Researchers recently revealed a stunning new species of sea slug glowing in the ocean's darkest depths. Known as the "mystery mollusk" or&nbsp;Bathydevius caudactylus, this nudibranch inhabits the ocean's midnight zone, one of Earth's least-explored realms.



This discovery is more than just a new name on a species list - it's an illuminating dive into our planet's vast, hidden ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mystery-mollusk-in-the-midnight-zone">Mystery mollusk in the midnight zone</h2>



The "mystery mollusk," Bathydevius caudactylus as the scientists officially named it, inhabits the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/highly-unusual-bacteria-discovered-in-deep-sea-corals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean's deep abyss</a>, also known as the midnight zone.



But this isn't just about a new species - it's about an exciting lifeline into understanding our planet's largest habitat in more depth.



Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (<a href="https://www.mbari.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MBARI</a>) Senior Scientist Bruce Robison steered this explorative venture.



“Thanks to MBARI’s advanced underwater technology, we were able to prepare the most comprehensive description of a deep-sea animal ever made," noted Robison.



"We've invested more than 20 years in understanding the natural history of this fascinating species of nudibranch. Our discovery is a new piece of the puzzle that can help better understand the largest habitat on Earth."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-identifying-the-mystery-mollusk">Identifying the mystery mollusk</h2>



This unusual sea creature was first spotted in the year 2000, during an expedition using the institute's remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named Tiburon. It was found gliding through the waters offshore of Monterey Bay at a depth of 2,614 meters (8,576 feet).



Confusion arose when the team initially struggled to identify this creature due to its anomalous appearance - a voluminous hood, a flat tail fringed with numerous, finger-like projections, and a set of colorful internal organs.



But after years of research and countless ROV sightings, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-pigs-unicumbers-strange-stunning-creatures-discovered-abyssal-plains-ccz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mystery</a> was solved - this strange creature is, in fact, a nudibranch or sea slug.



<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="rLItWTv9qr-4019991-12187" type="single"]</div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-nudibranch-unlike-any-other">A nudibranch unlike any other</h2>



The mystery mollusk isn't your ordinary nudibranch. It's the first of its kind known to dwell in the immense open waters of the bathypelagic zone, a region 1,000 to 4,000 meters (3,300 to 13,100 feet) below the ocean surface.



Also, the sightings of this fascinating creature span the Pacific coast of North America, from Oregon to as far south as Southern California. Plus, similar creatures spotted by NOAA researchers in the Mariana Trench hint at the mollusk's potentially widespread existence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-survival-techniques-of-the-sea-slug">Survival techniques of the sea slug</h2>



Surviving in such harsh environments is no easy feat. How does the mystery mollusk manage? Interestingly, it has evolved unique survival strategies.



For instance, unlike most sea slugs that feed by rasping prey off the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-life-100-new-sea-creatures-found-in-chile/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seafloor</a>, it uses its cavernous hood to trap crustaceans, much like a Venus flytrap plant would do.



Moreover, to avoid predators, it has a clear body that blends with the surrounding waters and can emit a bright bioluminescence to deter and distract hungry predators. 



“When we first filmed it glowing with the ROV, everyone in the control room let out a loud ‘Oooooh!’ at the same time. We were all enchanted by the sight,” said MBARI senior scientist Steven Haddock.



“Only recently have cameras become capable of filming bioluminescence in high-resolution and in full color. MBARI is one of the only places in the world where we have taken this new technology into the deep ocean, allowing us to study the luminous behavior of deep-sea animals in their natural habitat.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nudibranch-family-tree-expands">Nudibranch family tree expands</h2>



Beyond its captivating appearance and survival tactics, what really stood out during the research was the mollusc's genetic uniqueness. 



Detailed examination of specific gene sequences emphasized that the mystery mollusk is distinct enough from other known nudibranchs to merit the creation of a new family, Bathydeviidae.



"What is exciting to me about the mystery mollusk is that it exemplifies how much we are learning as we spend more time in the deep sea, particularly below 2,000 meters," said Haddock.



"For there to be a relatively large, unique, and glowing animal that is in a previously unknown family really underscores the importance of using new technology to catalog this vast environment. The more we learn about deep-sea communities, the better we will be at ocean decision-making and stewardship.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wealth-of-deep-sea-discoveries">Wealth of deep-sea discoveries</h2>



This discovery is just one exciting piece in the puzzle of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-species-of-deep-sea-squid-discovered-that-broods-giant-eggs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deep-sea exploration</a>. MBARI's state-of-the-art technology has unveiled over 250 previously unknown deep-sea species to date, encouraging us to plunge deeper into these fascinating, otherworldly realms.



