Agricultural chemicals sprayed over vast plant fields rarely stay where growers intend. Researchers estimate that as much as half of each application drifts into soil, water, or the atmosphere - raising costs for farmers while burdening ecosystems.



A collaboration between <a href="https://web.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIT</a> and the <a href="https://smart.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology</a> offers a radically different approach: hollow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/inspired-by-sea-slugs-microneedles-could-transform-health-monitoring/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microneedles</a> spun from natural silk protein that inject fertilizers, nutrients, or sensing probes directly into plant tissues. 



This technique pairs surgical precision with a fabrication process so simple it can be done outside a clean room, yet robust enough for large-scale production.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silk-needles-for-smarter-farming">Silk needles for smarter farming</h2>



“Agrochemicals are important for supporting our food system, but they’re also expensive and bring environmental side effects, so there’s a big need to deliver them precisely,” explained Benedetto Marelli, the study’s senior author and an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at MIT.



Traditional foliar spraying addresses entire canopies even when only specific plants - or particular tissues - need treatment.



The new silk microneedles bypass that waste, ferrying liquids directly into a plant’s vascular network, where they can be distributed internally with minimal losses to the surrounding environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-way-to-feed-plants">A new way to feed plants</h2>



The research builds on medical microneedle technology originally devised for painless human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-vaccine-misconceptions-are-spreading-rapidly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vaccinations</a>. Earlier work from Marelli’s group proved that solid silk needles could pierce plant epidermis, but those prototypes carried only minuscule doses. 



To deliver commercially relevant volumes, Yunteng Cao and Doyoon Kim created a hollow version without the clean-room lithography medical devices usually require. They mixed purified silk fibroin with a saline solution and cast the blend into tiny conical molds.



As the water evaporated, salt crystallized inside the cones. Washing away the salt left behind either a central lumen or microscopic pores, depending on salt concentration. Despite their lightweight structure, the needles still had enough strength to penetrate stems.



“It’s a pretty simple fabrication process. It can be done outside of a clean room - you could do it in your kitchen if you wanted,” Kim said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-silk-needles-to-heal-crops">Using silk needles to heal crops</h2>



Iron deficiency, or chlorosis, stunts growth in many crops and can significantly reduce tomato yields. Sprays often fail because iron oxidizes before it enters the roots or leaves.



The team demonstrated that their hollow needles could infuse iron chelate directly into chlorotic tomato stems, reversing yellowing while using far less material than conventional soil or foliar supplements. 



Because the silk matrix biodegrades over several days, the needles acted like slow-release capsules, sustaining iron delivery as the plant recovered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-enriching-crops-with-vitamins">Enriching crops with vitamins</h2>



Biofortification - boosting the nutritional content of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/creating-resilient-crops-to-cope-with-the-climate-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">crops</a> - typically involves genetic engineering or post-harvest additives. 



The researchers tested whether the silk microneedles could embed vitamin B12, a nutrient scarce in plant foods, into developing tomatoes. Injections into green stems resulted in ripe fruit containing measurable B12, hinting at a field-based route for nutrient enrichment.



Co-author Daisuke Urano noted that detailed assessments showed “minimal adverse effects from microneedle injections in plants, with no observed short- or long-term negative impacts,” suggesting the method could scale without compromising crop health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crop-diagnostics-and-silk-needles">Crop diagnostics and silk needles </h2>



The team also used the needles as diagnostic probes. Hydroponic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tomatoes-have-a-molecular-trick-to-survive-in-extreme-heat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tomatoes</a> growing in cadmium-tainted nutrient solution can absorb the toxic metal long before visual symptoms appear.



By inserting microneedles and later analyzing the absorbed sap, the researchers detected cadmium within fifteen minutes and monitored its rise over eighteen hours. 



Current imaging methods only reveal stress after growth falters, and pulling sap manually is laborious. A microneedle array could act as an “IV line,” continually sampling fluid for on-farm analytics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-robotic-treatment-for-plants">Robotic treatment for plants</h2>



At present, technicians place the needles by hand, but Marelli envisions mounting them on robotic arms or autonomous drones that already patrol high-tech farms. Such systems could target individual plants flagged by imaging or soil sensors, applying nutrients or pesticides only where needed.



“We want to maximize the growth of plants without negatively affecting the health of the farm or the biodiversity of surrounding ecosystems,” Marelli said. “There shouldn’t be a trade-off between the agriculture industry and the environment. They should work together.”



