A new study reveals that rat infestations in many cities worldwide are on the rise, with Washington, D.C. emerging as the biggest hotspot. 



The study, which was focused on rat sighting reports from 16 global cities, attributes the increasing rat populations to warming temperatures, urbanization, and other human activities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rat-sightings-on-the-rise">Rat sightings on the rise</h2>



The researchers conducted a first-of-its-kind analysis using publicly submitted rat complaint data. They discovered that in 11 of the 16 cities analyzed, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rats-have-a-very-complex-social-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rat</a> sightings have increased in recent years. 



Based on individual city trends, Washington D.C. led the pack, followed by San Francisco, Toronto, New York City, and Amsterdam. According to the study, the rat reporting trend in Washington D.C. was three times greater than that of Boston. 



Only three cities - New Orleans, Louisville, and Tokyo - experienced significant decreases in rat reports, with New Orleans showing the largest drop. The experts suggest that New Orleans’ strategies could serve as a model for other cities seeking to control rat populations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-drivers-of-rat-population-growth">Key drivers of rat population growth </h2>



The research team performed statistical analyses of rat sighting reports and concluded that a little over 40% of the rising trend is due to warming temperatures. 



This <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rapid-surge-in-global-warming-may-have-an-unexpected-source/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warming</a> is primarily a result of burning coal, oil, and natural gas, which leads to milder winters and longer foraging periods for rats. 



Study lead author Jonathan Richardson, a biologist at the <a href="https://www.richmond.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Richmond</a>, explained the mechanism.



“We're seeing these increasing trends in rats in cities that are warming the fastest, probably because this is a small mammal that has physiological challenges in the cold weather months,” said Richardson.&nbsp;



“If we're warming the climate and winter starts a week or two later and spring arrives a week or two earlier, that's one, two, maybe even three or four weeks across the entire year where those rats can be above ground foraging, acquiring more food and maybe squeezing out one or two more reproductive cycles.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urbanization-and-higher-population-density">Urbanization and higher population density </h2>



Even a few extra weeks of activity can have a dramatic effect, given that female rats can produce a litter every month. With each litter consisting of eight to 16 pups, this additional time significantly accelerates population growth.



In addition to the effects of warming, the study identified increased <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urbanization-is-a-threat-to-78-of-the-worlds-bird-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urbanization</a> and higher population densities as major factors. Rats thrive in built environments where food waste is abundant and human activity creates numerous shelters.&nbsp;



The experts note that these conditions allow rats to flourish in areas where people and their refuse provide a constant source of sustenance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rats-nature-s-ultimate-urban-survivors">Rats: Nature’s ultimate urban survivors</h2>



Rats have evolved to be remarkably adaptive in urban settings. New York City rat czar Kathleen Corradi stated during a conference that the rat is the third most successful mammal behind humans and house mice. So it evolved and engineered to live alongside us.&nbsp;



“They followed humans, Homo sapiens, across the continents and are in every single continent except Antarctica. So it's considered a wicked problem.”



Their ability to adapt and survive in close proximity to humans explains why rat populations are expanding even as cities implement various control measures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consequences-of-rising-rat-populations">Consequences of rising rat populations</h2>



While rats are undeniably adaptable, their increasing numbers pose serious risks. When rodent populations soar, public health and urban infrastructure can suffer. 



"When rodent populations are high, people get sick, motor vehicles become disabled, mental health declines, fires are started and foods fouled," said Houston rat expert Michael Parsons, who was not involved in the study.



This statement captures the multifaceted impact of rat infestations. High rat populations can lead to increased transmission of diseases, disruption of transportation systems, and other societal challenges. 



People are understandably disturbed by rats, primarily due to an instinctive fear of creatures that can transmit disease.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantifying-city-rats">Quantifying city rats</h2>



Rats are notoriously difficult to count accurately due to their secretive and elusive nature. The study did not count rats directly; instead, it analyzed rat sighting complaints submitted by city residents. 



Although these reports may not reflect the actual number of rats, they provide valuable insight into trends over time. Richardson emphasized that the long-term consistency of the reporting methods used in the study lends credibility to the observed trends.



Even though Washington D.C. exhibited the highest rate of increase, Richardson clarified that this does not necessarily mean the city has the most rats overall - it simply indicates that the number of rat complaints is rising faster than in other cities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prevention-over-poison">Prevention over poison</h2>



The study's findings suggest that traditional methods of rat control, such as poisoning and trapping, may not be sufficient to combat the escalating problem. 



