Giant viruses were once mysterious. Now, they appear essential to the ocean's balance. These viruses infect protists - single-celled marine life like algae, amoebas, and flagellates. 



Protists sit at the base of the food web. When giant viruses infect them, the effects ripple through the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-based-viruses-discovered-that-trap-carbon-and-combat-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystem</a>. Sometimes, these infections even trigger harmful algal blooms. These blooms can hurt marine animals and affect public health.



Researchers now want to know more. If we understand these viruses better, we might predict when and where blooms will occur. That would help protect coastal communities. A team at the <a href="https://www.earth.miami.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science</a> has taken a big step forward.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-giant-viruses-influence-marine-life">How giant viruses influence marine life</h2>



The research team analyzed vast sets of publicly available environmental DNA sequences collected from marine waters around the world. 



By applying their specialized tool to this massive data pool, they were able to recover 230 previously unknown, high-quality giant virus <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/23-new-marine-bacteria-species-discovered-that-influence-global-ocean-cycles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genomes</a>.



The genomes originated from samples collected across a diverse range of oceanic regions, stretching from the frozen Arctic Ocean in the north to the remote reaches of the South Pacific.



Among the sampling locations, the Baltic Sea stood out. This brackish body of water, known for its unique ecological conditions, yielded the highest number of discoveries - 108 high-quality viral genomes. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diversity-of-giant-viruses">Diversity of giant viruses</h2>



In addition to these complete sequences, the team also identified 398 partial giant virus genomes, expanding the known diversity even further.



The recovered viruses spanned several well-known taxonomic orders. Most belonged to Imitervirales and Algavirales, two dominant groups in marine viral ecology. Remarkably, the researchers also detected members of the rare Mirusviricota order. 



This group is particularly significant because it shows evolutionary links between giant viruses and herpesviruses, suggesting a much deeper history than previously thought.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giant-virus-dna-and-protein-makeup">Giant virus DNA and protein makeup</h2>



Many of the new viral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-viruses-found-in-yellowstones-hot-springs-may-be-near-the-root-of-all-life-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genomes</a> were large - some over 1.3 million base pairs long. Genomes in the Algavirales group were among the biggest. Pandoravirales showed the highest GC content, which affects how the DNA behaves and is processed.



The researchers didn’t just stop at sequencing. They studied proteins inside these viruses and calculated nitrogen and sulfur in each protein chain. 



These values offer clues about virus-host dynamics. A high nitrogen content might drain host resources during infection.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-virus-genes-control-how-hosts-make-energy">Virus genes control how hosts make energy</h2>



The team found genes for photosynthesis and carbon metabolism. These include genes involved in glycolysis, the TCA cycle, and even chlorophyll-binding proteins. 



“We discovered that giant viruses possess genes involved in cellular functions such as carbon metabolism and photosynthesis - traditionally found only in cellular organisms," said Benjamin Minch, the lead author of the study.



Imitervirales carried many of these genes. Algavirales carried fewer, despite larger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-recreate-an-ancient-war-trick-to-defeat-viruses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genome</a> sizes. This hints at two different infection strategies. Imitervirales might rely more on hijacking and augmenting host metabolism.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-hotspot-for-viral-diversity">A hotspot for viral diversity </h2>



The Baltic Sea turned out to be a hotspot for viral diversity. Researchers found many new proteins there, including 88% of the novel proteins identified in this study. 



Salinity, depth, and bacterial production played major roles in shaping these viral communities.



“This study allowed us to create a framework to improve existing tools for detecting novel viruses that could aid in our ability to monitor pollution and pathogens in our waterways,” Minch added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-photosynthesis-a-hijacked-process">Photosynthesis: A hijacked process</h2>



Newly discovered viral proteins linked to photosystems I and II, cytochrome b6f, and ATP synthase suggest that giant viruses can tweak their host’s photosynthetic machinery. That helps the virus maintain the host's energy production during infection.



“Giant viruses are often the main cause of death for many phytoplankton, which serve as the base of the food web supporting ocean ecosystems and food sources,” said Mohammad Moniruzzaman, co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tools-and-open-access-data">Tools and open access data</h2>



All this was made possible by <a href="https://gitlab.com/benminch1/BEREN" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BEREN</a> - a new tool that spots giant viruses in public DNA libraries. The team avoided re-analyzing datasets already mined, like Tara Oceans, and focused on untapped sources.



Giant viruses remain one of biology’s great surprises. With just 1,800 marine genomes recovered to date, there’s much more to find. The new genomes add weight to the idea that viruses shape entire ecosystems.



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44298-025-00122-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">npj Viruses</a>.



The full dataset, genomes, and code are open-access on <a href="https://figshare.com/projects/Expansion_of_the_genomic_and_functional_diversity_of_global_ocean_giant_viruses/214120" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Figshare</a> and <a href="https://zenodo.org/records/14782687" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zenodo</a>. 