While agriculture is the immediate focus, the underlying manufacturing technique could benefit human medicine. 



Hollow polymeric microneedles loaded with drugs or vaccines can offer painless, self-administrable alternatives to hypodermic needles. Cao noted salt-templating can customize pore size and shape for controlled release in both skin and plant stems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-precise-crop-injections-with-silk-needles">Precise crop injections with silk needles </h2>



Global demand for food is climbing even as arable land and freshwater resources strain under climate change and pollution. Precision tools that conserve inputs while protecting surrounding ecosystems are crucial, and silk microneedles offer a versatile platform.



The technology cuts waste and boosts crop care by infusing treatments, enriching nutrients, and enabling fast, in-plant diagnostics. 



If automated at scale, farmers could soon replace broad sprays with pinpoint injections, feeding a growing world more responsibly and efficiently.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-025-01923-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Nanotechnology</a>.



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Smarter farming: Silk needles heal crops with precision

Agricultural chemicals sprayed over vast plant fields rarely stay where growers intend. Researchers estimate that as much as half of each application drifts into soil, water, or the atmosphere - raising costs for farmers while burdening ecosystems. A collaboration between MIT and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology offers a radically different approach: hollow microneedles spun from natural silk protein that inject fertilizers, nutrients, or sensing probes directly into plant tissues. This technique pairs surgical precision with a fabrication process so simple it can be done...

An international team of scientists led by the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> has discovered how plants adjust their circadian clocks to day and night cycles in order to stay aligned with their surrounding environment. According to the study, plants regulate their circadian rhythms by continuously measuring the amount of sugars in their cells.


Animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi can approximate the time of day through circadian rhythms. For most living things, cues from the circadian cycle guide physical, mental, and behavioral changes.

It is critical for scientists to understand how these circadian systems work for insights into both agriculture and medicine. In the past, for example, changes in circadian rhythms have contributed to domestication of crops.

The current study has revealed that, when sugars made from photosynthesis are detected, the plant makes the necessary changes in energy provision throughout the day.

“Our findings show the first mechanism in plants that shifts the circadian rhythm backwards or forwards to synchronise it with the environment,” said study author Dr. Antony Dodd. “The plant continuously measures the amount of sugar in the cells and uses this information to make the required adjustments.”


Plants must correctly synchronize their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/circadian-rhythm-light-melatonin/">circadian rhythms</a> with the timing of day and night so that they can optimize energy and performance. Circadian rhythms control the time when plants grow and allow plants to conserve energy so that they have enough to last throughout the night.

Circadian rhythms also keep plants informed of changes in the seasons, which is particularly important to crops.

Dr. Dodd explained that “the discovery of a mechanism that synchronizes the plant body clock with the time in the environment has identified a new process that could be exploited in future to improve crop performance.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Cleverson Matiolli

Plants can tell the time of day by measuring their sugar levels

An international team of scientists led by the University of...

A study led by the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/university/">University of Geneva</a> (UNIGE) has identified the key elements that control the rapid formation of functional chloroplasts within plant seeds. The researchers describe the mechanism that supports the transition to autonomous growth after seed germination is initiated.

During the process of germination, the embryo within a seed must develop into a young seedling capable of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/photosynthesis-plants-started/">photosynthesis</a> in less than 48 hours.

“This is a critical stage in the life of a plant, which is closely regulated, notably by the growth hormone gibberellic acid (GA). The production of this hormone is repressed when external conditions are unfavorable,”  said study co-author Professor Luis Lopez-Molina.


The embryo only has access to a limited amount of nutrients reserved within the seed, which makes the development of functional chloroplasts that can produce sugars essential for survival.

“Thousands of different proteins must be imported into the developing chloroplasts, and this process can only take place in the presence of a protein called TOC159. If it is lacking, the plant will be depleted in chloroplasts and will remain albino,” explained study co-author Felix Kessler.


The team investigated how the seed decides whether to keep the embryo protected or to allow seed germination.


“We have discovered that, as long as GA is suppressed, a mechanism is set up, which ensures that TOC159 proteins are transported to the cellular waste bin in order to be degraded,” said study first author Venkatasalam Shanmugabalaji.

