For wild animals, survival may come down to the split-second decision to bolt or stay put when danger appears. A new study traces that choice to a tiny cluster of neurons deep in the midbrain.



By comparing two closely related deer mouse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephant-brains-reveal-big-differences-among-species/">species</a>, the team showed that evolution simply tunes the sensitivity of this hub rather than rebuilding the whole defensive network. 



Forest-dwelling Peromyscus maniculatus flee at the faintest hint of a hawk, while open field Peromyscus polionotus remain statues until the threat becomes overwhelming.



Study co-lead Felix Baier of <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> teamed up with Karl Farrow at the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (<a href="https://vib.be/nl#/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VIB</a>) in Leuven to identify the neurons involved in the brain's survival switch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-same-senses-different-instincts">Same senses, different instincts</h2>



Predators strike in milliseconds, yet landscapes differ. Animals can easily take cover in a brushy habitat, but not necessarily on the prairie. 



As a result, deer mice have evolved opposite default settings, even though their eyes and ears register danger with equal fidelity.



Baier’s group confirmed this by showing identical activity in the optic tract and superior colliculus of both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/big-brains-and-wide-ranges-cant-save-birds-from-climate-change/">species</a> during low intensity “shadow” stimuli. Only the behavior diverged, proving the sensory side was not the source of the split.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-survival-switch-controls-fear-response">Survival switch controls fear response </h2>



Attention then turned to the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG), a cigar shaped nucleus already known to initiate escape in laboratory mice. 



Neuropixels probes - silicon shanks carrying hundreds of electrodes - recorded each spike while looming discs simulated an aerial predator attack.



In forest mice, a single loom sparked a volley in dPAG neurons that paralleled running speed. Open field cousins showed only a muted dPAG murmur even when their feet finally flew, meaning the threshold for firing was set far higher.



“We were surprised to find that evolution acted in a central <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rethinking-brain-evolution-birds-and-mammals-took-different-paths/">brain</a> region, downstream of peripheral sensory perception,” said Baier.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-survival-switch-in-other-animals">Survival switch in other animals</h2>



The dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) has long been known as a key hub for defensive behavior in mammals. 



In lab mice and rats, stimulating this region can trigger running, jumping, or even vocalizations. In humans, analogous brainstem structures help process intense fear and panic.



By focusing on the dPAG, the researchers tapped into a deeply conserved circuit. Yet the study shows that even hardwired regions like this one can be tweaked to meet local demands. 



That finding challenges the assumption that core survival systems are biologically fixed across species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-same-midbrain-different-reactions">Same midbrain, different reactions</h2>



Next, the team used optogenetics to nudge the hub. Flash activating excitatory cells in the forest species made them sprint even when the arena was calm. 



The same light caused prairie mice to decelerate or halt, as though the stimulation felt more like a brake than a gas pedal.



When researchers used chemogenetics to dampen activity in the brain’s escape hub, forest mice began behaving like their prairie relatives - waiting longer and needing a stronger threat signal before reacting.



The reverse manipulation never flipped prairie mice into hyper skittish mode, highlighting their raised internal threshold.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-midbrain-tweaks-when-to-escape">Midbrain tweaks when to escape</h2>



Such fine grained tuning matches recent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982224007450" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> showing that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526124/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GABA</a> rich neurons in dPAG set the “go/no go” point for escape. 



In the new study, inhibitory cells lit up strongly in the forest species but stayed mostly quiet in the prairie species, hinting that evolution dialed inhibition rather than altering excitatory drive.



Other animals deploy similar tricks. In zebrafish, threat avoidance ensembles in the <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/64934" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dPAG</a> scale with distance from a predator. That parallel supports the idea that central thresholds, not peripheral sensitivity, often decide which hard wired action rolls out.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-habitat-shapes-the-survival-switch">Habitat shapes the survival switch</h2>



The two mouse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electrical-synapses-are-key-to-decision-making-in-animal-brains/">species</a> occupy very different landscapes shaped by predation risk. In brushy forests, motion attracts less attention than freezing, since cover is nearby. 



