Life feels smaller when friends are far away. Now scientists have measured just how literally the brain itself can shrink due to social isolation when people spend a year cut off from the wider world.



Their new work follows 25 volunteers who “wintered over” at Concordia Station, an Antarctic outpost 685 miles from the nearest coast, enduring months of darkness and a chronic lack of rescue options. 



The findings come from Dr. Mathias Basner and Dr. David R. Roalf of the University of Pennsylvania <a href="https://www.med.upenn.edu/">Perelman School of Medicine</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antarctica-simulates-space-like-isolation">Antarctica simulates space-like isolation</h2>



Few spots on Earth mimic the deep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loneliness-harms-health-more-than-alcohol-obesity-or-smoking/">isolation</a> astronauts will face on future Mars missions, yet Concordia comes close. Its altitude feels like 13,000 feet to the body, air temperatures plunge well below -70°F, and the Sun disappears for weeks. 



Those stressors force crews to rely solely on one another, providing a rare, ethically acceptable model for studying chronic social separation.



Earlier Antarctic MRI work hinted that solitude can sap regions linked to memory and navigation, but sample sizes were tiny and scans happened long after crews returned. 



Basner’s team scanned participants before they left Europe, within 16 days of touchdown back home, and again five months later, capturing changes while they were still fresh.



The volunteers served as their own controls, and four “flying phantom” participants were scanned at every site to align machines. A matched group in Germany, who never left home, offered a reality check against normal aging.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-isolation-causes-brain-shrinkage">Isolation causes brain shrinkage</h2>



High‑resolution MRI revealed that total <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-experiences-trigger-lasting-changes-in-brain-structure/">gray matter</a> fell in the temporal and parietal lobes as well as in deep structures such as the hippocampus, pallidum, and thalamus. 



Ventricular spaces holding cerebrospinal fluid expanded at the same time, suggesting tissue gave way to fluid. Virtually all of those losses reversed after five months except in the thalamus, a hub for sensory relay.



Parietal lobe volume dropped about 0.4 standard deviations immediately post‑mission, while lateral ventricles swelled by a similar margin.



Control participants showed no such pattern, implying that cold, confinement, and social deprivation, not calendar time, drove the shift.



While discussing Mars travel earlier this year, Basner warned that “something quite bad is happening in the brain” during lengthy expeditions. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-good-sleep-and-exercise-protect-brain">Good sleep and exercise protect brain</h2>



Sleep logs and wrist‑worn actigraphs painted a clear picture: crew members who slept longer and more efficiently lost less gray matter in the temporal cortex and hippocampus. 



Laboratory <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10281670/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> back the idea, linking deep sleep to the glymphatic system that clears metabolic waste and guards neurons.



Gym visits mattered, too. Time spent lifting weights or cycling correlated with healthier <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sitting-for-hours-daily-shrinks-your-brain-even-if-you-exercise/">brain volumes</a>, echoing decades of research on exercise‑induced neurogenesis. 



Thus, the polar crew’s cramped fitness room served not just morale but measurable neuroprotection.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-isolation-harms-the-brain">Isolation harms the brain </h2>



Antarctica may seem far from daily life, yet social isolation is rising worldwide and carries similar neurological fingerprints. 



A Neurology <a href="https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000207602" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> of 8,896 Japanese seniors found that those with the least contact had total brain volumes 0.5 percent lower than their most connected peers and smaller hippocampus and amygdala volumes.



Systematic reviews tie chronic loneliness to thinning of anterior hippocampal tissue, reduced cortical thickness, and weaker white‑matter efficiency. 



These civilian data reinforce the Antarctic results: whether you are on a frozen plateau or an urban block, prolonged disconnection chips away at brain real estate involved in memory, mood, and orientation.



Animal work supports the link. Rodents housed alone show dendritic pruning in hippocampal neurons, mirroring the human MRI findings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-it-means-for-future-space-travel">What it means for future space travel</h2>



NASA and ESA advisors now rank safeguarding brain health among the top 14 research goals before any multiyear mission beyond low Earth orbit. In microgravity, fluid shifts already enlarge ventricles and raise intracranial pressure, adding social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-isolation-and-loneliness-trigger-changes-in-blood-proteins/">isolation</a> could amplify risk.



Countermeasures under study include structured exercise, regulated light cycles that protect sleep, and virtual reality visits with family. 



The Concordia data hint that such steps are not optional extras but necessities if crews are to think clearly by the time they reach Mars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-isolation-as-a-brain-health-issue">Isolation as a brain health issue</h2>



For public health officials, the Antarctic story demonstrates the need to treat loneliness as a biological threat, not just an emotional one. 



Simple interventions, encouraging community ties, securing access to green spaces, prescribing exercise with social components, might slow neural wear.