On the other hand, GA levels rise in the seed as external conditions become favorable. The team discovered that high concentrations of this hormone indirectly block the degradation of TOC159 proteins. These proteins are inserted into the membrane of proplastids and allow for the successful import of photosynthetic proteins.

The high-performance system recognized by the team not only enables the successful transition from a dependent embryo to autonomous development, but also contributes to the survival of the seedling in an inhospitable environment.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image © Sylvain Loubéry, UNIGE

When a seed turns into a plant, it has under two days to survive

A study led by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has...

The growth of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gas-detecting-plants-health-monitors/">plants</a> is a fascinating process that – despite all we know about it – scientists are still researching intensively to this day. One thing about plant growth that has puzzled scientists is the process of root cap replacement. The root cap protects the fragile tip of the root as a plant grows, and is replaced every few hours when the old cap is lost and a new one replaces it. 

But scientists have wanted to know how the cells at the tip know when to die, and how cells further back know that it’s time to divide and form a new layer? These questions can now be (partially) answered, thanks to new research published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/nplants/">Nature Plants</a>.

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uio.no/english/">University of Oslo</a> and the <a href="https://ist.ac.at/">Institute of Science and Technology Austria</a> (IST Austria) have observed for the first time regular cycles of root tip loss and regrowth in real time. In their work, they uncovered the signal and receptor that coordinate this process.

The researchers discovered the signal and receptor that facilitate communication at the root tip. Cells in the root cap secrete the signal peptide IDL1, which diffuses through the root tip. The peptide IDL attaches to the receptor protein HSL2 on the cells at the root apical meristem, which divide to form a new root cap. Through this, the outer root cap cells are shed and the inner cells that divide to replace them are able to communicate.

Root caps are lost at a rate of about one every 18 hours. “Because root cap loss and replacement is slow, you cannot observe it under a normal microscope set-up,” says Jiri Friml of IST Austria. To compensate for this, his group used a laser scanning microscope flipped on its side, which is a set-up they previously developed and led to them producing the winning video in last year’s “Nikon Small World in Motion Competition.”

With this microscope set-up, they could observe root growth over three days and see the periodicity of root cap peeling and cell death. “Our vertical microscope set-up and automatic tracking allowed us to observe how root caps are lost in natural conditions,” says Friml. “These tools enabled us to see how root cap loss actually happens and how the cells further back divide.”

This discovery not only shows the complexities of the inner working of plants, but it also shows that collaboration and the utilization of ingenuity within science can help us learn more about the world around us.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How plant roots regenerate their tips to ensure growth

The growth of plants is a fascinating process that –...

A new study from the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> has revealed that artificial lighting at night has an unexpected influence on plants and animals. Night-time lighting from sources such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/led-lights-last-longer-but-some-shades-are-harmful-to-wildlife/">streetlights</a> was found to promote complex changes in the feeding behavior of exposed insects.

Previous studies have shown that artificial lighting impacts a wide variety of species, including moths and bats, but it has been unclear how food webs were affected.

The investigation was focused on communities of plants, aphids, and parasitoid wasps in the UK. The research team established that the impacts of the artificial nighttime lights varied depending on the brightness of the light.

At lower levels of light, such as the amount of light generated by a nearby town, the parasitoid wasps had a hunting advantage and killed twice as many aphids. With brighter levels of light, however, the wasps became distracted and flew away from the aphids.

The researchers explained that this phenomenon could have a widespread impact on the way that different kinds of species interact, especially considering that many places all over the world have artificial night lighting including 88 percent of Europe.

“We might have expected that any effect of artificial light would increase with the brightness of the light - but that isn't what happened,” said study co-author Dr. Dirk Sanders. “Under low light these wasps became far more efficient hunters, leading to a reduction in the number of aphids, but brighter lighting made them more and more distracted.”


“This shows that even low lighting - the most common level of light pollution - can have a major impact. It also demonstrates the complex ways lighting affects ecosystems.”


Study lead author Professor Kevin Gaston said, “The potential for similar effects to occur in many different ecosystems is huge.”


The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Dirk Sanders

Artificial night lighting impacts a wide range of species

A new study from the University of Exeter has revealed...

The secret health benefits of flowers. Flowers are often reserved for special occasions and the part of our spending budget that we label frivolous. But what if you were told that flowers can actually bring health benefits? Would you purchase them more often? As more and more people move into cities away from nature, it could be important to invite more plants indoors and enjoy those fresh cut flowers. 