Instead, prevention measures appear to be more effective. In cities like New Orleans, public authorities are taking proactive steps. 



For instance, educational workshops and community campaigns focus on reducing conditions that attract rats, such as improper waste management and excess food availability.



“In New Orleans they make a big effort to get out into neighborhoods and do educational workshops and campaigns to talk to residents about what makes a property less likely to have rats,” Richardson said.



Similarly, New York City has initiated innovative strategies, including replacing street garbage bags with rat-resistant containers and forming an elite volunteer group known as the “NYC rat pack.” 



Early results from these initiatives are promising, although comprehensive data have yet to fully reflect their impact.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-complex-urban-challenge">A complex urban challenge</h2>



While it is possible to better manage rat populations through improved urban planning and public education, complete eradication is unrealistic. 



As <a href="https://umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Michigan</a> conservation scientist Neil Carter pointed out, we can fight them better, but in the end “people need to coexist with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-addresses-the-global-need-for-human-wildlife-coexistence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife</a> in urban environments, even with rats.”



“Zero rats is impossible," noted Richardson. “But I think an expectation that we need to live with the number of rats that we're seeing in many of these cities is also an unhealthy perspective on this problem.”



In conclusion, this study offers a critical, data-driven look at the complex factors driving rat population growth in urban environments. 



As cities continue to warm, expand, and densify, the challenge of managing rat populations will require innovative and sustainable approaches that focus on prevention and public awareness.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads6782" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



Image Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer



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Rat populations are increasing in cities as temperatures rise

A new study reveals that rat infestations in many cities worldwide are on the rise, with Washington, D.C. emerging as the biggest hotspot. The study, which was focused on rat sighting reports from 16 global cities, attributes the increasing rat populations to warming temperatures, urbanization, and other human activities. Rat sightings on the rise The researchers conducted a first-of-its-kind analysis using publicly submitted rat complaint data. They discovered that in 11 of the 16 cities analyzed, rat sightings have increased in recent years.  Based on individual city...

Earth,And,Galaxy.,Elements,Of,This,Image,Furnished,By,Nasa.

Major <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/habitat-shifts-change-the-brain-structure-of-butterflies/">habitat shifts</a>, such as moving to land from the sea, are key evolutionary events that often spark explosions of diversity. Until recently, it was unclear how frequent such habitat transitions have been across the eukaryotic tree of life, which includes animals, plants, and a vast array of microbes. Now, an international research team led by the <a href="https://www.uu.se/">Uppsala University</a> in Sweden has discovered that eukaryotes have made hundreds of major leaps from sea to land and freshwater habitats, and vice versa, during their evolution over the last two billion years.



“We found that organisms in the eukaryote tree of life are generally grouped by whether they live in the oceans, or in non-marine habitats like freshwater and soils. This finding confirms that adapting to a different salinity - or crossing the salt barrier - is difficult, even for microbes,” said study lead author Mahwash Jamy, an expert in Organismal Biology at Uppsala.



“However, we found that microbial eukaryotes have still managed to successfully establish themselves in new habitats several hundred times during their evolution, and we’re likely to discover more of these transition events as we sequence microbes from more locations. It’s likely that these difficult-to-achieve transitions have allowed colonizing organisms to occupy vacant ecological niches, leading to the vast diversity of eukaryotes we see today.”



By sequencing DNA of microbes from boreal lakes, forest soils, the Indian Ocean, the Mariana Trench, and various other environments, the scientists reconstructed large evolutionary trees that revealed major patterns in the evolution of habitat preference. &nbsp;“It’s likely that two of the largest groups of eukaryotes, called SAR and Obozoa, each of which are much larger than the plant and animal kingdoms, arose in completely different habitats,” explained study senior author Fabien Burki, an associate professor of Organismal Biology at Uppsala.&nbsp;



“The SAR lineage, which includes groups like diatoms, ciliates, dinoflagellates, radiolarians etc., first arose in the Precambrian oceans. On the other hand, the ancestral Obazoan, which has now diversified into fungi, animals, choanoflagellates, and amoebozoans, likely inhabited non-marine habitats.”



These findings suggest that the salinity shift between marine and non-marine habitats played a crucial role in shaping eukaryotic evolution. Further research is needed to investigate what genetic mechanisms are underlying these seminal evolutionary events.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01838-4">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.



---



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

Habitat shifts shaped the evolution of life on Earth

Major habitat shifts, such as moving to land from the...

