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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

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

Elephants form close-knit matrilineal family groups traditionally contain genetically related siblings. Interactions between siblings in these groups, as in most mammalian families, may come with costs and benefits. The costs usually relate to competition between siblings for limited parental resources, while the benefits include sharing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reef-food-webs-threatened-by-the-loss-of-picky-eaters/">food</a>, increased protection, and enhanced growth and survival rates through the assistance of sibling helpers.&nbsp;



In elephant families, sibling relationships are complex and have not been studied intensively, partly due to the fact that elephants live for many decades and are not easy to follow in their natural surroundings. In a study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, researchers from Finland, the UK and Myanmar report that Asian elephant calves in semi-captive conditions benefit from having older siblings, especially when those siblings are female.&nbsp;



The study was based on data collected from a herd of government-owned timber elephants in Myanmar. These elephants work during the day as riding, transport and draft animals but are left unsupervised in the forests during the night. There they select their own forage and can interact and mate “Because the elephants live in their natural habitats, there are many similarities to wild elephants, such as natural foraging and no assistance in breeding," said study co-author Dr. Mirkka Lahdenperä researcher at the <a href="https://www.utu.fi/en">University of Turku</a>. "While there are differences – in the wild, family groups are probably bigger – there are more similarities than differences and we could assume that some of the associations found in our study would also hold true for wild elephants. But of course, these should be studied.”



The elephants belong to the Myanmar Timber Enterprise, which keeps detailed records of all aspects of their life histories. The records include data on the reproduction, body mass and longevity of 2,344 Asian elephant calves born between 1945 and 2018. This information was used by the researchers to assess the impacts that older siblings of both sexes have on the body mass, reproductive rate and survival of subsequent calves.&nbsp;



The findings confirm that, compared with having no older sibling, the presence of an older sibling of either sex increases a calf’s long-term survival rate. In addition, sibling effects were observed for calf body mass (which was higher) and for female calf age at first reproduction (which was earlier) in calves with older siblings. Interestingly, older sisters had a more pronounced effect on calf life history than older brothers.&nbsp;



Female elephants raised with older sisters survived for longer and reproduced for the first time an average of two years earlier, than did those who were raised with older brothers. Male elephants raised with older sisters, however, had higher body weights but lower survival rates than those raised with older brothers. The authors explain this unexpected effect as the result of a ‘live-fast, die young’ strategy that proposes that young male calves with increased body mass may be involved in more conflict later in life and that this may come with survival costs.



“Our research confirms that sibling relationships shape individual lives, particularly in social species, such as the elephants, where cooperative behaviors are essential to the development, survival and reproductive potential of individuals," explained study lead author Dr. Vérane Berger.



Since the study made use of correlational analysis, the influence of other, external factors, such as the quality of maternal care, maternal body condition and elephant workload, cannot be evaluated. The researchers hope to collect more data in future so that sibling effects on calf life history can be separated from maternal effects.&nbsp;



“By collecting more information on the body mass of mothers at birth, we hope to disentangle maternal effects from sibling effects," said Dr Berger. "More data will also let us explore the effects of the environment on sibling relationships and go into more detail on the effects siblings have on specific aspects of a younger calf’s health, such as immunity, muscular function and hormonal variations.”



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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

For Asian elephant calves, big sisters are better than big brothers

Elephants form close-knit matrilineal family groups traditionally contain genetically related...

Failure to meet the recommended guidelines of seven or more hours of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-deprivation-linked-to-quickly-deteriorating-mood-in-teens/">sleep</a> per night has been linked to unhealthy snacking. Experts in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">The Ohio State University</a> analyzed data on nearly 20,000 Americans and found that individuals who fall short of sleep recommendations eat more snacks that are high in carbohydrates, added sugar, and fat.



The results of the analysis show that the most preferred non-meal food categories - salty snacks and sweets - are the same among adults regardless of their sleep habits. However, individuals who sleep less tend to consume more snack calories in a day.



The study authors found that nighttime snacking is a habit among Americans that is tied to how much we sleep. “At night, we’re drinking our calories and eating a lot of convenience foods,” said study senior author Professor Christopher Taylor.