Image Credit: Grieg Steward, Ph.D., <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Giant viruses hijack ocean plants to control marine food webs

Giant viruses were once mysterious. Now, they appear essential to the ocean's balance. These viruses infect protists - single-celled marine life like algae, amoebas, and flagellates. Protists sit at the base of the food web. When giant viruses infect them, the effects ripple through the ecosystem. Sometimes, these infections even trigger harmful algal blooms. These blooms can hurt marine animals and affect public health. Researchers now want to know more. If we understand these viruses better, we might predict when and where blooms will occur. That would...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> has found that even small aquatic organisms such as mussels play a crucial – yet often underappreciated - role in protecting and building <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coastal-ecosystems-are-important-carbon-sinks/">coastal ecosystems</a>. These animals serve as “ecosystem engineers” - organisms that directly or indirectly drive habitat construction and control the availability of resources for other organisms.



“As sea levels rise, coastal ecosystems have to adapt and evolve to changing conditions,” said study lead author Sinéad Crotty, an expert in Ecosystem Restoration and Environmental Engineering at Yale. “This study shows that small and innocuous animals that live within an ecosystem can play a critical role in helping coastal systems persist in the face of climate change.”



For instance, mussels (Geukensia demissa) help keeping rivers and streams clean by absorbing heavy metals and filtering harmful silt and particulates as they breathe and feed in aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, their shells provide habitat and nesting sites for a variety of insects, small fish, and plants. Finally, through their feeding process, they also deposit large amounts of material on marsh surfaces, thus helping marshes grow through a process called “accretion,” which refers to the natural action of sand, soil, and silt washing up to the land from rivers or the seashore.



The experts designed a series of experiments to examine mussels’ impact on accretion from small, local scales to whole landscape scales, with the largest one involving the relocation of over 200,000 mussels from one landscape to another and measuring changes to the marsh elevation over a period of three years. “We found that, in reality, the effects of mussels are far greater than predicted by the models, and occur at large, landscape scales,” Crotty reported.



Since similar trends are likely to occur with other fauna engineers, such as worms or bioturbating crabs, including these ecosystem engineers in future modeling and ecosystem management is crucial as sea levels continue to rise.&nbsp;



“This study can help us think through how we prioritize certain marsh areas for protection. Given that mussels are disproportionately important in driving accretion and other ecosystem functions, we should prioritize their protection, or outplanting, as a means to promoting all of their associated benefits,” Crotty concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36444-w">Nature Communications</a>.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Aquatic animals protect coastal ecosystems

A new study led by Yale University has found that...

When people undertake long-distance migrations, across borders, oceans or continents, this is usually worthy of mention. But most human migrations take place over shorter distances, within the territorial borders of countries, and are undertaken for the purpose of adapting to everyday stresses in life. In fact, for many people in the drylands of the world, short-distance migration has become part of everyday life.&nbsp;



The drylands of the world are the largest global biome, covering between 41 and 45 percent of the Earth‛s surface. Around one-third of the global population lives in drylands, where uncertainty about the availability of water and resources, as well as ever rising temperatures, make short-distance migrations an everyday feature. People move away in order to survive the pressures they experience in life.&nbsp;



These regions are already experiencing multiple pressures, including increasing rates of aridity and soil degradation, poorly planned and implemented development interventions, rapid population growth, historically high rates of poverty, poor communication infrastructure and isolation from national centers of power. Add to this the uncertainties introduced by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-river-temperatures-provide-new-clues-about-climate-change/">climate change</a> and it is clear that migration may become an adaptation strategy for survival in humans from many parts of the world.



A new study has now set out to investigate how people have used mobility in coping with changes during their lives. The study draws on a total of 14 cases generated through 21 long-form, semi-structured life history (LH) interviews with people who live in dryland regions of Ghana, Kenya, Namibia and India. The interviews were undertaken during 2016 and 2017.&nbsp; LH methodology has rarely been applied to explore vulnerability and adaptation in relation to risks associated with climate change.



The research was led by Dr. Mark Tebboth, an associate professor in the Environment and International Development at the University of East Anglia. “Most attention is on international migration and how climate change will lead to huge numbers of people fleeing across borders, but actually the vast majority of people move short distances within their own country in order to take advantage of opportunities or in response to shocks and stresses in their lives," said Dr. Tebboth. “Supporting and enabling this migration will help people to continue to adapt to the pressures in their lives."



In India, the study sites were in North Karnataka’s Kolar district, where diversification to non-farm labour and daily commuting to Bangalore is common, and the Gulburga district, where agricultural livelihoods dominate and there has been historical outmigration to large cities.&nbsp;In Kenya, the study sites were in Isiolo, the ‘gateway to the north,’ where pastoralism, farming and tourism are common. Water is a scarce resource and this looks as though it will become more severe in the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The findings of the study, published in Ecology and Society, showed that for most people living in drylands, mobility is an integral part of daily life and an important adaptation to coping with environmental change. People move with their herds to better locations, they move to work each day, they move away from stressful situations such as floods and fires, they move to escape social limitations such as caste systems, and they move to make use of new opportunities. Mobility does, however, have some downsides. It can expose people to new risks, such as&nbsp;increased living costs, the precarious nature of urban livelihoods, and higher exposure to hazards.



