SECORE International has developed a coral seeding method that utilizes assisted reproduction - breeding corals to help restore reefs. This approach has been implemented across the Caribbean through a network of training and partners.&nbsp;



A recent study confirms that the coral seeding method is making a significant impact: during the severe 2023 heatwave in the Caribbean, young <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-corals-and-reefs-are-showing-surprising-resilience-as-global-waters-warm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">corals</a> that were bred through SECORE's efforts remained healthy, while many wild corals bleached and died.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-seeding-in-the-caribbean-nbsp">Coral seeding in the Caribbean&nbsp;</h2>



The summer of 2023 brought devastation to many coral reefs in the Caribbean Basin. An unprecedented <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-heatwaves-escalate-coral-bleaching-threats/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heatwave</a>, both in intensity and duration, hit the region, leading to widespread coral bleaching. 



With high seawater temperatures persisting, many corals were unable to recover and perished.&nbsp;



However, during this time of crisis, a hopeful discovery was made by SECORE’s Restoration Coordinator in Mexico, Sandra Mendoza Quiroz.&nbsp;



While conducting a routine dive to monitor their outplanted corals, she found that the young corals they had bred were healthy, standing out among the bleached and dying reefs.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-assisted-reproduction-and-coral-survival">Assisted reproduction and coral survival</h2>



Similar findings were reported by SECORE’s team in Curaçao, where another species of bred coral had withstood the heat.



“We were excited to observe this pattern showing another benefit of using assisted coral recruits in restoration,” said Margaret Miller, research director of <a href="https://www.secore.org/site/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SECORE</a>.



The team in Curaçao and Mexico, working with Coralium Lab at the <a href="https://www.unam.mx/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México</a>, collected data on the health of various species and groups of outplanted corals. 



The experts reached out to partners across their Caribbean Restoration Network, including the Dominican Foundation for Marine Studies, the <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/caribbean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean</a>, and Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire. 



Together, the researchers confirmed that young corals bred for restoration were significantly more resistant to bleaching compared to their wild counterparts across six coral species at 15 reef sites in five different Caribbean nations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-seeding-builds-resilience-nbsp">Coral seeding builds resilience&nbsp;</h2>



This study marks the first scientific evidence that corals restored using natural reproduction methods demonstrate greater resistance to extreme sea temperatures than wild or fragmented corals.



Miller, who has been breeding corals in the Caribbean for over 30 years, expressed optimism about the findings.&nbsp;



“These results provide a lot of encouragement and confirmation that restoration using assisted coral recruits can play an important role in orchestrating coral persistence into our warmer future,” said Miller.&nbsp;



“Nonetheless, truly securing the future of coral reefs is absolutely dependent on humankind’s success in controlling global warming.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-producing-millions-of-coral-embryos-nbsp">Producing millions of coral embryos&nbsp;</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reef-sounds-the-melodic-key-to-coral-restoration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Coral restoration</a> methods have evolved significantly in the past decade. Traditionally, corals were propagated by breaking fragments off source colonies and growing them in nurseries before manually transplanting them onto the reef. 



Today, SECORE’s coral seeding approach, which breeds corals specifically for restoration, is widely implemented throughout the Caribbean.&nbsp;



This method involves collecting coral spawn from wild corals, fertilizing the eggs and sperm in a controlled environment (either on a boat or beach), and producing millions of coral embryos.&nbsp;



The coral larvae are grown in ocean enclosures and settled on special substrates before being outplanted onto the reef.



Each generation of corals that reproduces naturally receives a new combination of genes, enhancing their ability to adapt.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-importance-of-the-new-breeding-efforts">Importance of the new breeding efforts</h2>



The study revealed that the young corals produced through breeding showed greater resistance to bleaching than adult coral colonies and fragments.&nbsp;



However, due to the recruitment failure of many reef-building species in the Caribbean, natural offspring are rare, which further underscores the importance of SECORE’s breeding efforts.