On open plains, stillness may be the best way to avoid being spotted by aerial predators. These constraints likely drove selection for divergent midbrain response thresholds.



Shifting the escape threshold in a central node like the dPAG may offer an efficient solution. Rather than overhauling sensory input or building a new circuit, evolution simply adjusts how soon a threat triggers action. 



This flexibility may also explain why such neural adaptations can arise repeatedly in separate species facing similar pressures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-it-means-for-human-fear">What it means for human fear</h2>



The findings add to a growing picture in which survival circuits come with built-in sliders that natural selection can nudge. That economy may explain why species thriving in wildly different niches still share a common <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-brain-learns-study-reveals-an-unexpected-twist/">neural</a> architecture.



The findings also have medical relevance: overactive defensive circuits are linked to panic and anxiety disorders in humans. 



Discovering that a single midbrain hub can adjust its sensitivity opens up potential strategies for recalibrating fear responses without dulling sensory perception.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09241-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Survival switch in the brain controls when animals flee or freeze

For wild animals, survival may come down to the split-second decision to bolt or stay put when danger appears. A new study traces that choice to a tiny cluster of neurons deep in the midbrain. By comparing two closely related deer mouse species, the team showed that evolution simply tunes the sensitivity of this hub rather than rebuilding the whole defensive network. Forest-dwelling Peromyscus maniculatus flee at the faintest hint of a hawk, while open field Peromyscus polionotus remain statues until the threat becomes overwhelming. Study co-lead...

A new survey from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> has concluded that rates of anxiety, burnout, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and depression are rising amongst students due to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/second-dose-of-the-covid-19-vaccine-is-far-more-powerful/">COVID-19</a> pandemic. The research, which took place between August 2020 and April 2020, matches data found at other randomly selected college students throughout the U.S.

The "return to campus" survey was focused on 1,072 students at OSU. Among the survey participants, 42.6 percent screened positive for anxiety, 28.3 percent for depression, and 71 percent screened positive for burnout. 

The data collected in April 2021 saw consistent rises compared to data collected at the beginning of the study in August 2020. This included a four percent increase in unhealthy eating, 2.5 percent in alcohol use, two percent in smoking and vaping, and a decrease in physical activity by seven percent. The number of students seeking advice from a mental health counselor increased by eight percent. 

"Mental health promotion and access to services and evidence-based programs are going to be more important than ever," stated Bernadette Melnyk, Chief Wellness Officer of the OSU College of Nursing. "Two-thirds of students who are no longer in college are not in college due to a mental health issue." 

"We would not send divers into a deep ocean without an oxygen tank. How can we send our students throughout life without giving them the resiliency, cognitive-behavioral skills and coping mechanisms that we know are protective against mental health disorders and chronic disease?"

Melnyk and colleagues at other universities are using the findings to expand and integrate resources into curricula and campus life. Melnyk is co-chairing a new “return to campus” mental health commission with the senior vice president of the Office of Student Life, a commission created by OSU President Kristina Johnson. 

Methods within the commission include the creation of a new "Five to Thrive" mental health checklist for all students, which covers healthy habits, healthy coping mechanisms, and encouragement to build and access mental health support systems.

"Students who were dealing the best in terms of their emotional outcomes were connecting with family and friends, building their resiliency, and engaged in physical activity," said Melnyk. 

"So as students are welcomed back to campus this fall, these five steps are so critically important to both fortify a foundation of mental resiliency and make self-care and mental well-being a priority. It's actually a strength to recognize when you need mental health help; it's not a weakness."

---

By <a href="http://calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rise in mental health issues as college students return to campus

A new survey from Ohio State University has concluded that...

In two new studies from <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">UC Santa Barbara</a>, researchers have examined how domestic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jumping-spiders-know-the-difference-between-animals-and-objects/">animals</a> may have impacted species that disappeared from Madagascar. The island has lost giant lemurs, the elephant bird, and the dwarf hippo in the last 2,000 years.