“Not only are we not sleeping when we stay up late, but we’re doing all these obesity-related behaviors: lack of physical activity, increased screen time, food choices that we’re consuming as snacks and not as meals. So it creates this bigger impact of meeting or not meeting sleep recommendations.”



“We know lack of sleep is linked to obesity from a broader scale, but it’s all these little behaviors that are anchored around how that happens."



The analysis showed that almost 96 percent of the subjects ate at least one snack a day. More than 50 percent of all snacking calories fell under two broad categories: soda and energy drinks; and chips, pretzels, cookies and pastries.&nbsp;



Overall, the participants who slept less than seven hours a night ate higher quantities of snacks with more calories and less nutritional value.



While there are many physiological factors involved in sleep’s relationship to health, Taylor said changing behavior by avoiding unhealthy snacking at night could help adults not only meet the sleep guidelines, but also improve their diet.



“Meeting sleep recommendations helps us meet that specific need for sleep related to our health, but is also tied to not doing the things that can harm health,” said Taylor.&nbsp;



“The longer we’re awake, the more opportunities we have to eat. And at night, those calories are coming from snacks and sweets. Every time we make those decisions, we’re introducing calories and items related to increased risk for chronic disease, and we’re not getting whole grains, fruits and vegetables."



“Even if you’re in bed and trying to fall asleep, at least you’re not in the kitchen eating – so if you can get yourself to bed, that’s a starting point.”



The study is published in the <a href="https://jandonline.org/">Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics</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

Lack of sleep leads to unhealthy snacking

Failure to meet the recommended guidelines of seven or more...

Coral reefs are threatened by the loss of picky-eating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-vampire-fish-that-doesnt-suck-blood/">fish</a> species, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">UT Austin</a>. The experts report that coral reef food webs are more delicate than what was previously realized.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed the stomach contents of most fish species found on six coral reef systems all over the world. The study revealed that reef fish networks are remarkably similar, and that the predators in these food webs are picky eaters.&nbsp;



The study showed that the vast majority of reef fish species are very particular when it comes to what they eat, and do not simply eat what they can find.&nbsp;



The findings also suggest that reef communities could tolerate the loss of several prey species, but the loss of a single predator fish species could potentially cause the ecosystem to collapse.&nbsp;



“It’s remarkable that we see similar patterns in coral reef systems all over the world. Extinctions, particularly of larger fish species, may have significant impacts for coral reef systems,” said study co-author Professor Jordan Casey.



Fish species are threatened with extinction locally as a result of many stressors, including climate change, pollution, and overfishing. As the number of large fish decline, an increasing number of their prey will survive uneaten, which creates an imbalance in the food web.&nbsp;



“Reefs rely on the efficient utilization of all creatures,” explained study co-author Professor Simon Brandl. “If a fish specializes on eating a certain type of snail and that fish disappears, the snail might not be eaten and live happily ever after. This creates a dead end for the food it could provide to other coral reef creatures. Good news for the snail. Bad news for everything else living there.”



The researchers examined the feeding habits of more than 600 species of reef fish near Okinawa, Hawaii, the West Indies, New Caledonia, Madagascar and the Marshall Islands. The food webs had a strikingly similar structure in which 67 percent of species were specialized feeders with strong preferences for specific prey - despite an incredibly diverse selection of prey available.



“Coral reefs are important to humans for a number of reasons,” said Casey. “They are a critical source of food for many people. They are also popular tourist destinations and economic engines for a number of countries. However, coral reefs can only provide these key ecosystem services if food webs remain intact.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</a>.



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

Coral reef food webs threatened by the loss of picky eaters

Coral reefs are threatened by the loss of picky-eating fish...

Dogs have been important to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/indigenous-people-demonstrate-the-value-of-controlled-fire/">indigenous</a> people in Arctic Siberia for thousands of years. In addition to being a source of food, Siberian dogs have been used to pull sleds, herd reindeer and hunt.



Although Arctic dogs evolved in isolation up until about 7,000 years ago, they were subsequently bred with dogs imported from other regions and this has given rise the modern breeds of Siberian dogs, such as the samoyed.