Dirk Petersen, the founder of&nbsp; SECORE, is thrilled with the study’s positive results.&nbsp;



“Our coral seeding approach is an important contribution to help coral reefs deal with climate change,” said Petersen. “Our investment over the past five years to build a large network for coral restoration in the Caribbean has paid off.”&nbsp;



“This network not only produces and outplants tens of thousands of corals every year but could also immediately assess how these corals responded to this unprecedented heatwave. Our priority is now to further scale efforts to the ecosystem level.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-chance-for-coral-reefs-to-survive">A chance for coral reefs to survive</h2>



Coral restoration, however, is not a solo endeavor. It requires collaboration across various disciplines, from science and engineering to on-the-ground implementation.&nbsp;



The process involves logistics, effectiveness, and thorough training, and must be grounded in strong management strategies that engage local communities.&nbsp;



While coral restoration is crucial, it alone cannot solve the broader challenges posed by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-study-provides-answers-to-how-coral-reefs-can-survive-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>. Still, it provides vital time to help coral populations survive in the face of environmental pressures.



“Our Caribbean Training and Capacity Building Program has turned out to be a successful model, which we urgently need to take to other regions across the world,” Petersen said.&nbsp;



In his view, as extreme weather events continue to increase in frequency and severity, regions beyond the Caribbean will also be affected.&nbsp;



“Restoration measures are best implemented at an early stage to strengthen the reefs. Once degradation has reached a critical level, restoration becomes much more challenging,” said Petersen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-coral-restoration-efforts">Expanding coral restoration efforts</h2>



SECORE is now expanding its efforts globally. In 2023, the organization hosted its first training session for participants from U.S. jurisdictions in the Western Pacific and plans to establish a team in Mauritius by the end of the year.&nbsp;



This new base will serve as a hub for restoration training in the Indian Ocean. “Restoration truly is a cooperative effort - let’s all work together to give these valuable ecosystems a future!” Peterson concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309719" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLoS ONE</a>.



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‘Coral seeding’ increases resistance to extreme heatwaves

SECORE International has developed a coral seeding method that utilizes assisted reproduction - breeding corals to help restore reefs. This approach has been implemented across the Caribbean through a network of training and partners.&nbsp; A recent study confirms that the coral seeding method is making a significant impact: during the severe 2023 heatwave in the Caribbean, young corals that were bred through SECORE's efforts remained healthy, while many wild corals bleached and died. Coral seeding in the Caribbean&nbsp; The summer of 2023 brought devastation to many coral...

Drifting along in marine currents, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jellyfish-eyes-catch-a-glimpse-of-evolutionary-history/">jellyfish</a> can be both predator and prey, eating nearly anything they can capture, but also being consumed by larger marine predators. According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> (UBC) investigating the relationship between jellyfish size, diet, and nutritional quality, jellyfish may get more nutritious as they grow and are able to consume a larger variety of prey.



While smaller jellyfish eat phytoplankton, microzooplankton, and eggs, larger ones can also eat shrimps and even fish. Yet, since they are easy to catch and digest due to their high water content, these animals are also an important nutritional source in marine food webs. For instance, in Heriot Bay, British Columbia, the moon jellyfish&nbsp;(Aurelia labiata) are frequently eaten by other jellyfish, fish, and various invertebrates.



“Our study looked more closely to see if there was any information we could draw about nutrition in jellyfish,” said lead author Jessica Schaub, a PhD student in Oceanography at UBC. “This information helps us understand the true value of jellyfish as food. We looked at how the energy that moves through a food web might look as it moves through jellyfish. What they eat, what they are composed of, and how this might affect what eats them.”&nbsp;



The scientists collected 150 moon jellyfish and measured their size, along with specific compositional elements. The analysis revealed that jellyfish eat bigger prey as they grow, which leads to higher concentrations of healthy fats. 



“We found some evidence that these changes might be influenced by their diet, and as they feed on bigger prey with higher levels of fatty acids, the jellyfish accumulate more of these fatty acids. This means bigger jellyfish might be considered more nutritious,”&nbsp;Schaub explained.



“Our recommendation for future studies on jellyfish predators is to consider size more thoroughly. Feeding on a young, small jellyfish is different than feeding on a larger and older jellyfish,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4430">Ecosphere</a>.



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



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Larger jellyfish are more nutritious

Drifting along in marine currents, jellyfish can be both predator...

Scientists have long argued that play is an indicator and promotor of animal health and welfare. By applying in-depth empirical methods to analyze data gathered from around the world, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a> in Australia has found that playing with your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-you-tell-if-your-cat-is-playing-or-fighting/">cat</a> can also nurture closer human-cat bonds.



To investigate play-related factors associated with welfare in cats, the scientists devised an online survey in consultation with veterinarians, animal behaviorists, and cat owners, aiming to measure factors such as cat quality of life, cat-owner relationship quality, behavioral changes, and problem behavior prevalence.



