Ambon,,Indonesia,-,January,25,,2023,:,Silhouette,Photo,Of

Scientists have recently discovered that humans have recorded less than 0.001 percent of the deep seafloor - a surface that covers two-thirds of the planet. 



The finding shows how little we really know about life and geology below 200 meters. The analysis comes from a study led by researchers at <a href="https://www.oceandiscoveryleague.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ocean Discovery League</a> and partner groups. 



Using records from about 44,000 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-deep-sea-fish-survive-the-crushing-depths-of-the-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deep-sea</a> dives since 1958, the team produced the first global estimate of visual coverage in deep water. They report that the total imaged area is only as large as the U.S. state of Rhode Island.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vast-depths-still-unexplored">Vast depths still unexplored</h2>



The deep ocean sustains rich ecosystems, moderates climate, produces much of Earth’s oxygen, and supplies molecules for new drugs.



Yet visual surveys of this realm remain rare and clustered around a few coastlines. Most dives have happened close to shore because far-off expeditions cost millions of dollars.



“As we face accelerated threats to the deep ocean - from climate change to potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sea-mining-impacts-marine-life-for-decades/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mining</a> and resource exploitation - this limited exploration of such a vast region becomes a critical problem for both science and policy,” said lead author Katy Croff Bell, the founder and president of the Ocean Discovery League.



“We need a much better understanding of the deep ocean's ecosystems and processes to make informed decisions about resource management and conservation.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deep-seafloor-exploration-is-uneven">Deep seafloor exploration is uneven</h2>



The researchers found that 65 percent of all visual observations happened within two-hundred nautical miles of only three nations.



The United States, Japan, and New Zealand dominate because they own or fund most deep-diving vehicles.



Five countries - the United States, Japan, New Zealand, France, and Germany - conducted ninety-seven percent of all recorded dives. That narrow sampling skews our picture of the deep sea. 



Traits seen off California or Honshu may not describe conditions under the tropical Atlantic or the Southern Ocean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-images-low-detail">Old images, low detail</h2>



Almost thirty percent of the dives logged by the study took place before 1980. Many produced only black-and-white still photos. 



Today’s color and video systems can resolve tiny organisms and map fine sediment patterns, yet large parts of the ocean floor have never been filmed with modern gear.



Because many expedition logs are not public, the team tested how missing records might change the estimate. 



Even if the true tally were ten times higher, they conclude, we would still have images for less than one-hundredth of one percent of the deep seafloor.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-uneven-ocean-habitat-coverage">Uneven ocean habitat coverage</h2>



Canyons, ridges, and other dramatic features draw scientists because they are visually striking and may host rare species. In contrast, broad abyssal plains and many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seamounts-are-gathering-hubs-for-ocean-predators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seamounts</a> lie in silence and darkness.



Those plains hold most of the deep bottom, but they remain poorly sampled. Without clear data, researchers cannot judge how global warming, fishing gear, or planned seabed mining will alter these vast habitats.



The authors argue that cost, not curiosity, limits exploration. Deep-rated submersibles, remotely operated vehicles, and large research ships demand huge budgets. Technologists are now building smaller, cheaper <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/biohybrid-jellyfish-robotics-ocean-exploration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">robots</a> and camera sleds that coastal labs can deploy.



Such systems could open doors for low- and middle-income nations. If more countries gather images from their own waters, the global map will fill in faster and with less bias.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-ocean-is-still-a-mystery">The ocean is still a mystery</h2>



Ian Miller of the <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Geographic Society</a> noted that there is so much of our ocean that remains a mystery.



“Deep-sea exploration led by scientists and local communities is crucial to better understanding the planet’s largest ecosystem," said Miller. 



“Dr. Bell’s goals to equip global coastal communities with cutting-edge research and technology will ensure a more representative analysis of the deep sea. If we have a better understanding of our ocean, we are better able to conserve and protect it.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-narrow-view-of-a-vast-world">A narrow view of a vast world</h2>



The paper offers a stark comparison: imagine trying to understand all land life on Earth by studying an area the size of Houston, Texas. That, the authors argue, is the scale of our current visual knowledge of the deep sea.