Birds are described as modern-day dinosaurs, and it seems they will be forced, yet again, to adapt to a rapidly changing world. A team of scientists led by <a href="https://www.durham.ac.uk/homepage/">Durham University</a> has predicted that climate change will force avian communities worldwide to shift their ranges by 2080.



To make their predictions for the future, the researchers looked at the past. They compared previous climate data to past avian ranges to determine where the birds might move. The experts then applied these relationships to a model that considered future climates based on low and high greenhouse emissions.&nbsp;



The team was interested in more than the number of birds and species diversity. They wanted to determine the effect the shift will have on phylogenetic diversity, which factors in how many different types of birds make up a community.&nbsp;



“In our study, we examined the effects of global warming on the regional distribution of terrestrial birds around the world," said Dr. Alke Voskamp of Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre. "The focus was on the effects on species richness as well as on various aspects of phylogenetic diversity, primarily how closely related the species are to each other.”



The researchers analyzed 8,768 bird species to help them determine how many lineages might be lost or added regionally as birds move and adapt to a dynamic climate. They believe most losses will occur in tropical and subtropical areas but that community restructuring will take place worldwide.&nbsp;



The study points out that maintaining regional phylogenetic diversity will be crucial to the resilience of over biological diversity.



“The diversity of lineages is very often related to the diversity of traits that species possess and thus to their roles and functions in ecosystems," said study co-author Professor Stephen Willis of Durham University.



"For example, species from more distant lineages often have different beak types, and hence eat different types of food. Change means that the ecosystem functions that birds perform in an area may also change in the future, with potential consequences for food webs, seed dispersal and plant pollination.”



Readers can access the study in <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2021.2184">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change will severely impact birds by 2080

Birds are described as modern-day dinosaurs, and it seems they...

Until recently, scientists thought that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-may-cause-stingrays-to-move-toward-danger/">stingrays</a>, as well as other elasmobranchs such as sharks and skates, are mostly silent. However, a new study published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.3812">Ecology</a> has provided evidence that two species of stingray – the mangrove whipray (Urogymnus granulatus) and the cowtail stingray (Pastinachus ater) – can produce striking, unmistakable clicks.



Before the current study, the only evidence that stingrays could make sounds came from a <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/sounds-of-western-north-atlantic-fishes-a-reference-file-of-biological-underwater-sounds/oclc/92568">study</a> of captive cownose rays from 1970, which recorded a series of short, sharp clicks produced by these animals after the scientists forcefully prodded them. However, while diving in Indonesia and Australia in 2017 and 2018, the new study’s authors have managed to witness and record sounds produced by stingrays in their natural habitat.&nbsp;



The precise mechanism through which the animals make these sounds remains a mystery though. “They don’t have vocal cords, and there’s no clear mechanism for how they do it,” said study lead author Lachlan Fetterplace, a marine ecologist at the <a href="https://www.slu.se/en/">Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences</a>. As the clicking sounds are heard, the rays’ spiracles – the two holes in their heads used to move water across their gills – seem to contract, suggesting that the animals might be creating friction between the spiracles and the surrounding tissue, in a process similar to when we snap our fingers. However, according to Dr. Fetterplace, it is also possible that the stingrays are forming the sounds by creating a vacuum, such as when we click our tongues.



The scientists are also uncertain about the function of these sounds. By comparing the bandwidth and frequencies of the clicks to the known range of stingray hearing, they confirmed that stingrays can hear them, which could mean they are a form of communication. However, since also reef sharks and sicklefin lemon sharks – which feed upon rays – can hear the sounds, they may be produced as warnings at the approach of these predators, or as a diversion aiming to surprise the predators and allow the rays to escape. Finally, the fact that other stingrays were observed to quickly approach the one making the sounds suggests that the clicks could be a way to call reinforcements.&nbsp;



Further research is needed to clarify the ways in which these sounds are produced, their frequency among stingray populations, and the range of functions they might have, as well as to discover whether other related species are making similar sounds.



“Other similar species may also produce sounds but anecdotal records may have not yet come to light; thus our paper may serve to bring to light further examples from the public and researchers,” the scientists concluded.&nbsp;



A video of the sounds produced by stingrays can be viewed <a href="https://youtu.be/Cj1R1Ilbckk">here</a>.