The researchers demonstrate that risks and responses change throughout a person’s life and that sometimes people negotiate these changes by moving to new locations and circumstances. In this sense, mobility, as an integral component in many people‛s lives and livelihood portfolios, constitutes a key risk management strategy that is worthy of further research. This is particularly relevant as the consequences of climate change take their toll.&nbsp;



"Far from being exceptional, this everyday mobility is ubiquitous and much removed from alarmist discourses of ‘climate migration’ that views movement as solely climate-driven," said Dr. Tebboth.



“In reality, it is normalized within lives and livelihoods and these movements are crucial in helping people to manage different shocks and stresses within their lives, including increasing climate variability. Most mobility, especially that in which environmental change is of some influence, is and will remain local.”&nbsp;



—



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Short-distance migrations are a common part of life

When people undertake long-distance migrations, across borders, oceans or continents,...

Diving birds such as puffins and penguins face a higher risk of extinction compared to non-diving birds, according to a study from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/">University of Bath</a>. The researchers explained that a highly specialized foraging strategy makes these birds less capable of adapting to changing environments.



"Given the new evolutionary pressures being applied to the world's biodiversity by climate change, understanding if highly specialized taxa are evolutionarily ‘trapped’ in their current niches is of great interest," wrote the study authors.



Dr. Jane Younger and Joshua Tyler studied the evolution of diving in modern waterbirds. They set out to investigate how diving has impacted the morphology of these birds, how the species evolved to increase diversity, and the risk of extinction among waterbirds.&nbsp;



"We show that diving has been acquired independently at least 14 times within waterbirds, and this acquisition is apparently irreversible, in a striking example of asymmetric evolution," said the study authors.



The experts determined that body size evolved differently among waterbirds depending on the type of diving they did. They also found that diving traits were not reversed by evolution.



"Three key diving techniques are employed within waterbirds: wing-propelled pursuit diving (e.g. penguins), foot-propelled pursuit diving (e.g. cormorants) and plunge diving (e.g. gannets)," explained the researchers.&nbsp;



The study revealed that wing divers and foot divers tend to have larger body sizes adapted for swimming. On the other hand, plunge divers tend to be more constrained in their body size, as they were better adapted for flying than swimming.



“Our work shows that rather than being a random process, there are predictable patterns to evolution," said Tyler. “Waterbirds were grouped together as being highly related following genetic analysis of the bird family tree in 2015, so I wanted to investigate how evolving to be able to dive had affected their body shape, niche adaptation and evolutionary diversity."



“For example, penguins are highly adapted for their environment - they have a torpedo body shape that helps them swim fast, but they don’t fly and they can’t move that well on land."



“This means they can’t easily adapt to other environments or types of diet. In contrast, plunge divers like gulls are more generalists - they eat anything from fish to Cornish pasties - and we found they are exploding in diversity."



“Our data show that the specialist birds are in more trouble in terms of future extinction, and may be evolving into an evolutionary dead end.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.2056">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.



---



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.

Diving birds face a greater risk of extinction

Diving birds such as puffins and penguins face a higher...

A new study published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLoS Biology</a> reveals that bumblebees learn new “trends” by watching other bumblebees, and that these trends can spread throughout a colony. The study, led by researchers at <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a>, suggests that social learning plays a significant role in bumblebee <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-behavior-is-influenced-by-the-unconscious-mind/">behavior</a>, particularly when it comes to foraging.



The researchers conducted multiple experiments which involved training “demonstrator” bees to either push a red tab clockwise or a blue tab counterclockwise to open a puzzle box containing a sucrose solution reward. In one experiment, “observer” bees were able to watch their comrades being trained. When it was the observer bees’ turn to perform, they chose the method they had seen the “demonstrator” bees use.



There was also a control group that didn’t include a demonstrator bee. This group rarely managed to open the puzzle box. While the group with demonstrator bees opened 28 boxes per day, the control group opened only one puzzle box.



In a second experiment, “blue” and “red” demonstrators were released into the same populations of bees. The researchers noticed that the bees overwhelmingly used the red method in the first population. However, in the second population, the blue method became more popular. The experts say this demonstrates how trends can develop.



The study authors believe that these findings open up the possibility that bees, like primates and birds, are capable of social learning and perhaps culture.



“Bumblebees - and, indeed, invertebrates in general - aren’t known to show culture-like phenomena in the wild. However, in our experiments, we saw the spread and maintenance of a behavioral “trend” in groups of bumblebees - similar to what has been seen in primates and birds," said study lead author Dr. Alice Bridges.