“Our survey results, based on responses from 591 cat guardians from 55 countries, indicated greater cat playfulness and more types of games played were significantly associated with better cat quality of life,”&nbsp;said study lead author Julia Henning, a PhD student in Feline Behavior at Adelaide.



“Also, longer amounts of daily play, greater number of games, both cat and guardian initiating play, and heightened guardian playfulness were also associated with better quality cat-guardian relationships.”



Moreover, exclusive indoor housing for the cats was significantly linked with both increased cat quality of life and better cat-owner relationship in comparison to cats with outdoor access. “Behavioral changes that indicated stress, frustration, or unease were reported when play was absent. Therefore, we can conclude play may be a very important factor in assessing and maintaining cat welfare,” Henning explained.&nbsp;



However, as senior author Susan Hazel (an expert in Animal Behavior and Welfare at the same university) admitted, self-reporting surveys such as this often have significant limitations. “Cat lovers’ answers may be prone to respondent and recall bias and limited in their ability to assess behavior. Participants who dedicated their time and effort on a voluntary basis are more invested in their cat’s care than the average cat guardian. Therefore, responses may not be an accurate representation of the general population.”



Further research is needed to clarify how much and what kind of play is most efficient for improving cat welfare.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/awf.2023.2">Animal Welfare</a>.



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



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Cats have a better quality of life if you play with them

Scientists have long argued that play is an indicator and...

For the first time in 43 years, the presence of the southern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/newest-species-flying-squirrel/">flying squirrel&nbsp;</a>(Glaucomys volans) was documented in Honduras in a site of the forest management plan Las Lechuzas in the municipality of Concordia, department of Olancho. This makes Honduras the southernmost distribution currently known for this flying squirrel species.



This discovery was made possible due to a project of <a href="http://www.sansone.hn/">El Aserradero Sansone</a>, a company conducting sustainable forestry activities in Honduras, which confirmed that there is at least one population of G. volans in the country, at the Las Lechuzas site. 



Although this species has been classified as “Least Concern” by the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">International Union for the Conservation of Nature</a> (IUCN) - meaning it has stable populations - it is considered “Data Deficient” on the Red List of Honduras species. Thus, due to the low number of records and the currently high rate of destruction of pine forests in the country, this squirrel should be a priority for conservation.&nbsp;



The southern flying squirrel is at greater risk when its nests are disturbed, so scientists from Sansone are considering the use of artificial nests to protect this population. The experts will also increase efforts to improve the quantity and quality of tree seedlings, while educating people in the community about the urgent need to protect pine ecosystems and the rare animals they shelter. 



Furthermore, since there is no record of G. volans in any protected area from Honduras, 836.63 of the 3,139.62 hectares of the management plan of Las Lechuzas have been declared as hydrological protection zones.&nbsp;



“As a professional with an experience of 43 years, I capitalize on the detection of the flying squirrel as an event that opens the doors to the true dimension posed by the Honduran forest law in the proper administrative management,” said study co-author José Muñoz, a researcher at Sansone.



“That includes biodiversity conservation and protection and rationality of the protection of natural resources. The latter turns out to be of greater importance in view of the strong social pressures in favor of the conversion of the use of forest land destined for extensive agriculture and livestock, as well as the environmental impacts caused by climate change that are being sustained by the mismanagement of our resources.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.15560/19.1.133">Check List</a>.



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



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Southern flying squirrel spotted after more than four decades

For the first time in 43 years, the presence of...

Although <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-new-rna-viruses-identified-in-ocean-waters/">viruses</a> spill over from animals to humans quite often – as it most likely happened with SARS-CoV-2 three years ago – scientists still have a rather rudimentary knowledge of most animal viruses. Unfortunately, knowing the list of nucleotides that compose a virus’s genomic sequence offers very few hints about its possible ability to infect humans. 



According to a new perspective article published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.ade6985">Science</a>, instead of letting the next pandemic take us once more by surprise, the scientific community should invest in research aiming to proactively identify viruses which might infect humans.



“A lot of financial investment has gone into sequencing viruses in nature and thinking that from sequence alone we’ll be able to predict the next pandemic virus. And I think that’s just a fallacy,” said co-lead author Cody Warren, an assistant professor of Veterinary Biosciences at the <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a>.



“Experimental studies of animal viruses are going to be invaluable. By measuring properties in them that are consistent with human infection, we can better identify those viruses that pose the greatest risk for zoonosis and then study them further. I think that’s a realistic way of looking at things that should also be considered.”