Meanwhile, Basner and Roalf plan to track a new Concordia cohort using portable low‑field scanners, hoping to capture changes in real time. Broader samples, including more women and older adults, will test how universal the brain‑shrink response really is.



Policy makers could also draw lessons about elder‑care design. Housing that fosters hallway chats or communal meals might buffer the brain much like gym sessions did for the polar explorers. 



Regions with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aging-populations-have-less-cohesive-social-networks/">aging populations</a> may see cognitive dividends from investments that fight isolation.



Finally, ordinary readers can take a cue from the ice: protect your sleep, keep moving, and stay socially engaged. The brain, it seems, is as hungry for company as it is for oxygen.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-025-00497-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">npj Microgravity</a>.



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Long periods of social isolation can physically shrink the brain

Life feels smaller when friends are far away. Now scientists have measured just how literally the brain itself can shrink due to social isolation when people spend a year cut off from the wider world. Their new work follows 25 volunteers who “wintered over” at Concordia Station, an Antarctic outpost 685 miles from the nearest coast, enduring months of darkness and a chronic lack of rescue options. The findings come from Dr. Mathias Basner and Dr. David R. Roalf of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of...

Face,Of,The,Earth.,Imaginary,View,Of,Planet,Earth,In

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a> has found that stretching of the continents is likely to have caused one of the most abrupt and extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-endured-rapid-global-warming-300-million-years-ago/">global warming</a> events in the history of our planet, 56 million years ago. During this episode, the Earth warmed by five to eight degrees Celsius, culminating in the “Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum” (PETM) that lasted about 170,000 years and led to the extinction of many deep-sea organisms, fundamentally reshaping the course of evolution of life on Earth.



According to the experts, the extensive stretching of the continental plates in the Northern Hemisphere critically reduced the pressures in the Earth’s deep interior, driving a short-lived but intense melting in the mantle. The resulting volcanic activity coincided with - and most probably caused - the release of a massive amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that exacerbated global warming.



“Despite the importance and wider relevance of the PETM to global change today, the underlying cause is highly debated,” said study lead author Thomas Gernon, an associate professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Southampton. “It’s generally agreed that a sudden and massive release of the greenhouse gas carbon from the Earth’s interior must have driven this event, yet the scale and pace of warming is very hard to explain by conventional volcanic processes.”&nbsp;



By using archives of rock drilled beneath the seafloor close to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, Professor Gernon and his colleagues found evidence of an abrupt and widespread episode of volcanic activity across the North Atlantic Ocean which lasted over 200,000 years – a duration strikingly similar to that of PETM. This discovery prompted the scientists to investigate a broader expanse of the North Atlantic, including today’s Greenland and Faroe Islands. There, they found that the thick piles of lava that started to erupt before the PETM showed an unusual composition, pointing to a massive increase in melting of the Earth’s mantle.&nbsp;



“This finding is significant, because we know that parts of the continental mantle in this region are enriched in carbonates, a major source of carbon,” said Professor Gernon. “This rapid increase in mantle melting likely released a very large volume of carbon – certainly more than we had previously expected.”



According to the researchers, this intense volcanic activity was likely caused by the stretching by plate tectonic forces of the continental landmass uniting Greenland and Europe, with the final phase of stretching causing substantial melting in the Earth’s mantle, and leading to the release of massive amounts of carbon in the atmosphere and fast global warming.



“Such rapid events cause a fundamental reorganization of Earth’s surface environment, altering vast ecosystems,” Professor Gernon concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-00967-6">Nature Geoscience</a>.



---



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

Stretching of the continents caused extreme global warming

A new study led by the University of Southampton has...

When a small group of individuals separates from a larger population and subsequently founds a new population, this has an effect on the genetic variation of the descendants, particularly if the group remains genetically isolated. The founder group will carry only a small selection of the total genetic variation of the original population, and this will be evident in the form of reduced genetic diversity in their offspring. In addition, the founding individuals may carry rare, recessive genetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mutations-in-animals-shed-new-light-on-the-process-of-aging/">mutations</a> that will then become common in their descendants due to inbreeding within the founder population.&nbsp;



Despite the fact that founder events can have profound effects on the genetic diversity, fitness and disease risk of populations, not much is known about the timing, intensity or frequency of these events, or how they have shaped the evolution of the species. This type of evolution is not driven by natural selection, where the individuals with the best adapted genes survive and pass on these genes. Instead, founder events give rise to genetically different populations through the survival of a small group of individuals that become the sole founders of a new population with a drastically reduced genetic diversity.&nbsp;



New research has now led to the development of a method that uses genomic analysis to estimate the timing and intensity of founder events in populations of humans and other species. The method, known as ASCEND, involves the analysis of genome-wide patterns of allele sharing between individuals, particularly in isolated populations. The authors, Rémi Tournebize and Priya Moorjani of the UC Berkeley, have developed and applied this method to study global patterns of founder events in recent human history, as well as to assess the evidence for founder events in the history of 40 modern dog breeds.&nbsp;



There are many instances in human history where founder populations have arrived and settled at new locations. For example, the first settlers in Finland arrived some 9,000 years ago and then remained largely geographically isolated, and populations of Romani people migrated to live in Europe and parts of the Americas, forming founding groups in their new homelands. Some groups remain genetically isolated through cultural and religious practices, such as the Ashkenazi Jews and the Amish, who tend to marry within the group.