In a recent research project, the genomes of 49 dogs from sites in Siberia and Eurasia were analyzed and compared by a team of international scientists led by paleogeneticist Laurent Frantz from the <a href="https://www.lmu.de/en/">Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich</a>. The samples dated from between 60 and 11,000 years ago.&nbsp;



In particular, four of the dogs originated from an archaeological site known as Ust’-Polui, on the Yamal Peninsula in northwestern Siberia. Russian and Canadian archeologists had previously uncovered the remains of more than 100 dogs at this site, dating back to about 2,000 years.



The results of the DNA analysis showed evidence that dogs were imported from Eurasia into Arctic Siberia by at least 2,000 years ago.&nbsp;



"Whereas Arctic dogs evolved in isolation prior to at least 7,000 years ago, genomic DNA isolated from Siberian dogs dated to between the Iron Age and medieval times shows that there were increasing portions of genetic material derived from dogs from the Eurasian steppes, as well as Europe," said study lead author Dr. Tatiana Feuerborn of the University of Copenhagen.



Archaeological finds from the site at Ust’-Polui had shown that people in the region were already using long-range trade routes for commercial purposes 2,000 years ago. Some of the artefacts discovered there included glass beads and metal objects that could only have been manufactured in far afield areas such as the steppe zone, the Black Sea region or the Near East. The earliest evidence of reindeer domestication has also been found at this important site.&nbsp;



It is clear from the genetic evidence that dogs were also traded during this time. The percentage of non-Siberian ancestry among dogs on the Yamal peninsula increased significantly during this time, indicating the early importation of dogs from distant locations.



“Dogs were potentially valuable possessions, and they were bought and sold,” said Frantz. “The first dogs domesticated in the Arctic served primarily as sledding dogs, but when Siberian populations turned to pastoralism, they may well have required dogs that had other useful behavioral traits, which were better suited for reindeer herding."&nbsp;



"The mixing of Arctic dogs with other populations potentially led to the establishment of dog lineages that were both suited to herding and also adapted to the harsh climatic conditions.”



Interestingly, human genomes in Arctic Siberia remained very stable over this stretch of time, with little indication of genetic input from non-Arctic populations.



The cross-breeding and artificial selection of Arctic dogs for desirable traits eventually led to the development of modern canine breeds such as the samoyed. “A large fraction of the samoyed genome can be traced back to ancestral Arctic bloodlines, but it also shows far more Western influence than the husky, for instance," said Frantz.



Because samoyed bloodlines tend to be kept pure and hybridization with other breeds is rare, these dogs have remained largely unchanged since the Middle Ages.&nbsp; This is in contrast with most other modern dogs of the 19th and 20th centuries, that have arisen from the specific mixing of breeds to produce dogs that have useful characteristics.&nbsp;



The results of this study are published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> (PNAS).



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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

Siberian dogs were shaped by long-distance trade routes

Dogs have been important to indigenous people in Arctic Siberia...

Stress is a normal and integral part of everyday modern life with many manifestations, whether in terms of sleepless nights, racing heartbeats, sweaty palms or “butterflies” in the stomach.&nbsp;



In conventional thinking, stress is something bad that should be avoided if possible. It has been linked to a range of illnesses, including heart disease, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-the-obesity-crisis-linked-to-the-use-of-a-common-pesticide/">obesity</a>, depression, cancer and diabetes. However, a new study finds that stress can be harnessed and put to use if we reframe our thoughts to see it as a challenge, rather than a threat.



Psychologists from the <a href="https://www.rochester.edu/">University of Rochester</a> hypothesize that reframing our perception of stress in terms of its functional benefits helps reduce the sense of threat and can make a positive difference to a person’s mental health and general wellbeing.&nbsp;



In their study, published recently in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/xge">Journal of Experimental Psychology</a>: General, the scientists randomly assigned 339 students from community college to stress reframing or to control conditions just before taking their second in-class exam. Those in the reframing group were trained to perceive stress as a useful tool rather than an obstacle. This training took the form of a standardized reading and writing exercise that highlighted the fact that stress responses have a function in enhancing performance, including the performance on academic tests.&nbsp;



“We use a type of ‘saying is believing’ approach whereby participants learn about the adaptive benefits of stress and they are prompted to write about how it can help them achieve,” says study lead author Professor <a href="http://www.sas.rochester.edu/psy/people/faculty/jamieson_jeremy/index.html">Jeremy Jamieson</a>, the principal investigator at Rochester's&nbsp;<a href="https://socialstresslab.wixsite.com/urochester">Social Stress Lab</a>.