According to Warren and his co-author Sara Sawyer – a professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> – knowing that an animal virus can attach to a human cell receptor does not fully clarify its zoonotic potential. 



To better understand this, scientists should devise experiments aiming to answer questions such as: If a virus can enter human cells, could it use these cells to make copies of itself and multiply? Can viral particles get past human innate immunity? Have humans ever been exposed to viruses from the same family?&nbsp;



The answers to such questions would enable scientists to assess which animal viruses may pass beyond their “pre-zoonotic” potential and pose significant threats to human health.



“Where it becomes difficult is that there may be many animal viruses out there with signatures of human compatibility. So which ones do you pick and choose to prioritize for further study? That’s something that needs to be carefully considered,” said Warren.



According to the scientists, a good starting point would be to assume that the viruses posing the most risks to humans come from viral families that have previously infected a variety of mammal and bird species, such as coronaviruses, orthomyxoviruses (which cause influenza), or filoviruses (which cause hemorrhagic diseases like Ebola or Marburg). Other possible candidates may include arteriviruses, which currently cause simian hemorrhagic fever in African monkeys and can easily replicate in human cells too.



Studying animal viruses early to better understand their zoonotic potential could help scientists and medical authorities prepare for their possible spill over to humans and could advance the development of treatments and vaccines.&nbsp;



“We are continually going to be exposed to the viruses of animals. Things are never going to change if we stay on the same trajectory. And if we stay complacent and only study those animal viruses after they jump into humans, we’re constantly going to be working backwards. We’ll always be behind,” concluded Warren.



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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



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Which animal viruses will cause future pandemics?

Although viruses spill over from animals to humans quite often...

The Salish Sea surrounding the San Juan Islands has traditionally been a hotspot for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/southern-resident-killer-whales-are-undernourished/">Southern resident killer whales</a>, which would spend the summers feeding on Chinook salmon belonging to the Fraser River stock that passes through the islands on its way to spawning grounds upriver. However, based on 17 years of whale sighting data, a team of scientists led by <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> (OSU) has found that, as salmon populations dropped, the time spent by Southern residents around the San Juan Islands decreased by more than 75 percent.&nbsp;



Since the whales’ main summer feeding grounds are becoming less productive and reliable, they have to search for prey elsewhere, raising concerns about the health of an already threatened species.



“This is an endangered population that is in decline with only 73 whales remaining, and prey limitation appears to be an important factor. A huge part of these whales’ time used to be spent feeding in this area,” said study lead author Joshua Stewart, an assistant professor of Quantitative Ecology at OSU.



The Southern resident killer whale population consists of three matriarchal pods – known as J, K, and L – which have traditionally been spotted in the Salish Sea between April and October. While the K and L ponds usually covered a wider geographic range, especially in winter and spring, the J pod was frequently seen in the Salish Sea to feed on returning salmon.



This iconic whale species has declined since 1995 and is currently officially listed as endangered. Previous studies have argued that the possible drivers of their decline include limited availability of their preferred prey, vessel disturbance in the Salish Sea, and high levels of pollutants in their core habitat.



As Chinook salmon populations were becoming less abundant around the San Juan Islands during summer, the number of days each pod of Southern residents was present in the area declined each year from 2004 to 2017. While the J pod was present in the region more frequently – with a high of 164 days in 2005 and a low of 36 days in 2017 – the L pod was spotted there for just 10 days in 2019, compared to a high of 103 days in 2004.



By comparing the whales’ presence with data on returning Chinook salmon, the experts identified a strong correlation between the whales’ presence and the salmon returns. “They went from spending the majority of their time in this habitat, to just a fraction of their summer. This shift is likely an effort to find alternative food sources,” Stewart explained.



According to co-author John Durban, a population ecologist at OSU, this lack of salmon is already impacting whales’ health. “This further suggests that lack of prey is likely the biggest stressor for these whales. The other stressors – pollutants and vessel disturbances – are compounded by the lack of prey. If there are fewer fish, disturbance by vessels may become more disruptive to their foraging success,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/17487692">Marine Mammal Science</a>.



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



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Lack of prey is changing the behavior of killer whales

The Salish Sea surrounding the San Juan Islands has traditionally...