Without broader coverage, global policies on deep-sea mining, fishing, and climate mitigation rest on dangerously limited data.



To address this, the authors urge agencies, foundations, and industry to support large-scale imaging campaigns. They also call on researchers to share dive records openly - so that every frame of footage and every still image adds to a collective archive.



With shared data and open software, analysts worldwide could help identify new species, map coral gardens, or track drifting debris in deep-sea trenches.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hope-below-the-waves">Hope below the waves</h2>



Technological progress gives reason for optimism. Autonomous vehicles now fit in a suitcase and dive thousands of meters. 



Machine learning can sort hours of deep seafloor footage in minutes. Fiber-optic cables on the seabed can detect passing animals through tiny pressure shifts. Taken together, these advances could multiply visual coverage within a decade.



The study marks a turning point in how society views the hidden majority of the planet. By revealing the gaps, the researchers have set clear targets for future work. Filling those gaps will require money, new machines, and global cooperation.



Yet the payoff could be immense: better climate forecasts, new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-sea-microbes-show-promise-as-new-antibiotic-drugs/">medicines</a>, wiser resource policy, and the thrill of discovery in places no human has ever seen.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adp8602">Science Advances</a>.



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Only .001 percent of Earth's deep seafloor has ever been directly observed

Scientists have recently discovered that humans have recorded less than 0.001 percent of the deep seafloor - a surface that covers two-thirds of the planet. The finding shows how little we really know about life and geology below 200 meters. The analysis comes from a study led by researchers at Ocean Discovery League and partner groups. Using records from about 44,000 deep-sea dives since 1958, the team produced the first global estimate of visual coverage in deep water. They report that the total imaged area is only...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/university/">University of Würzburg</a> have discovered that plants have a memory of drought and respond accordingly to save water. 

During drought, plants produce the signaling molecule GABA to inhibit the opening of leaf pores and subsequent water loss. The new research shows that plant cells autonomously perceive stress and react to it with GABA production.

"I've been studying how plants regulate their water balance for over 35 years," said Professor Rainer Hedrich. "To find a completely new and unexpected way for saving water has certainly been one of the most surprising discoveries in my life." 

The team discovered the unexpected strategy in collaboration with researchers at the University of Adelaide. 

The study found that plants use GABA to remember the dryness of a day. The drier it is, the more GABA accumulates in the plant tissue throughout the day. The next morning, the amount of GABA determines how wide the plant opens its leaf pores. 

In both humans and animals, GABA serves as a messenger in the nervous system. Despite the fact that plants have no nerve cells and no brain, GABA has now been linked to memory-like processes.

Hedrich also determined that GABA is involved in short-term memory in Venus flytraps, where its production is regulated by calcium levels. 

According to Professor Matthew Gilliham, the GABA effect has been demonstrated in various crops. "Under the influence of GABA, barley, broad beans and soybeans, for example, close their leaf pores." 

The researchers demonstrated in the lab that plants that produce more GABA due to mutations need less water and can survive in drought conditions longer.

While scientists know of other signaling substances that cause the leaf pores to close in plants, GABA relies on a completely different mechanism of action, explained study lead author Dr. Bo Xu.

A better understanding of the water-saving mechanisms in plants is becoming increasingly important to promote heat tolerance, as climate change threatens to make droughts much more frequent and intense.

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

Plants have a memory of drought

Experts at the University of Würzburg have discovered that plants...

The permanent rise of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere likely occurred 100 million years later than expected, according to a new study from the <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a>.

The Great Oxidation Event, when our atmosphere and ocean first experienced a rise in oxygen about 2.43 billion years ago, was a pivotal point in the planet's history. This event set the stage for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/was-life-on-earth-literally-sparked-by-lightning/">life</a> to evolve in Earth. 

The experts analyzed rocks that were deposited in the ocean at the time of the Great Oxidation Event. The investigation revealed that early atmospheric oxygenation was short-lived, and oxygen did not become permanent until much later.

