Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features Noirmoutier, a small tidal island on the western coast of France. The photograph, which was taken by an astronaut onboard the International Space Station (ISS), captures the northwestern portion of the island.&nbsp;



According to NASA, the photo was taken at approximately 1:00 p.m. local time, when the low tide exposes mudflats, salt marshes, and sand dunes.



Noirmoutier is famous for its salt and oysters. In the summer months, the locals collect salt from a series of channels, while oyster farming is widespread in the bay.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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

Noirmoutier on the western coast of France

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features the Lena River Delta in northeastern Siberia.



The Lena River flows north for thousands of miles from its source in the Baikal Mountains in south-central Russia, creating the largest river delta in the Arctic.&nbsp;



Overall, the river delta spans nearly 30,000 square kilometers, which is about the size of the state of Maryland.



The image was acquired on July 13, 2021, with the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8. Norman Kuring of NASA’s Ocean Biology group applied color-filtering techniques to draw out the fine details in the water.&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/Norman Kuring/NASA's Ocean Color Web



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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

The Lena River Delta in northeastern Siberia

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features the city and port of Palma, the capital city of the Balearic Islands off eastern Spain. Palma is situated on the largest island of Mallorca, east of the Iberian Peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea.



According to NASA, Palma has a rich history that has been influenced by several civilizations, including the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Moors, before becoming a province of Spain.&nbsp;



The image was captured by an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS).&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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

The city and port of Palma, Mallorca

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features Spencer Gulf, which indents the southeastern coast of South Australia. Every winter, thousands of Australian giant cuttlefish make their way here to participate in the world's largest known aggregation of cuttlefish.



Australian giant cuttlefish can grow to nearly a meter long. They have special skin cells called chromatophores that allow them to change the color, or even the texture, of their skin to attract mates and evade predators.



Over the decade leading up to 2013, the cuttlefish population had declined by 90 percent, prompting a fishing ban in False Bay - the northern part of Spencer Gulf. By 2020, the population had rebounded from fewer than 20,000 cuttlefish to about 250,000, and the exclusion zone was scaled back.&nbsp;



According to NASA, the light-colored swirls that are visible in the water in False Bay are caused by sediment brought to the surface when strong winds churn shallow parts of the gulf.&nbsp;



The image was captured on September 8, 2021 by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite.&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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

The site of the world's largest cuttlefish aggregation

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features Victoria Island and King William Island in Canada’s Nunavut Territory, along with what appears to be a late-season bloom of phytoplankton in the Arctic Ocean.



Water sampling will be needed to confirm the presence of coccolithophores, phytoplankton that make water appear milky blue.



According to ESA, the light colors in the water could also be due to outflows of sediment from the islands, which would suggest that streams are still running and snow and ice are still melting in the late-season sunlight.&nbsp;



A 2020 study from Stanford University revealed that between 1998 and 2018, the rate of growth of phytoplankton biomass across the Arctic Ocean and surrounding seas increased by 57 percent. Some of this increase is tied to warming water, changing ocean properties, and more areas of open water.&nbsp;



“We are getting more heat and moisture from the ocean going into the atmosphere because the sea ice acts like a cap or a barrier between the relatively warm ocean surface and the cold and dry atmosphere above,” said Linette Boisvert, a sea ice scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “When the lid is removed, heat and steam escape into the air. This warming and moistening of the atmosphere slows down the vertical growth of the sea ice, meaning that it will not be as thick, so it’s more vulnerable to melt in the summer months.”



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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

Late season phytoplankton blooms in the Arctic

Some of us need a good strong cup of coffee to start the day. Others will chug down a pot or two before even thinking about engaging in conversation. Whatever style you adopt, you may not even think about how many environmental factors are involved in the production of your coffee.&nbsp;



Now, a study from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts</a> and Montana State University is Shedding new light on the impacts of climate change on coffee production.



"A subpar cup of coffee has economic implications as well as sensory. Factors that influence coffee production have great impacts on buyers’ interest, the price of coffee, and ultimately the livelihoods of the farmers who grow it," said Sean Cash, lead author of the study.