“Deep-sea animals capture the imagination. These are our neighbors that share our blue planet. Each new discovery is an opportunity to raise awareness about the deep sea and inspire the public to protect the amazing animals and environments found deep beneath the surface,” said Robison.



Indeed, each new discovery brings us one step closer to fully understanding and protecting our fascinating blue planet. And with this latest revelation of the mystery mollusk, we get to marvel at another fascinating dweller of the deep.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967063724001845?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Deep Sea Research</a>.



Image/ Video Credit: MBARI



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Mystery mollusk: Glowing sea slug found in the deep sea

Researchers recently revealed a stunning new species of sea slug glowing in the ocean's darkest depths. Known as the "mystery mollusk" or&nbsp;Bathydevius caudactylus, this nudibranch inhabits the ocean's midnight zone, one of Earth's least-explored realms. This discovery is more than just a new name on a species list - it's an illuminating dive into our planet's vast, hidden ecosystems. Mystery mollusk in the midnight zone The "mystery mollusk," Bathydevius caudactylus as the scientists officially named it, inhabits the ocean's deep abyss, also known as the midnight zone....

For those wishing to see an African <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-sumatran-rhino-may-have-another-chance-at-survival/">rhinoceros</a> species in the wild, a visit to South Africa would be well advised. This country stewards the largest number of rhinos in Africa, supporting 81 percent of the white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) and 33 percent of the black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) remaining on the continent. Until the past decade, the largest concentrations of these iconic mammals were found in South Africa’s state-run Kruger National Park.&nbsp;



However, just as tourists from all over the world visit this park to view the rhinos (among other species), poachers have been drawn there to kill the rhinos for their horns. The Kruger National Park has become a poaching hotspot and has seen devastating decreases in rhino numbers. Figures released in 2021 indicated 76 percent and 68 percent declines in the Park’s white and black rhino populations over the past decade, respectively.&nbsp;



In order to conserve these impressive species, the governments and conservation authorities in African countries where they occur have had to resort to drastic and innovative measures. Many rhinos have been moved out of national parks and protected areas, such as Kruger, to be rehomed in reserves in neighboring countries, or on privately held game farms. Populations of rhinos on private land, or on community land, have grown and have proved easier to protect from the ravages of poaching.&nbsp;



In a new review of the importance of private and communal lands to the future conservation of Africa's rhinoceroses, scientists from the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a> in Finland, and the Universities of Stellenbosch and Nelson Mandela in South Africa, discuss the sustainability of such an approach in the longer term. In their report, published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fee.2593">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a>, the experts suggest that new strategies for ensuring the protection of these species are urgently needed.&nbsp;



“Private and communal landowners in several southern and East African countries can generate revenues from wildlife tourism, trophy hunting and trade in live animals, making it financially viable to use their land to conserve wildlife rather than for farming livestock,” said study co-author Dr.&nbsp;Hayley Clements. “The result has been that hundreds of landowners conserve rhinos on their properties.”



Over the past decade, as poaching has increased in national parks, wildlife agencies have become concerned that the species would be extirpated. As rhino numbers in national parks have decreased, the estimated number of rhinos on private land in South Africa has steadily increased. As a result of this shift, the proportion of the country’s white rhinos on private land increased from 25 percent in 2010 to 53 percent in 2021. This means that, collectively, private landholders in South Africa now support the largest number of white rhinos on the continent.&nbsp;



A similar pattern applies to the black rhinos in the country as well; approximately 25 percent are conserved on privately held lands. Rhinos on private farms, as well as on community-held lands, also represent significant proportions of the total rhino populations in other African countries, such as Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya, where poaching in national parks has taken a toll.&nbsp;



Although this move to conserving rhinos outside the confines of national parks has undoubtedly reduced the damage wrought by poachers, it comes with significant costs that may make it unsustainable in future, unless new policies are adopted. For example, private game farms make an income from wildlife-based tourism and hunting, as well as from selling the meat and trophies from their wild animals. In South Africa, one-quarter of private owners of white rhinos offer trophy hunting, 45 percent trade in live rhinos, and 62 percent undertake wildlife-based tourism.&nbsp;



If any of these activities was disallowed in future, the private owners would not make enough income to cover the expenses involved in keeping and protecting rhinos. Commonly, private owners need to employ anti-poaching units and other security measures to protect the animals on their properties, and the costs involved have increased in recent years. If economic conditions became tougher, with fuel and salary price hikes, or restrictions on tourists as during the Covid-19 pandemic, rhino conservation on these private or community lands would no longer be financially sustainable.&nbsp;