"The Great Oxidation Event fundamentally changed Earth's environment and habitability. This early period of oxygenation was thought to have occurred between about 2.43 and 2.32 billion years ago," said study lead author Professor Simon Poulton.

"However, our research shows that, in fact, oxygenation of the atmosphere was highly unstable over a period of about 200 million years, with permanent atmospheric oxygenation occurring about 100 million years later that previously thought."

The results of the analysis indicate that there is a direct link between fluctuations in atmospheric oxygen concentration and greenhouse gas concentrations.

"These findings help explain four widespread glaciations that occurred coincident with the Great Oxidation Event, some of which were likely to have covered the whole of the Earth in ice for millions of years," said study co-author Professor Andrey Bekker of the University of California-Riverside.

"Our new data show that the permanent rise of oxygen actually occurred after the final major glaciation of the period and not before it, which had previously been a major puzzle in our understanding of links between early atmospheric oxygenation and intense climatic instability."

The research team has renamed this period the Great Oxidation Episode. After this point, the climate was relatively stable for 1.5 billion years until a second major period of rising oxygen and climate instability at the end of the Precambrian period.

"The rise of atmospheric oxygen was a key factor in Earth's habitability," explained study co-author Professor David Johnston of Harvard University.

"Unraveling the history of atmospheric oxygenation ultimately allows us to understand how oxygen rose to levels that were sufficient to allow the evolution of animals. The Great Oxidation Episode, when atmospheric oxygen first rose to appreciable levels, represents a pivotal step in this history."

"We cannot begin to understand the causes and consequences of atmospheric oxygenation, the most significant control on Earth's habitability, if we do not know when permanent atmospheric oxygenation actually occurred," said Professor Poulton. "Now at last we have that piece of the puzzle."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Permanent rise of Earth's oxygen took an extra 100 million years

The permanent rise of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere likely...

In a new study published by the <a href="https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/">British Ecological Society</a>, experts report that a widely available coffee waste product can be used to speed up the recovery of tropical forests that have been cleared for agricultural practices. 

For the investigation, researchers from ETH-Zurich and the University of Hawaii spread 30 dump truck loads of coffee pulp on degraded land in Costa Rica. The team also marked an untreated plot for comparison.  

"The results were dramatic," said study lead author Dr. Rebecca Cole. "The area treated with a thick layer of coffee pulp turned into a small forest in only two years while the control plot remained dominated by non-native pasture grasses."

In two years, the site treated with coffee pulp had 80 percent canopy cover compared to just 20 percent in the control area. In addition, the canopy in the coffee pulp area was four times taller.

The addition of coffee waste eliminated the invasive pasture grasses that dominated the land, allowing native trees to quickly become established.

Former tropical agricultural land is often very degraded with poor soil quality, which can delay forest recovery. The researchers found that nutrients including carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous were significantly higher in the area treated with the coffee waste product.

"This case study suggests that agricultural by-products can be used to speed up forest recovery on degraded tropical lands," said Dr. Cole.."In situations where processing these by-products incurs a cost to agricultural industries, using them for restoration to meet global reforestation objectives can represent a 'win-win' scenario."

The study was conducted in Coto Brus county in southern Costa Rica on a former coffee farm. Dr. Cole noted that further research is needed to test the use of coffee waste in forest restoration. 

"We would like to scale up the study by testing this method across a variety of degraded sites in the landscape. Also, this concept could be tested with other types of agricultural non-market products like orange husks," said Dr. Cole.

"We hope our study is a jumping off point for other researchers and industries to take a look at how they might make their production more efficient by creating links to the global restoration movement."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/26888319">Ecological Solutions and Evidence</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coffee waste can help accelerate tropical forest recovery

In a new study published by the British Ecological Society,...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.mpg.de/153030/chemistry">Max Planck Institute for Chemistry</a>, experts report that ignoring the signs of climate change will lead to "ultra-extreme" heatwaves in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) that are extremely damaging to human health and society. 

To assess the characteristics of emerging heatwaves in the MENA region, the researchers used a mix of climate projections designed exclusively for this geographic area. The team then projected future hot spells based on the Heat Wave Magnitude Index.