The results showed that math students who had been trained to reframe their stress as a positive tool exhibited lower levels of test anxiety on a subsequent exam. In addition, they achieved better scores on the exam than the control group. Trained students reported procrastinating less during the learning process and also set themselves more positive goals – goals focused on achieving good outcomes (such as passing the test) rather than avoiding negative outcomes (like not failing the test).&nbsp;



During the typical stress response, the sympathetic nervous system is aroused and this leads to increased heartbeat and sweaty palms, among other physical changes. These changes prepare a person to respond to perceived danger by fighting or fleeing.&nbsp;



For example,&nbsp;a person who has to undergo a job interview might experience a racing heartbeat and interpret this as nervousness that could sabotage performance. If the person were to understand that the increased heart rate delivers extra oxygen to the brain and will therefore enhance intellectual performance, the stress response becomes an ally and not a foe.&nbsp;



During the experience of stress, several different hormones are released into the blood, some helpful and some not. The research team found that students who were trained to reframe their perception of stress had lower levels of cortisol, a catabolic hormone that breaks down body tissues. On the other hand, they also had higher levels of testosterone, an anabolic hormone that builds body mass and enhances performance and endurance. This hormonal change would help a student to perform at his or her peak.



When asked what advice they had for parents whose children felt stressed or anxious, the team responded that stress is a normal part of life and that parents should help their children learn to cope constructively with stress rather than try to protect them from it. Children have to go out of their comfort zones in order to grow, learn and succeed. They should be taught that struggles are part of life and that they can succeed at doing difficult things.&nbsp;



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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

Look at stress as a challenge rather than a threat

Stress is a normal and integral part of everyday modern...

A recent study led by the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> found that the North Atlantic jet stream - a band of strong, westerly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-westerly-winds-are-changing-and-the-consequences-are-unknown/">winds</a> encircling the Arctic – could migrate north by 2060 due to climate change. This would lead to dramatic shifts in temperature and precipitation in Europe and North America.



The research team, led by climate scientist Matthew Osman, collected ice cores from nearly 50 sites across Greenland’s ice sheets to analyze how the layers of snow have been deposited over the last 1,250 years. The aim was to reconstruct the past locations and intensities of the North Atlantic jet stream, which plays a key role in weather conditions by causing between 10 and 50 percent of the variation in annual temperature and precipitation in eastern North American and western Europe.&nbsp;



“For most places on Earth, direct climate observations typically do not span more than a few decades. So, we haven't had a great sense of how or why the jet stream changes over longer periods of time,” explained Dr. Osman.



“What we do know is that extraordinary variations in the jet stream can have severe societal implications - such as floods and droughts - due to its impacts on weather patterns. So, in terms of thinking about the future, we can now begin to use the past as a sort of prologue.”



By looking at the amount of snowfall deposited annually and the chemical constitution of the water molecules which made up each snow layer, Dr. Osman and his colleagues discovered that,&nbsp;until now, fluctuations in the jet stream’s intensity and position have been within the limits of natural variation. However, they estimate that, if global warming continues at a similar pace, the jet stream will soon migrate northwards.&nbsp;



“Such variations have huge implications on the types of weather that people might experience at a given place,” said Dr Osman.&nbsp;



“For example, when the jet stream is situated further south, the normally dry Iberian Peninsula tends to experience milder, moister conditions. But, as the jet stream migrates northward, much of that moisture also moves away from Iberia towards already-wet regions of Scandinavia.”



If the jet stream moves towards the north in the following decades, both Europe and North America could face more extreme weather like floods, droughts, and heatwaves. “Our results serve as a warning,” concluded Dr. Osman.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/38/e2104105118">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio



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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

Migration of the North Atlantic jet stream will cause extreme weather

A recent study led by the University of Arizona found...

Scientists from the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">University of California, Riverside</a> (UCR) are currently studying whether they can turn edible plants such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/romaine-lettuce-not-safe/">lettuce</a> or spinach into mRNA vaccine factories. 



One of the challenges of the available mRNA vaccines is that they need to be constantly kept at very low temperatures and are thus difficult to store and transport. A $500,000 grant from the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> aims to overcome these challenges by creating edible plant-based mRNA vaccines that can be stored at room temperature.



