, motorists pay about $15 to enter the city’s center, and Singapore and Stockholm have similar programs. Self-driving cars could be fitted with devices that measure speed, location and other factors, and assign fees accordingly.

But cities need to adopt it now, Millard-Ball said. Once self-driving cars are on the road, it will be hard to convince people to pay that kind of fee. 

"As a policy, congestion pricing is difficult to implement. The public never wants to pay for something they've historically gotten for free," he said. "But no one owns an autonomous vehicle now, so there's no constituency organized to oppose charging for the use of public streets. This is the time to establish the principle and use it to avoid the nightmarish scenario of total gridlock."

Millard-Ball’s analysis has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2019.01.003">Transport Policy</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Self-driving cars could cause city traffic snarls

If you think city traffic is bad now, wait until...

Scientists have found that the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC), a deep-ocean process largely responsible for regulating Earth’s climate, is driven by cold waters off the western coast of Europe, mainly between Greenland and Scotland. 

In the waters between these areas, warm, salty, shallow waters that have been carried from the tropics northward via currents and wind, sink, cool, and turn into deeper, fresher waters that then move southward through the Irminger and Iceland basins.

Researchers found that overturning variability within this eastern area of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/explore-depths-indian-ocean/">ocean</a> was seven times greater than in the Labrador Sea, which is where previous theories suspected the majority of the overturning was occurring. But within this new area of waters recently explored, researchers found that 88% of the total variance documented across the entire North Atlantic within a 21-month period was accounted for.

Susan Lozier, the Ronie-Rochele Garcia-Johnson Professor of Earth and Ocean Sciences at <a href="https://nicholas.duke.edu/">Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment</a>, believes that knowing this can help scientists better predict how MOC will change and how those changes will affect Earth’s climate.

“To aid predictions of climate in the years and decades ahead, we need to know where this deep overturning is currently taking place and what is causing it to vary," explained Lozier, who led the international observational study responsible for producing the new data, published January 31st in <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>. 

"Overturning carries vast amounts of anthropogenic carbon deep into the ocean, helping to slow global warming," said the study’s co-author Penny Holliday, of the <a href="https://noc.ac.uk/">National Oceanography Center in Southampton, U.K.</a> "The largest reservoir of this anthropogenic carbon is in the North Atlantic." 

She continued, "Overturning also transports tropical heat northward, meaning any changes to it could have an impact on glaciers and Arctic sea ice. Understanding what is happening, and what may happen in the years to come, is vital."

This study, which is the initial phase of the five-year OSNAP (Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program) research project, used moored instruments and sub-surface floats located across the North Atlantic to measure the ocean's overturning circulation.

"As scientists, it is exciting to learn that there are more pieces to the overturning puzzle than we first thought," said study co-author Johannes Karstensen, of the <a href="https://www.geomar.de/en/">GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, Germany</a>. "Though the overturning in the Labrador Sea is smaller than we expected, we have learned that this basin plays a large role in transporting freshwater from the Arctic.”

He added, “Continued measurements in that basin will be increasingly important," as the Arctic unexpectedly changes.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Carolina Nobre, WHOI Media

European waters regulate Earth’s climate via ocean overturning

Scientists have found that the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC),...

A new study has revealed that the heavy bombardment of the Earth by asteroids likely helped in forming the planet’s crust. During the Hadean eon over 3.8 billion years ago, Earth was constantly blasted by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-dinosaurs-global-tsunami/">asteroids</a>, which melted rocks into huge pools made up of basalts.

“If you want to get an idea of what the surface of Earth looked like at that time, you can just look at the surface of the Moon which is covered by a vast amount of large impact craters,” said Professor Rais Latypov from the <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/">University of the Witwatersrand</a> in South Africa.


While some models suggest that these melt sheets crystallized back into their original composition, a new model shows that the sheets may have contributed to the chemical evolution of the Earth's crust by producing igneous rocks, which form at the surface of the crust.

The current study was focused on the impact melt sheet of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) in Canada. The SIC is the largest and most accessible asteroid impact melt sheet on Earth and was formed by a large asteroid impact 1.85 billion years ago.

“Our field and geochemical observations - especially the discovery of large discrete bodies of melanorites throughout the entire stratigraphy of the SIC - allowed us to reassess current models for the formation of the SIC and firmly conclude that its conspicuous magmatic stratigraphy is the result of large-scale fractional crystallization,” said Professor Latypov.