"Our results, for a business-as-usual pathway, indicate that in the second half of this century unprecedented super- and ultra-extreme heatwave conditions will emerge," explained study lead author George Zittis of The Cyprus Institute. 

The researchers said that these events will involve excessively high temperatures of up to 56 degrees Celsius - or 132 degrees Fahrenheit - and higher in urban settings and could last for multiple weeks. The  consequences for humans and animals will be potentially life-threatening.

"By the end of the century, about half of the MENA population (approximately 600 million) could be exposed to annually recurring super- and ultra-extreme heatwaves," wrote the experts. 

"The potential intensification of heatwaves in the already harsh, hot and arid MENA environment is expected to have direct negative impacts on human health, agriculture, the water and energy nexus, and many other socioeconomic sectors."

"For example, heat stress can cause substantial loss of labor productivity and may also be linked to conflict and migration." 

When it comes to animals, the researchers explained that livestock in the MENA region are very likely to be impacted since the majority of the camel, cattle, and goat populations are located in areas of high vulnerability.

"Vulnerable citizens may not have the means to adapt to such harsh environmental conditions," noted study co-author Jos Lelieveld. "These heat waves combined with regional economic, political, social and demographic drivers 

have a high potential to cause massive, forced migration to cooler regions in the north."

To avoid extreme heatwaves in the MENA region, the scientists are calling for immediate and effective climate change mitigation measures, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. 

"There is an urgent need to make the cities more resilient to climate change," said Zittis.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/npjclimatsci/">Climate and Atmospheric Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ignoring climate change will lead to  "ultra-extreme" heatwaves

In a new study from the Max Planck Institute for...

Coral reefs may rely on poop from their predators, according to a surprising new study from <a href="https://www.rice.edu/">Rice University</a>. The revelation was made in the lab of marine biologist Adrienne Correa, where researchers discovered that coral predator feces are packed with living symbiotic algae that corals depend on for survival. 

It's an unexpected twist on coral reef symbiosis, said Correa. The study confirms that poop from coral-eating fish is an important source of symbiotic dinoflagellate algae for corals.

Correa explained that coral-eating predators are typically thought of as biting and weakening reef structures, thereby generating hiding spaces for other organisms and, ultimately, beach sand. By contrast, grazing fish take the credit for helping reefs maintain healthy coral cover.

"The message is, 'Move over grazers, it's not just you helping maintain coral dominance. These coral-eating fishes are probably helping too by spreading beneficial coral symbionts,'" said Correa.

"This tells us we don't really know all of the interactions that are happening on coral reefs, and some species may be important for coral reef conservation in ways that we haven't imagined," said study lead author Carsten Grupstra.

During an expedition to the island of Mo'orea in French Polynesia, the researchers followed fish that ate different amounts of coral and algae. The team documented what the fish ate and where they defecated. Meanwhile, Grupstra gathered samples of predator and grazer poop to examine in the lab.

"I left some samples in the window sill for a couple of weeks in Mo'orea," said Grupstra. "Later, when I started looking at them (under a microscope), I found tons of symbionts. A lot of them were swimming around and some were dividing."

The sheer number of live symbionts was both unexpected and potentially important in the larger picture of reef ecology, said Correa. 

Symbionts have been previously found in the feces of some coral predators, but it has remained unclear if they were useful to corals. The Rice team has now discovered high concentrations of live symbionts in the feces of a diverse group of coral predators. 

The researchers estimate that two species in particular, Chaetodon ornatissimus and Chaetodon reticulatus, each spread about 100 million live symbionts per day over an area of reef approximately the size of six parking spaces.

"This expands how we can think about the roles of coral-eating fishes on reefs," said Correa. "They don't just break up reef frameworks. They also disperse symbionts that corals and other organisms need."

The discovery that predator poop creates hotspots of live symbiotic dinoflagellates on reefs raises questions about whether and how coral use them. 

Going forward, Correa's team will conduct a series of experiments on corals to determine how readily they absorb beneficial symbionts from the poop. She said many questions remain about how corals take up symbionts from the environment. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://animalmicrobiome.biomedcentral.com/">Animal Microbiome</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Do corals depend on poop from their predators?