The cost-benefit ratio of conserving rhinos is changing, explained study co-author Dr.&nbsp;Dave Balfour. “Accelerating poaching has meant private rhino owners now spend on average US$150,000 per year on security measures. This is far more than state parks are able to spend per rhino or per unit area conserved. Combined with the generally smaller size of private rhino populations (in smaller areas averaging 100 km2), which likely makes them easier to protect than in places like Kruger (with an area of 20,000 km2), this spending on security means private rhino populations have suffered lower poaching rates than in some core state-run parks. But these rising security costs mean many landowners are not willing or able to continue conserving rhinos, with some choosing to sell their rhinos, often at a loss.”&nbsp;



The study authors state that it is imperative to find new ways of incentivizing the ownership of rhinos by private land owners and on community lands, if this important component of conservation is to continue.&nbsp;



“The reality is that, at present, rhinos on private and communal lands in range states are the only major complement to state parks," said the researchers. "It is therefore imperative to consider – in the context of high poaching pressure, a diminished live-rhino trade market, and a wildlife-based tourism industry devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic – how incentives can be structured to achieve rhino conservation objectives as opposed to intensive rhino management or disinvestment.”



“It is important that future policy enables new incentives that compensate for rising security costs, encouraging rhino conservation on private and communal land,” noted study senior author Professor Enrico Di Minin.&nbsp;



“For example, could landowners that conserve rhinos in extensive systems qualify for a more favorable tax structure? Could they be eligible for carbon or the emerging biodiversity credits, or rhino bonds, given the role of rhinos in carbon cycling? Could they receive certifications for extensive management that increase the value of their wildlife-based tourism and hunting offerings? These are crucial questions that need to be addressed in order to support more sustainable conservation strategies for rhinos."



Moreover, increased transparency by states about rhino numbers and their management is critical for understanding where and how best to conserve them. Availability of up-to-date information on rhino populations, poaching rates, and security costs can aid in identifying and quantifying long-term trends in rhino populations across land tenure types, inform their conservation, and help raise public awareness and support.



“If additional incentives are not enabled, we risk losing private and communal rhino custodians, and with them, half of the remaining African rhinos,” concluded Dr. Clements.



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



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More than half of Africa’s rhinos have private owners

For those wishing to see an African rhinoceros species in...

Many people buy lottery tickets regularly in the hope that, at one point, they will win the grand prize. Despite the significant financial cost of playing the lottery numbers frequently, the possible payoff is large enough to make it worthwhile. 



According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> (U-M), animals that live in highly variable environments often play a similar lottery when it comes to their Darwinian fitness, or how well they are able to pass their genes to future generations. For instance, the experts found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/red-squirrels-with-familiar-neighbors-have-a-greater-chance-of-survival/">red squirrels</a> which gambled at the reproductive game outperformed those that didn’t, even if it cost them in the short run.



In years when food is abundant, natural selection favors female squirrels that have large litters. However, these so-called “mast years” – characterized by a significant boom in their main food source (seeds from the cones of white spruce trees) – occur only every four to seven years. Nonetheless, many squirrels have large litters each year, hoping that it will turn out to be a mast year.



“We were surprised to find that some females have large litters in years when there won’t be enough food for their babies to survive the winter,” said study lead author Lauren Petrullo, a postdoctoral fellow in Biopsychology at U-M. “Because it’s biologically expensive to produce offspring, we wanted to know why these females make what appears to be an error in their reproductive strategy. There is a constant tug-of-war between the trees and the squirrels at our study site, with each player trying to deceive the other for its own fitness gain.”



By quantifying the reproduction of female squirrels during both food booms and busts, the researchers discovered differences in their fitness according to whether they gambled with their reproductive strategy or not.&nbsp;



While some squirrels “played it safe” by keeping their litter sizes small each year, those that had large litters even when food was scarce enjoyed greater lifetime fitness if they managed to experience a mast year. However, squirrels are not guaranteed to always win by using this strategy.&nbsp;



“In some ways, this strategy of gambling with litter sizes is like playing with fire,” Petrullo explained. “Because the average squirrel lifespan is 3.5 years and masts only happen every four to seven, a female could potentially be sabotaging her fitness by having too many babies in low-food years, hoping for a mast when she may die before she ever gets to experience a mast at all. This could be pretty costly.” Yet, the cost of not gambling at all in the game of reproduction could be insurmountable for squirrels that miss their shot at the jackpot.