“An important implication is that more ancient and primitive Hadean impact melt sheets on the early Earth and other terrestrial planets would also have undergone near-surface, large-volume differentiation to produce compositionally stratified bodies.” 

“The detachment of dense primitive layers from these bodies and their sinking into the mantle would leave behind substantial volumes of evolved rocks (buoyant crustal blocks) in the Hadean crust. This would make the crust compositionally layered and increasingly more evolved from its base towards the Earth's surface.”

“These impacts made the crust compositionally more evolved - in other words, silica-rich in composition. Traditionally, researchers believe that such silica-rich evolved rocks - which are essentially building buoyant blocks of our continents - can only be generated deep in the Earth, but we now argue that such blocks can be produced at new-surface conditions within impact melt pools.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Asteroid impacts may have led to the development of Earth’s crust

A new study has revealed that the heavy bombardment of...

Colonization of the Americas actually cooled the Earth’s climate. When Europeans arrived to the Americas in 1492, bringing with them disease and colonizing the land, it jump started a period known as “the Great Dying.” During this time, disease, war, and slavery wiped out 90 percent of the America’s indigenous populations. 

This staggering loss of life left a vast amount of abandoned land in its wake. Now, a new study claims that reforestation after the Great Dying caused temperatures to drop and was a driving factor behind the “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-pacific-little-ice-age/">Little Ice Age</a>,” when winters in Europe were so cold that rivers would freeze over.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> reviewed population data before and after the Great Dying and compared this with atmospheric CO2 levels at the time to estimate the impacts of colonization in North, Central and South America on the world’s climate.

It’s estimated that by 1600, 56 million people had died due to the colonization of the Americas.

“The Great Dying of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas led to the abandonment of enough cleared land that the resulting terrestrial carbon uptake had a detectable impact on both atmospheric CO₂ and global surface air temperatures,” the researchers wrote in their study, which was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379118307261?via%3Dihub">Quaternary Science Reviews</a>.

The Great Dying was a slow process spurred on by several disease outbreaks of smallpox, influenza, and measles.

As indigenous populations died off, the researchers say that the vast amounts of abandoned agricultural land left behind quickly reforested and this increase in vegetation pulled more CO2 from the atmosphere.

The researchers reviewed 119 regional population estimates and calculated that before 1492, 60.5 million people lived in the Americas.

Disease epidemic data showed that indigenous populations dropped to 5.6 million, a 90 percent decline by 1600.

The team then focused on the abandoned agricultural land left after the large-scale depopulation of the Americas and estimated how land use would have factored into reforestation and climate change later on. Colonization of the Americas actually cooled the Earth’s climate 

“The decimation of Indigenous American populations by re-occurring waves of epidemics combined with societal disruption likely drove large reductions in agricultural activity,” the researchers wrote in their study. “Using indigenous population decline estimates and their per capita land use we can estimate the extent to which vegetation succession in the Americas occurred following the Great Dying in the first century after European arrival, and how this may have impacted resulting carbon sequestration.”

According to the study, atmospheric CO2 levels dropped by 7-10 particles per million which shifted the global climate and caused the temperature to drop on a global scale. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Magasin Pittoresque, 1844

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Colonization of the Americas actually cooled the Earth’s climate

Colonization of the Americas actually cooled the Earth’s climate. When...

Gene editing could help eliminate a deadly banana virus called streak virus that can devastate entire plantations. 

Most bananas in Africa have the virus, which integrates into the banana’s genome where it stays dormant until heat stress or drought prompts the virus to emerge, spread, and kill its hosts. 

But according to a report published in <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2192461-virus-lurking-inside-banana-genome-has-been-destroyed-with-crispr/">New Scientist</a>, there may be hope for African banana plantations with genome editing. 

Leena Tripathi from the <a href="http://www.iita.org/">International Institute of Tropical Agriculture</a> in Kenya found a way to use CRISPR to target the streak virus inside the DNA of its host banana.

With a breed of streak virus resistant bananas, Tripathi hopes to grow entire banana crops that are free of the virus and resistant to future infection. 

In recent years, there have been many advances in gene editing and CRISPR-Cas9, particular with crop resistance to drought and disease. CRISPR allows researchers to cut DNA strands with incredible precision. 

However, genetic modification is still largely contested, and many fear the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harmful-effects-crispr-gene-editing/">unknown ramifications</a> of this relatively new scientific achievement.  