---



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

Stingray sounds recorded for the first time

Until recently, scientists thought that stingrays, as well as other...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blue-tit-migration-driven-by-the-environment/">Blue tits</a> are characterized by their striking coloration, sporting a blue crest and a yellow breast. By following two populations of blue tits in the south of France&nbsp; - one close to Montpellier and the other on the island of Corsica - over a period of 15 years (2005-2019), a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.ehu.eus/en">University of the Basque Country</a> (UPV/EHU) and the <a href="https://www.cefe.cnrs.fr/en/">Center of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology</a> in Montpellier, France has found that the coloration of these birds has gradually become less bright and intense. According to the experts, this long-term decrease in coloration is most likely caused by climate change.



“Our work suggests that environmental changes, and specifically climate change, could be the main reason why birds such as the blue tit are undergoing a change in their physical features, more specifically in the brightness and intensity of their coloration,” said study lead author David López-Idiáquez, a postdoctoral fellow at UPV/EHU.



“A negative trend in terms of brightness and intensity of plumage coloration in both sexes and populations has been observed, although in Corsica this change is more associated with climate. The change in plumage color seems to be the result of a combination of a rise in temperature (1.23 ºC) and a fall in rainfall (0.64 mm), so climate change would be the potential cause of this difference.”&nbsp;



When animals experience environmental changes, they have four options: to undergo genetic change, to undergo plastic change (a modification of physical features without genetic changes), to migrate, or to become extinct. According to Dr. López-Idiáquez, the change in plumage characterizing blue tits falls into the second category. “It is important to stress that this change is not genetic but plastic, one of the ways of adapting to new environmental conditions,” he explained.&nbsp;These changes may have an effect on the mating patterns of this species, since in these birds, traits such as coloring function as signals to indicate to conspecifics the reproductive quality of the specimens.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Overall, this study suggests that ornamental colorations could become less conspicuous because of warming, revealing climate change effects on sexual and social ornaments and calling for further research on the proximate mechanisms behind these effects,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/719655">The American Naturalist</a>.



---



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

Bird coloration is fading due to climate change

Blue tits are characterized by their striking coloration, sporting a...

Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are our closest living primate relatives and share more than 98 percent of their DNA with us. They are also among the most vocal of the great apes, using around 15 different call types to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-experience-shapes-the-way-dogs-communicate-with-humans/">communicate</a> particular emotional states, such as screaming, threat barks, greetings and alarm calls. For a long time, it was thought that great apes had no control over their emotional expressions but made them instinctively in response to the specific emotional state.



However, a new study of captive bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo has revealed an altogether different situation. Psychologists at <a href="https://www.durham.ac.uk/homepage/">Durham University</a> have found that adult bonobos use “baby-like” distress calls to curry favor with group members after a conflict. The calls are often accompanied by other behavior typical of&nbsp;baby bonobos, such as pouting, whimpering and throwing tantrums.&nbsp;



The researchers suggest that these calls are used strategically to reduce the chances of another conflict with the opponent, and to elicit comforting behavior from others in the group. The adult bonobos usually stop signaling their distress in this way once they receive support from other adults, whereas immature bonobos will continue to call even after they have been consoled.&nbsp;



The study, published in the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rstb">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Biological Sciences</a>, was based on research carried out on two bonobo groups (over 40 individuals) at the Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), the world’s only bonobo sanctuary.&nbsp;



The researchers examined how bonobo victims communicate about their distress after a fight, and whether these signals affect the responses of bonobo bystanders. The findings indicated that adult bonobos were less likely to be re-attacked after a conflict with an opponent if they displayed behavior and made calls typical of baby bonobos. They were also more likely to elicit a comforting response from the bystanders.



The analysis also showed that a bonobo is sensitive to who is present in the audience when it is attacked, and will display more signals in general if more bonobos in the social audience are nearby. This suggests bonobos adapt their communication signals depending on which individuals are in the close vicinity. The results thus indicate that expressions of emotion are not simply instinctual read-outs of internal states but can be used in flexible and strategic ways to manipulate others and purse social goals.&nbsp;



“Bonobos are highly sensitive to social situations and who is surrounding them. They have rich emotional lives and are able to communicate their emotional states in flexible ways to influence their group members," said study lead author Dr. Raphaela Heesen



“In using specifically “baby-like” signals, bonobos might increase their chances to be consoled by others and alleviate their own stress level following aggressive attacks. Our research shows that emotions and their expression do not only play a role in the regulation of social life in our own species, but also in our closest living primate relatives.”



“The act of comforting a victim in distress has long been considered a form of empathy that is initiated by the bystander. However, our study reveals that the victim’s own signals may be used strategically to shaping these responses," said study senior author Dr Zanna Clay.



