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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Survival switch in the brain controls when animals flee or freeze

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

A new report by the <a href="https://public.wmo.int/en">World Meteorological Organization</a> (WMO) has argued that there is a 50/50 chance for the average global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-temperature-swings-on-neptune-have-scientists-puzzled/">temperature</a> to surpass the critical threshold of 1.5°C&nbsp;above pre-industrial levels&nbsp;for at least one of the next five years. The experts have also determined that there is a 93 percent chance that at least one year between 2022 and 2026 will become the warmest on record, surpassing 2016 from the top ranking.



In 2015, the chance of global temperatures rising above the 1.5°C threshold was close to zero, but the odds steadily increased over the next few years. For the 2022-2026 period, that probability has reached nearly 50 percent. Such rapid heating will most likely have a devastating impact on a variety of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and will cause substantial ice loss in the Arctic, which, in its turn, will lead to accelerated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-levels-are-rising-at-an-alarming-rate/">sea level rise</a> and massive floods in the world’s coastal regions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“This study shows – with a high level of scientific skill – that we are getting measurably closer to temporarily reaching the lower target of the Paris Agreement&nbsp;on Climate Change. The 1.5°C figure is not some random statistic. It is rather an indicator of the point at which climate impacts will become increasingly harmful for people and indeed the entire planet,” said Professor Petteri Taalas, the WMO Secretary-General.



“For as long as we continue to emit greenhouse gases, temperatures will continue to rise. And alongside that, our oceans will continue to become warmer and more acidic, sea ice and glaciers will continue to melt, sea levels will continue to rise, and our weather will become more extreme. Arctic warming is disproportionately high and what happens in the Arctic affects all of us.”&nbsp;



While a single year in which temperatures will exceed the 1.5°C does not necessarily mean that the Paris Agreement targets are breached, it does reveal that we are getting closer to a situation where this threshold could be exceeded for an extended period, leading to catastrophic climatic events.&nbsp;



According to Andrew King, a climate scientist at the <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a>, this report highlights how fast humans are warming the planet. “Our greenhouse gas emissions are still at near-record highs and until we get emissions down to net-zero, we’re going to continue to see global warming,” he said. “If we fail to take that action, we will have much worse heatwaves and bushfire conditions as well as coral reefs that have been decimated beyond recognition.”



The full report can be downloaded from <a href="https://hadleyserver.metoffice.gov.uk/wmolc/">here</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

50/50 chance that global warming will soon exceed 1.5°C

A new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has...

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

A tropical spider species can hide from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-bats-buzz-like-hornets-to-deter-predators/">predators</a> underwater for up to 30 minutes by using a “film” of air. The film allows the creature to breathe while submerged in water.



Lindsey Swierk, assistant research professor of Biological Sciences at <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/">Binghamton University</a>, observed a large tropical spider fleeing from humans and hiding underwater. This was an interesting discovery as the species was not previously known to escape by water.&nbsp;



“For a lot of species, getting wet and cold is almost as risky to survival as dealing with their predators to begin with,” said Swierk. “Trechalea spiders weren't previously known to hide underwater from threats - and certainly not for so long.”&nbsp;



The spider spent about 30 minutes underwater by keeping a "film" of air over its entire body. The fuzzy hairs that cover the spider's body likely help maintain the film of air. This strategy could work to prevent thermal loss while underwater, or prevent water from entering respiratory organs. Swierk and her colleagues suspected this because spiders are air-breathing creatures that are not adapted to cold stream water that the spider submerged itself in.&nbsp;



“The film of air surrounding the spider appears to be held in place by hydrophobic hairs covering the spider's entire body surface,” said Swierk. “It's so complete that the spider almost looks like it's been dipped in silver”.&nbsp;



This observation provides new insight into how species can cope with the problem of finding refuge underwater. Swierk had previously observed a Costa-Rican lizard species that was able to stay underwater for 16 minutes to hide from predators.



