Every year, the night sky fills with the unseen movement of millions of migrating songbirds, tracing routes carved by evolutionary history.&nbsp;



While these flight paths are largely guided by innate instincts, new research from the <a href="https://illinois.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign</a> suggests an unexpected social dimension to their nocturnal journeys.&nbsp;



Evidence from over 18,300 hours of acoustic recordings reveals that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbirds-benefit-from-social-networks-during-migration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">songbirds</a> may “talk” to other species as they migrate, potentially sharing information and forming temporary social bonds along the way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-migration-may-not-be-a-solitary-endeavor">Migration may not be a solitary endeavor</h2>



The study, led by Benjamin Van Doren, an assistant professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at Illinois, offers a fresh perspective on the traditionally individualistic view of songbird migration.&nbsp;



The research, initiated at the <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>, indicates that birds may vocalize during flight to signal their species, age, or sex and perhaps even exchange navigation tips or information about stopover sites.



“We can’t be sure what they’re saying, but birds might broadcast calls during flight to signal their species, age, and sex. And we can certainly speculate that these flight calls could relate to navigation or finding suitable stopover habitat,” Van Doren said.



Earlier studies had documented instances of different species forming temporary partnerships during stopovers. However, this is the first evidence of vocal communication and possible social interactions between songbird species while in flight.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-listening-to-the-night-sky">Listening to the night sky</h2>



Songbirds migrate primarily at night, making it difficult to observe their movements. To overcome this challenge, Van Doren and his team used acoustic recordings captured at 26 sites in eastern North America over three years. These recordings provided a rare glimpse into the nocturnal world of songbird migration.



“These nocturnal acoustic recordings are really the only window onto this unseen but absolutely massive flow of birds - hundreds of millions aloft over the U.S. on any given night during migration,” Van Doren explained. “It's something people aren’t usually aware of because it happens when we’re sleeping.”



Analyzing such a vast dataset would have been impractical without recent advancements in artificial intelligence.&nbsp;



Using <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/machine-learning-could-revolutionize-drug-discovery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">machine learning</a> tools, the researchers identified the flight calls of 27 bird species, including 25 well-sampled songbirds, allowing them to detect patterns of co-occurrence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-associations-in-the-sky">Social associations in the sky</h2>



The team measured how often flight calls from different species occurred within 15, 30, and 60-second intervals. Regardless of the time frame, they found that certain species called in tandem more often than chance would predict.



Further analysis revealed two key factors influencing these associations: wing length and call similarity.



Birds with similar <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-with-short-stubby-wings-are-less-capable-of-relocating/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wing sizes</a> were more likely to associate, likely because similar wing lengths correspond to similar flight speeds, making it easier for them to travel together.



Species with comparable vocalizations also showed stronger associations, suggesting that shared calls may facilitate social connections during migration.



Interestingly, species that formed partnerships during stopovers did not maintain those relationships while in flight. Additionally, the birds were not necessarily flying with closely related species or those with similar habitat preferences.



“Species with similar wing sizes were more likely to associate, and wing length is directly linked to flight speed,” Van Doren said.&nbsp;



“As for vocalizations, it is possible that species’ calls have converged over time because of this social link or that species that happen to give similar calls are simply more likely to gravitate towards each other.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-our-understanding-of-songbird-migration">Expanding our understanding of songbird migration</h2>



While the study focused on 25 species, many other nocturnal migrants do not vocalize during flight, leaving much to uncover.&nbsp;



Van Doren’s team plans to extend their research by equipping individual birds with tiny microphones to track their in-flight “conversations” and interactions with travel companions.



These preliminary findings raise fascinating possibilities. For instance, short-lived species that cannot rely on parental guidance for migration may instead depend on social ties with other birds.&nbsp;



Conversely, the loss of biodiversity due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-behavior-productivity-being-directly-impacted-by-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a> and habitat destruction could disrupt these co-migratory relationships, further imperiling vulnerable species.



“This study really calls into question the long-held idea that songbirds migrate alone, solely following their own instincts,” Van Doren said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-conservation">Implications for conservation</h2>



The discovery of social interactions during migration has significant implications for bird conservation. If certain species rely on social cues or co-migration with specific partners, their survival may depend on maintaining these networks.&nbsp;



Losses in bird biodiversity could jeopardize these connections, making migration more difficult for some species.



Moreover, understanding the role of social information in migration could help researchers design better strategies to protect migratory birds, particularly as they face mounting risks from habitat loss, climate change, and light pollution.



“Learning more about the consequences of these social connections - not only for migration but also for other aspects of their biology - will be important to inform and manage the risks they face in a changing world,” Van Doren emphasized.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-perspective-on-songbird-migration">A new perspective on songbird migration</h2>



This research challenges the traditional view of songbirds as solitary migrants guided solely by instinct and memory. Instead, it suggests that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-migration-is-influenced-by-social-relationships/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social interactions</a> and communication play a crucial role in their epic nocturnal journeys.&nbsp;



As scientists continue to explore these complex dynamics, they may uncover new strategies for safeguarding these remarkable travelers and the ecosystems they connect.