The researchers plan to deliver DNA containing mRNA vaccines into plant cells where they will replicate and produce enough mRNA to replace a traditional shot. “Ideally, a single plant would produce enough mRNA to vaccinate a single person,” explained Juan Pablo Giraldo, an associate professor in the <a href="https://plantbiology.ucr.edu/">Department of Botany and Plant Sciences</a> at UCR. 



“We are testing this approach with&nbsp;spinach and lettuce&nbsp;and have long-term goals of people growing it in their own garden. Farmers could also eventually grow entire fields of it.”



Key to develop such vaccines are chloroplasts, which are small organs from plant cells that play a fundamental role in converting sunlight into energy the plants can use. 



“They’re tiny, solar-powered factories that produce sugar and other molecules which allow the plant to grow,” explained Professor Giraldo. “They’re also an untapped source for making desirable molecules.”



In previous studies, by delivering foreign genetic material into plant cells, Professor Giraldo and colleagues have found that chloroplasts can be used to express genes that are not natural parts of the plants. This discovery is crucial for the new research on plant-based mRNA vaccines.&nbsp;



“Our idea is to repurpose naturally occurring nanoparticles, namely plant viruses, for gene&nbsp;delivery to plants,” said Nicole Steinmetz, a professor of Nanoengineering at the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California, San Diego</a> who will collaborate with Professor Giraldo in this new project. 



“Some engineering goes into this to make the nanoparticles go to the chloroplasts and also to render them non-infectious toward the plants.”



If this project succeeds, the future of vaccination may look more like eating a side-dish rather than getting a shot in the arm. “I’m very excited about all of this research,” Giraldo said. “I think it could have a huge impact on peoples’ lives.”



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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

Edible plants could replace shots as vaccines

Scientists from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) are currently...

In their search to understand what makes a good wildlife <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/three-important-reef-building-coral-habitats-are-vanishing/">habitat</a>, conservation specialists from <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/928709">Michigan State University</a> (MSU) surprisingly found that optimal conditions are not necessarily the best. They discovered that maximum gene flow in giant panda populations occurred not when the entire area in which they lived was habitable, but when only about 80 percent of it was.



According to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15231739">Conservation Biology</a>, animals should be happy enough to thrive in their habitat, but not so content that they will give up moving around in search of new mates. Being too happy within a habitat and thus unwilling to leave it increases the chances of inbreeding and thus cause a significant loss of genetic diversity.



In our contemporary world, many things can cause habitat disruptions, including humans building new roads and houses, wildfires burning forests, or climate change causing unsuitable temperature and precipitation patterns. In the past decades, scientists all over the globe have worried that habitat loss and fragmentation can be extremely damaging for animal populations.



However, by showing that ecological sustainability is not necessarily correlated with perfect habitat conditions, this new study offers a glimmer of hope for conservation experts.&nbsp;



“As opposed to the potential interpretation of our results that maximizing the amount of habitat in a landscape can be bad for connectivity, I think that our research suggests a message of hope,” explained lead study author Thomas Connor, a postdoctoral fellow at the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkley</a>.&nbsp;



“We can effectively manage panda populations by conserving and restoring habitat to intermediate levels. In other words, we don’t have to create perfect habitat to keep protecting pandas.”&nbsp;



According to the researchers, the fact that very picky animals such as pandas – with their singular reliance on bamboo as a source of nourishment, a preference for cool temperatures and shallow slopes, and their shyness that drives them away from humans – can thrive in less-than-perfect habitats, makes this study highly relevant for other species too.



“This work provides hope to balance needs for ecological sustainability and human well-being,” concluded study co-author Jianguo “Jack” Liu, Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability at MSU. “Our results show it is possible for both pandas and humans to thrive across coupled human and natural systems.”&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

Pandas can thrive in less-than-perfect environments

In their search to understand what makes a good wildlife...