Scientists are still unsure exactly how the squirrels are often able to forecast food production. A possible explanation could be that the animals may be eating parts of the spruce trees which affect their physiology and alter the number of offspring they produce.&nbsp;



“This is exciting because it suggests that squirrels are eavesdropping on the trees, but we still have much more to do to solve this puzzle,” concluded senior author Ben Dantzer, a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at U-M.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abn0665">Science</a>.&nbsp;



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



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Squirrels gamble to increase evolutionary fitness

Many people buy lottery tickets regularly in the hope that,...

Many flowers such as mallows, foxgloves, or forget-me-nots have colorful patterns that biologists call “nectar guides.” These patterns have a guiding function to pollinating insects, increasing their efficiency in finding food, while at the same time improving the pollen dispersal of the plants.&nbsp;



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/home/">Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg</a> (JMU) in Germany has deciphered the individual steps through which flower patterns increase the efficiency of terrestrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bumblebees-increasingly-stressed-over-the-past-century/">bumblebees</a> (Bombus terrestris), by providing evidence that nectar guides reduce the time needed for bees’ complete interaction with flowers – from approach to finding nectar to departure - by up to 30 percent.&nbsp;



“Colorful patterns on flowers are thought to benefit both pollinators and the plants they visit, by increasing the plants’ pollination success via an increased foraging efficiency of the pollinators. This increased efficiency is assumed to result from a guidance effect of the flower patterns, correspondingly termed ‘nectar guides,’ which indicate the position of the nectary to visiting pollinators, thus reducing their flower handling time,” the authors explained.



Surprisingly, the scientists found that flower patterns do not in fact shorten the actual nectar search. After landing on a colorfully-patterned flower, the bumblebees did not find nectar any faster than on a flower without a pattern. However, the flower patterns shortened the approach flight time and created a strategically favorable landing position, making them act like markings on a runway and thus helping bumblebees coordinate their approach. Moreover, the patterns also have a significant role in shortening the time until take-off. Since bumblebees often run to the edge of the petals for take-off, they can find this site more quickly if they can orient themselves to a pattern.



In future studies, the researchers aim to investigate how the glossy surfaces that occur on some flowers affect the interaction with pollinating insects. “These insights provide a novel focus for&nbsp; the study of flower-pollinator interactions in the lab and in their natural environment, and open up new questions on how deceptive patterns or altered displays on ornamental flowers impact&nbsp; foraging efficiency in insect pollinators,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14262">Functional Ecology</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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Colorful flower patterns make bumblebees more efficient

Many flowers such as mallows, foxgloves, or forget-me-nots have colorful...

According to a recent study published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35091-x">Nature Communications</a>, nearly two thirds of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sharks-important-deserve-protections/">sharks</a> and rays that live among the world’s coral reefs are currently threatened with extinction. This is due to the fact that coral reefs – which harbor over a quarter of all marine animals and plants – are seriously menaced by a variety of human-related threats, including overfishing, pollution, and climate change.



Many shark and ray species, ranging from apex predators to filter feeders, play a major role in these delicate ecosystems that cannot be filled by other species. By examining 134 species of sharks and rays, the experts found that 59 percent of coral reef shark and ray species worldwide are threatened with extinction. Among these, five shark and nine ray species are listed as “critically endangered.”



“It was a bit surprising just how high the threat level is for these species,” said study lead author Samantha Sherman, a postdoctoral researcher in Marine Biology at <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/">Simon Frasier University</a> in Canada. “Many species that we thought of as common are declining at alarming rates and becoming more difficult to find in some places,” mainly due to overfishing.



According to the researchers, sharks are under most threat in the Western Atlantic and certain regions of the Indian Ocean, while the Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean represent the highest risks for rays. All of these regions are heavily fished and do not currently have any management infrastructure in place to reduce the impact of overfishing on these species.



Although in 2022 several countries have approved a plan to protect dozens of shark and ray species – including an extra 21 coral reef species in addition to the 18 species already covered by the regulations – more efforts on a global scale are necessary to improve implementation. Moreover, the regulations themselves cannot stop these species from being killed as “bycatch.”



“The solutions are similar for both sharks and rays—limits on fishing, well placed and properly implemented Marine Protected Areas, and alternative livelihood solutions to reduce the number of fishers on coral reefs,” Sherman said.



Since coral reefs are declining worldwide due to climate change, protecting reef sharks and rays could help keep reefs healthier for longer and thus safeguard a variety of other crucial ecosystems.



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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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Nearly two-thirds of coral reef sharks and rays face extinction

According to a recent study published in the journal Nature...