Macro,Of,A,Carabus,Monilis

In North America, nearly 2,000 species of ground beetles support crops by preying on insect pests and eating the seeds of bothersome weeds in the surrounding soil. A new study from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a> has investigated what the future looks like for ground beetles in the face of climate change.&nbsp;



The experts found that while some ground beetles will thrive under future conditions, others will struggle to survive. The difference depends on the beetles' unique traits and habitats.&nbsp;



“We know that climate change influences everything from coral reefs in the ocean to trees on land, but there’s less information available on how it affects insects,” said Professor Tong Qiu. “Ground beetles are everywhere - in your backyard, in your garden. They eat the pests and weed seeds that damage crops and are important food sources for birds. They are small insects, but they have large ecosystem impacts.”



Professor Qiu and his colleagues set out to investigate how ground beetles will respond to environmental changes based on raw data collected across the continent of North America. The team examined species as a group based on their unique traits such as preferred habitat, body size, and whether they fly, burrow, climb or run.



"We synthesized the abundance and trait data for 136 species from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and additional raw data from studies across North America with remotely sensed habitat characteristics in a generalized joint attribute model," wrote the study authors.



"Combined Light Detection and RAnging (LiDAR) and hyperspectral imagery were used to derive habitat at a continental scale. We evaluated climate risks on the joint response of species and traits by expanding climate velocity to response velocity given habitat change."



The analysis revealed that less mobile beetle species that do not fly may decline over time. However, the researchers explained that habitat conservation can mitigate the effects of climate change and reverse the trend in some areas. 



“We found that nonflying carnivores, which are critical pest control agents, are more likely to decline over time in a warmer, dryer climate,” said Professor Qiu. “If you have fewer carnivores, you’ll have more of the pests that can impact agriculture.”



According to the researchers, habitat conditions can play a large role in beetle population change and can actually reverse the trend. Professor Qiu noted that some habitats, such as those with dense understory plants and fallen tree logs, offer important microclimate conditions that help to mitigate the effects of climate change.



“We hope conservation biologists will use the information in this paper and the online map that we created to better manage habitats for insects in general,” said Professor Qiu. “Ground beetles are very beneficial to ecosystems, but they’re largely invisible to the average person. In this paper we’re showing the broad impacts they have on whole communities in forested and agricultural ecosystems.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb.13670">Global Ecology and Biogeography</a>.



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



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How will climate impact the beetles that protect our crops?

In North America, nearly 2,000 species of ground beetles support...

Leading researchers in healthcare, ocean science, and social science have evaluated the global human health and environmental impacts of plastic. <a href="https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.4056">The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health report</a>, shows plastics as a hazard at every stage of their life cycle.



The Commission’s key findings include:



<ul>
<li>Plastics cause disease, impairment, and premature mortality at every stage of their life cycle, with the health repercussions affecting vulnerable, low-income, minority communities, particularly children.</li>



<li>Toxic chemicals that are added to plastics and routinely detected in people are known to increase the risk of miscarriage, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancers.</li>



<li>Plastic waste is found throughout the global environment, with <a href="https://microplastics.whoi.edu/">microplastics</a> occurring throughout the ocean and the marine food chain.</li>
</ul>



“It’s only been a little over 50 years since we’ve been aware of the presence of plastics throughout the ocean," said co-lead author John Stegeman of the <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a>. “The Minderoo-Monaco Commission’s work is a significant leap forward in connecting the broad health implications of plastics - to the ocean and to humanity.”



Current plastic production, use, and disposal patterns are not sustainable and are responsible for significant harm to human health, the economy, and the environment. The researchers found that plastics account for four to five percent of all greenhouse gas emissions across their life cycle, making them a large-scale contributor to climate change.



The health repercussions of plastic production have been estimated to be $250 billion in a 12-month period. The experts also estimate that health care costs associated with chemicals in plastics cost hundreds of billions of dollars.&nbsp;



The presence of plastics is indicative of deeper social issues. The researchers found that fast food and discount stores prevalent in poorer communities are causing increased exposure to plastic packaging, products, and associated chemicals and impacts.



The report emphasizes the need to better understand and monitor the effects of plastics on marine species. It is particularly important to improve knowlege of the smallest micro- and nano-plastic particles (MNPs) and their impacts on the marine environment.



The Commission has urged a cap on global plastic production be included in the Global Plastics Treaty currently being negotiated at the UN. It is recommended that the Treaty address the impacts of plastics across their entire life cycle.&nbsp;



“Ocean health is intimately and intricately connected to human health,” said co-lead author Mark Hahn. “Our attention now needs to be on creating a broadly acceptable international agreement that addresses the full life cycle of plastics in order to prioritize the health of the ocean that supports us all.”