Coral reefs may rely on poop from their predators, according...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.qut.edu.au/">Queensland University of Technology</a>, researchers have solved the mystery of what killed millions of shearwater birds in 2013. The team found evidence that migrating seabirds are eating materials that are not even food, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pumice-raft-carried-nutrients-to-the-great-barrier-reef-from-nearly-2000-miles-away/">pumice</a> stones, because they are starving.

Study lead author Dr. Lauren Roman is a researcher at Australia's national science agency CSIRO. She said there was much discussion in the scientific community about the causes of mass mortality of seabirds which are often found with plastic and other non-food items in their stomach.

"We found that in the instance of the shearwater bird deaths in 2013, these birds were starving, and in their starved state had reduced prey discrimination," said Dr. Roman.

"Our study investigates the chicken-and-egg dilemma - do animals starve from eating non-food or do animals eat non-food because they are starving?""

Seabirds are indicator species that can be used to monitor the health of marine ecosystems. Mass mortalities are often indicative of changing food webs and ecological conditions.

The study was focused on short-tailed shearwaters, which migrate from Australia to the North Pacific in April and return late in the year. Among 172 deceased seabirds that were recovered from the New South Wales and Queensland, 96.7 percent had ingested pumice or plastic.

The researchers used satellite systems to track the 2013 shearwater migration and compared the data to locations of a large pumice raft produced by the 2012 Havre eruption north of New Zealand.

"We proposed that a short time period between non-food ingestion and death would indicate that birds were already starving at the time of non-food ingestion, and a starving state would be reflected by poor body condition and reduced muscle mass," explained study co-author Professor Scott Bryan, who has been studying pumice rafts for over 20 years.

"Death after a longer period would indicate that birds starved following ingestion of non-food."

Professor Bryan said detailed information about the route of the pumice raft was an integral part to determining the answer of where the birds had consumed the pumice.

"We combined the tracking information data of the short-tailed shearwaters, using location tags on migrating birds, and the geological signature of the ingested pumice."

"By October 2013 when the shearwaters were returning to Australia on their annual migration from the North Pacific, the floating pumice was now located along their flight path as they approached Australia."

Once the experts had established when the birds ate the pumice, and their physical condition at the time, they were able to conclude that the birds were already starving when they ate the pumice. Furthermore, the study revealed that the seabirds had ingested the pumice about 12 to 41 hours before death.

"With a projected increase in challenging times for wildlife because of threats such as climate change, marine pollution and over exploitation of resources, this study has implications for mass mortalities and exacerbation of existing threats to marine species," said Dr. Roman.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.jstor.org/journal/mariecolprogseri">Marine Ecology Progress Series</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Migrating seabirds are starving and eating non-food items

In a new study from the Queensland University of Technology,...

Regular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-increases-blood-flow-to-the-brain/">exercise</a> is linked to better sleep, and a new study reveals that sleep quality is even improved when the beneficial effects are not obvious. 

Experts at the <a href="https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/">University of Tsukuba</a> have found that vigorous exercise is associated with improvement across various sleep parameters without a perceivable change in sleep quality.

Exercise is known to improve overall sleep quality by reducing the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. Physical activity also boosts the amount of time spent in deep sleep, which is the most essential stage of sleep for feeling rested and staying healthy.

However, previous studies have produced contradictory results on the link between exercise and sleep. To address these inconsistencies, the Tsukuba took a new approach. The researchers used the coefficient of variation of the envelope (CVE), a computational method for analyzing brain signals.

"CVE is a novel tool for quantifying sleep depth according to the characteristics of brain oscillations," said study senior author Professor Kaspar E. Vogt. "We wanted to use it to determine whether exercise would improve or decrease sleep quality, in addition to determining whether short bouts of exercise could exert a lasting effect on metabolic state."

The study was designed to evaluate the effects of 60 minutes of vigorous exercise on sleep among healthy young men.