“By producing signals that make them seem more like infants, bonobo victims can promote the chances of receiving comfort from others. This highlights the important role that communication plays in shaping empathic responding."



The researchers thus emphasize that bonobos have flexible ways of communicating their emotions, just like humans. The study sheds light on understanding the emotional life of these animals with a focus on the potential evolutionary origins of the communication of emotions.



---



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

Adult bonobos cry like babies to elicit the support of others

Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are our closest living primate relatives and...

A new study suggests that the link between bats and coronaviruses is likely due to a long-shared history. This genetic information can help us prevent and manage future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-covid-19-pandemic-has-changed-our-perception-of-time/">pandemics</a>.



"We found that bats have been under unusual pressure from coronaviruses compared to other mammals, supporting the idea that bats are rich sources of coronaviruses and may yield insights for future prevention or treatment," said Dr. Hannah Frank, a bat expert at <a href="https://tulane.edu/">Tulane University</a>.



"Pandemics originating from animals highlight the need to understand how natural hosts have evolved in response to emerging human pathogens and which groups may be susceptible to infection and/or potential reservoirs to mitigate public health and conservation concerns," said Dr. Frank.



The team investigated an enzyme called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, or ACE2. This is the host protein that serves as a receptor for the viruses that cause COVID-19 and SARS. Using the largest bat and mammal dataset to date, the experts also studied dipeptidyl-peptidase 4, DPP4 or CD26, which acts as a receptor for MERS-CoV, the virus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.



Both genes are under stronger selection pressure in bats than other mammals, and in residues that contact viruses. Mammal groups vary in their similarity to humans in residues that contact these viruses. They also have an increased similarity to humans in binding residues susceptible to SARS-CoV-2.&nbsp;



The study further supports our understanding of the relationship between coronaviruses and mammals, especially bats. "It also highlights broad patterns in susceptibility that may prove useful for managing this and future pandemics," said Dr. Frank.



The team stresses that this should not lead to a fear of bats, as they play an important role in our ecosystem such as pest control, pollinating plants and spreading seeds. The U.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Department estimates that bats eat enough insects to save more than $3 billion annually in crop damage and pesticide costs in the United States.



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



---



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

What can bats teach us about future pandemics?

A new study suggests that the link between bats and...

Ants play a major role in the functioning of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-can-earths-ecosystems-adapt-to-climate-change/">ecosystems</a> as hunters, farmers, harvesters, and carpenters. There are more than 14,000 species of ants, and they make up a large fraction of animal biomass in most terrestrial ecosystems.&nbsp;



Despite their importance, a global view of any diversity has been lacking. Now, by combining existing knowledge with machine learning, researchers at the <a href="https://www.oist.jp/">Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology</a> have developed the first high-resolution map that estimates the global diversity of ants. "This study helps to add ants, and terrestrial invertebrates in general, to the discussion on biodiversity conservation,” said Professor Evan Economo. “We need to know the locations of high diversity centers of invertebrates so that we know the areas that can be the focus of future These findings will also help to answer a number of biological and evolutionary questions, such as how life diversified and how patterns in diversity arose.



The decade-long project began with the creation of a database of different ant species. Researchers around the world contributed and more than 14,000 species were considered - which varied dramatically in the amount of data available.



To find precise coordinates needed for mapping, study co-author Kenneth Dudley from OIST’s Environmental Informatics Section built a computational workflow to estimate the coordinates from the available data.



Then, different range estimates were made for each species of ant depending on how much data was available. Estimates were combined to form a global map of species richness, and another for species rarity.&nbsp;



“Some areas of the world that we expected to be centers of diversity were not showing up on our map, but ants in these regions were not well-studied,” explained Dr. Kass. “Other areas were extremely well-sampled, for example parts of the USA and Europe, and this difference in sampling can impact our estimates of global diversity.”



Machine learning was used to predict how their diversity would change if they sampled all areas around the world equally. “This gives us a kind of ‘treasure map,' which can guide us to where we should explore next and look for new species with restricted ranges," said Professor Economo.



Okinawa, Japan was identified as a center for rarity, as many species have very small ranges, around 1000 times smaller than species spread across North America and Europe. Places like Okinawa are critical to conserve biodiversity.



It is necessary to recognize that ant biodiversity patterns have unique features. For example, the Mediterranean and East Asia show up as diversity centers for ants more than the vertebrates.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Finally, the researchers looked at how well-protected these areas of high ant diversity are. It was a low percentage - only 15 percent of the top 10 percent of ant rarity centers had some sort of legal protection, such as a national park or reserve, which is less than existing protection for vertebrates. This demonstrates there is more work to do to protect these critical areas, concluded the researchers.