“The fact that bees can watch and learn, and then make a habit of that behavior, adds to the ever-growing body of evidence that they are far smarter creatures than a lot of people give them credit for," said study co-author Professor Lars Chittka.



"Our research shows, however, that new innovations can spread like social media memes through insect colonies, indicating that they can respond to wholly new environmental challenges much faster than by evolutionary changes, which would take many generations to manifest.”



---



By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Bumblebees learn new trends by watching others

A new study published in PLoS Biology reveals that bumblebees...

The emergence of new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-patients-experience-changes-in-heart-tissue/">COVID-19</a> variants have made rapid testing methods less accurate. A recent study suggests that a patient’s breath might hold the key to a more precise diagnosis.



Investigators from the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> Max Harry Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation used portable gas chromatography to examine breath samples collected during the pandemic’s Delta surge and its transition to Omicron (from April 2021 to May 2022).



The results showed that gas chromatography technology (GC technology) can diagnose COVID-19 with a high level of accuracy. It was also found that the volatile organic compounds in the breath of patients with Omicron differed from patients with earlier variants. These were molecular-level differences which could be used to distinguish between COVID-19, its variants and non-COVID illnesses.



“Exhaled breath contains hundreds of VOCs, which the body produces in response to infection and inflammation,” said study author Dr. Xudong (Sherman) Fan. “Early in the pandemic, we used GC technology to discover and define sets of VOCs for detecting COVID-19. However, we needed to gain a better understanding of how dynamically emerging variants impact this technology.”



The research team conducted a diagnostic study of 167 patients and collected 205 breath samples in 3 cohorts:



<ul><li>COVID-19 (2021): Patients with COVID-19 assumed to be infected by Delta or earlier variants</li><li>COVID-19 (2022): Patients with COVID-19 assumed to be infected by the Omicron variant</li><li>Non-COVID-19 illness as well as patients who have recovered from a COVID-19</li></ul>



Using <a href="https://weilinstitute.med.umich.edu/latest-news/research-team-awarded-2-million-nih-grant-for-breath-analyzer-that-detects-and-monitors-covid-19-and-covid-19-induced-lung-injury">a novel point-of-care GC device developed by Fan and the team</a>, the investigators defined four sets of VOCs that were able to distinguish between COVID-19 (2021) and non-COVID illness with an accuracy of 94.7 percent. However, when the team applied the same VOCs in a setting of presumed Omicron, sensitivity decreased drastically to 60.4 percent.



“We already knew clinically that different strains of SARS-CoV-2 can act quite differently,” said study co-author Dr. Robert Dickson. “This decrease in performance supports our suspicion that their effects on lung biology are quite different as well.”



The team undertook additional analysis and defined new VOCs to discern between Omicron and Delta, Omicron and non-COVID illness, and between patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID illness.&nbsp; This combined analysis resulted in the ability to detect COVID-19 infected patients from non-COVID patients with an accuracy of 90.2 percent. This method is close to RT-PCR tests and better than many rapid antigen tests.



This study presents a promising new method for detecting COVID-19 and other diseases. Further analysis will be needed to determine how to use breath analysis to improve the diagnosis and care of patients.



“The fact that we were able to diagnose COVID-19 in both symptomatic and asymptomatic participants is encouraging,” said Dr. Fan. “More studies on these particular VOCs, including their origins, may assist in the development of a better understanding of COVID-19 as well as the potential to develop new diagnostics.”



The portable GC technology is now licensed for commercialization where further work is seeking to develop the technology for the diagnosis and monitoring of other diseases that produce VOCs due to inflammation. The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.0982">JAMA Network Open</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Breath compounds could make it easy to detect COVID

The emergence of new COVID-19 variants have made rapid testing...

Germination represents the first big step in a plant’s development. It involves a transition from the embryo state, inside the seed, to a fragile, small seedling that is exposed to the environment. A dormant embryo inside a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-needed-for-seed-dispersal-are-the-first-victims-of-deforestation/">seed</a> is protected from environmental conditions by a sturdy coat, whereas the seedling is far more vulnerable. The timing of this change is critical if the tender new seedling is to survive, but how exactly is this controlled?



Newly formed seeds are unable to germinate but, after a while (a few days or months), they acquire the ability to begin this transition to seedling, as long as the environmental conditions are favorable. However, even after they have ‘awakened,’ seeds can still choose not to germinate. For example, a non-dormant seed that is suddenly subjected to excessively high temperatures (&gt;28°C) can block its own germination to prevent the potentially fatal consequences; this allows for very fine control of the timing of germination.



This mechanism of repression by temperature (thermo-inhibition) enables a seed population to delay germination, even if there is only a small increase in temperature (1 to 2°C) that threatens the seedlings’ chances of survival. However, it is not known how a seed detects this change in environmental temperature or how it prevents germination.