A team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.rice.edu/">Rice University</a> has recently investigated the daily behavioral patterns of animal populations in the tropics. The experts found that communities of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mammals-and-birds-became-warm-blooded-after-surviving-a-mass-extinction/">mammals</a> across the wet tropics divide their days in similar ways, all mostly geared toward finding their next meal, or avoiding becoming the next meal for other animals.



By using millions of images from camera trap networks in 16 protected tropical forests around the world, the scientists examined the relationship of mammal activities to their body sizes and feeding routines in order to identify common patterns among different populations. The analysis revealed that, despite their diversity, common behavioral characteristics dominate the days of rainforest animals in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.



For instance, the activity of herbivores and insectivores was strongly influenced by the temperatures of their habitats, with large African herbivores being seven times more likely to be nocturnal than smaller herbivores.&nbsp;



On the other hand, interactions between predators and prey were mainly dominated by the time of day. The researchers discovered that, since the “top-down” activities that dominate the daily life of prey focus on not getting eaten, they avoid exposure when predators are most likely to be on the hunt. Moreover, size also seemed to matter, with small carnivores altering their activities to reduce their encounters with large carnivores. Conversely, “bottom-up” strategies influence how predators adjust their activities to maximize potential encounters with prey.



“As you think about a food chain, top-down refers to how higher trophic levels - that is, predators - affect their prey, whereas bottom-up refers to how lower trophic levels - food sources including plants and insects - affect the animals that eat them,”&nbsp;said study co-author Lydia Beaudrot, an assistant professor of Biosciences at Rice.



“This paper is a prime example of how important it is to have standardized data collection replicated over large spatial extents. By analyzing data collected in the same way in national parks throughout the tropics, we have been able to identify similarities in behavioral activity that were previously unable to be quantified.”



Thus, although species in different regions have evolved in isolation from one another, similar environmental conditions in tropical rainforests around the world result in consistent activity patterns among wildlife.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-34825-1">Nature Communications</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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Animals in rainforests follow the same daily routines

A team of researchers led by Rice University has recently...

Climate change has undisputable global effects on a wide variety of ecosystems and ecological community compositions. However, scientists have long pondered why certain communities are more resilient to its effects than others. In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a> covering almost all North American bird species, the experts examined community composition changes and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-diversity-suffers-in-urban-environments/">diversity</a> over half a century (1966-2016).&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that bird communities with higher species richness and a larger variety of functional properties changed less radically in their community composition due to climate change during the study period.



“For example, if a community contained birds of prey, insectivores, and seed-eaters rather than birds from just one feeding guild, it was better safeguarded against the negative impacts of climate change,” explained study lead author Emma-Liina Marjakangas, a community ecologist at Helsinki.



According to the scientists, community-level diversity functions as a buffer against negative climate change impacts, particularly during winter, the season that has shown the strongest warming patterns across the Northern Hemisphere. By contrast, biodiversity seems to have played a less significant role during the breeding season.



“Habitat and available food determine a species’ flexibility for changing its breeding and wintering areas. For example, grassland species have shifted their distributions northwards slower than forest passerines, such as the American robin, or habitat generalists, such as the mourning dove,” said study senior author&nbsp;Aleksi Lehikoinen, an expert in Ecology and Ornithology at the same university.



This phenomenon is likely caused by the fact that functionally diverse bird communities help maintaining ecosystems through plant seed dispersal, pest insect control, and even pollination. Since climate change frequently reshuffles the composition of these bird communities, it currently threatens their ability to provide these critical ecosystem services.



“Our results strengthen the understanding that biodiversity safeguards ecosystem functioning and that the biodiversity and climate crises need to be mitigated simultaneously to avoid multiplicative effects,” Marjakangas concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26248-1">Nature Scientific Reports</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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Biodiversity protects bird communities from climate change

Climate change has undisputable global effects on a wide variety...

A study led by the <a href="https://www.yellowstone.org/wolf-project/">Yellowstone Wolf Project</a> is shedding new light on how humans are impacting wolf populations in national parks. The researchers found that human-caused mortality triggers instability among wolf packs. In particular, the team found that human activities such as trapping and legal hunting have detrimental effects on reproduction and pack persistence among gray wolf populations.&nbsp;



"Gray wolf management is rarely simple and transboundary wildlife issues are complicated by disparate management goals," wrote the researchers. "Despite our study focusing on gray wolves that primarily lived within national parks and preserves, we documented high levels of human-caused mortality, most of which occurred outside protected-area boundaries. Of greater concern, these mortalities had detrimental effects on gray wolf pack-level biological processes."&nbsp;



The team analyzed decades of data for gray wolf packs living primarily within Denali National Park and Preserve, Grand Teton National Park, Voyageurs National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. To conduct the study, Yellowstone research associate Kira Cassidy collaborated with experts from all five national parks and from the University of Minnesota Voyageurs Wolf Project.&nbsp;