The Commission reports that these negative impacts could be avoided by implementing better production practices, alternative design, less toxic chemicals, and decreased consumption.



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



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Ocean plastics are a hazard at every stage of their life cycle

Leading researchers in healthcare, ocean science, and social science have...

A global network of thousands of sites known as&nbsp;“Key Biodiversity Areas” (KBAs) often contain species on the brink of extinction or ecosystems that are found in only a small area worldwide. According to a recent study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.109953">Biological Conservation</a>, at least 80 percent of sites officially identified as being internationally important for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-biodiversity-crisis-is-actually-worse-than-we-thought/">biodiversity</a> are negatively affected by human infrastructure. In the near future, scientists expect this percentage to rise, with more KBAs containing power plants, mines, and oil and gas infrastructure.



Infrastructure is a major threat to biodiversity worldwide, often causing natural habitat destruction and fragmentation, pollution, increased disturbance/hunting by humans, direct mortality, and the spread of invasive species. Moreover, it can have far wider impacts beyond the development site.&nbsp;



The scientists assessed 15,150 KBAs on land and found that over 80 percent of them contained infrastructure such as roads (75 percent), power lines (37 percent), and urban areas (37 percent). Moreover, future forecasts estimate that infrastructure developments could lead to an additional 2,201 KBAs containing mines (from 754 to 2,955, or a 292 percent increase), an additional 1,508 KBAs containing oil and gas infrastructure (from 2,081 to 3,589; 72 percent increase) and an additional 1,372 KBAs containing power plants (from 233 to 1,605; 589 percent increase).



The analysis revealed that&nbsp;countries in South America, Sub-Saharan, central, and southern Africa, and parts of southeast Asia are the areas with the highest proportion of extractive claims, concessions, or planned development in their KBA networks, while all of the KBAs identified in Bangladesh, Kuwait, the Republic of the Congo, and Serbia have potential extractive claims, concession, or planned development.



“It’s concerning that human developments exist in the vast majority of sites that have been identified as being critical for nature,” said study lead author Ashley Simkins, a doctoral student in Zoology at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>.



“We recognize that infrastructure is essential to human development but it’s about building smartly. This means ideally avoiding or otherwise minimizing infrastructure in the most important locations for biodiversity. If the infrastructure must be there, then it should be designed to cause as little damage as possible, and the impacts more than compensated for elsewhere.”



“Infrastructure underpins our societies, delivering the water we drink, the roads we travel on, and the electricity that powers livelihoods,” said Wendy Elliott, Deputy Leader for Wildlife at the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Fund</a> (WWF). “This study illustrates the crucial importance of ensuring smart infrastructure development that provides social and economic value for all, while ensuring positive outcomes for nature. Making this happen will be the challenge of our time, but with the right planning, design, and commitment it is well within the realms of possibility.”



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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



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Human infrastructure found in most key biodiversity areas

A global network of thousands of sites known as&nbsp;“Key Biodiversity...

A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.qut.edu.au/">Queensland University of Technology</a> (QUT) has recently found that the diet quality of fish across the world’s oceans could decline by up to ten percent as climate change impacts critical parts of marine food chains. This could have major repercussions, threatening <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-shrunk-global-fisheries/">global fisheries</a> and the livelihoods of billions of people worldwide.



The researchers investigated the possible impact of climate change on zooplankton, a highly abundant and diverse group of microscopic marine animals accounting for over 40 percent of the world’s marine biomass and representing the primary link between phytoplankton (which converts sunlight and nutrients into energy) and larger fish.



“Despite their abundance, diversity, and critical importance in transferring energy from phytoplankton to fish, knowledge about what shapes the composition of zooplankton communities across the world’s oceans is relatively limited,” said study lead author Ryan Heneghan, a lecturer in Mathematical Sciences at QUT.



“This is a challenge, since if zooplankton are affected by climate change, this could have important implications for the ocean’s ability to sequester carbon emissions, and the productivity of fisheries.”



The experts used a global marine ecosystem model to assess how the impact of climate change on all the major zooplankton groups – from single-cell zooplankton to krill and jellyfish – may affect the diet quality of larger fish feeding on zooplankton. The analysis revealed that future zooplankton communities will be increasingly dominated by carnivorous groups (such as chaetognaths) and gelatinous groups (like salps and larvaceans), at the expense of small crustacean omnivores such as copepods or krill.