In order to understand the detection mechanism that allows seeds to trigger thermo-inhibition, a group of researchers, led by Luis Lopez-Molina, professor at the Department of Plant Sciences of the Faculty of Science of the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/">University of Geneva</a> (UNIGE), has investigated the phenomenon in Arabidopsis thaliana. This is a species of plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family (cabbage, kale, broccoli) and used as a model in many research projects. They have published their findings in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36903-4">Nature Communications</a>.



The researchers first considered the mechanisms whereby young seedlings manage to respond to temperature changes, to help them pinpoint how seeds may accomplish this feat. Indeed, in seedlings a slight increase in temperature results in more rapid stem growth. This adaptation is similar to the one observed when a plant finds itself growing in the shadow of another: it lengthens to escape the shadow in order to expose itself to the sunlight which is more favorable for photosynthesis.&nbsp;



In seedlings, these variations are detected by a protein called phytochrome B that is sensitive to both light and temperature. This protein normally acts as a brake on plant growth in seedlings. An increase of 1 to 2°C tends to inactivate phytochrome B, making it less effective at preventing growth.&nbsp;



However, the role of phytochrome B in thermo-inhibition of seed germination was not known.&nbsp;The experts began by dissecting some Arabidopsis thaliana seeds to separate the two tissues inside the seed: the embryo (which will grow into the young plant) and the endosperm (which provides nutrition for the seed during dormancy and germination). They found that separated embryos were unable to prevent themselves from growing when temperatures were too high, whereas intact embryos showed thermo-inhibition. This indicated to the researchers that some factor within the endosperm was controlling the seeds’ ability to delay germination when it was too warm.&nbsp;



“We found that thermo-inhibition in&nbsp;Arabidopsis&nbsp;is not autonomously controlled by the embryo but implemented by the endosperm, revealing a new essential function for this tissue,” explains Urszula Piskurewicz, researcher at the Department of Plant Sciences of the UNIGE Faculty of Science, and first author of the study. ‘”In other words, in the absence of endosperm, the embryo within the seed would not perceive that the temperatures are too high and would begin its germination, which would be fatal.”



Further investigation of genetic factors, as well as experimentation with mutant plants, indicated that phytochrome B in the endosperm of a seed is indeed involved with this ability to delay germination. High temperatures were found to lower phytochrome B signaling in the endosperm, leading to changes in the production and release of abscisic acid into the embryo. This had the result of preventing growth of the embryo and germination of the seed.&nbsp;



Thermal inhibition of germination is a new example of the ways in which climatic variations can influence certain cyclic phenomena in plant life, such as growth and flowering. It is important to understand the mechanisms involved in this phenomenon, particularly as Earth’s climate warms and the germination of crop seeds may be affected.



“This trait is expected to have an impact on species distribution and plant agriculture and this impact will be greater as temperatures increase worldwide,” reports Luis Lopez-Molina, the study’s last author. A better understanding of how light and temperature trigger or delay seed germination could indeed help optimize the growth of plants exposed to a wide range of climatic conditions.”



—



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Seed germination is controlled by an internal thermometer

Germination represents the first big step in a plant’s development....

The last full moon of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere – known as the “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-worm-moon-tonight/">Worm Moon</a>” – will reach peak illumination at 7:42 A.M. E.T. on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. This year, the Worm Moon will coincide with another spectacular planetary phenomenon: the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the western sky right after sunset.&nbsp;



For many years, it was thought that the name of this full moon was given by Native American tribes to refer to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms up with the arrival of spring. However, according to the <a href="https://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-march">Farmer’s Almanac</a>, this name may also be linked to a different type of “worms” – the beetle larvae – that start to emerge from the thawing bark of trees, as well as other winter hideouts during this period of the year, as testified in the 1760s by Captain Jonathan Carver, who learned about this alternative meaning when visiting the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American tribes.



While some other names this full moon is known by also refer to the appearance (or reappearance) of certain animals at the end of winter – such as the Eagle Moon, the Goose Moon (Alonquin, Cree), or the Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe) – yet others point to different signs of the season, including: the Sugar Moon (Ojibwe), marking the time when the sap of sugar maples begins to flow; the Wind Strong Moon (Pueblo), referring to the strong winds characteristic of this period; or the Sore Eyes Moon (Dakota, Lakota, Assiniboine), highlighting the blinding sunrays reflecting off the melting snow.&nbsp;



In Christianity, this moon is known as the Lenten Moon if it occurs before the spring equinox – and corresponds with Lent, the traditional period of fasting preceding Easter - or the Paschal Full Moon if it occurs after the spring equinox. In the Hebrew tradition, it is related to the celebration of Purim, a religious holiday marking the Jewish people’s deliverance from a royal death decree around the fourth century BCE, in Hinduism it is linked to the feast of Holi (also known as the Festival of Colors), celebrating the victory of good over evil and the beginning of spring, and in Buddhism, it corresponds with Māgha Pūjā, celebrating a gathering of the Buddha with 1,250 of his first disciples that symbolizes the creation of an ideal, exemplary community.