This year, the full moon marking the passage from summer to autumn, called the “harvest moon,” is set to rise and light up the nocturnal sky on Monday, September 20, at 7:55 PM Eastern Time. It is the most famous of all the year’s full moons and will illuminate the sky for three consecutive nights.&nbsp;



Depending on the year, the harvest moon can occur anywhere from two weeks before the autumn equinox to two weeks after. Usually, the moon rises 50 minutes after sunset each evening. However, when a full moon appears close to the autumn equinox, the moon rises only 20 to 30 minutes after sunset, which makes it appear larger and have a beautiful, strong golden hue.&nbsp;



The harvest moon received its name at the beginning of the 18th century, when farmers depended upon the light of the moon to harvest crops late at night.&nbsp;



“In the days before electric lights, farmers across the Northern Hemisphere depended on bright moonlight to extend the workday beyond sunset,” NASA explained in a recent <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/2019/09/13/look-for-the-harvest-moon-this-weekend/">statement</a>. “It was the only way they could gather their ripening crops in time for market. The full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox became 'the Harvest Moon,' and it was always a welcome sight.”



This name became entrenched in popular culture at the beginning of the 20th century, when the vaudeville couple Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth released the song “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeXR0QXnfvQ">Shine On, Harvest Moon</a>.” This song was featured in many Hollywood films, including blockbusters such as The Great Ziegfield (1936), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) or The Eddy Duchin Story (1956).&nbsp;



Moreover, the famous comedians Laurel and Hardy performed a song-and-dance routine to this song in their 1939 movie The Flying Deuces. Well into the 21st century, the song continues to be recorded and performed, and remains well-known to people all over the world.



However, native population in North America had different associations and names for the Harvest moon. According to the <a href="https://onlc.ca/">Ontario Native Literacy Coalition</a>, the Cree peoples called it the Rutting Moon, associating it with the beginning of the elks’ mating season, the Ojibwe the Falling Leaves Moon, signifying the arrival of autumn, and the Cherokee the Nut Moon, marking the ripening of nuts. Regardless of its name, this moon remains one of the most beautiful, impressive, and symbolically-loaded full moons of the year.



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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

Harvest moon marks the arrival of autumn

This year, the full moon marking the passage from summer...

According to European Union’s Copernicus <a href="https://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/monitoring-ozone-healthier-world">Atmosphere Monitoring Service</a>, the ozone hole that forms annually over the South Pole is currently larger than the whole of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-rate-of-melting-ice-in-antarctica-is-not-consistent/">Antarctica</a>, the continent over which it looms. Scientists claim that even if climate change is completely halted, there are slim chances for the ozone layer to recover until the 2060s or 2070s.&nbsp;



The ozone layer, placed between 9 and 22 miles above the Earth, is crucial for protecting the planet from ultraviolet radiation. The ozone depletes and forms a hole over the Atlantic each spring, which generally lasts from August to October in the Southern Hemisphere.&nbsp;



This hole is caused by chemicals such as chlorine, carbon, and bromine (chlorofluorocarbons) which migrate into the stratosphere and prompt catalytic reactions during the Antarctic winter. It is also connected to the Antarctic polar vortex, a large area of cyclonic air circulation in the upper-atmosphere moving around the Earth.&nbsp;



When temperatures in the stratosphere start rising towards the end of spring, ozone depletion usually slows, returning to normal levels by December.



"This year, the ozone hole developed as expected at the start of the season," director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service Vincent-Henri Peuch declared. “It seems pretty similar to last year's, which also wasn't really exceptional until early September, but then turned into one of the largest and longest-lasting ozone holes in our data record later in the season.”&nbsp;



“Now our forecasts show that this year´s hole has evolved into a rather larger than usual one. The vortex is quite stable and the stratospheric temperatures are even lower than last year, so it may continue to grow slightly over the next two or three weeks.”



Although experts believe that the regulation of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer following the Montreal protocol from 1987 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ban-on-ozone-depleting-substances-prevented-catastrophic-consequences/">prevented catastrophic consequences</a>, this year’s size of the ozone hole is extremely worrisome, making scientists ask themselves if we are doing enough to prevent further deterioration of our planet. More intense and sustained collective action is definitely needed to mitigate climate change and help the ozone layer recover.



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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

This year's ozone hole is larger than Antarctica

According to European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, the ozone...