The studies were led by UC Santa Barbara anthropology doctoral student Sean Hixon.

“Madagascar’s remarkable biodiversity is threatened, yet people have lived on the island for over a millennium,” said Hixon. “A long-term understanding of how people and introduced species shaped Madagascar’s ecosystems gives important context to the current crisis.”

“Because this is an island that has so much biodiversity, and so much of that biodiversity is native only to Madagascar - is highly endemic - the question has always been what impact has human arrival had on this large, biodiverse island,” added study co-author Kristina Douglass, an archeologist at Pennsylvania State University.

The researchers are beginning to answer these questions based on the analysis of nitrogen and carbon isotopes in ancient animal remains.

The most recent study, which is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>, establishes an overlap between the arrival of domesticated animals and the continued existence of some of the region’s megafauna. 

The other paper, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>, describes how dogs interacted with Madagascar’s ancient ecosystems. The study compares dogs to the island’s native top predator, the fosa.

“The extinction of large-bodied animals sometime in the past 1,000 years has always been a very contentious debate,” explained Douglass. “And what we’ve done in this paper, for the first time, is really look at how much interaction there was between animals that people brought and those that ended up going extinct to see if any kind of competition or interactions played a role.”

The research suggests that introduced species contributed to the downfall of recently extinct megafauna in Madagascar. The experts have confirmed that most of the large animals that have been lost co-existed with the introduced species.

“We found that a series of disappearances of large endemic animals - including giant tortoises, elephant birds, pygmy hippos and giant lemurs - coincides with the arrival of goats, sheep, bush pigs and cattle in southern and western Madagascar between 1,200 and 700 years ago,” said Hixon.

The findings indicate that the demise of large herbivores on Madagascar was not caused by direct competition, but by indirect impacts like changing habitats and human development.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Domestic animals contributed to the downfall of rare species in Madagascar

In two new studies from UC Santa Barbara, researchers have...

The body’s ability to fight off food poisoning depends on the time of day, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/">UT Southwestern Medical Center</a>. The researchers found that levels of a natural antimicrobial compound increase during the day, when there is the greatest risk of exposure to toxic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-bacteria-of-infant-boys-can-enhance-cognitive-skills/">bacteria</a>. 

The experts report that the antimicrobial compound fluctuates on a circadian rhythm that is prompted by gut bacteria. The findings could eventually lead to the development of treatments and vaccines designed to maximize this immune response.

“This study shows that our immune systems are not turned on all the time, which is an unexpected result,” said study lead author Dr. John F. Brooks. “Our findings suggest that there are peak times in which the body is more primed to fight infections.”

Essentially, all animals follow circadian cycles that are aligned with daylight and darkness. These cycles are needed to help animals prepare for changes in their environment.

The researchers theorized that changes in antibacterial immunity may coincide with a circadian cycle. To investigate, they looked for rhythms in the expression of natural antimicrobial compounds produced in the gut of mice to fight off food poisoning. 

The study revealed that one of these antimicrobial molecules, called regenerating islet-derived protein 3g (REG3G), was more abundant at night when the mice are most active. Levels of REG3G were much less abundant during the day, when mice are sleeping. 

The researchers also found that in mice raised to have no gut bacteria, REG3G was essentially absent throughout both the day and the night.

The cycles of REG3G had significant consequences for the ability of mice to fight off infectious bacteria such as those that cause food poisoning. 

When the researchers infected normal mice with bacteria, the animals had higher rates of death if they were exposed at sunset rather than at sunrise. 

“These results make me think twice about waking up in the middle of the night and raiding the refrigerator,” said study co-author Dr. Lora Hooper. “It may be more dangerous to eat bacteria-laden potato salad when your gut defenses are lowest.”

The findings are published online in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Your risk of food poisoning is greater at night

The body’s ability to fight off food poisoning depends on...

There may be a simple explanation for why birds are the only dinosaurs left on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-further-can-we-push-earth-before-everything-changes/">Earth</a>, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a>.