Humans have always depended on plants for our wellbeing, survival even. We breathe out <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-dioxide-record-broken/">carbon dioxide</a> which they convert with the help of some sunlight and water into oxygen. But beyond some elementary school science, they can also bring some real benefits when in our homes. Research has been done by <a href="https://www.k-state.edu/">Kansas State University</a> to prove that patients in hospitals who have fresh flower bouquets in their rooms require less pain medication and experience lower levels of anxiety during their recovery. 

Flowers can also help humidify the air which can physically help us breathe easier and boost immunity.  

"Lack of humidity creates an environment in your body that breeds infections," Dr. Dasgupta, MD, a pulmonary sleep doctor and professor at the Keck School of Medicine at <a href="https://www.usc.edu/">University of Southern California</a>, told <a href="https://www.elle.com/">Elle Magazine</a>. "That's why in the dry wintertime you see so many people getting the cold and flu. Water released naturally by plants will help with sore throats, dry skin, and heavy dry cough."

<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/flowers-3.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1216707" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/flowers-3-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="996" height="664" /></a>

Fresh flowers in our homes can also offer many psychological benefits. <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> conducted a 10-month study on the emotional impact of flowers and found that they are a natural moderator of moods. Participants even reported that they felt less stressed and agitated when they consistently had fresh flowers. 

Another study by <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> found links between waking up with a happier mood and seeing flowers first thing in the morning. 

“The morning blahs, it turns out, is a real phenomenon, with positive moods – happiness, friendliness and warmth, for example – manifesting much later in the day,” says lead researcher Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. “Interestingly, when we placed a small bouquet of flowers into their morning routines, people perked up.”

Flowers can even help increase productivity. Modern schedules no longer revolve around seasons or even the sun, flowers at home can help increase mindfulness on the passing of time and even encourage the accomplishment of goals in a timely manner.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/flowers-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1216705" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/flowers-2-1024x684.jpg" alt="" width="996" height="665" /></a>

"Flowers help people measure time and track goals, whether they be fitness goals or career goals, because different flowers are in season at different times and act as a positive symbol of the passage of time" Dak Kopec, PhD, a design and environmental psychologist, told <a href="https://www.elle.com/">Elle</a>. 

It’s commonly known that the color green can help reduce stress levels, a big positive of indoor potted plants, but adding a boost of natural color with flowers can also  promote stronger emotions of well being and happiness since we associate them with positive life events. 

Next time you’re at your local farmer’s market or checking out at the grocery store, it may be just as important to bring flowers home as it is to stick to a wholesome healthy diet. Health is a good enough reason to make everyday an occasion for flowers.

--

By <a href="mailto:bianca@earth.com">Bianca Vierra</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

The secret health benefits of flowers

The secret health benefits of flowers. Flowers are often reserved...

One of President Donald Trump’s biggest campaign promises was to tighten border security and build a wall along the United States and Mexico border. But many experts have weighed in on the costly ramifications of such an endeavor from an economic standpoint, with estimates that it will cost upwards of 21.6 billion dollars to build, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security document reported by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-wall-exclusive/exclusive-trump-border-wall-to-cost-21-6-billion-take-3-5-years-to-build-internal-report-idUSKBN15O2ZN">Reuters</a>. 

However, with all the media attention the wall has garnered, little has been paid to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/us-mexico-border-wall-threaten-100-endangered-species/">environmental impacts</a> of a continuous border wall. 

A new paper published in the journal BioScience describes the threats that the wall would pose to biodiversity and the harm it could do to the many species that call area along the border home. 

The paper was co-authored by 16 experts from the U.S and Mexico and has been so far endorsed by more than 2,500 members of the scientific community from 43 countries. 

According to the report, a border wall would fragment the geographic ranges of many species like the Mexican gray wolf, Sonoran pronghorn, and Peninsular bighorn sheep. 

“Some of the affected animals are charismatic as well as threatened," said William Ripple, a co-author from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>. “A continuous wall would disconnect any jaguars and ocelots in the U.S. from their major range in Mexico. And it's not just solid walls that are the issue; certain types of fencing can be a complete barrier to individual wildlife species. All of that should be considered.”

There is also the possibility that wall construction won’t adhere to environmental laws and prevent access to important resources for animals. 