Animals that hide from predators are forced to manage risks and find creative means to survive. These animals, such as spiders, could also face risks by fleeing predators.&nbsp;



“For some species that means leaving territory or mates unguarded, or maybe spending stored energy in a sprint. In this species, potential risks of underwater refuge use can include lack of respiration and a loss of body heat," said Swierk.&nbsp;



The fascinating discovery has opened the door to further explore how different species can escape their predators to survive.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14390310">Ethology</a>. Image Credit: Lindsey Swierk



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

Tropical spider can hide underwater for 30 minutes

A tropical spider species can hide from predators underwater for...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2022.815320/full">Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences</a> has found that supplementing a diet with the marine organisms Ascidiacea – also known as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/promising-anti-cancer-treatment-discovered-in-sea-squirts/">sea squirts</a> – reverses some of the main signs of aging in animal models such as mice.&nbsp;



Sea squirts contain a group of substances called plasmalogens, which are vital to a variety of bodily processes. Plasmalogens are found in our bodies naturally - particularly in the brain, heart, and immune cells - but they tend to decrease while we age, often leading to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.



By adding plasmalogens in the diets of aged mice, the scientists found that these supplements had profound effects on the animals’ learning abilities and physical characteristics. “Our research suggests that plasmalogens may not just stop cognitive decline, but may reverse cognitive impairments in the aging brain,” said study senior author Lei Fu, a professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacy at the <a href="https://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/">Xi’an Jiotong-Liverpool University</a>. “Additionally, aged mice fed with the plasmalogens grow new black hair that is thicker and glossier than aged mice not fed the supplement.”&nbsp;



Professor Fu and his colleagues tested the effects of the plasmalogens on mice’s learning and memory abilities by training the animals to use a Morris water maze (a pool of water with a platform serving as a resting area). Since mice do not like to swim, after five days of training, they remember exactly where the platform is and swim directly towards it the moment they enter the pool. 



However, due to memory deficits, older specimens take longer to localize the platform after the same amount of training. When fed with plasmalogens though, aged mice manage to find the platform just as fast as their younger conspecifics.



“We found that plasmalogens significantly increase the number of molecules that aid the growth and development of neurons and synapses in the brain. This suggests that plasmalogens can promote neuroregeneration,” explained Professor Fu.



“There is also an increasing body of evidence that plasmalogens directly affect the structural properties of synapses. Plasmalogens may increase the fluidity and flexibility of synaptic membranes, affecting the transmission of impulses between neurons.”



Moreover, these substances may also have indirect effects on our brains, by affecting the microorganisms in our gut. “It has been widely reported that the connection between the organisms in our gut and our brain influences neurodegeneration. It may be the plasmalogens’ effect on this connection that causes the improvements in learning and memory seen in this study,” said Professor Fu.



Thus, plasmalogen supplements could be a valuable intervention strategy for stopping neurodegeneration and promoting neuroregeneration. “The oral intake of plasmalogens could be a feasible therapeutic strategy to improve cognitive function in older people,” Professor Fu concluded.



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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

Eating sea squirts may reverse aging processes

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Molecular...

Tetra Pak is a Swiss company known for making things like the container you may have eaten yogurt from at breakfast or drank juice from. These cartons are seen by some as sustainable alternatives to plastic water bottles. Unfortunately, the reality doesn’t seem to stack up to this hope. <a href="https://drinkpathwater.com/blogs/news/10-sad-truths-about-cartons-like-tetra-pak%C2%AE-why-they-are-not-a-sustainable-solution-for-bottled-water">Only about 26%</a> of these paks end up being recycled worldwide, due to few facilities being able to accept them.&nbsp;



Despite their over inflated environmental claims, it does seem that Tetra Pak is now truly trying to do something good for the planet. The company is launching The Araucaria Conservation Programme, a restoration project in Brazil’s endangered Atlantic Forest. Partnering with Brazilian NGO Apremavi, the project plans to restore at least 7,000 hectares over a decade.&nbsp;



The project focuses on the Atlantic Forest, a habitat more threatened than the Amazon and one of the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Only 12% of the original forest remains and much of the wildlife has been reduced by hunting. The project aims specifically at the Araucaria Forest within the greater Atlantic Forest, where only 3% of its original land is preserved.&nbsp;



"This initiative is our response to the United Nations challenge to make this the decade of ecosystem restoration," said Julian Fox, Director Nature Programs of Tetra Pak.