“For gray wolves, the biological unit is the pack or the family. We wanted to focus on the impacts of human-caused mortality to the pack, a finer-scale measure than population size or growth rate,” said Cassidy. “We found the odds a pack persists and reproduces drops with more human-caused mortalities.”&nbsp;



To investigate, the researchers examined wolf packs after at least one member was killed by human causes and compared these groups with packs that had not experienced human-caused mortality&nbsp;



The study revealed that the likelihood of a pack staying together until the end of the year decreased by 27 percent after human-caused mortality, while the rate of reproduction dropped by 22 percent. The impacts were even more severe when a pack leader died, with the odds of pack persistence dropping by 73 percent and reproduction declining by 49 percent.



Wolves in Voyageurs National Park spent the most time outside of park boundaries. As a result, 50 percent of all deaths among this population were attributable to humans, and poaching was the predominant cause.



“The unique shape of Voyageurs means that there are very few wolf packs that live entirely within the boundaries of the park. Instead, many wolf pack territories straddle the park border and when wolves leave the park, they are at an increased risk of being killed by people,” said study co-author Thomas Gable.



"Rather than viewing this result as a failing, we hope this work encourages a renewed interest in interagency collaboration, where management of gray wolves is defined by compromise and based on science, including weighted space-use and cause-specific mortality data,^ concluded the study authors. "If efforts are made toward this goal, these protected areas and the partners involved can serve as a model for successful transboundary issues worldwide."



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fee.2597">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</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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Wolf packs are less likely to stick together after human impacts

A study led by the Yellowstone Wolf Project is shedding...

Scientists have long pondered why pathogens often cause illness in their hosts. Although, at first sight, making a host <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-reinfection-increases-the-risk-of-fatal-complications/">sick</a> or even killing it may not seem a good way for pathogens to spread, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.vt.edu/">Virginia Tech</a> has now found that, in certain cases, making hosts ill is in fact crucial for increasing the infectiousness of some diseases.&nbsp;



“For a pathogen, ‘spreading’ is their key form of reproduction. And when we think about why pathogens make their hosts sick, it’s long been a mystery, because making a host sick or making your host die is superficially not a good way for a pathogen to be able to spread. A very sick host will stay home and not interact as much as others, which means less spread potential for a pathogen,” said study lead author Dana Hawley, a professor of Biology at Virginia Tech.



Yet, “making your hosts feel ill can be important for getting some of the copies of yourself out of the host you are infecting and into another. So there is a trade-off for the pathogen. Making your host feel sick means that host may not interact with as many other hosts as they normally would - this is bad for the pathogen - but when they do have interactions, a very sick host that is coughing or has swollen eyes is going to be much more likely to spread whatever pathogen it has in its body. This is&nbsp;good&nbsp;for the pathogen.”



To better understand this phenomenon, the scientists used finches - a species of songbirds whose populations are affected by a bacterial pink-eye disease (conjunctivitis) - as a case study. They divided the birds into three groups – not ill, mildly ill, and strongly ill – and, after applying a UV fluorescent powder coating around their eyes, housed each of them with four healthy flockmates. The fluorescent coating allowed the researchers to track how much powder was spread to flockmates from birds with different symptoms.



Although the finches experiencing the strongest conjunctivitis symptoms were far less likely to eat, they nonetheless spread the powder at a higher rate than the mildly ill birds who spent more time feeding. “In our study system, the benefits of making your host sicker by increasing eye swelling outweighed the cost of making the finches feed and interact less,” Hawley explained. “So overall, this pathogen is going to likely evolve to cause&nbsp;more harm to birds in nature so that it can spread at a higher rate, but up to some limit, because if the pathogen kills a bird immediately, the pathogen doesn’t have a chance to spread at all.”



These findings could have important implications for managing human-infecting pathogens too. “This goes back to the idea that everyone hoped that COVID would evolve to become milder over time. Our study shows that the pressures on pathogens are complicated. On the one hand, being mild is good for pathogens if it keeps your host out and about and in others’ company - good for spread, but on the other hand, being mild may mean that none of the pathogen makes it out of the host and into another because your host isn’t coughing or depositing as much pathogen onto hands or other surfaces. So pathogens are in many cases going to be favored to make us sick,” Hawley concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220975">Royal Society Open 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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If pathogens wish to spread, why make their hosts sick?