In the current study, the authors compared the shared alleles in the genomes of 2,310 individuals from 184 different population groups from around the world. They considered a minimum of 5 individuals from each population group and excluded individuals that were closely related. The results, published today in the open access journal&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/">PLOS Genetics</a>, showed that 61 percent of the population groups considered (113 out of 184) showed genetic evidence of a founder event that had occurred within the past 200 generations.&nbsp;



These findings indicate that a majority of the populations considered have arisen from the genetic input of a small group of ancestors at some time in the recent past. The most extreme founder event was observed in the Onge population from the Andaman Islands, which showed a 10-times greater founder effect than has been found in the Ashkenazi Jews. The Onge are a demographically small and historically isolated population that currently consists of only around 100 individuals.&nbsp;



The researchers found that the highest frequency of founder events occurred in populations from the Oceania region (80 percent out of five groups) and from the Americas (78 percent of nine groups studied). The lowest frequency of founder events was recorded in populations from Europe (38 percent of 30 populations considered).&nbsp;



Furthermore, island populations have experienced more extreme founder events than continental populations, and people with hunter-gatherer or nomadic lifestyles, along with indigenous groups, are also more likely to show genetic evidence of significant founder events in their histories. Analysis of seven Native American groups from Central and South America also showed evidence of significant recent founder events, estimated to be dated to between 200 and 500 years ago, and postdating the European colonization of the Americas.



When the researchers applied their ASCEND technique to the genomes of 52 populations of dogs, representing 40 unique breeds, they found that all of the groups showed evidence of significant founder events within the past 25 generations (75–125 years ago). Unlike the case with human founder events associated with settlement, migration and cultural or religious traditions, dog genomes reflect the influence of dog breeding, a practice that began during Victorian times. Reductions in genetic diversity in dog breeds are likely to be related to inbreeding and the use of a few highly prized males to sire numerous offspring.



Some of the strongest founder events were identified in the boxer and bulldog breeds. These breeds were intensively bred as working dogs, and later as companions. They are known to suffer from high rates of recessive diseases, most likely as a consequence of founder events and subsequent inbreeding in their past histories.



The authors hope that using the new ASCEND analysis technique will help scientists to identify groups that experienced strong founder events and that may consequently be at greater risk of certain genetic diseases. Ashkenazi Jews and Finns, who experienced strong founder events, often undergo genetic screening to learn about their pre-disposition to certain genetic diseases. The current study found that several populations among Native Americans, Oceanians, and South Asians have experienced even more extreme founder events than Ashkenazi Jews, and so these populations may also benefit from genetic screening.



“Some human populations like Ashkenazi Jews or Finns have been extensively studied in population genetics and have helped researchers identify many disease-causing mutations," said the researchers. "Hence, we wanted to study if other populations have a similar history that could enable further progress in medical genetics. We were surprised to see how widespread the history of founder events is in humans, both in present-day and ancient DNA samples, suggesting that investigation of disease-causing variants will be fruitful to identify and reduce disease burden among contemporary groups.”



---



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

Human genomes reveal the history of past founder events

When a small group of individuals separates from a larger...

All living creatures get older and ultimately die. However, according to <a href="https://www.sdu.dk/en">University of Southern Denmark</a> researchers, not all organisms age at the same rate. They found that many turtle and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-tortoise-believed-extinct-found-in-the-galapagos/">tortoise</a> species are able to slow down their senescence significantly and, in some cases, nearly turn it off.



Fernando Colchero, Dalia Conde, and Rita da Silva studied 52 turtle and tortoise species and discovered that 75 percent have a very slow rate of senescence. Compared to humans, 80 percent of these long-living species have a slower rate of senescence.&nbsp;



The experts found that the senescence rates of the Aldaba giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) can reach as low as zero, and the black marsh turtle (Siebenrockiella crassicollis) can reduce their rate of aging to below zero. For the black marsh turtle, this means that the risk of death is reduced as the animal ages.&nbsp;



Moreover, the study authors discovered that the animals have flexible senescence rates. When captive animals were presented with improved living conditions, these adaptable creatures were able to reduce their aging rate.&nbsp;



This flexibility does not apply to humans, as research on humans and non-human primates has shown better living conditions don’t significantly reduce the rate of aging.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Although the researchers are not sure why turtles and tortoises age less rapidly, there are theories suggesting it has something to do with growth after sexual maturity. One theory assumes that as the body prepares for reproduction, more energy is diverted into that function, and the matured body begins to deteriorate as a result. Based on this theory, there is no avoiding the aging process.