"We are thrilled to be a lead partner of such a pioneering project, connecting a range of stakeholders and merging environmental restoration with carbon capture analysis to help mitigate climate change and recover biodiversity."



The first year of the project is focused on a pilot program of restoring 80 hectares as well as mapping additional areas to be restored in the future. Tetra Pak also plans to certify a larger area under carbon and biodiversity standards as part of its goal to become carbon neutral by 2030.&nbsp;



"Among the proposed methodologies are the planting of native seedlings, the ecological enrichment of secondary forests and natural regeneration. In the long run, the restored areas will be integrated into ecological corridors, contributing to reducing pressure on endangered animals such as the purple-breasted parrot and the pampas deer," said Miriam Prochnow, Counselor and Co-Founder of Apremavi.



"These actions are fundamental for the protection of biodiversity, the restoration of soil quality and the maintenance of water availability in the region."



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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

Tetra Pak will help restore Brazil’s endangered Atlantic Forest

Tetra Pak is a Swiss company known for making things...

The Westdahl Peak <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanoes-stabilize-temperatures-at-earths-surface/">volcano</a> adds to the magnificence of the Aleutian Island chain in Alaska. Still, it’s important to remember that after its 1992 eruption, the volcano was predicted to erupt again in 2010. However, here we are in 2022, and so far, no eruption. 



Researchers at the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> decided to take advantage of this opportunity to investigate why Westdahl Peak has not exploded. Specifically, the scientists wanted to determine whether ice caps affect volcanic eruption cycles in high-latitude regions.



“Volcanic forecasting involves a lot of variables, including the depth and size of a volcano’s magma chamber, the rate at which magma fills that chamber and the strength of the rocks that contain the chamber, to name a few,” said undergraduate researcher Lilian Lucas. “Accounting for overlying pressure from polar ice caps is another critical, yet poorly understood, variable.”



The researchers found that having an ice cap does affect volcanic cycles by increasing the eruption time. The data indicate that ice can delay an eruption for decades, depending on the thickness of the ice. 



“More specifically, the models without the presence of the confining pressure of the ice cap calculated a time to eruption of about 93 years," said Lucas. “Adding a 1-kilometer-thick ice cap to the model then increases the eruption date to approximately 100 years. Models are not a perfect tool to use in forecasting future eruptions, however, we are mainly interested in the increase in this time as a result of the increased ice load.”



These results imply that ice thickness should be considered when estimating eruption cycles, especially since volcanic eruptions have a significant impact on human life.&nbsp;



“Volcanic ash in the atmosphere is hazardous to aircraft engines and can cause major disruptions in air traffic, so more accurate forecasting – even on the scale of months – can provide critical safety information for air traffic and nearby inhabitants," said study co-author Jack Albright.



“Furthermore, it will be important to consider how climate change and glacial ice melt might impact Westdahl Peak and other high-latitude volcanoes in the future," said study co-author Yan Zhan.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.868569/full">Frontiers in Earth 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

Ice caps can delay volcanic eruptions

The Westdahl Peak volcano adds to the magnificence of the...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> (UBC) has identified four high-traffic areas in the Pacific Ocean which should be considered of high priority in the conservation efforts focused on large pelagic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-found-the-worlds-largest-fish-breeding-site/">fishes</a>, such as tuna, blue marlin, or swordfish. According to the experts, these areas should become part of “blue corridors” – routes where strict fisheries management measures or partial bans of industrial fishing should be enforced in order to protect endangered fish communities and allow for increased connectivity of habitats.