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



---



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

"Treasure map" will help experts find new ant species

Ants play a major role in the functioning of ecosystems...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/video/lobster-shells-have-inspired-stronger-concrete/">Concrete</a> is the second most used material on Earth, after water. It has a crucial role in critical infrastructure, such as buildings, bridges, and roads. However, cement production is carbon intensive, requiring the use of fossil fuels to reach the required high temperatures of 1500°C. Moreover, the limestone used in its production is also a source of carbon dioxide during its decomposition. Scientists estimate that global cement production comprises approximately 15 percent of industrial energy consumption and five percent of global greenhouse emissions.



Now, a research team led by the <a href="https://wsu.edu/">Washington State University</a> (WSU) has found that putting nanoparticles from shrimp shells into cement paste made the material significantly stronger. This innovation could help reduce seafood waste - which generates between six and eight million pounds of waste annually worldwide – and lower carbon dioxide emissions from concrete production.



The researchers created nanocrystals and nanofibers of chitin – the second most abundant biopolymer – from waste shrimp shells. When these nanoparticles were added to cement paste, the resulting material was 40 percent stronger than usual and had a better consistency, durability, and setting time. “Those are very significant numbers,” said study co-author Michael Wolcott, an expert in composite materials at WSU. “If you can reduce the amount that you use and get the same mechanical function or structural function and double its lifetime, then you’re able to significantly reduce the carbon emissions of the built environment.”



“The concrete industry is under pressure to reduce its carbon emissions from the production of cement,” added study lead author Somayeh Nassiri, an associate professor of Civil Engineering at the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a>. “By developing these novel admixtures that enhance the strength of concrete, we can help reduce the amount of required cement and lower the carbon emissions of concrete.”



The scientists are now hoping to scale up the work in order to begin producing the additive at larger scales, in an effort to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint while solving the problem of seafood waste. “In the current world, dealing with climate change through the circular economy, we want to use waste materials as much as possible. One person’s waste is another person’s treasure,” concluded co-author Hui Li, an assistant professor of Composite Materials at WSU.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2022.104623">Cement and Concrete Composites</a>.&nbsp;



---



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

Scientists improve cement with shrimp shell nanoparticles

Concrete is the second most used material on Earth, after...

Weddell seal moms transfer a large amount of iron to their pups during lactation. As a result, the mothers have to limit their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-ducks-balance-water-pressure-while-diving/">diving</a> and underwater foraging capabilities, according to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31863-7">Nature Communications</a>.



“Offload of large amounts of iron hinders female Weddell seals’ ability to maintain their own endogenous heme [hemoglobin and myoglobin] stores, and post-partum females have shorter dive durations following weaning than skip-breeders [non breeding seals],” wrote the researchers. “High iron demand during lactation ultimately impacts dive capacity as a cost of reproduction in marine mammals.”



Study lead author Michelle Shero is an assistant scientist at <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a>'s (WHOI) Biology Department. She explained that seals have much greater iron loads than terrestrial mammals because the seals need those proteins to carry oxygen in their bodies.



“That [iron] basically acts as a sort of internal scuba tank for those animals that allows them to dive for so long,” said Shero. “The females are essentially transferring their dive capacities to the pups when they nurse, through this transfer of iron. No one has looked at that before.”



One might expect a mother who recently weaned her young to suffer due to her low iron and inability to dive deep. However, the seals use their knowledge of the ecosystem to thrive.&nbsp;



“The fact that post-partum females gained mass during the late-summer period despite their shorter dive durations indicates that they were not too adversely impacted by reduced post-weaning dive capacity," wrote the researchers.



“It’s pretty striking that the females wean their pups during this time when there is a lot more productivity around, and when that productivity seems to be shallower in the water column," explained study co-author Jennifer Burns.



“The female seals’ dive capacities are limited, but they may not need to work as hard to still catch prey. Similarly, even though their pups have lower dive capacity than their mothers, being weaned during a period of high productivity may help their foraging, too. However, if the timing of the pulse in productivity changed, the seals would likely not be able to forage as successfully.”



“In the long-run, if the environment changes such that the seals have to start catching fish species with low iron, that is going to influence the seals’ iron physiology, how much they can store in their bodies for these long dives, and how much they can provide to their pups," said Shero.