However, animal species that continue to grow after sexual maturity, including turtles and tortoises, may function differently. Some scientists think that since these species continue to grow after their reproductive years arrive, they can keep investing energy into cell repair, thereby avoiding the damaging effects of aging. 



The researchers made it clear that they are not calling turtles and tortoises immortal. They noted that these animals will eventually succumb to other causes of mortality, such as disease.



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



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

Turtles and tortoises can slow their rate of aging

All living creatures get older and ultimately die. However, according...

Trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere, in the form of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-carbon-sinks-may-be-appearing-in-the-arctic/">carbon</a> dioxide. This is then used during the process of photosynthesis to form organic carbon compounds, such as carbohydrates, in the leaves, branches, trunks and roots. A living tree is thus an important storage site for carbon that might otherwise be adding to the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. And a big, living tree is even more important.&nbsp;



However, when scientists attempt to understand the importance of the carbon storage currently provided by woody vegetation, and the effects of anthropogenic impacts on the carbon cycle, they are faced with the fact that there are no direct measurements of carbon cycling from the pre-industrial period. Furthermore, scientists do not really know how woody biomass has changed on Earth over recent millennia.



Without empirical data on changes in woody biomass spanning more than a few decades, scientists have to estimate and make assumptions when trying to model the effects of climate change. This can lead to uncertainties in predictions about the role of vegetation as a long-term carbon sink, and to inaccuracies when projecting future changes in the carbon and climate systems.&nbsp;



A new study, published today in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>, seeks to fill this knowledge gap using the assemblages of fossil pollen in the soil as an indication of woody vegetation biomass in the past. Led by Ann Raiho of the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a>’s Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), an international team of scientists used fossil pollen data as a proxy to reconstruct the natural pace and pattern of carbon storage in the forests of the Midwestern U.S. over the past 10,000 years. Their findings cast a new light on how landscapes can be managed to maximize carbon storage while also meeting conservation goals.&nbsp;



“We found that the forests in the Midwestern U.S. were expanding and getting bigger over the last 10,000 years,” said Raiho, a postdoctoral associate at ESSIC. “This tells us that the prehistoric baseline for understanding forests was wrong and that it’s important from a carbon sequestration perspective to preserve trees that grow larger and live longer.”



The research team, which also included researchers from the University of Notre Dame, University of California, Berkeley, University of Calgary and the U.S. Geological Survey, developed a Bayesian model that they named ReFAB (Reconstructing Forest Aboveground Biomass). This model estimates aboveground woody biomass based on a time-series of fossil pollen assemblages in sediments. The experts used ReFAB to reconstruct changes in woody biomass across a 600,000-plus kilometer area in the Upper Midwest of the U.S. over the last 10,000 years.&nbsp;



Their work painted a vivid picture of how forests have changed over this time. The researchers found that, after an initial postglacial decline, woody biomass nearly doubled during the last 8,000 years. This result differs substantially from prior reconstructions of forest biomass in eastern Canada, a finding they suggest may be due to differences in the forest species in the two regions.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Previous studies used simpler models that indicated little or no change in woody biomass over the last 6,000 years. ReFAB corrects this situation by accounting for temporal autocorrelation, uncertainty in sediment-dating, and uncertainty in the relationship between aboveground woody biomass and multivariate pollen data. Removing these uncertainties has allowed the researchers to understand past changes in vegetation at a finer scale, thereby uncovering trends that were previously not visible.&nbsp;



“We found that the ecology of forests matters for understanding the carbon cycle,” Raiho said. “The steady accumulation of carbon was driven by two separate ecological responses to regionally changing climate: the spread of forested biomes and the population expansion of high-biomass tree species within forests.”



The data from fossil pollen assemblages showed, sadly, that the woody biomass accumulated in the Midwestern forests over millennia took under two centuries to destroy. Industrial-era logging and agricultural clearance severely depleted this carbon accumulation. The researchers found that the decline in woody biomass in the studied region occurred at more than 10 times the rate of aboveground woody biomass change in any century over the last 10,000 years.



The researchers found that storage of carbon in woody biomass in the study area was driven by population expansions of high-biomass tree species, such as eastern hemlock and American beech. After these species became established, high-biomass forests were sustained in the study region for millennia. This discovery emphasizes the importance of preserving large trees when managing forests to mitigate the effects of climate change – large trees sequester considerable amounts of carbon.&nbsp;



“Forest management should emphasize sustaining populations of large trees,” Raiho said. “This has the potential to emulate the natural carbon sequestration processes and ultimately extend the timescales and magnitude at which terrestrial ecosystems will continue to buffer climate change by acting as a carbon sink.”