By investigating the tendency of fish to return to their birth-place to reproduce – a phenomenon known as “philopatry,” and pairing this information with catch distribution maps and tagging and genetic sequencing studies, the scientists identified the migration routes of 11 tuna and other large pelagic fishes in the Pacific Ocean, and determined which areas should be considered as of “high” or “very high” priority for conservation efforts.



“We applied the concept of philopatry to the movements extracted from tagging studies of species such as the near-threatened Pacific bluefin tuna and the heavily-fished yellowfin tuna, and we also combined this information with the links between populations inferred from genetic studies. This allowed us to identify tentative annual migration cycles,” explained study lead author Veronica Relano, a doctoral student in Fisheries Management at UBC.&nbsp;



After analyzing the seasonal migration routes of the 11 fish species individually, the researchers superposed them and observed that several species and populations use the same routes – two in the northeastern and central sections of the Pacific Ocean and two in the southwestern and central sections. These areas should become part of blue corridors allowing populations of large pelagic fishes to maintain themselves and travel safely between habitats.



“But before setting up any protected area to support the rebuilding of diminished fish populations, it is important to consider the entire body of knowledge available on the migrations and movements of different species,” said study co-author Daniel Pauly, an expert in aquatic ecosystems at UBC.&nbsp;



“This is what we set out to do with this study. Our findings suggest in which areas such efforts would be more effective, but as stated in our title, the closed migration cycles we propose are tentative, and thus it would be nice if other researchers set out to test their validity.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/9/5577">Sustainability</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

Experts pinpoint “blue corridors” for large migratory fish

A new study led by the University of British Columbia...

Many women struggle to conceive and give birth to a baby, a situation that is known to cause distress and anxiety. But does it work the other way around, perhaps? Does <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/proboscis-monkeys-are-stressed-out-by-tourist-boats/">stress</a> cause infertility? Research over the past 20 years has attempted to determine whether levels of stress are associated with pregnancy rates, but the findings have been contradictory.&nbsp;



Now, in a study published today by <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/">The Endocrine Society</a>, scientists have tested whether female rats that are exposed to a distressing scream sound have reduced fertility or diminished ovarian reserve.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Ovarian reserve refers to the number and quality of ova (egg cells) that remain in a female mammal’s ovaries, and is thus a measure of potential reproductive success in future. Female mammals are born with a finite number of ova in their ovaries, and they cannot generate more during their lifetime. Diminished ovarian reserve is the loss of normal reproductive potential in the ovaries due to a lower count or quality of the remaining eggs.



The researchers exposed a small sample of female rats to a scream sound for a period of 3 weeks and then analyzed the effect of this stressor on the levels of sex hormones, the number and quality of remaining ova, and the ability to become pregnant and give birth to young after mating.&nbsp;



“We examined the effect of stress on ovarian reserve using a scream sound model in rats,” said Dr. Wenyan Xi. “We found that female rats exposed to the scream sound had diminished ovarian reserve and decreased fertility.”



The researchers found that rats exposed to the stressful sound had decreased levels of estrogen and anti-Müllerian hormone. Estrogen hormones are important in growth and reproductive development, and anti-Müllerian hormone, produced by the ovaries, helps form the reproductive organs. These female rats also had ova in their ovaries that were less numerous and of a lower quality, resulting in smaller litters of offspring.&nbsp;



“Based on these findings, we suggest stress may be associated with diminished ovarian reserve,” said Dr. Xi. “It is important to determine an association between chronic stress and ovarian reserve because doing so may expand our appreciation of the limitations of current clinical interventions and provide valuable insight into the cause of diminished ovarian reserve.” The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/endo">Endocrinology</a>.



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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

Stress may be linked to female fertility issues

Many women struggle to conceive and give birth to a...