"The results were surprising," said the study authors. "We found that exercise improved the quality of sleep as measured using objective techniques, while the participants reported no change in the quality of their sleep."

According to the researchers, one explanation could be that the benefits of enhanced sleep quality were countered by an increase in stress and muscle soreness, because the participants were not accustomed to vigorous exercise.

"The results of the subjective evaluations of sleep quality indicate that regular moderate exercise may be more beneficial for perceived sleep quality than occasional vigorous exercise, which might not have a subjective effect despite objective improvements in sleep," explained Professor Vogt.

The findings indicate that sleep structure is greatly improved by exercise, and could potentially be applied in the development of new treatments for various sleep disorders.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exercise improves sleep quality in undetectable ways

Regular exercise is linked to better sleep, and a new...

In a new study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, experts are explaining why whiteflies incorporated a portion of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disease-that-kills-bald-eagles-linked-to-invasive-plant/">plant</a> DNA into their genome millions of years ago. The researchers have discovered that whiteflies use the stolen gene to degrade the toxins that plants use to defend themselves against insects.

Study co-author Ted Turlings is a chemical ecologist and entomologist at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.

"This seems to be the first recorded example of the horizontal gene transfer of a functional gene from a plant into an insect," said Turlings. "You cannot find this gene, BtPMaT1, which neutralizes toxic compounds produced by the plant, in any other insect species."

Experts theorize that plants use BtPMaT1 to store their noxious compounds in a harmless form so that the plant does not poison itself. 

The research team, led by Youjun Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, used genetic analyses to reveal that whiteflies stole BtPMaT1 about 35 million years ago. The flies then gained the ability to detoxify toxic plant defense compounds.

"We think a virus within the plant may have taken up this BtPMaT1 gene and, after ingestion by a whitefly, the virus then must have done something inside the insect whereby that gene was integrated into the whiteflies genome," explained Turlings. 

"Of course, this is an extremely unlikely event, but if you think about millions of years and billions of individual insects, viruses, and plants across time, once in a while this could happen, and if the acquired gene is a benefit to the insects, then it will be evolutionarily favored and may spread."

Whiteflies are a major agricultural pest, attacking at least 600 different species of plants worldwide. 

"One of the questions we've been asking ourselves is how these insects acquired these incredible adaptations to circumvent plant defenses, and with this discovery we have revealed at least one reason as to why," said Turlings.

Based on the findings, the team developed a small RNA molecule that interferes with the whiteflies' BtPMaT1 gene and makes the flies susceptible to the plant's toxic compounds.

"The most exciting step of this design was when our colleagues genetically manipulated tomato plants to start producing this RNA molecule," said Turlings. 

"Once the whiteflies fed on the tomatoes and ingested the plant-produced RNA, their BtPMaT1 gene was silenced, causing 100% mortality of the insect, but the genetic manipulation had no impact on the survival of other insects that were tested."

Silencing the whitefly gene could serve as a targeted pest control strategy to combat agricultural devastation caused by whiteflies.

"There are definitely still some hurdles this method needs to get over, most notably the skepticism about using transgenic plants," said Turlings.

"But in the future, I do see this as a very clear way of controlling whiteflies because now we know exactly the mechanism behind it, and we are equipped to deal with possible changes in the whitefly gene that may arise."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/home">Cell</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Whiteflies stole a gene from plants to survive their lethal toxins

In a new study published by Cell Press, experts are...

In a new study from the <a href="https://environment.yale.edu/">Yale School of the Environment</a>, experts have had a breakthrough in converting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cooking-with-wood-can-cause-lung-damage/">wood</a> byproducts into high quality plastic. The researchers hope they can solve one of the world's most pressing environmental issues by producing sustainable bioplastics.

Up until now, the production of bioplastics has been challenging. It requires an expensive process that involves toxic chemicals. 

The Yale team has created a much more sustainable method of renewable plastic production by deconstructing the porous matrix of natural wood. The resulting material shows a high mechanical strength, stability when holding liquids, and UV-light resistance, said the researchers. 

The wood-based bioplastic can be safely recycled or biodegraded in the natural environment, and has a lower environmental impact over the course of its life cycle when compared other biodegradable plastics.