“Many species, such as bighorn sheep, are composed of populations of relatively few individuals per unit area and have large home ranges - hundreds of square miles in the bighorn's case,” said Rodolfo Dirzo, a <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford</a> biologist and co-author of the paper. “Barriers will impede the bighorn sheep's migrations and movements to track habitats that shift due to a changing climate.”

The border is home to a rich and vibrant ecosystem with bisecting habitats and regions. Any changes in the name of security could threaten the biodiversity of the area and the 62 critically endangered species that live there.  

The researchers urge a call to action urging Congress to order that security measures do not disregard federal environmental laws. 

“The border extends about 3,200 kilometers and bisects many important habitat types from desert to forest to scrublands to mountain ranges,” said Ripple. “These are important wildlife habitats, high in biological diversity, that span both sides of the border. I hope national leaders will listen to our conservation message.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Matt Clark, Defenders of Wildlife

Border wall would jeopardize endangered species, biodiversity

One of President Donald Trump’s biggest campaign promises was to...

A survey conducted by researchers at the <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">University of California, San Francisco</a>, has revealed that Americans have a much more favorable view of marijuana than what has been previously understood. Out of over 16,000 study participants, around 81 percent reported that they believe <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-users-sex/">marijuana</a> use has at least one benefit.

According to the researchers, the aggressive commercialization of marijuana likely influences the public's opinion of the drug. While the marketing of tobacco and alcohol is heavily regulated, the promotion of marijuana products is not, which makes it important to understand the public's perception of marijuana.

The experts designed the study to investigate how adults in the United States view the risks and benefits of marijuana. They found that most Americans think marijuana is beneficial in some way, despite a lack of evidence to support many of these benefits.

The most common advantage of marijuana use that was agreed upon was pain management, followed by the treatment of diseases like epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. The survey respondents also reported that they felt marijuana was capable of providing relief from anxiety, stress, and depression.

The efficiency and safety of these treatments, however, have not been fully evaluated. There is also no evidence to suggest that marijuana is not addictive, which a sizable number of study participants believed.

Among the respondents, 29.2 percent believed that smoking marijuana can prevent health problems, while about 18 percent believed that exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke is somewhat or completely safe for adults.

The vast majority of respondents felt that marijuana has risks as well, with 91 percent saying that the use of the drug has at least one risk. The risks that were most commonly agreed upon were legal problems, addiction, and impaired memory.

According to the researchers, the gaps in our understanding of the health effects and safety of marijuana use are extensive, and the public may be underestimating the long-term risks of the drug. The study results highlight the need for future research to provide a better understanding of the health impacts of marijuana use.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://annals.org/aim">Annals of Internal Medicine</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>

Americans have a more positive view of marijuana than was thought

A survey conducted by researchers at the University of California,...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-administration-endangered-species-act/">Trump administration</a> is pushing for major changes to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/endangered-species-act-support/">Endangered Species Act</a> (ESA), and claims that the modifications would provide government agencies with less confusion and more consistency while producing the best conservation results. Critics argue, however, that the proposal is a handout to big businesses, making it possible to develop land that is currently protected by the law.

For the last 45 years, the ESA has successfully prevented the extinction of 99 percent of species listed as threatened or endangered in the United States. In 1973, Congress wrote in the introduction to the ESA that plants and wildlife  “are of esthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people.”

According to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>, more than two dozen policy initiatives and amendments have been designed to weaken the reach of the ESA in the past two weeks. The news agency reports that these proposed changes include a measure that would lift protection for the gray wolf in Wyoming and along the western Great Lakes, as well as a plan to prevent the sage grouse from becoming a candidate for the endangered species list for ten years.

If the administration’s bill is passed, species that are classified as being “threatened” will no longer receive the same habitat protections as endangered species. In addition, it will become more difficult to get a species on the endangered list, and easier to have a species removed from the list.


One of the most controversial amendments would allow the economic consequences of conserving a plant or animal to be considered before the species could be approved for protection.

Opponents of the ESA believe that the law is in violation of private property rights and restricts economic development, which they say often results in the loss of American jobs and business profits. Big oil and gas companies, farmers, and ranchers in the western United States have pushed for changes to the ESA for years.

Richard Pombo is a former California congressman who helped write a revision of the ESA in 2005 that was rejected, and is now a lobbyist for mining and water management companies. Pombo told the New York Times: “It’s probably the best chance that we have had in 25 years to actually make any substantial changes.”