The brain shape of a newly discovered bird fossil could explain how the ancestors of modern birds survived the mass extinction that killed other dinosaurs.

“Living birds have brains more complex than any known animals except mammals,” said lead investigator Christopher Torres. “This new fossil finally lets us test the idea that those brains played a major role in their survival.”

The 70-million-year-old fossil contains a nearly complete skull, which provided the researchers with a rare opportunity to study the brain of a bird named Ichthyornis that lived during the late Cretaceous. Ichthyornis, which resembled an albatross, went extinct alongside other non-avian dinosaurs.

Ichthyornis had both avian and non-avian characteristics that were similar to dinosaurs. For example, they had jaws full of teeth that were tipped with a beak. Using CT-imaging data, the researchers created a 3D replica of the bird's brain to compare it to living birds, and also to distant dinosaur relatives.

The analysis revealed that the brain of Ichthyornis shared more similarities with dinosaurs than with living birds. According to the study authors, the cerebral hemispheres - where higher cognitive functions such as speech, thought and emotion occur in humans - are much bigger in modern birds than in Ichthyornis. This means that the key to surviving the mass extinction may have been a vastly expanded forebrain that Ichthyornis and other extinct lineages lacked.

“If a feature of the brain affected survivorship, we would expect it to be present in the survivors but absent in the casualties, like Ichthyornis,” said Torres. “That’s exactly what we see here.”

It is rare for paleontologists to find skulls from early birds and dinosaurs that are well-preserved. As a result, there is limited information on what their brains were like.

“Ichthyornis is key to unraveling that mystery,” said study co-author Professor Julia Clarke. “This fossil helps bring us much closer to answering some persistent questions concerning living birds and their survivorship among dinosaurs.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why are birds the only dinosaurs that survived on Earth?

There may be a simple explanation for why birds are...

While higher testosterone is associated with greater athletic success, a new study from the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> shows that testosterone levels are not very significant in everyday life. The research suggests that the importance of testosterone is highly overrated.

Previous studies have found a link between testosterone and socioeconomic position, such as income and educational achievement.  

The researchers set out to investigate whether testosterone can actually influence socioeconomic position, or if socioeconomic circumstances affect testosterone.

The experts used an approach called Mendelian randomization in a sample of 306,248 UK adults from the UK Biobank. 

The researchers examined how testosterone  influenced socioeconomic position, including income, employment status, neighborhood-level deprivation, and educational qualifications. The study also looked at the effects of testosterone on health and risk-taking behavior.  

“There's a widespread belief that a person's testosterone can affect where they end up in life. Our results suggest that, despite a lot of mythology surrounding testosterone, its social implications may have been overstated," said study co-author Dr. Amanda Hughes.

Just like earlier in studies, the researchers found that men with higher testosterone had higher household income, lived in less deprived areas, and were more likely to have a university degree and a skilled job. Among women, high testosterone levels were associated with lower socioeconomic position, including lower household income, living in a more deprived area, and lower chance of having a university degree. 

Importantly, the study results do not suggest that testosterone-linked genetic variants were associated with any outcome for men or women. 

The researchers concluded that there is little evidence that testosterone meaningfully affects socioeconomic position, health, or risk-taking in men or women. 

“Higher testosterone in men has previously been linked to various kinds of social success. A study of male executives found that testosterone was higher for those who had more subordinates. A study of male financial traders found that higher testosterone correlated with greater daily profits," said Dr. Hughes.

"Other studies have reported that testosterone is higher for more highly educated men, and among self-employed men, suggesting a link with entrepreneurship."

“Such research has supported the widespread idea that testosterone can influence success by affecting behavior. There is evidence from experiments that testosterone can make a person more assertive or more likely to take risks - traits which can be rewarded in the labour market, for instance during wage negotiations. But there are other explanations. For example, a link between higher testosterone and success might simply reflect an influence of good health on both."

"Alternatively, socioeconomic circumstances could affect testosterone levels. A person’s perception of their own success could influence testosterone: in studies of sports matches, testosterone has been found to rise in the winner compared to the loser.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Testosterone does not have an influence on success

While higher testosterone is associated with greater athletic success, a...