The scientists examined ten environmental factors across 73 relevant studies, attempting to parse out their effect on coffee production.&nbsp;



"Climate change is impacting crop performance and agricultural systems around the world with implications for farmers and consumers," wrote the researchers.



"We carried out a systematic review to synthesize evidence regarding the effects of environmental factors associated with climate change and management conditions associated with climate adaptation on the crop quality of a culturally-relevant perennial crop, coffee."



The researchers found that plants grown at higher elevations tend to produce coffee that tastes better, while plants exposed to more light tend to produce a worse taste.&nbsp;



The study authors note that climate change has the potential to have a negative effect on the production of higher quality plants.&nbsp;Increased temperature and an increase in carbon dioxide concentration can make coffee taste worse, and both will be consequences of our fossil-fueled energy production.&nbsp;



“These impacts on crops are important to study in general, not just for coffee. Our food systems support our food security, nutrition and health," said study co-author Selena Ahmed.



If we want to continue to enjoy our cup of morning joe, mitigation strategies will be necessary, such as providing shade to crops or implementing more sustainable practices.&nbsp;



“These strategies are giving some hope that coffee quality can be maintained or improved and will ultimately help farmers consider how to design evidence-based interventions to support their farms," said Ahmed.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science">Frontiers in Plant Science</a>.



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By <a href="http://mailto:rugerpaleo@gmail.com">Alex Ruger</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change will impact the quality and taste of coffee

Some of us need a good strong cup of coffee...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">UC Santa Cruz</a> have compiled data from four decades to untangle the impacts of environmental conditions, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/declining-salmon-populations-linked-to-environmental-decline/">population</a> density, and maternal features on reproductive success among northern elephant seals.



The seals are a successful example of reviving a critically endangered species. In the 1900s, northern elephant seals were hunted to near extinction, but have made an exceptional recovery since the end of commercial sealing. 



Every year, thousands of pups are born at the breeding colony at Año Nuevo Reserve, which is part of the UC Natural Reserve System. Since the 1960s, the long-running elephant seal research program at UC Santa Cruz has been investigating this particular colony, producing a wealth of information.&nbsp;



The program, which was started by Professor Emeritus Burney Le Boeuf, has advanced under the leadership of Professor Daniel Costa. The current investigation was focused on the weight of the pups during weaning (weaning mass), as higher weaning mass increases the survival prospects of the pup. 



According to study lead author Rachel Holser, the research team assumed that major oceanographic events would have a significant influence on the abundance and distribution of the seals, and were surprised to learn that other factors were more significant.



Holser explained that the impact of ocean conditions such as El Niño events, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and marine heatwaves on the weaning mass is relatively low compared to other factors. "It’s not that it doesn’t play a role, but it’s not nearly as important as those onshore conditions - who your mother is and how dense the colony is."



“During a major El Niño, you can see almost complete reproductive failure in some years for species like sea lions, With elephant seals, we don’t see that kind of boom and bust effect. Even in a poor year, they manage to be pretty successful,” said Holser.



However, she emphasized that the effects of ocean conditions on elephant seals can be evident in other indices of population health besides weaning mass. During bad years, some females choose to skip reproducing completely to improve their body conditions. There could also be a decrease in adult female survival rates.



“The single most important factor in determining the weaning mass of pups was the age of the mother. That was more important than the mother’s size, which is a measure of her foraging success, and certainly more important than conditions in the ocean."



Holser noted that the age of the mother is a significant factor due to numerous reasons. At the beginning of lactation, older females produce milk with a higher fat content than younger ones.&nbsp;



The mother's experience is also very important as females with more experience are able to select a good location on the beach for raising their pup, defend the young ones, prevent the pup from getting lost and exhausting its energy.&nbsp;



Contrary to the general assumption that a larger female will bear larger puppies, Holser said that the mother's age is more important than her size. “There’s a lot of variability in size, and the data show that what’s really important is the experience of having been through multiple reproductive cycles."



“Previous work has shown that ocean conditions impact the ability of the mother to invest in her young, but this study shows that age and, more importantly, experience can compensate for those environmental changes,” said study co-author Daniel Costa.