The research team will work in future with NASA’s Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI), which will enable the protection of large trees by providing high resolution maps of the 3D structure of forests around the world. GEDI will expand existing knowledge about biomass magnitude, structure, and density. With this wealth of information, researchers will be able to predict the future of forests better.



“This work would not be possible without all of the people who collected and counted the fossil pollen data,” noted Raiho. “There were probably a hundred people over the last several decades who did all the field work. We used over 232 fossil pollen cores in this research. Thousands of hours went into the data collection. We used the Neotoma database to access this valuable data.”&nbsp;



Raiho and her team plan to use their pollen-based method of forest reconstruction to improve the simulation models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This will enable scientists to understand better how climate change will impact Earth and its ecosystems in future.&nbsp;



---



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

Big trees are crucial in stabilizing climate, new model predicts

Trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere, in the form of...

In a new paper from <a href="https://www.ecu.edu.au/">Edith Cowan University</a> (ECU), experts propose that we should rethink the way we view the tourism industry. The researchers say that traveling is not just a recreational experience, but also a potential therapy that can provide real <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-failure-is-influenced-by-gut-health/">health</a> benefits.&nbsp;



The study was a collaboration between experts in ECU’s Centre for Precision Health and School of Business and Law. The researchers identified many aspects of vacationing that could have a positive impact on people with mental health issues or cognitive disorders. In particular, the researchers investigated how tourism could benefit people with dementia. 



“Medical experts can recommend dementia treatments such as music therapy, exercise, cognitive stimulation, reminiscence therapy, sensory stimulation and adaptations to a patient's mealtimes and environment,” said Dr. Wen. “These are all also often found when on holidays."&nbsp;



“This research is among the first to conceptually discuss how these tourism experiences could potentially work as dementia interventions.”&nbsp;



Dr. Wen noted that the varied nature of tourism means there are many opportunities to incorporate treatments for conditions like dementia. For example, new experiences and environments provide cognitive and sensory stimulation.&nbsp;



“Exercise has been linked to mental well-being and traveling often involves enhanced physical activity, such as more walking,” explained Dr. Wen. “Mealtimes are often different on holiday: they’re usually more social affairs with multiple people and family-style meals have been found to positively influence dementia patients’ eating behavior."



“And then there’s the basics like fresh air and sunshine increasing vitamin D and serotonin levels. Everything that comes together to represent a holistic tourism experience, makes it easy to see how patients with dementia may benefit from tourism as an intervention.”&nbsp;



In recent years, the impact of Covid-19 on travel had raised questions about tourism’s value beyond lifestyle and economic factors, said Dr. Wen.



“Tourism has been found to boost physical and psychological well-being. So, after COVID, it’s a good time to identify tourism’s place in public health - and not just for healthy tourists, but vulnerable groups.”&nbsp;



Dr. Wen said he hopes a new line of collaborative research could begin to examine how vacationing can enhance the lives of people with various conditions.&nbsp;



“We’re trying to do something new in bridging tourism and health science. There will have to be more empirical research and evidence to see if tourism can become one of the medical interventions for different diseases like dementia or depression."&nbsp;&nbsp;



“So, tourism is not just about traveling and having fun; we need to rethink the role tourism plays in modern society.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/tourism-management">Tourism Management</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

Tourism boosts physical and mental well-being

In a new paper from Edith Cowan University (ECU), experts...

The world’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/even-the-most-remote-oceans-are-polluted-with-microplastics/">oceans</a> are teeming with numerous life-forms, ranging from the largest animal on our planet (the blue whale) to a vast diversity of minuscule microorganisms. These tiny creatures are crucial for making sure that the entire eco- and climate system function properly. 



For instance, photosynthetically active microbes such as cyanobacteria produce around 50 percent of the oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere. Moreover, by removing carbon dioxide from the air, aquatic microorganisms also play a fundamental role in curbing global warming.



Although scientists were long aware of the various benefits these microbes provide, no systematic analysis of their diversity has previously been performed. Now, a research team led by the <a href="https://micro.biol.ethz.ch/">Institute of Microbiology</a> at ETH Zurich has examined publicly available DNA data from 1,000 water samples collected at different depths from all the world’s oceans in order to map global microorganism biodiversity and identify the various functions microbes play in different ecosystems.



By using groundbreaking modern technologies such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmental-dna-reveals-the-diversity-of-coral-reef-fish/">environmental DNA</a> (eDNA) analysis, the scientists managed to sequence over 35,000 microbial genomes. Their analyses revealed about 40,000 promising biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) – groups of genes that provide synthetic pathways for natural products which could prove beneficial for humans too, due to their antibiotic properties.