The experts hope this information will spur more research into iron physiology and its essential role in the lives of pup rearing. Moreover, they expect it will encourage more studies into the conservation of fish species that these amazing seals and pups need to survive.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Weddell seals sacrifice diving energy to give iron to their pups

Weddell seal moms transfer a large amount of iron to...

A new study led by <a href="https://protectedseas.net/">ProtectedSeas</a> – an organization aiming to provide open data and monitoring solutions to enhance awareness of and compliance with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/key-ocean-species-on-the-west-coast-face-an-uncertain-future/">ocean</a> protection efforts – has found that boaters often cluster along the edges of marine protected areas (MPAs) off the coast of California. These findings suggest that fishers are aware of the MPA boundaries and cluster just outside them to benefit from better fishing opportunities.



The researchers used the ProtectedSeas&nbsp;<a href="https://protectedseas.net/marine-monitor-m2">Marine Monitor</a>&nbsp;(M2) autonomous data collection tool to continuously monitor vessel activity&nbsp;for an entire year in the vicinity of five state-managed MPAs near San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Cambria. The results revealed that 40 percent more boating and fishing activity occurred in the vicinity of the MPAs compared to the surrounding regions.



“Most activity occurred at or beyond MPA edges, and not within the area itself,” said study lead author Samantha Cope, a researcher at ProtectedSeas. “This suggests that boaters are aware of the MPA and that the areas are serving their purpose of creating safe refuges for ocean life regeneration. Fishers see a benefit from spending time near the area because MPAs are working.”



MPAs off the Californian coastline restrict fishing activities to safeguard endangered marine species and their habitats. The fact that fishing activities were more concentrated along the edges of the MPAs suggest that fish may be more abundant there. Monitoring human activity in these regions can help managers evaluate the ecological and community benefits of MPAs, detect patterns in boat activity and other human uses, and ensure that the MPA regulations are strictly followed.&nbsp;



“Conservation work needs to be driven by data, and M2 helps us understand trends in what’s happening in MPAs,” said study co-author Jessica Morten, a resource protection specialist at the <a href="https://channelislands.noaa.gov/">Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary</a>.



The M2 monitoring system provides scientists with an independent, easy-to-use method for continuously documenting human activity in and around MPAs.&nbsp;



“We specifically designed M2 to monitor important marine places at a cost that was realistic for local managers,” said M2 Product Manager and study co-author Brendan Tougher. “This research shows that M2 is an accessible and robust tool for monitoring MPAs. As a ‘low-tech’ solution for more efficient MPA monitoring, M2 is especially valuable for anyone with limited technical experience or resources since people can be quickly trained on how to use and interpret data from our systems."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0269490">PLoS ONE</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fishing activities spiking near marine protected areas

A new study led by ProtectedSeas – an organization aiming...

A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> has recently found in New Mexico a three-foot-tall pile of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-mammoths-survived-longer-than-initially-thought/">mammoth</a> bones dating back to 36,250 - 38,900&nbsp;years ago, together with evidence that the animals were butchered by early humans. This discovery suggests that humans settled in North America 17,000 years earlier than previously thought.



Scientists have long debated when humans first arrived to North America. While the Clovis culture, which dates back to 16,000 years ago, left behind elaborate stone tools, at older sites where such tools are absent it is more difficult to find conclusive evidence about the possibility of human activities.



Although the site where the mammoth bones were discovered lacks clearly associated stone tools, the researchers discovered an array of supporting evidence. For instance, CT scans revealed bone flakes with microscopic fracture networks similar to those in freshly knapped cow bones, as well as a series of well-placed puncture wounds that would have helped in draining grease from the ribs and vertebral bones. “There really are only a couple efficient ways to skin a cat, so to speak. The butchering patterns are quite characteristic,” reported study lead author Timothy Rowe, a paleontologist at the University of Texas at Austin.



Moreover, chemical analyses of the sediment surrounding the fossils showed evidence of fire particles that came from sustained and controlled fires, rather than lightning strikes or wildfires. The sediment also contained pulverized bone and burned remains of small animals, such as fish, birds, rodents, and lizards.