Polar bears are being exposed to the toxic chemicals used in cosmetics and non-stick pans, and this exposure is directly related to global warming, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>.

The chemicals are being released into the air in high concentrations from manufacturing sites, and then carried by the wind to the Arctic, where they accumulate in sea ice. 

As temperatures rise throughout the Arctic, the chemicals are running off into the ocean from melting ice. The contaminants are then consumed by algae and zooplankton, before making their way up the food chain to polar bears. 

Poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are referred to as "forever chemicals" that do not fully break down in the environment. The Lancaster team has discovered the toxic chemicals in brine on the underside of the ice - a preferred habitat for algae and other organisms at the bottom of the marine food web. 

The experts tested samples from the Barents Sea, thousands of miles away from the densely populated areas of Europe. They found that the concentration of the toxic chemicals was up to double the concentration that has been observed in the North Sea. 

According to the researchers, there is evidence that PFAS are disrupting the hormone systems of polar bears. PFAS are also linked to a range of health issues in humans, including liver damage, birth defects, cancer, and impaired immunity. According to the CDC, PFAS have been found in the blood of nearly every American tested.

In the Arctic, sea ice used to remain frozen for years at a time but is now melting each summer as a result of global warming. 

'This one-year ice contains a lot of mobile brine that interacts with the overlying snowpack and can serve to concentrate pollutants like PFAS, which are usually found at very low levels,' said study co-author Professor Crispin Halsall.

"Unfortunately, with earlier and more erratic thaw events, this can lead to the rapid release of the stored chemicals resulting in high concentrations in the waters surrounding the ice floes."

Professor Halsall said that it is only through this type of investigative science that we can understand the dynamics of pollutant behavior and identify key hazards, particularly those related to climate change.

"In turn this can drive international legislation so that chemicals that exhibit this type of behavior are banned."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science and Technology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Polar bears threatened by toxic chemicals in melting sea ice

Polar bears are being exposed to the toxic chemicals used...

The first thing conservation biologists need if they are to protect an endangered species is the ability to identify it accurately. Until recently, this has been a problem with the endemic salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) which is found only in the tidal marshes of the San Francisco Estuary.

"If people misidentify the species, they have a false impression that they're doing well," said Mark Statham, lead author and researcher with the Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit within the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis School</a> of Veterinary Medicine.

These small rodents have lost three-quarters of their habitat to human expansion as the marshes have been drained for housing developments. Along with rising sea levels, this has left salt marsh harvest mice with few options. They have been listed as endangered under both the California and U.S. Endangered Species Acts.

Two subspecies of salt marsh harvest mice occur in the San Francisco Bay area, with the southern subspecies being the more endangered. Conservation work has, thus far, proven difficult because the mice look very similar to the western harvest mouse, a non-endangered species that lives in the same area. 

But now, scientists from UC Davis have used DNA analysis, along with body measurements and other physical characteristics to develop an identification tool that can be used in the field. They collected data from 204 harvest mice trapped in the southern species’ population range. Overall, 48 were endangered salt marsh harvest mice and the rest were western harvest mice.   

The team then used a statistical analysis to identify the most useful characteristics to distinguish between the two species. These turned out to be the color of the belly hair and the hair underneath the tail. Results of the DNA analysis were used to verify each individual’s species. 

A “decision tree,” or dichotomous key, was then drawn up to assist biologists with identification in the field. When tested against a sample of harvest mice of known species, the key was able to identify 94 percent of 179 harvest mice to species level with 99 percent accuracy.

Accurate identification will allow conservationists to understand the range, habitat, abundance, demography, and population trends of the endangered species, and this information will inform conservation efforts. 

"Now field researchers can go in the field and identify the animal immediately," said Statham. "Without something like this, you don't really know what you've got."

Details of the study were published this month in a special issue of the journal <a href="https://wildlife.ca.gov/">California Fish and Wildlife</a>.