Even through Tripathi’s work could save banana plantations in Africa, New Scientist reports that the legality of the gene-edited fruit is up for debate. 

 “I think right now they are in discussions about whether it requires legislation,” Tripathi told New Scientist.

Streak virus is not the only threat facing banana farmers, and a popular banana called the Cavendish banana is highly susceptible to a fungal strain called Tropical Race 4. 

Plantations worldwide are dealing with Tropical Race 4 and scientists are working on using gene editing to make the plants resistant to the disease. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Can gene editing save bananas from devastating virus outbreak?

Gene editing could help eliminate a deadly banana virus called...

Rewilding has been a controversial concept since it was first introduced as a new way to conserve and restore ecosystems.

Over a decade ago, when the idea of introducing elephants to North America to serve as a surrogate for some long-since extinct Ice Age species and help restore an Ice Age-like ecosystem was first brought about, it was met with much skepticism.

Now, a new book titled simply Rewilding and published by <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/">Cambridge University Press</a> offers the first comprehensive review of rewilding and shows that rewilding could be ultimately beneficial.

Of course, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/de-extinction-passenger-pigeons/">de-extinction</a> is now not as far-fetched as it once was, and some scientists are working to restore Ice Age ecosystems complete with woolly mammoth hybrids in the hopes of mitigating climate change.

Rewilding, though, is starting to attract a new following and more and more people are interested in the concept of transforming degraded human-dominated landscapes.

“Rewilding currently means different things to different people, but the book clarifies it as the process of reorganising, retooling, or regenerating wildness in a degraded ecosystem,” said Johan du Toit, a co-editor of the book. “Rewilding is an adaptive and pragmatic approach for regaining and maintaining the provision of ecosystem services, which are essential for humanity.”

Rewilding is particular of interest in Europe where abandoned and degraded agricultural lands could provide new habitats for a wide array of species that could help restore the land. The ecosystems themselves would be self-regulating and self-sustaining.

The book was a collaborative effort among the world’s leading ecologists and social scientists, and the authors discuss rewilding through a critical lens, highlighting the pros and cons and explaining different rewilding methods.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.zsl.org/">Zoological Society of London</a> and<a href="https://www.usu.edu/"> Utah State University</a> helped edit the new book.

 “Rewilding has the potential to deliver a progressive and resilient approach to wildlife management, connecting people with, rather than separating them from, nature,” said Nathalie Pettorelli, a member of the Zoological Society of London. “It directly feeds into discussions relating to coexistence, societal values, and tolerance for wildlife, and inviting nature right back to our doorstep.”

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Utah State University

Rewilding could offer an important opportunity for conservation

Rewilding has been a controversial concept since it was first...

Was BPA replaced with something just as bad?. Products from baby bottles to canned soup proudly proclaim that they are BPA-free. This came as a response to mounting evidence that BPA (bisphenol A) mimics human estrogen, causing developmental damage to the brain and reproductive tissues. In 2012, this led to a ban by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on baby bottles containing BPA. 

Today, many plastic products advertise their lack of BPA, however, they make no mention of what replaced this harmful chemical. In most cases, the culprit is bisphenol S (BPS). This compound is less researched and has a shorter history of human consumption. As it’s use continues to increase, research has begun to examine how different BPS really is from its dangerous cousin.
<h2>What is BPA, and why is it used?</h2>
BPA is a chemical that was first discovered in the 1890s. In the 1950s, chemists discovered that it had useful properties as a “plasticizer.” Since then BPA has been used to produce the plastics found in <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-bpa">water bottles, medical equipment, epoxy resins and much more</a>. This chemical is mostly consumed in the plasticizing process. The remaining BPA, however, makes it into consumer products where it leaches into food, water, and the environment. These chemicals are essential to producing polycarbonate plastics, however, BPA is not the only option. 

BPA comes from a group of chemicals called bisphenols. Related compounds can be used in place of BPA for the plasticizing process. These alternatives are structurally similar to BPA, which makes them useful for manufacturing plastics. However, this similarity also may carry the same risks associated with BPA.
<h2>What health risks have been linked to bisphenol compounds?</h2>
Though BPA went through traditional toxicology screening without concern, independent research revealed a different story. 

The core problem with BPA is that it mimics the hormone estrogen in humans. Though estrogen is generally known as the female sex hormone, it is essential for both men and women. Estrogen plays an essential role in reproductive development <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4854098/">both in the sex organs and in the brain</a>. 