Many herbivorous animals, such as deer, caribou, or bison are often infected by a variety of internal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parasites-help-worker-ants-live-much-longer-lives/">parasites</a>, including worms called helminths. Although most of these infections are not lethal, they can still have a major impact not only on the animals’ health and behavior, but also on the larger ecosystems they inhabit.&nbsp;



For instance, infected herbivores usually eat less grass or other vegetation than they normally would. Thus - in a fascinating twist - a world with more (nonlethal) parasitic infections is often a greener, more biodiverse, world. A research team led by the <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis</a> (WUSTL) has now employed a mathematical model and a global meta-analysis to investigate such cascading consequences of common parasitic infections in wild animals on terrestrial ecosystems.



“Parasites are well known for their negative impacts on the physiology and behavior of individual hosts and host populations, but these effects are rarely considered within the context of the broader ecosystems they inhabit,” said study lead author Amanda Koltz, a global change ecologist at WUSTL.&nbsp;



“In this study, we show that pervasive parasitic infections reduce herbivory rates and can therefore trigger trophic cascades that impact plant communities. This work helps fill a recognized knowledge gap regarding the ecological consequences of parasitic infections in natural ecosystems.”&nbsp;



While previous studies have suggested that the types of parasites that eventually kill their hosts can trigger cascading effects on ecosystems in similar ways to predators, the broader effects of nonlethal infections have not yet been systematically discussed.



“The potential for lethal infections that dramatically increase host mortality to have ecosystem-level effects is somewhat intuitive, especially when the hosts that are killed play a key role in the ecosystem. For example, rinderpest, a virus that killed millions of ruminants in sub-Saharan Africa prior to the 1960s, changed tree densities in the Serengeti ecosystem through its effect on wildebeest mortality,” explained study senior author Vanessa Ezenwa, a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a>. “Our model suggests that sublethal infections, although more cryptic, can have equally important effects on ecosystems; and our meta-analysis shows how pervasive the sublethal effects of helminth parasites are in nature.”



The researchers focused on the effects of helminth parasite infections on population densities of caribou hosts and their plant and lichen food resources. They found that any of the three types of harm caused by parasitic infections – harm to host survival, reproduction, or feeding rates – can cause cascading effects. However, while helminth infections significantly reduce the feeding rates of hosts, they are not associated with host survival or fecundity.



“Taken together, the broader relevance of these results is that there are likely widespread - yet overlooked - ecological consequences of sublethal parasitic infections. Given that helminth parasites are ubiquitous within free-living populations of ruminants, our findings suggest that global herbivory rates by ruminants are lower than they otherwise would be due to pervasive helminth infections. By reducing ruminant herbivory, these common infections may contribute to a greener world,” concluded Dr. Koltz.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2117381119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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

Nonlethal parasite infections can lead to a greener world

Many herbivorous animals, such as deer, caribou, or bison are...

While the effects of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems have already been studied extensively, its impact on marine ecosystems remains largely a mystery. On land, due to CO2 fertilization and the earlier thawing of spring snow in high altitudes, climate change is expected to significantly extend the growing season of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-may-remove-toxic-metals-from-soil/">plants</a>. But what will its effects be on the seasonal response of plankton populations in the oceans?&nbsp;



A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01353-1">Nature Climate Change</a> has found that global warming will have a substantial influence on the timing of future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/phytoplankton-remain-surprisingly-active-underneath-arctic-sea-ice/">phytoplankton</a> blooms. By analyzing climate change supercomputer model simulations conducted with a highly realistic Earth system model, the researchers discovered that such shifts in the timing of plankton blooms will become clearly detectable against the backdrop of natural variations by the end of the 21st century.&nbsp;



To better differentiate the anthropogenic effect on plankton seasonality from naturally occurring chaotic variations, the team ran the computer model 30 times, with rising greenhouse gas concentrations and slightly different initial conditions.