Although the Worm Moon will be the most visible if the skies are clear, stargazers who get a bit of rain on Monday or Tuesday night might also get a glimpse of a moonbow, a phenomenon similar to a solar rainbow that is produced by moonlight when it is refracted through water droplets in the air. Since moonbows are only visible when a full moon is low in the sky, they may be visible after sunset, when the sky is dark.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Tonight's Worm Moon marks the beginning of spring

The last full moon of the winter season in the...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ants-can-effectively-adapt-to-urban-environments/">Urban</a> areas are bursting with both human and animal life. Although some of the smallest life forms, such as insects, spiders, and ants are easily overseen, their presence or absence in cities can have wide-reaching effects on a variety of ecosystems. Now, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/">University of Innsbruck</a> in Austria has examined the correlation between the presence of arthropods – invertebrate animals with exoskeletons including bees, insects, and spiders – and levels of urbanization.



“In this study, we compared how different indexes of urbanization shape arthropod communities,” said lead author Marion Chatelain, a postdoctoral fellow in Urban Ecology at Innsbruck. “We show that richness and diversity of arthropods on trees and bushes decreases along the rural-urban gradient. More specifically, we show that urbanization disfavors wingless groups, particularly so on trees. Indeed, web spiders and springtails are less likely to be found in the city, where, on the contrary, aphids, woodlice, and flies are common.”



The scientists collected arthropod samples at 180 sites within an area covering 56.5 square kilometers in and around the city of Innsbruck, from three types of micro-habitats – the canopy, the tree bark, and the bush layer – at each site. Then, they estimated the level of urbanization within 100, 500, and 1000 meters around each site by measuring the percentage of paved-over and built-up area compared to vegetation or trees, and tested its impact on the total number of arthropods (abundance), the number of taxonomic groups (richness), and the types of arthropods present.



The analysis revealed a significant correlation between the level of urbanization and total arthropod numbers in the bush layer, with higher urbanization levels linked to more bark lice and crab spiders in the shrubs (most likely due to more nutritious leaves in urban bushes). In the canopy, the number of winged arthropods such as flies increased in more urbanized areas, while certain species of spiders were found less frequently, suggesting a possible advantage of winged arthropods in cities, due to their increased ability to move between isolated green spaces.&nbsp;



The researchers also observed reduced numbers of web-building spiders in comparison to species that actively hunt, suggesting that the increase or decline of spider groups correlates with their hunting modes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



While certain arthropod groups seem to have adapted better to urban life than others, no effect on total bug numbers were found. “Because some groups thrive while other are filtered from urban areas, there are at least as many arthropods in the city as in the rural surrounding,” Chatelain explained. “In fact, in bushes, arthropods, especially bark lice and crab spiders, are actually more abundant in the city.”



Further research is needed to better understand how arthropod distribution and abundance in urban areas may impact insect-eating bird communities. “Our results suggest that urbanization affects the availability of arthropod prey, which is expected to have consequences on predator nutritional status, foraging behavior, reproduction success, survival, and distribution within the urban landscape. This study is part of a larger project aiming at understanding the effects of urbanization on food availability, diet, and nutritional status of great tits and blue tits,” Chatelain concluded.



The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.980387">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

How does urbanization shape arthropod communities?

Urban areas are bursting with both human and animal life....

In a recent study, a team of scientists led by <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a> in Australia has found that only 0.18 percent of the global land area and 0.001 percent of the world’s population are exposed to levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) deemed safe by the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> (WHO). While daily levels of these dangerous pollutants have reduced in Europe and North America during the two decades to 2019, in Australia, New Zealand, Southern Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean they have increased, with over 70 percent of days globally witnessing potentially hazardous levels.



The experts combined traditional air quality monitoring observations, satellite-based meteorological and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-will-increase-dramatically-in-a-hotter-climate/">air pollution</a> detectors, and statistical and machine learning methods to more accurately assess PM2.5&nbsp;concentrations worldwide.&nbsp;



“In this study, we used an innovative machine learning approach to integrate multiple meteorological and geological information to estimate the global surface-level daily PM2.5&nbsp;concentrations at a high spatial resolution of approximately 10km ×10km for global grid cells in 2000-2019, focusing on areas above 15 μg/m³, which is considered the safe limit by WHO (the threshold is still arguable),” explained senior author Yuming Guo, a professor of Global Environmental Health and Biostatistics at Monash.