---

By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Salt marsh mice can now be identified using a “decision tree”

The first thing conservation biologists need if they are to...

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers fixed GPS activity trackers to baboons to examine the costs of sticking together in a group.  

Baboons live in stable social groups and travel in troops that are made up of different sized individuals. These mixed-age groups may contain large males weighing as much as 30 kg along with juveniles, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-who-live-near-woodlands-have-better-mental-health/">adolescents</a> and females. 

The benefits of traveling along together include the early detection of predators and the sharing of important information.

However, researchers from the <a href="https://www.ab.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior</a> have recently shown that all baboons compromise on moving at their preferred speed in order to keep the group together.

Baboons in a troop at the Mpala Research Center in Kenya were fitted with GPS trackers and accelerometers. The GPS data indicated where the animals moved, and the accelerometers gave information on speed and number of steps, in much the same way as a Fitbit device. 

In 2012, when study senior author Meg Crofoot began the study of these 25 baboons, she was the first to ever use GPS tracking on a large group of primates.

The results indicated that, although all baboons modified their movements, the smallest individuals had to move faster than their preferred pace, travel further, and use more energy than other size groups. 

"Small individuals pay disproportionate costs associated with maintaining group cohesion, and this might be because they have the most to gain from group membership," explained study co-author Roi Harel.

The scientists then used computer simulations to test whether a cohesive group would form if all baboon members moved at their preferred speed and did not compromise. 

“Our simulations demonstrate that to replicate the levels of cohesion we observe in wild baboons, group members need to adjust their patterns of movement in response to who they are next to and where they are in the group," said Harel.

According to the scientists, this is an unusual example of a democratic process taking place in the social interactions of a species that is highly despotic. 

“The dominant male clearly wields power over other baboons in one-on-one interactions," said Harel. "But when it comes to collective movement, it seems like a shared decision-making process drives the group."

The findings have been published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

---

By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sticking together can come at a cost for baboons

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers fixed GPS activity trackers to...

Commercial deep sea mining is scheduled to begin within two years, but scientists warn that this type of mining is unnecessary and even dangerous.  

A new study led by scientists at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> calls into question why deep seabed mining should proceed when it’s such an unpredictable risk to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-circling-behavior-discovered-among-marine-mammals/">marine</a> health. 

As of now, deep sea mining is allowed in the exclusive economic zones of coastal nations. Meanwhile, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is drawing up new regulations for deep sea mining outside of these areas. 

With pressure mounting from the Pacific island of Nauru and The Metals Company, the ISA has two years to finish its regulations. If they are not finished within this time period, mining can begin with no regulations in place. Dr. Kirsten Thompson of the University of Exeter explains the conundrum that seabed mining presents.

"Seabed mining is sometimes presented as an unavoidable consequence of ever-growing demand for minerals, especially to supply certain metals for the green technology transition," said Dr. Thompson.  

"This narrative is put forward by mining companies, who also present deep-sea mining as the ‘lesser of two evils’ in comparison to land-based mining, but it’s impossible to compare the inherent value of land and deep-sea ecosystems. If you're asking 'which destructive industry is better?' then you're asking the wrong question."

The scientists emphasize that better engineering and efficiency are of utmost importance and that it’s simply a "myth" that deep sea mining is necessary. 

"Current estimates of mineral requirements for renewable technology don't fully account for important factors such as technological advances in battery technology, better public transport and behaviour changes such as people taking fewer journeys by car,” said Dr. Kevin Brigden, a metals chemist with Greenpeace Research Laboratories.

There’s also an enormous amount that we do not know about deep sea ecosystems, their role in carbon storage, their biodiversity, or how they could be threatened by mining. The researchers point out that mining is likely to benefit only a handful of mining companies in the world’s richest nations - while threatening the entire world. 

The University of Exeter has launched a "Green Futures" campaign and website to drive action on the environment and climate emergency. To find out more, please visit <a href="https://greenfutures.exeter.ac.uk">https://greenfutures.exeter.ac.uk</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dangers of deep sea mining could soon be realized

Commercial deep sea mining is scheduled to begin within two...