The role of bisphenol compounds in disrupting these delicate processes has been well documented. BPA has been shown to cause developmental changes to the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bpa-free-plastic-containers-may-be-just-as-hazardous/">brain, prostate and reproductive development.</a> Bisphenols cause genetic changes that <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/09/bpa-substitutes-may-be-just-bad-popular-consumer-plastic">persist for generations in mice</a>. This is a particularly dangerous risk for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bpa-exposure-premature-birth/">pregnant women</a>, babies and children. 

Unfortunately, due to the prevalence of polycarbonate plastics, it has become nearly impossible to avoid exposure to both BPA and BPS. A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study found that <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/ehp.10753">93% of a 2517 person sample had detectable levels of BPA in their urine</a>. BPS has been detected in <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bpa-free-plastic-containers-may-be-just-as-hazardous/">nearly 81% of Americans urine</a>.

Though BPA exists only in very small amounts in most foods and drinks, this may not provide the protection you would imagine. BPA and other endocrine disruptors are often <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bpa-free-plastic-containers-may-be-just-as-hazardous/">most effective at extremely low and extremely high doses</a>.Studies have indicated that concentrations below <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bpa-free-plastic-containers-may-be-just-as-hazardous/">1 part per trillion of BPS can disrupt the functioning of cells.</a>

These concentrations of BPA aren’t only a concern for humans. BPA can have even worse effects in the environment. Since BPA is used in many plastics other than food packaging, it can leach from many sources into rivers and lakes. Aquatic animals such as fish, salamanders <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bpa-can-induce-behavioral-changes-in-turtles/">and turtles</a> are particularly sensitive to these compounds.
<h2>How do BPA alternatives compare?</h2>
Though there are other bisphenol compounds that could replace BPA so far BPS has been the chosen solution. Because BPS has only been a concern recently, <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/09/bpa-substitutes-may-be-just-bad-popular-consumer-plastic">far less is known about how this compound affects humans and the environment</a>. 

Research has shown effects that are <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/alternatives-to-a-common-household-chemical-may-cause-the-same-health-issues">very similar to those of BPA</a>. <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/are-bpa-substitutes-any-safer-bpa">According to the EPA</a>, BPA alternatives may actually be more potent than BPA itself. Much like BPA, they impair the development of the brain and reproductive tissues.
<h2>What can be done to combat bisphenol pollution?</h2>
Though BPA has made it into most corners of the earth, it is not time to give up hope just yet. 
<h3>Awareness and understanding</h3>
The biggest protection against these chemicals is greater awareness and more research. To protect human life and our environment, research needs to continue into the long term impacts of these chemicals. Understanding the implications of these chemicals to human health and the environment will allow us to take steps to prepare for and remediate the damage. 

Plastics have become an essential material in every-day life for most people. This reality means that we must reduce our use of disposable plastics and find safer alternatives to our current plastics. It is also important that exhaustive research is done into the effects of these substances before they are released to the public. 
<h3>Remediation</h3>
Estrogenic chemicals including BPA have made their way into the environment and are no longer easy to avoid. Even completely avoiding plastics is no longer enough to prevent exposure. Because of this, it is important that we begin to develop techniques to remove these compounds from drinking water and the environment. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-inexpensive-treatment-can-quickly-remove-bpa-water/">Chemist Terrance J. Collins has developed a technique using catalysts called TAML activators</a> that can eliminate 99% of the BPA in water in just 30 minutes.
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
The replacement of BPA with BPS shows a major lack of regulation and protection of consumers. It is essential that products are tested thoroughly for safety before being released. The fact that the effects of BPS are still poorly understood despite being common is a concerning reality.

--

By <a href="mailto:casey.hofford@gmail.com">Casey Hofford</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Was BPA replaced with something just as bad?

Was BPA replaced with something just as bad?. Products from...

The enormous substructures of offshore oil platforms are converted by the ocean into vertical reefs, providing a home for millions of plants and animals. A team of researchers has studied the history and ecology of rigs-to-reefs efforts, and they hope their findings will help to inform California residents and policymakers as they decide what to do with decommissioned platforms. 

Study lead author Ann Scarborough Bull is a researcher at <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">UC Santa Barbara</a>'s Marine Science Institute (MSI).