In 2006, New Zealand school children in the Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club were out looking for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-reveal-that-monkeys-were-in-asia-6-4-million-years-ago/">fossils</a> in Kawhia Harbour, a natural inlet in the Waikato region. Led by the club’s fossil expert, Chris Templer, they discovered the bones of a giant. extinct penguin.&nbsp;



In a paper published in the <a href="https://vertpaleo.org/journal-of-vertebrate-paleontology/">Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology</a>, scientists have now confirmed that what the children found was a new species that has been named Kairuku waewaeroa. The penguin was given a Māori scientific name, rather than Latin or Greek.&nbsp;



In 2017, the junior naturalists donated the penguin fossil to the Waikato museum. Recently,&nbsp; American researchers visited the museum to examine the specimen and make 3-D scans.&nbsp;



The scans allowed the Junior Naturalist Club to have their own replica of the fossil. The examination of the specimen confirmed that it is a new species to science.&nbsp;



Dr. Daniel Thomas, a researcher at Massey University, estimated the age of the fossil from 27.3 to 34.6 million years old, a time when Waikato was under water.&nbsp;



"The penguin is similar to the Kairuku giant penguins first described from Otago but has much longer legs, which the researchers used to name the penguin waewaeroa – Te reo Māori for ‘long legs,'" explained Dr. Thomas.&nbsp;



"These longer legs would have made the penguin much taller than other Kairuku while it was walking on land, perhaps around 1.4 metres tall, and may have influenced how fast it could swim or how deep it could dive."



"It’s been a real privilege to contribute to the story of this incredible penguin. We know how important this fossil is to so many people,”



For many of the children and adults who helped collect the penguin fossil, it’s a once in a lifetime experience. Taly Matthews is a long-time member of the Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club who now works for the Department of Conservation in Taranaki.



"Finding any fossil is pretty exciting when you think about how much time has passed while this animal remained hidden away, encased in rock. Finding a giant penguin fossil though is on another level," said Matthews. "As more giant penguin fossils are discovered we get to fill in more gaps in the story. It’s very exciting."



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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

Children discover a new species of giant penguins

In 2006, New Zealand school children in the Hamilton Junior...

New research led by the <a href="https://snm.ku.dk/english/">Natural History Museum</a> in Denmark has found that beaked whales have five finger-like appendages hidden in their flippers. Scientists claim that these bones are a leftover trait from one of the whales’ ancient ancestors, which was a land <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-explain-longevity-in-mammals/">mammal</a> living approximately 50 million years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Dr. Mark D. Scherz, an assistant professor of Vertebrate Zoology at the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> and the curator of Herpetology at the Natural History Museum, dissected a beaked whale that washed ashore and pulled away the flesh from its flipper to reveal the bizarre finger-like appendages.



“Flippers have evolved repeatedly in various lineages of mammals and reptiles, each time in a different way; the fundamental structure is the pentadactyl limb, but the specific structure of the limbs differs very strongly,” explained Dr. Scherz.



Whales appear to have descended from a stocky, fox-sized animal with an elongated body and tail similar to that of a deer. This creature initially lived on land, but had most probably hunted and hid repeatedly in the water, until it became fully aquatic.&nbsp;



This hypothesis was first formulated in 2009 by Hans Thewissen, a paleontologist at <a href="https://www.neomed.edu/">Northeast Ohio Medical University</a>. In a study published in the journal <a href="https://evolution-outreach.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1007/s12052-009-0135-2">Evolution: Education and Outreach</a> exploring the origin of whales, dolphins, and porpoises, Professor Thewissen and colleagues argue that the whales’ terrestrial ancestor (which they dubbed Indohyus), waded often in the water like a hippopotamus, both to search for food and to avoid predators. Finally, it became a fully aquatic creature, increasingly resembling today’s whales.



Paleontological evidence show that the Indohyus had bones with a much thicker outside layer than those of other mammals, a characteristic that is often found in slow aquatic waders such as the hippopotamus.



More <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2021.1368">evidence</a> for the origins of today’s whales was recently found in Egypt, where scientists discovered a 43-million-year-old fossil of a previously unknown four-legged whale species belonging to the Protocetidae, a group of extinct whales. This species was probably also semi-aquatic, roaming the land while occasionally entering the water.&nbsp;



Such findings are crucial for increasing our understanding of the mysterious origins and complex evolution of aquatic mammals.&nbsp;&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

"Fingers" discovered in the flippers of beaked whales

New research led by the Natural History Museum in Denmark...

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

[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

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" 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.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

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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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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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