Over the last six decades, invasive species have racked up $389.59 billion (US$298.58 billion) in costs for the Australian economy, according to researchers at <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a>. The study authors say that without better investments, reporting, and coordinated interventions, the price of invasive pests will only get worse.

Costs associated with the management of invasive plants were totaled at US$151.68 billion. The experts found that the costliest plants are ryegrass (Lolium rigidum), parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus), and ragwort (Senecio jacobaea).

Invasive mammals imposed US$48.63 billion in costs, while insects racked up $11.95 billion. The study revealed that feral cats are the single-most costly individual species, followed by European rabbits and red imported fire ants.

The researchers analyzed data from InvaCost, a database developed to provide the most comprehensive compilation of invasion costs globally. 

The team also looked at how much each state or territory had spent tackling invasive species. New South Wales, Western Australia, and Victoria had the highest costs.

The research was led by Professor Corey Bradshaw from Flinders University and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage.

“This is the most detailed analysis to date,” said Professor Bradshaw. “Australia has a long history of invasive species, and their impact is far-reaching, not only for our native animals and the environment but across our agricultural and health sectors as well.”

Study co-author Dr Andrew Hoskins of <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/">CSIRO</a> said it was important to understand the full breadth of the problem, to help prioritize future research and inform policy decisions.

“We captured species not previously detailed in any other nation-wide study of the economic burden of invasives, providing us with the most up-to-date picture of the cost of such species to our country," said Dr. Hoskins.

“This research shows that invasive species are causing serious and growing harm to our ecological, agricultural, and economic systems."

According to Professor Bradshaw, the large and ever-increasing costs of invasive species to Australia’s economy are substantial and also likely to be underestimated.

“We can reasonably assume that without better investment and coordinated interventions, including animal culls, Australia will continue to lose billions of dollars on invasive species over the coming decades.”

“And we aren’t just losing money, for there are many other types of economically intangible costs arising from invasive species that we have yet to measure adequately across Australia, such as the true extent of ecological damage, loss of cultural values and the erosion of ecosystem services, that is the many human benefits we draw from the environment, such as food and water.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://neobiota.pensoft.net/">NeoBiota</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

Invasive species have racked up $390 billion bill in Australia

Over the last six decades, invasive species have racked up...

In an effort to anticipate the future impacts of climate change, experts at <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> are trying to gain a better understanding of extreme climate changes that occurred in the past. 

The researchers are describing abrupt climate changes, what led up to these “tipping points,” and the consequences that followed.

“We've been putting a lot of chemicals into the atmosphere and changing the heat of the atmosphere for a long time, and really intensively for 150 years,” said study co-author C. Michael Barton. 

“And, things are still chugging along. Temperatures are slowly going up globally, but we haven’t seen a huge, dramatic shift. However, complex systems are potentially vulnerable if you push too much.”

Barton studies the water cycle and other complex Earth systems, and looks at how drastically they have been altered by humans. 

“People tend to look at how far you can push things before suddenly everything changes. And that's what's considered the tipping point.”

Earth’s major systems include the hydrosphere (water), the atmosphere (air) and the cryosphere (ice). All of these systems are interconnected. 

The researchers focused their attention on tipping points across the history of these systems. They wanted to quantify small changes that can lead up to an abrupt, massive change, while also measuring how one abrupt change can trigger abrupt changes in other systems.

To understand what the planet was like hundreds of thousands of years ago, Earth system modelers turn to the prehistoric record that is available to them. This study, in particular, was focused on sediment cores from the Gulf of Alaska, dust records from North Africa, and ice cores from Greenland.

Scientists can also obtain prehistoric data from the ocean floor to measure changes in composition, circulation patterns, and influxes of fresh water from melting ice sheets.

The study authors point to past instances of extreme climate events that happened so quickly that humans either had difficulty adapting, or were not able to adapt.