These findings lend support to previous theories based on genetic evidence from Indigenous populations in South and Central America, which argued that North America had at least two founding human populations – the Clovis and a pre-Clovis society with a different genetic lineage.&nbsp;



According to Professor Rowe, these ancient humans most likely came to the Americas from Asia. However, whether they took a coastal or overland route remains an open question. Further research is needed to clarify the migration and settlement patterns of these early human populations, as well as their behavioral, cognitive, and cultural characteristics.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.903795/full#S12">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Humans settled in North America much earlier than previously thought

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

Parental care is an important strategy for protecting offspring and enhancing their chances of survival. It has evolved independently many times in different groups of animals such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/many-small-mammals-in-the-uk-tested-plastic-positive/">mammals</a>, birds, reptiles and arthropods. Parental care is particularly evident in many modern social insects, including bees, wasps and ants. But finding evidence of parental care among fossil organisms is extremely challenging because of the temporary nature of brooding activity.&nbsp;



In a new study led by Professor HUANG Diying&nbsp;from the&nbsp;Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the&nbsp;<a href="https://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> (NIGPAS), researchers have found the oldest evidence of brood care in an insect, the extinct water boatman, Karataviella popovi. By examining 157 fossilized individuals of this aquatic bug that lived around 160 million years ago, the researchers identified 30 females, each carrying a cluster of eggs anchored to a left leg like a bunch of tiny grapes.&nbsp;



In their paper, published in the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Biological Sciences</a>, the authors state that these fossils are “exceptional” and show a unique brooding strategy that is unknown in any other extinct or extant insect species. The tiny eggs, each measuring between 1.14 and 1.20 millimeters, are arranged in densely packed rows and each egg is anchored by a tiny stalk to the mesotibia of the middle leg on the female’s left side. The five or six rows of eggs are staggered, with six to seven eggs per row. This represents quite a hefty load, considering that K. popovi adults only measure around 12 mm in length.



Researchers excavated the insect fossils from the Haifanggou Formation, a fossil-filled rock deposit near the village of Daohugou in northeastern China. A wide variety of fossils have already been recovered from the site, including the preserved remains of feathered dinosaurs, ancient mammals, giant fleas and long-proboscid scorpionflies.



Today, modern species of the water boatman are common aquatic insects that can be found in many freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Interestingly, females habitually lay their eggs on various subaquatic surfaces, such as leaves, stones, and the stems of vegetation. Eggs may also be deposited on the shells of snails, the carapaces of terrapins and the exoskeletons of crayfish. The researchers hypothesize that K. popovi females probably became adapted to carry eggs around on their own legs in Jurassic times in response to various pressures present in the environment of the time.&nbsp;



Eggs need to be oxygenated as the embryos develop, and it is possible that the large eggs of K. popovi needed extra aeration due to their relatively small surface area to volume ratio. In freshwater habitats that may have become stagnant at times, carrying the eggs around would have ensured maximal flow of oxygen over them as the female swam through the water.&nbsp;



In addition, such nutrient-rich eggs would have been attractive to all sorts of predators in the underwater environment, especially if they had simply been deposited on available surfaces. Depositing the eggs onto the females’ own legs would have provided them with protection and enhanced their survival rate.



“Due to the potential high predation risk caused by abundant salamanders in the Daohugou Biota, and seasonal food resources,&nbsp;K.&nbsp;popovi&nbsp;may have been exposed to fierce ecological pressure in the Daohugou Biota,” said Professor HUANG.&nbsp;



The researchers hypothesized that K. popovi&nbsp;females likely laid the eggs directly onto their legs by first secreting a sticky mucus and then executing “specific bending movements of the abdomen” to cement the eggs onto the appropriate limb. “The unoccupied right mesotibia might have been used to maintain balance when swimming and feeding,” they wrote in their report. This unusual brooding strategy likely provided effective protection for eggs by largely avoiding the risks of predation, desiccation and hypoxia.



The researchers explained that carrying a cluster of eggs on a leg is probably a unique strategy among insects. However, it is not unusual in aquatic arthropods, where such carrying behavior can be traced back to the early Cambrian Chengjiang Biota.&nbsp;



The water boatman fossils in the current study were dated at 163.5 million years old, which places them in the middle of the Jurassic Period (201.3 million to 145.5 million years ago). The evidence of brood care in K. popovi&nbsp;is thus the earliest for any insect, pre-dating other fossil evidence of brooding behavior by around 40 million years. Among Mesozoic insects, the only other direct fossil cases of brooding behavior are from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota and mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber.



This discovery highlights the existence of diverse brooding strategies in Mesozoic insects, thus helping scientists understand the evolution and adaptive significance of parental care in insects.&nbsp;



Image Credit: NIGPAS



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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

Jurassic water bugs stuck their eggs on their legs

Parental care is an important strategy for protecting offspring and...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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 



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.

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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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