"There are many people who have tried to develop these kinds of polymers in plastic, but the mechanical strands are not good enough to replace the plastics we currently use, which are made mostly from fossil fuels," said study co-author Professor Yuan Yao. 

"We've developed a straightforward and simple manufacturing process that generates biomass-based plastics from wood, but also plastic that delivers good mechanical properties as well."

Professor Yao conducted a comprehensive life cycle assessment to test the environmental impacts of the bioplastic against common plastics. Sheets of the bioplastic that were buried in soil were found to fracture after two weeks and had completely degraded after three months.

In addition, the experts report that the bioplastic can be broken back down, recycled, and reused.

"That, to me, is what really makes this plastic good: It can all be recycled or biodegraded," said Professor Yao. "We've minimized all of the materials and the waste going into nature."

Study co-author Liangbing Hu is a professor at the Center for Materials Innovation at the University of Maryland. He explained that the bioplastic has numerous applications. It can be molded into a film for use in plastic bags and packaging, which would help eliminate a major source of plastic waste. 

The bioplastic can also be molded into different shapes, according to Professor Hu, and has potential for use in automobile manufacturing.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natsustain/">Nature Sustainability</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

Yale scientists are turning wood into high quality bioplastic

In a new study from the Yale School of the...

A study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> is shedding new light on an elusive whale <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/two-new-species-of-screech-owls-are-already-critically-endangered/">species</a> in the Southern Ocean. The experts report that Gray's beaked whales appear to be resilient to ecosystem changes and human activities, and have maintained a stable population for more than a million years.

Gray's beaked whales live in the deep oceans of the Southern Hemisphere and are rarely spotted. Prior to this study, the biology of the whales was almost entirely a mystery.

Gray's beaked whales are small whales that spend most of their time deep below the ocean's surface feeding on squid. Observational data on the species is impossible to obtain. Whalers refer to them as "scamperdown whales" due to their evasive behavior.

In collaboration with experts at the University of Copenhagen, the Exeter team set out to investigate the history of the population over the past 1.1 million years. The researchers analyzed the genome sequences of 22 Gray's beaked whales that were previously stranded on beaches in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand 

"The population approximately doubled about 250 thousand years ago, coinciding with a period of increased Southern Ocean productivity, sea surface temperature and a potential expansion of suitable habitat," study co-author Dr. Kirsten Thompson.

According to the genetic analysis, the current population appears to have high levels of genetic diversity and no patterns of genetic similarity in geographical areas. This indicates that the whales leave their birth groups and move widely throughout their range across the Southern Hemisphere.

Based on their high levels of genetic diversity, a flexible social system, and the rich habitats of the Southern Hemisphere, the experts believe that Gray's beaked whales could be resilient to changing ecosystem conditions.

"Human activity is causing rapid ecological change in every habitat on Earth, including the deep oceans," said Dr Thompson. "We need to understand how different species might respond to these changes, but we lack detailed knowledge on many animals, particularly deep-sea whales like Gray's beaked whales."

The experts used mitochondrial DNA to investigate the history of the population and partial nuclear genomes to estimate population structure.

"Our findings suggest the numbers of Gray's beaked whales have been relatively stable for the last 1.1 million years," said Dr.  Thompson.

"The Southern Hemisphere's oceans could potentially support a surprisingly large number of Gray's beaked whales. Good news for one species at least."

"We show how genomic tools can help to reveal past history, current status and potential near-future changes in animal populations that are enigmatic, rarely observed and beyond the reach of traditional boat surveys."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos">Royal Society Open 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

Gray's beaked whales have been stable for over a million years

A study from the University of Exeter is shedding new...

Apple flies are a fascinating example of speciation, the beginning of a new species, and have captivated scientists for many decades. When settlers in North America introduced apple <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/legume-trees-play-a-key-role-in-forest-recovery/">trees</a> to the region, some hawthorn flies shifted to this new host plant and split off to form a new species. 