For example, Europe experienced a period of abrupt cooling about 1,500 years ago, leading to major changes in vegetation. The researchers note that this cooling may have been caused by a natural phenomenon, such as volcanic activity. The changes were so extreme that people experienced famine and societal reorganization. 

According to the study authors, climate events that occurred centuries ago triggered drastic changes or even collapse in ancient civilizations due to unforeseen societal vulnerabilities.

In the ancient city Angkor, humans altered the natural water cycle by diverting water to grow crops. As the city grew, the water system became too strained and reached a tipping point. Ultimately, the city of Angkor collapsed.

In Arizona, the last few years have been hotter and drier than usual. Barton said it’s not yet clear whether we have passed a tipping point in the Southwest region of the country.

While fluctuations in precipitation and temperature occur naturally from year to year, looking at the ancient climate makes Barton wonder if the drier weather patterns have become the new normal for our lifetime.

Barton also noted that researchers still don’t know why some weather systems change. For example, past monsoon rains have shifted without warning and for unknown reasons. This can be catastrophic for people who depend on the monsoon season.

The researchers are calling for new Earth system models to simulate future abrupt changes, and for more research on the interactions between environmental systems and human societies during past climate change events.

The study authors hope this paper raises awareness of the field, and that more people will understand how analyzing the long-term past could help us in the near future.

One component of tipping points research is identifying early warning signals - smaller fluctuations in a system before an abrupt change. 

“All the components can change really, really fast,” said Barton. “The whole system can drop into a different state. How do we know when we're getting too close?”

The researchers say these warning signals exist, but when the entire world is the focus, it can be challenging to trace how small changes in one system can warn of an abrupt change in another.

“As humans, we try to anticipate the future," wrote the researchers. "We are now well aware that complex systems, including the coupled social and ecological systems that now dominate our planet, can undergo abrupt changes. If we cannot model abrupt change in the past, we cannot hope to predict them in the future.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</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 much further can we push Earth before everything changes?

In an effort to anticipate the future impacts of climate...

The European Common Blue butterfly, Polyommatus icarus, was first recorded in Montreal, Québec in 2005. This species prefers to live in urban areas and its caterpillars depend on a host <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tomato-fruit-warns-the-rest-of-the-plant-when-attacked/">plant</a> that is widespread throughout Canada. Given these circumstances, researchers at the <a href="https://www.uottawa.ca/en">University of Ottawa</a> felt it would be important to study the ecology of the blue butterflies.

The research began in 2017, at a time when the Canadian distribution of European Common Blues was restricted to southwestern Québec. The scientists were able to document the early colonization and spread of the newly-introduced species, providing insights into the process of invasion.

"The rate that animal and plant species are being introduced beyond their home ranges is increasing globally, but only a few of these species will become invasive – which means they are widespread, abundant, and have negative effects on ecological communities," explained study first author and PhD student Stephanie Rivest. 

"That's why it's so important for newly introduced species to be studied, like we did here, so that we can better understand and predict which introduced species are likely to become invasive."

The researchers found that the preferred food plant for P. icarus caterpillars is the bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), which occurs throughout Canada. This means that there is the potential for these beautiful, blue-winged butterflies to invade the entire country as well. 

Apart from studying the ecology of European Common Blues, the researchers also marked over 4,500 individuals in order to monitor their movements, and measured the flight ability of P. icarus adults.

The team’s results show that the introduced species can reach very high densities compared to those of native butterflies. Although the blue butterflies are not the most competent fliers, they are able to disperse successfully. Observations entered by citizen scientists onto websites such as eButterfly and iNaturalist confirm that the species has spread at least as far as Toronto, over 400 km away from the study area.

"Building on our initial assessment of P. icarus, we need future studies to model the predicted trajectory of range expansion and to investigate other potentially important factors," said Dr. Heather Kharouba, the head of the lab where the research was conducted.

The study is published in the <a href="https://cdnsciencepub.com/loi/cjz">Canadian Journal of Zoology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Blue butterflies are set to become widespread across Canada

The European Common Blue butterfly, Polyommatus icarus, was first recorded...

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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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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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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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