Scientists have long pondered why pathogens often cause illness in...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/">Environmental Working Group</a> (EWG) has found that consumption of just a single serving of freshwater fish per year could be equal to a month of drinking water contaminated with PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid). This type of “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forever-chemicals-are-raining-down-all-over-the-world/">forever chemical</a>” is known to cause significant health issues, ranging from immune system suppression and increased cholesterol to reproductive and developmental problems, and increased risk of certain cancers.&nbsp;



The findings suggest that strict regulations of PFOS and other forever chemicals (known collectively as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are urgently to safeguard particularly communities that depend on eating freshwater fish.



The scientists analyzed data from over 500 samples of fish fillets collected in the United States between 2013 and 2015 and found that the median level of total PFAS was 9,500 nanograms per kilogram, with a higher level in fish caught in the Great Lakes (11,800 nanograms per kilogram). These amounts are 280 times larger than forever chemicals detected in some commercially caught and sold fish, meaning that consuming a single meal of freshwater fish may lead to similar PFAS exposure as ingesting store-bought fish each day for a whole year.



“PFAS contaminate fish across the U.S., with higher levels in the Great Lakes and fish caught in urban areas,” said&nbsp;study co-author Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at EWG. “PFAS do not disappear when products are thrown or flushed away. Our research shows that the most common&nbsp;disposal methods&nbsp;may end up leading to further environmental pollution.”



“People who consume freshwater fish, especially those who catch and eat fish regularly, are at risk of alarming levels of PFAS in their bodies,” added senior author&nbsp;David Andrews, a chemical scientist from the same organization. “Growing up, I went fishing every week and ate those fish. But now when I see fish, all I think about is PFAS contamination.”



According to the researchers, these high levels of forever chemicals in freshwater fish are caused by discharges from over 40,000 industrial polluters in the U.S., as well as from thousands of manufacturing facilities, municipal landfills, wastewater treatment plants, airports, and sites where PFAS-containing firefighting foams have been used.



Since freshwater fish are an important source of protein for many people, PFAS contamination threatens those who cannot afford to buy commercial seafood, as well as communities that depend on fishing for sustenance, thus making exposure to forever chemicals in freshwater fish a textbook case of environmental injustice.



“Identifying sources of PFAS exposure is an urgent public health priority,” concluded Stoiber.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.115165">Environmental Research</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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Single fish serving may contain a month of forever chemicals

A new study led by the Environmental Working Group (EWG)...

Although <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-can-learn-the-names-of-their-companions/">cats</a> have smaller brains than dogs, they are extremely smart mammals, with a high level of emotional intelligence and a great willingness to adapt. While there is no standardized test to measure intelligence in cats, scientists have recently examined the ability to adapt, curiosity levels, and the need for mental stimulation in various cat breeds.



“Scientifically speaking, there is no universal measure of 'intelligence' in animals.&nbsp;Each species has evolved to adapt to a different niche.&nbsp;A mental ability that is useful for one species may not benefit the survival of another,” said Samantha Watson, a scientist at the <a href="https://www.rspca.org.uk/">Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals</a> (RSPCA), UK’s largest animal welfare charity.



“Some evidence indicates that particular cat breeds may have tendencies to be more active or friendly with people.&nbsp; However, every cat is a unique individual, and there is significant variation within those breeds. Every cat has a unique personality, which is shaped by both their genetics and life history.”



The experts report that some cat breeds seem to possess a higher level of intelligence than others. For instance, Abyssinian cats, originally from southeast Asia, are thought to be some of the smartest cats in the world, and are renowned for their high levels of independence and inquisitiveness. Moreover, they seem less fearful than other breeds, and are able to efficiently interact with children, dogs, and other pets such as ferrets and parrots.&nbsp;



Bengal cats are also famous for their good memory, ability to easily learn tricks, and strong awareness of their surroundings. However, as in the case of Abyssinians, this high level of intelligence comes with a cost: when they lack mental stimulation, they often become depressed or aggressive and destructive.



Another example of a smart breed is the Burmese cats, which thrive off companionship with other felines as well as humans. Unlike Abyssinians and Bengals though, Burmese cats crave more for attention, frequently curling up on people’s laps and trying to sleep in their owners’ beds. These highly sociable cats are known for being very talkative and are even able to learn games such as fetch.



While these appear to be the smartest cat breeds around, other breeds such as the Cornish Rex, the Scottish Fold, the Singapura, the Siamese, the Turkish Angora, and the Japanese Bobtail are also well known for their intelligence.



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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 are the most intelligent cat breeds?

Although cats have smaller brains than dogs, they are extremely...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> has found that ants do not adjust their behavior in response to warmer temperatures and tend to persist in sub-optimal microhabitats even when optimal ones are available. These findings suggest that ants may not be able to adjust their behavior in response to climate change.