An international team of experts led by the <a href="https://www.ncbs.res.in/">National Centre for Biological Sciences</a> has continued an investigation into the origins of the apple fly that was first initiated 160 years ago by Charles Darwin and his Cambridge classmate Benjamin Walsh.

The researchers examined the neurological processes that underlie important behavioral changes in the apple fly, including their mate choice and preference toward a new host plant. Such changes contributed to the rapid evolution of apple flies.

Hawthorn flies and apple flies feed only on one particular fruit, either hawthorn berries or ripe apples. They also mate on the fruit and lay their eggs in it. 

Each generation of these two groups of flies emerges with a specific preference for the scent of either apples or hawthorns, and a strong aversion to the other. 

The experts set out to understand what distinguishes the two types of flies. The team discovered that both apple and hawthorn flies use the same brain regions to process odors, but switch the locations of processing. 

The scientists were able to locate the specific point where this difference emerges at the very first synapse in the olfactory system, called the antennal lobe. 

"The most surprising part to me was actually seeing olfactory processing be so clearly different between the apple and hawthorn infesting host races," said study first author Cheyenne Tait. "We knew these flies have divergent odour preference behaviors and patterns of genetic differentiation. Now, from this work we know their sensory neurophysiology differs as well."

According to the researchers, a simple shift in the processing of important sensory information could possibly be a major contributor to the diverse species we see. 

"We are seeing the stuff of speciation. The origin of new species is one of the great questions that has piqued the intellectual curiosity of humankind," said study co-author Jeffrey L. Feder. 

"Resolving the question of speciation is of great scientific importance and the ongoing evolution of apple and hawthorn host races of Rhagoletis is connected to life itself, or the origin of new life forms."

The simple change in the neurological processing of the fruit odor triggered a change at a species scale. 

"What is most remarkable to me is the simplicity of the switch - these flies simply changed their minds along with their species. Such a subtle shift in the processing of important sensory information in the brain could be contributing to the change in behavior that helps drive their evolution into new species," explained study co-author Shannon Olsson.

"This discovery has important implications for how animals such as insects can quickly adapt and change their behaviour to new environments, such as with invasive species, or respond to human-influenced changes in climate or land use."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsociety.org/journals/">The Royal Society Publishing</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

Apple flies emerged from a simple change in the brain

Apple flies are a fascinating example of speciation, the beginning...

Millions of people are displaced from their homes each year as a result of extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-is-controlled-by-weather-in-the-northern-hemisphere/">weather</a> events that are tied to climate change. In the last six months alone, 10.3 million people were displaced as a result of climate-related weather events, according to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Flooding is one of the main causes of population displacement. Currently, tens of thousands of people are displaced in New South Wales, Australia, after days of torrential rainfall triggered the worst flooding in the region in at least six decades.

In a new study led by the Weather and Climate Risks Group at <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a>, experts used a variety of climate and hydrology models to predict the future displacement risks associated with rivers overflowing their banks. 

The analysis revealed that if the population remains stable at its current level, the risk of flood-related displacement will increase by more than 50 percent for each degree of global warming.

Regardless of whether global warming is mitigated, the risk of displacement will still increase significantly. For example, if world meets the Paris Agreement's target of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius, the average risk of displacement is still expected to jump by up to 110 percent by the end of this century.

On the other hand, if climate change continues at the current rate without mitigation, and if the gap between rich and poor continues to widen, the flood-related risk of displacement is projected to increase by up to 350 percent.

According to the study's authors, it is not too late to address and manage the risk of flood displacement through spatial and urban planning measures and protective infrastructure such as dams. 

"Our findings highlight the need for rapid action on both climate mitigation and adaptation agendas in order to reduce future risks, especially to vulnerable populations," said study lead author Pui Man Kam. "Floods often affect the most socioeconomically vulnerable groups, who tend to live in more hazard-prone areas."

"Because floods are a major driver of displacement and due to the fact that they are influenced by climate change, it is imperative that we have a better understanding of how the risks are changing."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</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

Global warming will greatly increase flood-related displacement

Millions of people are displaced from their homes each year...

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.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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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



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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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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



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.

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



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.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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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



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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://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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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.

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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



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.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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