Besides detecting many potentially useful BCGs, the researchers also found previously undiscovered species, such as bacteria belonging to the phylum Eremiobacterota. These bacteria – previously thought to exist only in terrestrial environments – were discovered to boast the highest BCG diversity of all the samples examined. 



“As things stand, they are the most biosynthetically diverse family in the oceanic water column,” said study senior author Shinichi Sunagawa, a professor of Microbiome Research at ETH Zurich.



In future research, the scientists aim to search for more sources of natural products, as well as to investigate unresolved questions regarding the evolution and ecology of oceanic microorganisms. Moreover, they aim to clarify what ecological or evolutionary benefits certain genes, such as the BGCs, create for microbes.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-%E2%80%8B022-04862-3">Nature</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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

Marine organisms are a rich source of natural products

The world’s oceans are teeming with numerous life-forms, ranging from...

Vampyronassa rhodanica was a cephalopod, a member of the group that includes cuttlefish, octopuses, squid and the nautilus. V. rhodanica is also an ancient extinct relative of the more famous vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) which lives in deep, dark pockets of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/even-the-most-remote-oceans-are-polluted-with-microplastics/">ocean</a>, rarely seen by human eyes.&nbsp;



Now, researchers have analyzed the fossilized remains of V. rhodanica. The study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>, looks at the extinct squid's tentacles, which evolved for active hunting, unlike its extant relative.



Until now, little has been known about the body - much less the life history - of V. rhodanica. Unlike bodies with hard skeletons, the fossilized remains of cephalopods (besides those with shells) are hard to find.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Alison Rowe led a research team to analyze a rare, well-preserved V. rhodanica fossil from the La Voulte-sur-Rhône (Ardèche, France). The 10-centimeter specimen, which was 164 million years old, had a classic squid shape. The scientists used non-invasive 3D imaging to look more closely at the fossil.&nbsp;



The researchers found that V. rhodanica had similar suckers to the living vampire squid, in that both lack teeth in their suckers. However, modern vampire squids lack robust suckers on the end of their specialized long dorsal arms, which V. rhodanica clearly had.



The scientists hypothesize that these suckers were used like modern suckers - to create a watertight seal to grab and hold prey firmly in the tentacles. Because of these suckers, as well as sensory appendages used for detecting prey, the research team thinks this was an active predator.



By contrast, the modern vampire squid has evolved to a slow moving life deep in the dark, cold ocean where little oxygen is available. During their sedentary lives, vampire squids simply grab whatever food floats their way, making them more opportunistic in nature than their extinct relatives.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ancient squid had suckers for actively hunting prey

Vampyronassa rhodanica was a cephalopod, a member of the group...

More than 90 percent of the world’s population breathes polluted air, with particulate matter concentrations above the safety threshold set by the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> (WHO). An increasing number of studies have argued that exposure to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-is-deadlier-than-cigarettes-or-alcohol/">air pollution</a> can affect brain development. A research team led by <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/">Simon Fraser University</a> (SFU) in Canada has now investigated the benefits of using air filters to reduce the negative impact of air pollution on brain development in children.



Starting in 2014, the scientists recruited 540 pregnant women in Ulaanbaattar, Mongolia (one of the cities with the worst air quality in the world) to participate in the <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/abs/10.1289/isee.2014.P2-357">Ulaanbaatar Gestation and Air Pollution Research</a> (UGAAR) study. The women - who were randomly assigned to either a control or an intervention group - were less than 18 weeks into their pregnancies, non-smokers, and had not previously used air filtering devices. Those in the intervention group were provided with one or two HEPA filter air cleaners and encouraged to run them continuously during their pregnancies.



By measuring the children’s full-scale intelligent quotient (FSIQ) at four years of age, the scientists found that those born to mothers who had used the air cleaners had an average FSIQ which was 2.8-points higher than the children born to mothers in the control group.



“These results, combined with evidence from previous studies, strongly implicate air pollution as a threat to brain development,” said study senior author Ryan Allen, a professor of Environmental Health at SFU. “But the good news is that reducing exposure had clear benefits.”



Children whose mothers had used the air filters were also found to have significantly greater average verbal comprehension index scores – a result consistent with those of previous observational studies. These findings suggest that children’s verbal skills may be particularly sensitive to exposure to air pollution. Thus, reducing pollution during pregnancy could be an efficient way of improving children’s cognitive development around the world.



“Air pollution is everywhere, and it is preventing children from reaching their full potential. Air cleaners may provide some protection, but ultimately the only way to protect all children is to reduce emissions,” concluded Professor Allen.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP10302">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>.