Dr. Andrew Rosenberg is the director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/">Union of Concerned Scientists</a> (UCS) and a former deputy director of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

“The Endangered Species Act has successfully saved 99 percent of listed species from extinction - and it’s an effective law because it’s grounded in science,” said Dr. Rosenberg. “The Trump administration would weaken that scientific foundation and make it much harder to create robust plans to protect species on the brink of extinction. Make no mistake: this is going to increase the chances that species go extinct.”

“Using short-term economic gain as a justification for not protecting endangered species is part of a pattern with this administration. Their repeated efforts to weaken science-based protections come straight off the wish lists of politically powerful industries like oil and gas extraction.”

“The Trump administration’s proposals to change the Endangered Species Act come at the same time as the President’s allies in Congress are proposing bills that would also undermine the law. These changes are a radical upending of our policy toward plants, animals and ecosystems. If these efforts succeed, we may have a law called the Endangered Species Act, but it won’t be remotely effective at protecting endangered species.”
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

D.C. lawmakers launch major attack on the Endangered Species Act

The Trump administration is pushing for major changes to the...

Scientists are growing an alternative to the bulky plastic carbon monoxide detectors that keep homes safe. Some day in the future, gas-detecting plants that change color to warn us of deadly fumes may be a common add-on in homes.

“Houseplants are ubiquitous in our home environments,” Dr. Neal Stewart of the <a href="https://www.utk.edu/">University of Tennessee</a>, who co-authored the study, told the <a href="http://dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. “They can do a lot more than just sit there and look pretty. They could alert us to the presence of hazards in our environment.”

Plants are already acting as a kind of air filter in many homes. Houseplants have been shown to help <a href="https://www.earth.com/earth-science-slides/10-best-plants-indoor-air-quality/">filter toxins like formaldehyde</a> out of the air. 

But the researchers working on the new study thinks that with a little genetic engineering, they can do a lot more. By adding more stomata – the tiny openings that allow gases like carbon dioxide into plants’ cells – scientists believe they can turn everyday ferns or peace lilies into gas-detecting plants that can change color to alert their owners to carbon monoxide or harmful bacteria. 

They’ve already seen some success in the lab. A few modified plants have been able to detect flu, mold, radon gas and other substances, changing color or fluorescing when they do.

While more research is needed before any of the plants will be ready for public release, Stewart and his colleagues see a future where homes come equipped with wall panels of greenery – the gas-detecting plants would be most effective in dense groupings, the team noted.

“Through the tools of synthetic biology it's possible for us to engineer houseplants that can serve as architectural design elements that are both pleasing to our senses and that function as early sensors of environmental agents that could harm our health, like mold, radon gas or high concentrations of volatile organic compounds,” Stewart told the Mail.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/361/6399/229.full.pdf">Science</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Gas-detecting plants could act as home health monitors

Scientists are growing an alternative to the bulky plastic carbon...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> are describing how plants evolved from simple, two-dimensional marine algae to the complex, three-dimensional organisms that live on land today. The team identified specific proteins that were key to the transformation of terrestrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unsuitable-soils-stop-plants/">plants</a>.

The researchers found that small proteins, known as CLAVATA peptides, regulate the growth and division of cells at the very tips of plants. This process is responsible for developing the shoot, which is the production center for stems, leaves, and flowers.

CLAVATA uses a peptide receptor system in which the peptide signals the receptor to set the cell division planes.


The analysis of marine algae revealed that the aquatic ancestors of terrestrial plants did not contain CLAVATA proteins, which led to the conclusion that the molecules emerged in plants as they first advanced from water to land.


The experts used moss as a model to examine the transition of plants from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. They discovered that plants gained the ability to grow in multiple directions because the CLAVATA peptides rotate cell divisions at the tips of the stems.


Study lead author Dr. Jill Harrison is a senior lecturer in the University's School of Biological Sciences.

“The CLAVATA genes were found to be specific to land plants to regulate their unique 3D growth patterns and so it looks like these genes were instrumental in enabling plants to get going on land,” explained Dr. Harrison.

“After this fundamental change in cell division patterns, plants could now develop many different forms, enabling them to dominate almost every environment on Earth, and so this work reveals a key role for these small proteins in plants' conquest of land.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How did marine algae evolve into diverse terrestrial plants?