Since gelatinous groups can directly access smaller phytoplankton for food, they may provide an effective shortcut for the transfer of energy from increasingly dominant phytoplankton to fish.&nbsp;



“This shortcut partially offsets the increase in the number of steps from phytoplankton to fish from shrinking phytoplankton and increases in carnivorous zooplankton. But it comes at a cost: these groups are gelatinous, having about five percent of the carbon contained in omnivorous zooplankton such as krill and copepods. In terms of nutrition, this would be like replacing a rib-eye steak with a bowl of jelly,” Heneghan explained.



“As a result, our model projects that the diet quality of small fish could decline across large areas of the world’s oceans, which would exacerbate declines in fish biomass from climate change by up to 10 percent.”



“For human societies, this could have far-reaching implications globally, since according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization fisheries are a key ecosystem service worth US$150 billion a year, providing more than 20 percent of dietary animal protein for 3.3 billion people, and supporting 60 million livelihoods,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01630-7">Nature Climate Change</a>.



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



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Global fisheries threatened by climate change

A team of researchers led by the Queensland University of...

The Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) – also known as the Black Vulture and the Monk Vulture – is the largest bird of prey in Europe. Once abundant, its populations in Southern Europe have declined dramatically since the late 1800s. While globally, this vulture is classified as “Near Threatened,” in Bulgaria it has been considered extinct since 1985.



However, due to a re-introduction initiative started in 2015 by three Bulgarian non-governmental organizations - &nbsp;the <a href="https://greenbalkans.org/">Green Balkans</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fwff.org/">Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna</a>, and the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bpps.org/">Birds of Prey Protection Society</a> – the vulture is finally back in the country, with 72 individuals imported from Spain and European zoos and released in strategically-chosen locations in the Eastern Balkan Mountains and the Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park in northwestern Bulgaria.



While 63 juvenile vultures were brought from Spain, where they had been found in distress and rehabilitated in aviaries, nine were captive-bred in zoos and afterwards released by means of “hacking,” a process involving artificial nests from which fledglings can gradually get back to the wild.



In a new study published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.11.e100521">Biodiversity Data Journal</a>, scientists reported on and discussed the effectiveness and challenges of different release method, while offering new insights on the conservation and re-introduction of this iconic species. According to the experts, hacking proved ineffective for establishing an entirely new core population in the Balkan Mountains, and it did not work properly for supplementing a small settled group of individuals either. By contrast, the aviary method and delayed release – in which captive-bred birds are introduced to a new environment after a period of acclimatization – seems to be a much more efficient alternative.



“The Cinereous Vulture re-introduction establishment phase in Bulgaria in the two first release sites is running according to the plan, and the first results are satisfactory,” the authors wrote. “Two distinct nuclei are now created, and the species started breeding, which might be a reason to up-list it in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria from ’Extinct’ to ‘Critically Endangered.’”



These newly created nuclei in Bulgaria are the second and third of their kind in the entire Balkan Peninsula, after the breeding colony in the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest National Park in northeastern Greece. Future exchanges between these three colonies will likely increase the regional population and ensure long-term stability of this species.



However, further monitoring and adaptive management are necessary for the long-term persistence of the new Black Vulture population. After the core breeding populations will start producing about ten chicks each year and the locally fledged individuals will begin reproducing on their own, it can be officially confirmed that this species has successfully re-established in the country.



&nbsp;—



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



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Vulture reintroduced in Bulgaria after three decades

The Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) – also known as the...

An unusual parasite strain that has killed at least four sea otters may pose a threat to marine animals and humans, according to a study from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a>. The experts report that the animals died from an unusually severe form of toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by the microscopic parasite Toxoplasma gondii.



The researchers noted that toxoplasmosis is common in sea otters, but the new Toxoplasma strain appears to be more lethal and capable of rapidly killing healthy adult otters.



The scientists warn that this rare form of toxoplasma infection, which has never been seen on the California coast before, could threaten both wildlife and humans if it contaminates the environment and the marine food chain.



“Because this parasite can infect humans and other animals, we want others to be aware of our findings, quickly recognize cases if they encounter them and take precautions to prevent infection,” said study co-author Melissa Miller. “We encourage others to take extra precautions if they observe inflamed systemic fat deposits in sea otters or other marine wildlife.”



Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite that infects most species of warm-blooded animals and causes toxoplasmosis. The sea otters that were found stranded with the new strain of Toxoplasma had severe inflammation of their body fat - a condition called steatitis. According to the researchers, this is a very unusual finding in sea otters with toxoplasmosis.



“The appearance of this lethal type of Toxoplasma in coastal California is concerning for two main reasons: First, because of potential population health impacts on a threatened species, and second, because this parasite could also affect the health of other animals that are susceptible to Toxoplasma infection,” said study co-author Devinn Sinnott of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.



Through microscopic examination, the experts found that the deceased otters had high numbers of Toxoplasma parasites in their tissues. However, the parasites were not present in the brain, which is usually affected in sea otters with fatal toxoplasmosis.



DNA tests revealed that the animals had been infected with a rare strain of Toxoplasma called COUG, which was first identified in 1995 in Canadian mountain lions.



“This was a complete surprise,” said study senior author Karen Shapiro of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “The COUG genotype has never before been described in sea otters, nor anywhere in the California coastal environment or in any other aquatic mammal or bird.”



“I have studied Toxoplasma infections in sea otters for 25 years, and I have never seen such severe lesions or high parasite numbers,” said Miller. “We are reporting our preliminary findings to alert others about this concerning condition. Since Toxoplasma can infect any warm-blooded animal, it could also potentially cause disease in animals and humans that share the same environment or food resources, including mussels, clams, oysters, and crabs that are consumed raw or undercooked.”



According to Sinnott, larger-scale studies are needed to understand the potential impact of infection by the COUG Toxoplasma strain on sea otter populations, how geographically dispersed it is, how it is being introduced into the ocean, and what other animals might be affected.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1116899">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.



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



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Sea otters killed by lethal strain of Toxoplasma 

An unusual parasite strain that has killed at least four...

Some pesticides – particularly a class called neonicotinoids – are known to have a significant impact on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-bees-struggle-to-recover-after-extreme-weather-events/">bees</a> and other insects, contributing to population declines. Yet, since bees’ responses to this threat across the globe often seems to vary, other factors might be at play.&nbsp;



Now, a team of scientists from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> (ICL) has found that environmental temperature is one of these factors, influencing the degree to which pesticides alter a variety of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bumblebees-increasingly-stressed-over-the-past-century/">bumblebee</a> behaviors that are crucial for their survival and capacity to pollinate crops. These findings suggest that future global warming could increase the impact of pesticides in bee population and their pollination services.



The experts examined how six bumblebee behaviors were influenced by two widely used pesticides - the neonicotinoid imidacloprid and the sulfoximine sulfoxaflor - at three different temperatures (21, 27, and 30°C). The investigation revealed that four of these behaviors – responsiveness, likelihood of movement, walking rate, and food consumption rate – were affected by imidacloprid more strongly at lower temperatures, suggesting that cold snaps may increase pesticide toxicity on essential behaviors. However, a behavior highly important for pollination – how far the bees could fly – was most significantly affected by exposure to imidacloprid at the highest temperature.



“The drop-off in flight performance at the highest temperature suggests a ‘tipping point’ has been reached in the bees’ ability to tolerate the combined temperature and pesticide exposure. This seeming cliff-edge effect happens over the span of just three degrees, which changes our perception of pesticide risk dynamics given such temperature changes can commonly occur over the space of a day,” said study senior author Richard Gill, a senior lecturer in Life Sciences at ICL.



“Furthermore, the frequency to which bees will be exposed to pesticides and extreme temperatures under climate change are predicted to increase. Our work can help to inform the right concentrations and application times of pesticides across different climatic regions of the world to help safeguard pollinators, such as bees.”



The scientists stress that, although the tropics are hotter in general, since temperature ranges are larger in more temperate latitudes, pollinators may be affected more strongly in such regions. By quantifying the relationship between pollination services and pesticide impact, this study could play a significant role in assessing the risks of pesticides across different regions of the world as the climate continues to warm.



“These results are important for developing a toxicity forecast framework, allowing us to predict how bee populations will respond to climate change whilst living in intense agricultural landscapes,” concluded co-author Peter Graystock, an expert in Conservation Biology at ICL.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16671">Global Change Biology</a>.



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



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Rising temperatures increase pesticide toxicity in bees

Some pesticides – particularly a class called neonicotinoids – are...

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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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.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



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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



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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



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&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> Staff Writer 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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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.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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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.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



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.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video 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 history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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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.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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 capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...