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

Reducing air pollution boosts brain development in children

More than 90 percent of the world’s population breathes polluted...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a> has found that prehistoric megatooth sharks – the largest sharks that ever lived, including the famous <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/megalodons-grew-larger-in-cold-water/">Megalodon</a> – were apex predators at the highest level ever measured. According to the experts, these massive creatures that evolved after the dinosaurs went extinct and ruled the world’s seas and oceans until three million years ago fed even upon other predators and predators-of-predators, in a highly intricate food web.



“We’re used to thinking of the largest species - blue whales, whale sharks, even elephants and diplodocuses - as filter feeders or herbivores, not predators,”&nbsp;said study lead author Emma Kast, a former doctoral student at Princeton and currently a postdoctoral fellow in Geography, Geology, and Geophysics at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>. “But Megalodon and the other megatooth sharks were genuinely enormous carnivores that ate other predators, and Meg went extinct only a few million years ago.”



To reach this conclusion, Dr. Kast and her colleagues used a novel technique to measure the nitrogen isotopes in the sharks’ teeth. The level of a specific isotope (nitrogen-15) can be used to reliably assess an animals’ position in the trophic chain. While other researchers have managed to employ this method on creatures from the recent past (up to 15 thousand years ago), in older animals there has generally not been enough nitrogen left to measure. Luckily, the enormous size and abundance of teeth of Megalodons and their relatives helped scientists find sufficient nitrogen traces to be able to clarify these creatures’ position in the food web.



“Teeth are designed to be chemically and physically resistant so they can survive in the very chemically reactive environment of the mouth&nbsp;and break apart food that can have hard parts,” explained study senior author Daniel Sigman, a professor of Geological and Geophysical Sciences at Princeton. Moreover, since sharks are constantly growing and losing teeth, they each produce thousands of teeth over their lifetime. “When you look in the geologic record, one of the most abundant fossil types are shark teeth,” Sigman added. “And within the teeth, there is a tiny amount of organic matter that was used to build the enamel of the teeth - and is now trapped within that enamel.”&nbsp;



By measuring nitrogen isotope levels in this organic matter, Sigman and his team found that megatooth sharks occupied a higher trophic level than is known for any extinct or extant marine species. “Ocean food webs do tend to be longer than the grass-deer-wolf food chain of land animals, because you start with such small organisms. To reach the trophic levels we’re measuring in these megatooth sharks, we don’t just need to add one trophic level - one apex predator on top of the marine food chain - we need to add several onto the top of the modern marine food web,” Dr. Kast concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abl6529?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D49172270223902357213481499257602856343%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1655978988&amp;_ga=2.140267444.64815737.1655711280-2046344334.1629960599">Science Advances</a>.&nbsp;



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

Prehistoric megatooth sharks were apex predators

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

Scientists have long known that trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis, and convert it into oxygen and sugar, thus acting as powerful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-carbon-sinks-may-be-appearing-in-the-arctic/">carbon</a> sinks. For instance, the Amazon rainforest alone is estimated to have sequestered 1.7 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide over the past two decades. However, several new studies have found that, rather than working in isolation, trees are entangled with, and work alongside, a vast community of micro-fungi.



According to a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaf4610">Science</a> in 2016, ectomycorrhizal fungi enable certain trees to absorb carbon dioxide faster, through a process known as “the CO2 fertilization effect.” These fungi live in the root systems of trees, helping their hosts absorb more water, carbon, and other nutrients, while slowing the processes of decomposition, and thus postponing the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.



These findings have already played a crucial role in agriculture, where seeding the soil with “friendly fungi” has become a promising technology for future sustainable farming. Researchers have found that one particular variety – the Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) – can significantly enrich soil fertility, while reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Thus, such “biofertilizers” could provide a more sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers, which can run into and pollute nearby water sources.&nbsp;



Moreover, according to Dr. Colin Averill, a senior scientist at <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a> in Switzerland, chemical fertilizers break down the symbiosis between fungi and plant roots.



Unfortunately, widespread deforestation annihilates the fungi along with their host trees, disrupting this whole underground, climate-change fighting ecosystem. However, this system could be repaired and the fungal networks restored by transplanting soil from rich, biodiverse “donor” sites.



Recently, a non-profit organization called the <a href="https://spun.earth/">Society for the Protection of Underground Networks</a> (Spun) has been established in order to map these microscopic fungal networks and clarify their crucial role in protecting our soils. This project is a first step towards what scientists have called an “underground climate movement” aiming to safeguard this ancient life support system that plays such a major role in our fight against climate change.



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

Microscopic fungi help forests fight climate change

Scientists have long known that trees absorb carbon dioxide from...