Ants are ectotherms - animals whose body temperature depends upon the environment. Although such animals experience a variety of temperatures in their lives, most of them prefer habitats that are slightly cooler than the optimal functioning temperature in which an ectothermic animal is able to best perform its life functions. Usually, if an ectotherm encounters an environment warmer than the optimal point, it risks approaching the lethal end of its physiology’s spectrum.



Until recently, little has been known about how – and if – insect ectotherms will adjust their behavior to avoid warmer yet sublethal temperatures in which functioning is possible but not optimal. Now, experts have counted and collected specimens from five different species of ants common in North Carolina and measured air temperatures at the collection sites, as well as the body temperature of the ants themselves. To determine each species’ preferred temperature, they collected some ants and placed them in a rectangular chamber with a controlled temperature gradient.



The analysis revealed that, while ants in the laboratory did have distinct thermal preferences, those in the wild were active in their preferred climates only slightly more often than expected by chance. In fact, most species were collected from warmer than optimal sites, thus suggesting a lack of awareness or some type of limitation in their capacity to adjust to rising temperatures.



“It’s interesting that the worker ants we observed were willing to put themselves in uncomfortable situations while foraging,” said study co-author Sara Prado, a research associate in Zoology at NC State. “I wonder if the food was ‘profitable’ enough for the ants to stretch their comfort levels, or if they are simply willing to sacrifice their well-being for the sake of the colony.”



“Warmer times and places make warmer ants, and they’re not adjusting their activity to match their preferred conditions,” added co-author Elsa Youngsteadt, a professor of Applied Ecology at the same university. “For now, this may be a tradeoff that works out fine for them. But if you think of the huge biomass of ants underfoot, their metabolic rates are all creeping upward as the climate changes. Even if it doesn’t kill them outright, what does that amped-up metabolism mean for their life cycle and even the whole forest ecosystem?”&nbsp;&nbsp;



In future research, the scientists aim to address these questions in the case of urban ants, which are currently living in even warmer temperatures.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13860">Journal of Animal Ecology</a>.



—



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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Ants are not properly adapting to warming temperatures

A new study led by North Carolina State University has...

Animals play a key role in forest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mangrove-restoration-efficiently-reduces-flood-damage/">restoration</a> through seed dispersal, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.mpg.de/de">Max-Planck-Gesellschaft</a>. The researchers determined that animals can rapidly restore plant diversity in degraded forests.



"The recovery of forest cover in abandoned farmland or degraded landscapes is important, but understanding which ecological interactions reestablish during restoration and their speed of recovery can be equally important," wrote the study authors.



"Ecological interactions are ultimately responsible for the maintenance of biodiversity, particularly in tropical ecosystems, and monitoring change in species interactions over time can help practitioners evaluate the functioning and integrity of restoration projects



The experts examined regenerating forests in central Panama that had been abandoned decades earlier.&nbsp;



"In this study, we use a unique long-term dataset from a secondary forest chronosequence in central Panama that spans more than 100 years of regeneration to describe how interactions between plants and dispersers recover during passive restoration (i.e. natural regeneration) in a well preserved landscape," wrote the researchers.



"While most forest regeneration and restoration projects across the tropics have described the first 50 years of regrowth, only a handful span more than a century of regeneration, providing rare longitudinal data to evaluate the role of seed dispersal by animals during restoration."



The analysis confirmed the vital role of animals in forest restoration. By carrying a variety of seeds into deforested areas, animals facilitate the recovery of tree species diversity and abundance.



“Animals are our greatest allies in reforestation,” said study senior author Daisy Dent. “Our study prompts a rethink of reforestation efforts to be about more than just establishing plant communities.”



The researchers noted that animals can be encouraged to colonize regenerating forests by reducing hunting. “We show that considering the wider ecosystem, as well as features of the landscape, improves restoration efforts,” said study first author Sergio Estrada-Villegas.



Ultimately, the researchers found that young regenerating forests were made up of trees dispersed by small birds. Then, as they aged, the trees were dispersed by more large birds.



However, the experts were surprised to discover that the majority of plants were dispersed by terrestrial mammals across forests of all ages.&nbsp;



“This result is quite unusual for post-agricultural regenerating forests,” said Dent. “It is likely that the presence of large tracts of preserved forests near our secondary stands, coupled with low hunting, has allowed the mammal populations to thrive and to bring an influx of seeds from neighboring patches.”



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2021.0076">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London</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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Animals are a powerful driver of forest recovery

Animals play a key role in forest restoration through seed...

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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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[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...