“California citizens are going to have to make decisions about the continued existence of vast marine life under the platforms, and they should be informed decisions,” said Scarborough Bull. In fact, as platforms age and oil fields stop operating, this issue will come up again and again across the globe.

It is known that the petroleum coming from these platforms has a negative impact on the environment, and there is always the potential for destructive <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bp-oil-spill-damage/">oil spills</a> when oil production and water mix. “Oil spills are terrible events, and if you put in a platform and you drill and produce oil, you always have some level of risk,” said Scarborough Bull.

On the other hand, these giant structures, which rise up hundreds of feet from the ocean floor, provide a very unique habitat for animals in the form of a three-dimensional reef. “We say, ‘oh, we'll turn these platforms into reefs,’ but as far as the marine life is concerned, they already are reefs,” said study co-author and research biologist Milton Love.

In 2014, Scarborough Bull and Love collaborated with researchers at Occidental College to investigate the biological productivity of oil rigs off the coast of California. The team used standard models and metrics to compare the platforms to all the other habitats they could find data for, and found that the results were staggering. 

“Platforms off of California, as far as fish were concerned, were the most productive habitats in the world,” said Love. “More productive than coral reefs, more productive than Chesapeake Bay. Now does that mean that they are truly the most productive? Well, we don't know. But based on the world literature at that time, they were the most productive habitat.”


“Decisions are going to have to be made about more and more of these structures. We want everyone to have the same facts as they go into the process so decisions can be made on a rational basis.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/ocean-and-coastal-management">Ocean &amp; Coastal Management</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Offshore oil rigs can be repurposed into vertical reefs

The enormous substructures of offshore oil platforms are converted by...

The recent discovery of a massive cavity that is quickly hollowing out the Thwaites Glacier in west <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-increase-ice-mass-loss/">Antarctica</a> from the inside out has experts concerned about the rapidly decaying glacier’s impact on sea level rise in the coming years.

The Thwaites glacier is comparable to the size of Florida and the amount of ice the glacier holds could raise global sea levels by roughly 2 feet it it were to collapse.

The Thwaites also plays a crucial role in holding back other glaciers that would also contribute to sea level rise if the melting were to continue.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)</a> stumbled upon the startling discovery of the cavity when reviewing data from satellites and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/icebridge/index.html">Operation IceBridge</a>.

While the researchers expected to find some space between the glacier’s bottom and the bedrock where the glacier sits, a cavity the size of the Manhattan and nearly 1,000 feet tall far exceeded any expectations.

A study detailing the new findings was published in the journal Science Advances and the researchers call for more detailed observations of Antarctica’s glaciers.

If scientists have a better idea of how fast glaciers are melting, what kind of retreat patterns they’re following, and how much ocean water is seeping in under the glacier, then it will be easier to accurately project future global sea level rise.

“We have suspected for years that Thwaites was not tightly attached to the bedrock beneath it,” said Eric Rignot, co-author of the new study. “Thanks to a new generation of satellites, we can finally see the detail.”

The researchers found that cavity at one time could have held 14 billion tons of ice, and the majority of the cavity’s decay has occurred only in the last three years.

The team collected and analyzed satellite images and radar data from Operation IceBridge and used radar interferometry to measure the growth of the cavity over time.

“[The size of] a cavity under a glacier plays an important role in melting,” said, Pietro Milillo, the lead author of the study "As more heat and water get under the glacier, it melts faster.”

Thwaites isn’t following any regular patterns of retreat, and previous models drastically underestimated how quickly the glacier was melting. 

The cavity sits under the western side of the glacier where the tide rises and falls. The researchers found that the glacier’s grounding line, the point where seawater meets bedrock and the glacier extends out into the ocean, advances and falls back over an area of 2 to 3 miles.

The glacier is getting more and more “unstuck” as seawater seeps under the glacier between the glacier and bedrock, and as seawater melts the underside of the glacier, the cavity is getting bigger and bigger.

However, the rate of ice loss and glacier retreat is unpredictable which is why continued monitoring of the glacier is critical.

“Understanding the details of how the ocean melts away this glacier is essential to project its impact on sea level rise in the coming decades,” said Rignot.

A five-year field experiment called the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/project/international-thwaites-glacier-collaboration/">International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration</a> has been planned to study the region and its glaciers.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: NASA/OIB/Jeremy Harbeck

Massive cavity found in Antarctic glacier prompts fear of collapse

The recent discovery of a massive cavity that is quickly...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Ocean heat influences regional climate

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