The active ingredients in prescription and over-the-counter drugs are often released into the environment, particularly into the surface of freshwater ecosystems. In a recent study published by <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us">Wiley</a>, experts have found evidence which suggests that pharmaceutical pollution has exploded into a widespread issue that is impacting the health of rivers worldwide.&nbsp;



"During their production, use, and disposal, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are released into aquatic systems. Because they are biologically active molecules, APIs have the potential to adversely affect nontarget organisms," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"We used the results of a global monitoring study of 61 APIs alongside available ecotoxicological and pharmacological data to assess the potential ecotoxicological effects of APIs in rivers across the world."



The study was focused on 258 rivers across the globe, including the Thames and the Amazon. Overall, the experts analyzed rivers in 104 countries, which is more than half of the world's countries. In 36 of these countries, rivers have never been previously monitored for pharmaceuticals.



The researchers looked for the presence of 61 pharmaceuticals, including carbamazepine, metformin and caffeine. According to the results of the study, approximately 43.5 percent of the 1,052 locations that were assessed had concerning levels of pharmaceutical ingredients.&nbsp;



Overall, 23 pharmaceutical ingredients occurred at concentrations which exceed what is deemed "safe" by experts. These ingredients included substances from antidepressants, antihistamines, and painkillers.



“This is the first truly global assessment of the impacts of single pharmaceuticals and mixtures of pharmaceuticals in riverine systems,” said study co-author Alejandra Bouzas-Monroy, a PhD student at the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a>. “Our findings show that a very high proportion of rivers around the world are at threat from pharmaceutical pollution. We should therefore be doing much more to reduce the emissions of these substances into the environment.” &nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.5355">Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry</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

Pharmaceuticals are now widespread in the world's rivers

The active ingredients in prescription and over-the-counter drugs are often...

Acupuncture,Needles,With,Stones,On,Bamboo,Mat

Millions of people, the world over, suffer each day from headaches. In the U.S. alone, around 16 percent of the population report having headaches within the past year, and more than 8 million Americans visit the doctor annually complaining of headaches. There are different types of headaches, and different types of treatments for this painful and debilitating ailment that affects so many people.&nbsp;



A recent study published in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.neurology.org/">Neurology</a>, the medical journal of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aan.com/">American Academy of Neurology</a>, has tested whether acupuncture can be used to reduce the frequency of tension-type headaches in particular. These headaches are characterized by dull pain around the sides and back of the head. Sufferers say that the sensation is reminiscent of having a band of pressure squeezing around one’s head with mild to moderate intensity. Tension headaches do not get worse with physical activity and are not associated with nausea. The condition is considered chronic when headaches occur on at least 15 days per month.



“Tension-type headaches are one of the most common types of headaches and people who have a lot of these headaches may be looking for alternatives to medication,” said study author Dr. Ying Li of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. “Our study found that acupuncture reduces the average number of headache days per month for those struggling with these painful and disruptive headache attacks.”



In order to test whether acupuncture reduced the frequency of headache attacks, the researchers identified 218 people who suffered from chronic tension-type headaches, to take part in research. On average, the participants had suffered from these headaches for a total of 11 years and currently experienced headaches on 22 days of each month.&nbsp;



The participants were randomly assigned to two groups, one that received treatment using true acupuncture and one that received only superficial acupuncture. True acupuncture treatments involved achieving a deqi&nbsp;sensation, which requires the practitioner to place and move a needle in the body to reach a tingling, numb, or heavy feeling. The superficial treatments did not penetrate as deeply and thus did not achieve the deqi sensation.



Both groups received two or three sessions per week over a period of two months; this gave a total of 20 sessions. Participants were then monitored for an additional six months. Apart from receiving acupuncture, the participants had to record their symptoms and use of medication in a diary. They also visited the clinic once a month.



The results of the study showed that all participants benefitted from acupuncture treatment. Overall, participants recorded a reduction of 50 percent in the number of days they experienced headaches. At the end of the study, 68 percent of the people receiving true acupuncture reported at least a 50 percent reduction in the monthly number of headache days. In comparison, only 50 percent of the people who received superficial acupuncture reported a similar improvement. The number of headache days experienced decreased gradually after the completion of treatment.



For those who received true acupuncture, headache days decreased from an average of 20 days per month at the beginning of the study to seven days per month by the end of the study. For those who received superficial acupuncture, headache days decreased from an average of 23 days per month at the beginning of the study to 12 days per month at the end of the study.



There were no serious side effects of the treatments during the study, although the study authors say the participants for the research all came from the same hospital and thus the results may not be generalizable to all populations.&nbsp;



“While this study showed that acupuncture can reduce headaches, more research is needed to determine the longer-term effectiveness of acupuncture and how it compares to other treatment options,” said Dr. Li. “In comparing treatment options, cost-effectiveness is another important factor to evaluate.”



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

Acupuncture is a potential treatment for debilitating headaches

Millions of people, the world over, suffer each day from...

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

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[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

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

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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

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

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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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from 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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" 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.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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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"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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