The analysis revealed that, regardless of a slight decrease in high PM2.5 days globally, over 70 percent of days still had PM2.5&nbsp;concentrations higher than 15 μg/m³ by 2019, with areas in southern and eastern Asia witnessing such dangerous concentrations in more than 90 percent of days.&nbsp;



While the annual average concentration between 2000 and 2019 was 32.8 µg/m3 globally, the highest concentrations were found in eastern Asia (50.0 µg/m3), southern Asia (37.2 µg/m3), and northern Africa (30.1 µg/m3), and the lowest ones in Australia and New Zealand (8.5 μg/m³), Oceania (12.6 μg/m³), and southern America (15.6 μg/m³).



The researchers also discovered that unsafe PM2.5&nbsp;concentrations exhibited different seasonal patterns, with northeast China and north India facing high concentrations in winter, and eastern areas in northern America being exposed to more air pollution in summer.&nbsp;



According to Professor Guo, this study is important since it provides a deep understanding of the current state of outdoor air pollution and its possible impacts on human health. “With this information, policymakers, public health officials, and researchers can better assess the short-term and long-term health effects of air pollution and develop air pollution mitigation strategies,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00008-6">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Almost no place on Earth is safe from air pollution

In a recent study, a team of scientists led by...

Chinstrap,Penguin,,Antarctica,,January,2019

On February 21, 2023, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-sea-ice-levels-are-at-their-lowest-on-record/">Antarctic sea ice</a> extent dropped to its lowest level since satellite observations began 45 years ago, marking the second year in a row with an ice area below two million km2. These worrisome findings raise the question of whether this change is merely a brief anomaly – since sea ice in the Southern Ocean is known to be highly variable, both seasonally and interannually – or an early sign of a transition to a long-term decline comparable to the current situation in the Arctic.



After the 2022 minimum of 1.924 million km2, massive heatwaves in mid-March contributed to further declines – particularly in East Antarctica and coastal areas – and since late May, the pace of seasonal ice growth had slowed dramatically, mostly due to anomalous northerly and northwesterly winds in parts of the eastern Pacific, western Atlantic, and central Indian Oceans that transported warm air southwards. Later in the year, the seasonal ice melt continued to increase in response to a stronger seasonal warming anomaly, culminating in the seasonal minimum of 1.788 million km2 measured in February.



According to an analysis published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.34133/olar.0007">Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research</a>, this new record low could be a sign that Antarctic sea ice might enter a new regime, involving “a robust transition from long-term increasing Antarctic sea ice to decreasing sea ice, in which anthropogenic forcing outweighs natural variability.”



“Concern about a tipping point is enhanced by the fact that the latest generation of climate and earth system models projects a large decrease in Antarctic sea ice associated with increased greenhouse gases during the 21st century,” the authors explained.



If sea ice continues to dwindle at such a rate, Antarctica will likely witness more frequent climate extremes and severe instability of its ice shelves, phenomena that will disastrously impact the local food chains and wildlife populations, and have major global consequences such as sea level rise and carbon cycle feedback.



“The question is, has climate change reached Antarctica? Is this the beginning of the end? Will the sea ice disappear for good in the coming years in the summer?” asked Christian Haas, head of the Sea Ice Physics Research Section at the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en/">Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research</a> in Germany.&nbsp;



However, since until now Antarctica’s response to climate change has been highly different from the Arctic’s, it is not yet clear how Antarctic sea ice will evolve during the following years. “The downward trend in sea ice may be a signal that global warming is finally affecting the floating ice around Antarctica, but it will take several more years to be confident of it,”&nbsp;concluded Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the <a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/">Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences</a> (CIRES).



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Antarctic sea ice hits a new record low this year

On February 21, 2023, Antarctic sea ice extent dropped to...

A recent study led by <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> has found that growing commercial crops at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floating-solar-farms/">solar farms</a> not only increases food production, but also improves solar panel performance and longevity. These findings highlight the importance of developing and employing new technologies at a critical time for agricultural production, as global food demands are expected to rise by 50 percent by mid-century to feed up to 10 billion people, while the development of renewable energy sources is urgently needed to mitigate the impact of climate change.&nbsp;



“We now have, for the first time, a physics-based tool to estimate the costs and benefits of co-locating solar panels and commercial agriculture from the perspective of increased power conversion efficiency and solar-panel longevity,” said lead author Henry Williams, a doctoral student in Sustainable Solar Development at Cornell.



“There is potential for agrivoltaic systems – where agriculture and solar panels coexist – to provide increased passive cooling through taller panel heights, more reflective ground cover and higher evapotranspiration rates compared to traditional solar farms,” added senior author Max Zhang, an expert in Energy and the Environment at the same university. “We can generate renewable electricity and conserve farmland through agrivoltaic systems.”



In New York, for instance, nearly 40 percent of utility-scale solar capacity has been developed on agricultural lands, and 84 percent of land considered suitable for utility-scale solar development is agricultural.&nbsp;



According to the scientists, solar panels mounted over vegetation have lower surface temperatures than those built over bare ground. For instance, solar panels mounted four meters above a soybean crop showed temperature reductions by nearly 10 degrees Celsius compared to those mounted a half-meter above bare soil. This cooling effect – which is more significant than that induced by greater panel height – not only adds to solar panel efficiency, but also leads to improved solar panel lifespan and, thus, major long-term economic potential.