Raising the pup becomes tougher when more and more animals are crowded together on the beach.&nbsp;



“When the colony becomes more dense, there are more interactions - sometimes the females are fighting, or the males will cause a disturbance - and pups end up getting lost and wasting energy trying to find their mother," Holser said.&nbsp;



“When she gives birth to this tiny pup, it’s got four weeks to put on as much fat as it can, which means it needs to spend as much time as possible nursing and resting."



The northern elephant seals' reproductive approach is partly responsible for their adaptability to shifting environmental conditions. Female elephant seals spend months at sea feeding and gaining weight before returning to the colony to give birth, covering great distances across the North Pacific Ocean. They do not leave the beach to feed while nursing their pup, relying instead on the stored energy gained during the foraging journey.&nbsp;



Other species, such as the California sea lion, rely on regular feeding forays while nursing their pups, so a shift in weather that makes hunting difficult can be disastrous.&nbsp;



“This study was only possible because of the work of hundreds of people who have been taking these measurements for over 40 years,” said Holser.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://mailto:ashikha92@gmail.com">Ashikha Raoof</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Northern elephant seals are surprisingly resilient

Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have compiled data from four...

In America, almost half of adults and twenty percent of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/el-nino-drives-millions-of-children-into-hunger/">children</a> are obese. A recent report from the UN states that more than four million people die each year due to excess weight or obesity.



Researchers claim that this problem goes untreated due to stigma and reluctance of doctors to prescribe effective treatments. A lack of insurance also plays a role in unchecked obesity.&nbsp;



Now, new research published by the <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/">Endocrine Society</a> looks at some of the main causes of this growing worldwide epidemic.



“Obesity is the epidemic crisis of our time. The disease leads to serious comorbidities such as diabetes, fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease and significantly shortens a person’s length and quality of life," said Dr. Christos S. Mantzoros.



"Until recently we did not understand the genetic and hormonal causes of obesity and how obesity leads to these comorbidities. We have recently started to understand the causes of obesity in humans, which is a big discovery that has led to designing effective therapies.”



The research mapped out molecular and hormonal pathways that can contribute to obesity and related comorbidities. This information is hoped to be useful for other researchers seeking to create new treatments for obesity.&nbsp;



Safe treatments for obesity are especially important, according to the scientists. The possibilities include new drug delivery systems, modulation of gut biomes, vaccines and gene therapy. It is also important is for insurance companies to play their part, explained Dr. Mantzoros. 



"Insurance companies need to pay attention to data from studies and the scientific progress we are making and start covering the medications that are and will be approved soon, given that currently only a small minority of patients with obesity have coverage for the medications and medical care they need."



"It would be much more cost effective to cover treatments early instead of waiting for comorbidities and their complications to develop.”



The researchers say that the ultimate goal is a personalized approach to obesity treatment that will result in safe, effective and sustainable weight loss until the root causes of the problem are identified and addressed.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/edrv">Endocrine Reviews</a>.



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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

Obesity is the epidemic crisis of our time

In America, almost half of adults and twenty percent of...

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The Galápagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Today&#8217;s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Galápagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. This region is one of the most famous places on the planet for viewing wildlife.
The Galápagos Islands are home to many native plants and animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, including giant tortoises and sea lions. 
When Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835, his wildlife observations inspired the theory of evolution by natural selection. In 1959, the Ecuadorian government made the entire archipelago a national park to protect its unique diversity. 
The archipelago is made up of 13 major islands and several smaller islands and islets across 60,000 square kilometers of ocean. According to ESA, repeated volcanic eruptions and ongoing seismic activity have helped form the rugged mountain landscape of the islands. The older names remained in use in English-language publications, including Herman Melville&#8217;s The Encantadas of 1854.  Therefore Galapagos owns one of the provinces of Ecuador, made up of three cantons that consist  the names of its most populated islands, which are San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz and Isabela. 
The largest of the Galapagos Islands, Isabela, was formed when multiple Volcanism has been continuous on the Galápagos Islands for at least 20 million years, and possibly  even longer. The mantle plume beneath the east side of volcanoes merged into one single land mass. The Galápagos Archipelago is characterized by large contemporaneous volcanoes, some with plume magma sources, others from the <a title="Asthenosphere" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asthenosphere">asthenosphere</a>, 
Video Credit: European Space Agency 
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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