Researchers at the University of Bristol are describing how plants...

New plant breeding technologies have the potential to make fruits and vegetables more appealing to the eyes and also to the taste buds. A pair of food experts is reporting that the produce of the future could have enhanced colors, shapes, and sizes, along with improved health benefits.

Study co-author Andrew Allan is a food researcher at the New Zealand science institute <a href="https://www.plantandfood.co.nz/">Plant &amp; Food Research</a>.

“Novelty drives a lot of first time purchasing,” said Allan. “If the experience is good, then the consumer will purchase again. Choice is key - there is no risk with more choice.”

The researchers explained that fast breeding with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing does not require the addition of a new DNA sequence, which is often the case with genetically modified crops. Instead, this technology allows scientists to edit existing genes. There is focus, in particular, on transcription factor genes called MYBs that control many of the key consumer traits in plants.

“MYBs often regulate the compounds that generate a fruit or vegetables' 'wow’ factor - its color,” said Allan. “These compounds are also associated with important health benefits such as lowering cardiovascular disease or acting as vitamins. By using MYBs to elevate these compounds to create a richer color, we can make produce both more appealing to consumers and more beneficial for the human diet.”


Editing MYBs can also transform produce beyond the surface. For example, some fruits and vegetables such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/best-wash-pesticides-apples/">apples</a> and potatoes have nutrients that are concentrated in the skin. Scientists can now modify MYBs to create produce with a consistent concentration of vitamins in every bite.

The breeding technology is also being used to modify the flavor and texture of produce, and Allan is excited by what this could mean for the future of our supermarkets. He said that this could be “the next green revolution, with more product choice for developed countries, greater yields for less developed countries, and more growing options for climate resilience.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/plant-science/home">Trends in Plant 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

Plant breeding technology could make produce more appealing

New plant breeding technologies have the potential to make fruits...

Large animals are known collectively as “megafauna” – such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ground-vibrations-elephants-poachers/">elephants</a>, giraffes, hippos and other enormous creatures. In many ecosystems, herbivorous megafauna are crucial for the dispersal of the seeds of many terrestrial plants, particularly those bearing large fruits (“megafaunal fruits”). In the forests of Thailand, sambar deer, bears, gibbons, and elephants play this critical role for the forest tree Platymitra macrocarpa, which bears 3-5” long fruits that these animals consume. 

A study published in the open-access journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a> assesses the relative contribution of each of these species to the seed dispersal of this tree. The authors of the study tracked fruit consumption, seed dispersal, and seed viability by observing trees during the fruiting period, sampling dung piles and other sites of deposited seeds, and measuring the rate of germination and growth of deposited seeds. Through this analysis, they were able to calculate the seed dispersal effectiveness for each megafauna species that uses these trees as an open buffet.

Their results showed that, while elephants consume a paltry 3 percent of the available fruit, they were responsible for a whopping 37 percent of the seeds that produced viable seedlings. On the other hand, sambar deer consumed 23 percent of fruit, but were only responsible for 17 percent of seedlings. This was determined to be a result of the much more significant beetle damage done to the seeds the deer excreted. 

Although smaller members of this ecosystem’s megafauna such as deer and bear play important roles in seed dispersal, their effectiveness is lower. Ultimately, they require more fruit to reach the same level of reproduction achieved by elephants with significantly less fruit consumed.

“If less vulnerable large herbivores such as deer are unable to replicate the seed dispersal role of threatened mega-herbivores such as elephants, megafaunal fruit could suffer range contractions, affecting forest community composition and potentially forest carbon stocks,” says Kim McConkey of the <a href="http://www.nias.res.in/">National Institute of Advanced Studies</a> in Bangalore, Thailand. 

Although it may seem that a study into the seed dispersal of a handful of species for one tree in one ecosystem has a small scope, this couldn’t be further from the truth. If this widely-dispersed tree species is unable to reproduce effectively, it could have major effects on numerous species within the ecosystem, not to mention the forest carbon stocks indicated by McConkey. In ecosystems such as this, small changes can have major consequences.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Kulpat Saralamba

Elephants are crucial to the survival of this tropical tree

Large animals are known collectively as “megafauna” – such as...

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 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image 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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image 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.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



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.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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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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How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



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.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&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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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



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.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



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.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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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 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; 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.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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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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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



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.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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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.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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