The factors controlling changes in the timing of phytoplankton productivity largely derive from the complex relation between the ocean’s primary producers and the zooplankton that act as predators. Seasonal changes in ambient environmental factors such as temperature, light levels, or nutrient concentrations (the so-called “bottom-up” controls), together with the number of predators (“top-down” controls) make phytoplankton thrive or decline. In turn, predator populations respond quickly to the phytoplankton abundance.&nbsp;



The study results suggest that climate change will most likely disrupt this delicate coupling between external environmental factors and zooplankton responses, causing seasonal shifts in the blooming of phytoplankton. “The additional level of predator/prey interactions makes the ocean’s response more complex than the response of land plants, where the control is mostly bottom-up,” said study co-author Dr. Karl J. Stein, an assistant researcher at the <a href="https://ibsclimate.org/">IBS Center for Climate Physics</a> (ICCP).&nbsp;



Thus, the mismatch in the timing of the life cycles of phytoplankton and zooplankton that feed on them may impact the entire seasonally-paced clockwork of the marine food web, particularly in the high-productivity regions of the Northern Hemisphere’s high latitudes.



“Our study demonstrates the power of large ensemble computer model simulations to understand how ecosystems respond to future climate change, in this case their seasonality,” said study lead author Dr. Ryohei Yamaguchi, a climate expert at ICCP. “Having established the timing and underlying mechanisms of future plankton bloom changes, we will address further whether such changes will have a negative impact on future food security,” he concluded.&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

Climate change will affect the timing of plankton blooms

While the effects of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems have...

Depression is a common mental health problem, affecting over a million Australians each year, and sometimes even leading to suicide. A research team led by the <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/">University of Technology Sydney</a> (UTS) has now found that switching from a poor diet to a healthy Mediterranean one can significantly reduce depression in young men aged 18-25. This study contributes to the emerging field of Nutritional Psychiatry, which explores the impact of specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-have-nutritional-wisdom-we-eat-what-our-body-needs/">nutrients</a>, foods, and dietary patterns on mental health.



The scientists enrolled 72 young participants with moderate to severe depression for a 12-week randomized control trial to assess how switching to a Mediterranean diet affects their symptoms of depression. Prior to the study, about 30 percent of the participants failed to adequately respond to standard treatments for depression, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or anti-depressant medication.



“We were surprised by how willing the young men were to take on a new diet,” said study lead author Jessica Bayes, a doctoral student in Nutritional Psychiatry at UTS. “Those assigned to the Mediterranean diet were able to significantly change their original diets, under the guidance of a nutritionist, over a short time frame.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The new diets included colorful vegetables, legumes, and wholegrains, olive oil, oily fish, and raw, unsalted nuts. “The primary focus was on increasing diet quality with fresh wholefoods while reducing the intake of ‘fast’ foods, sugar and processed red meat,” said Bayes.



“There are lots of reasons why scientifically we think food affects mood. For example, around 90 percent of serotonin, a chemical that helps us feel happy, is made in our gut by our gut microbes. There is emerging evidence that these microbes can communicate to the brain via the vagus nerve, in what is called the gut-brain axis,” she explained. “To have beneficial microbes, we need to feed them fibre, which is found in legumes, fruits and vegetables.”



Most of the participants reported significant mood improvements after the trial, and many of them were keen to continue the diet after the study ended, suggesting how effective, tolerable, and worthwhile have found these dietary changes.



“Medical doctors and psychologists should consider referring depressed young men to a nutritionist or dietitian as an important component of treating clinical depression,” Bayes concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac106">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</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

Healthier diets can reduce depression in young men

Depression is a common mental health problem, affecting over a...