“As you decrease the solar panel operating temperature, you can increase efficiency and improve the longevity of your solar modules. We’re showing dual benefits. On one hand, you have food production for farmers, and on the other hand, we’ve shown improved longevity and improved conversion efficiency for solar developers,” Williams concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.120478">Applied Energy</a>.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Growing crops at solar farms increases panel efficiency

A recent study led by Cornell University has found that...

A century of research has shown that honeybees are excellent navigators. They use a combination of cues and senses to find their way, including their sense of smell, the sun, patterns of polarized light, vertical landmarks and perhaps even the Earth’s magnetic field. And now, a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1070957/full">Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience</a> has found that honeybees also use the layout of linear features in the environment to guide themselves home.



Dr. Randolf Menzel is an emeritus professor at the Department of Neurobiology of the Free University of Berlin and the study’s lead author. “Here we show that honeybees use a ‘navigation memory,’ a kind of mental map of the area that they know, to guide their search flights when they look for their hive, starting in a new, unexplored area. Linear landscape elements, such as water channels, roads, and field edges, appear to be important components of this navigation memory," explained Dr. Menzel.



The researchers placed a beehive in each of five rural areas close to the village of Klein Lüben in Brandenburg, Germany. The five home areas, A–E, had a different number and layout of linear features, such as fields and roads, which the researchers referred to as "edges." They also identified a test area where they planned to release bees, and which would represent a brand new, unexplored location with its own pattern of linear structures.



After the bees from each colony had acclimatized to their specific home areas, the researchers caught experienced foragers that had just fed at a feeding station. Each of the captured bees (a total of 50) was fitted with a tiny (10.5 mg) harmonic radar tracking device and transported to the test area to be released. All the bees were released at the same place in the test area, and their flight paths were then monitored for between 20 minutes and three hours as they familiarized themselves with the position of the hive in the new location.&nbsp;



The presence and layout of linear features in the test area were not the same as in any of the home areas, A–E. These features most closely resembled the layout in Areas A and B, while being least similar to the layout in Area E. The researchers expected that honeybees released in the test areas would perform search flights interspersed with multiple returns to the release site, in order to familiarize themselves with the new layout. This is common behavior for honeybees that find themselves in a new and unfamiliar location.&nbsp;



However, if the search flight patterns of individuals from the different home areas differed, then then researchers hypothesized that the memories of features from the home areas may affect the way in which the bees investigate and learn about their new area.&nbsp;



The experts analyzed the flight patterns of released bees by quantifying the frequency with which each bee flew over of each 100 x 100 meter block within the test area. They then compared the results to random flight patterns generated by models. This revealed that the bees from the five home colonies did not use the same flight patterns to become familiar with the layout of the test area, and none of them simply flew around randomly during their orientation flights.&nbsp;



Indeed, the analysis showed that the honeybees spent a disproportionate amount of time flying alongside the linear features in the test area. Analyses showed that these continued to guide the exploratory flights even when the bees were more than 30 meters away, the maximum distance from which honeybees are able to see such landscape elements. This implies that the bees kept them in their memory for prolonged periods.



Interestingly, the bees from home Area E, which was least similar to the test area and had few linear features, showed flight patterns that most closely resembled those predicted by the random flight models. The researchers suggested this indicated that these bees had not learned to use linear features to navigate in their home area.&nbsp;



However, the bees from home Areas A and B, which were most similar to the test area and had numerous linear features, behaved differently from the modeled random flight patterns; the flights of these bees focused on the field, road and canal edges in the test area. This indicated to the researchers that the bees had acquired a navigation memory in their home area that made use of linear features, and they used this to help them learn about the layout in the test area.



“Our data show that similarities and differences in the layout of the linear landscape elements between their home area and the new area are used by the bees to explore where their hive might be,” said Menzel.&nbsp;



The findings suggests that the bees retained a navigational memory of their home area, based on linear landscape elements, and were able to generalize this memory to help find their way back to the release site in the unfamiliar test area. This technique of finding one’s way home is reminiscent of what pilots did in the earliest days of human flight, before the invention of the first radio beacons, ground-based electronic systems or modern GPS. They commonly navigated by following roads and railways – striking linear landscape elements at ground level that guide towards a destination of interest.



“Flying animals identify such extended ground structures in a map-like aerial view, making them highly attractive as guiding structures. It is thus not surprising that both bats and birds use linear landmarks for navigation. Based on the data reported here we conclude that elongated ground structures are also salient components of the honeybees’ navigation memory,” concluded the authors.



—



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Honeybees create mental maps to find their way home

A century of research has shown that honeybees are excellent...

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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"

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

News coming your way