In humans, certain personality traits are connected to our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harbor-seals-use-vocal-learning-to-sound-larger-than-they-appear/">learning</a> abilities. Historically, many have doubted that nonhumans have personalities, so this sort of connection in other animals has never been tested.&nbsp;



However, recent research has shown convincing evidence for personalities in spiders, apes and other animals. If you have a pet, you may wonder how it hasn’t always been obvious that we’re not the only creatures with individual personalities. Animals that seem to be friends or even entire groups often share similar personality traits.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Now, a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a> looks at the connection between personality and cognitive abilities in Marmoset monkeys. Vedrana Šlipogor and colleagues from the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/">University of Vienna</a> looked at marmosets because of their complex social lives, mirroring our own in many ways.&nbsp;



First, the scientists assessed individual monkey’s personalities by giving them tasks and looking at how engaged they were in novel situations. For instance, monkeys were trained to hold a stick, stand on a scale and reach as high as possible.&nbsp;



Overall, the monkeys fell into two broad categories. The scientists found the monkeys to be either bold or more shy. The monkey’s learning abilities were also tested as they were required to form associations between objects with similar sizes, shapes or colors.&nbsp;



The researchers found that female marmoset monkeys learned faster than males. The results also showed that monkeys with bolder personalities learned more quickly than shy individuals. However, there were many other social factors at play. Being part of certain social groups or families improved learning speed, for instance. This may be due to former social support as well as genetics.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“It seems that both certain personality traits as well as social environment have an effect on individual variation in cognition in marmoset monkeys," said Šlipogor. “In our future studies we aim to see whether these findings hold with other tasks that are perhaps more cognitively demanding for the monkeys, and whether this effect can be found in other highly social animals with similar socio-ecological features.”



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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

Marmosets with bold personalities are faster learners

In humans, certain personality traits are connected to our learning...

A new study from <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/">Simon Fraser University</a> may revolutionize the way that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunger-alters-the-behavior-of-worms-and-perhaps-humans-too/">humans</a> are trained for sports or how we are rehabilitated after injuries. The researchers have uncovered new clues about how the nervous system learns the optimal ways to move the human body.&nbsp;



“How does our brain figure out how to best move our body? It turns out that this can be a challenging problem for the nervous system, considering we have hundreds of muscles that can be coordinated hundreds of times per second - with more possible coordination patterns to choose from than moves on a chessboard,” explained study senior author Professor Max Donelan.



“We often experience changes to our body and our environment. Perhaps you enjoy a long run on a Saturday morning - your muscles may fatigue as the length of the run increases. Perhaps you choose to run on the beach on vacation - the sand may be uneven and loose in comparison to the pavement on the sidewalk. While we might register that these changes have occurred, we might not appreciate how our body adapts to these changes.”



In collaboration with mechanical engineers at Stanford, Professor Donelan’s team of neuroscientists investigated the walking characteristics of study participants who were wearing exoskeletons.



The study revealed that, in order to learn a new movement coordination pattern, the nervous system adapts by evaluating many different options. This evaluation measures the variability across levels of movements in the joints and muscles.



Ultimately, the team found that the nervous system learns to adapt to specific aspects of movement and simultaneously decreases variability among these aspects. The study also showed that these adaptive changes can improve movement while reducing the energy cost of walking by about 25 percent.



“We created new contexts using exoskeletons that act to assist walking, and then studied how people explore new movements and learn more optimal ones,” said study lead author Sabrina Abram.



The experts report that the nervous system appears to benefit from first searching among many different coordination patterns, and also benefits from reducing this search space over time. “This is because continuing to search among coordination patterns that already reduce energy can in turn increase energy, as well as add to the already challenging problem of figuring out the best way to move," said Abram.



“We would all like to move in the best way possible," said Professor Donelan. "For healthy people, it seems that, with the right circumstances, the brain can take care of this. For those recovering from an injury, we might learn about how to best rehabilitate this injury from a better understanding of how the nervous system learns to adapt.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.



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

Your nervous system learns how to move the best way possible

A new study from Simon Fraser University may revolutionize the...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" 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 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

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

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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

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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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