-----



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Songbirds ‘talk’ to each other during migration

Every year, the night sky fills with the unseen movement of millions of migrating songbirds, tracing routes carved by evolutionary history.&nbsp; While these flight paths are largely guided by innate instincts, new research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests an unexpected social dimension to their nocturnal journeys.&nbsp; Evidence from over 18,300 hours of acoustic recordings reveals that songbirds may “talk” to other species as they migrate, potentially sharing information and forming temporary social bonds along the way. Migration may not be a solitary endeavor The study,...

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tropical-birds-handle-heat-stress-much-better-than-expected/">stress</a> hormone cortisol may be a good indication of whether newborn deer will survive, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a>. The researchers found that levels of cortisol in the saliva of newborn white-tailed deer fawns can be used to predict mortality. 

"We think the hormone offers a way to evaluate factors in the environment that affect fawns, such as disease, but are difficult to evaluate when just looking at a carcass that has been picked over by predators," said Professor Duane Diefenbach. "By then, it's impossible to be certain what truly caused the fawn's demise."

Professor Diefenbach is the leader of the Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Through two studies of fawn mortality conducted in 2000 and 2015, Diefenbach gained a unique perspective on the impact of predators. 

For the current investigation, the researchers analyzed salivary cortisol concentrations in 19 newborn fawns. Study lead author Tess Gingery, a research technologist in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, explained why it was crucial to collect the saliva samples quickly. 

"We know from research performed on adult deer at another university that it takes 20 minutes from the moment the stress hormone cortisol is released from the brain into the body that it shows up in their saliva," said Gingery. "We needed to measure the fawn's 'baseline' cortisol levels, before the stress from capture and being handled kicked in. So, we sopped up saliva with swabs as soon as we could."

There is a lot of evidence that suggests cortisol can be bad for a human's survival, body condition, brain development, and immune system, noted Gingery. The researchers theorized that high cortisol concentrations could also predict the survival of newborn fawns, and the data supported this theory. 

"Fawns that had higher cortisol concentrations in their saliva had lower survival, but we don't know if the high cortisol concentrations caused higher mortality or not," said Gingery. 

"It could be that elevated stress hormones reflect a fawn's experience with stressful situations rather than causing fawn mortality. For example, a fawn may be starving, which can elevate stress hormone levels, and the lack of food kills the fawn rather than the elevated stress hormone levels."

The findings show that predators are not the only major threat to fawns. According to Professor Diefenbach, it turns out that cortisol levels were higher in fawns tested in the central Pennsylvania study area compared to samples collected in northern Pennsylvania. However, the numbers of predators like coyotes and bears, as well as predation rates, are known to be lower in the state's central region. 

"This research could explain why Delaware - which has zero predators - found similar fawn-survival rates to Pennsylvania in a recent study," said Professor Diefenbach. "Factors other than predation, such as physiological responses like the cortisol we measured, may influence mortality more than predation. As such, the heavy focus on predation in fawn research may be misguided."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/17494877">Integrative Zoology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Cortisol levels can be used to predict mortality in newborn deer

The stress hormone cortisol may be a good indication of...

Conservationists widely believe that the popularity of giant pandas, and the protection of their mountainous ranges, creates benefits that extend to neighboring <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/animals-needed-sleep-before-they-even-had-brains/">animals</a>. However, a new study from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> has identified several species, including the Asiatic black bear, that experience more losses than gains from conservation strategies designed to protect giant pandas.

"The popularity of giant pandas, as of the popularity of other beloved threatened animals across the world, has generated tremendous advances in protecting forests and other fragile habitats," said study co-author Jianguo "Jack" Liu.

"But this is an important reminder that it can't assume that what's good for a panda is automatically good for other species. Different species have specific needs and preferences."

The researchers used camera trap data collected throughout mountain ranges to investigate how animals were using protected areas, as well as how they are faring under the umbrella of policies used to shield giant pandas.

In 2016, the conservation status of the giant panda officially improved from "endangered" to "threatened." The study revealed that while the pandas are doing well, some of their neighbors are not as fortunate. 

Three of the eight species examined for the study - the Asiatic black bear, the forest musk deer, and the Chinese serow - seem to have suffered significant habitat loss under panda-centric habitat management. 

Giant pandas are very particular about where they live. They require lots of bamboo, a gentle slope, and no contact with humans. The habitats designated for pandas cater to these needs, but do not necessarily meet the requirements of the animals that share these areas.

Study first author Fang Wang noted that earlier efforts at tracking how a broader range of animals fared were handicapped by turning a blind eye to different habitat preferences, and not spotting potentially different habitat trends of other animals. The researchers said that the forests and shrublands in lower elevations next to the habitats that best serve pandas could be better for bears and deer.

"China has made a tremendous achievement in establishing giant panda nature reserves, and now we're learning that one size does not fit all," said Wang. 

"China as well as other countries that face similar conservation challenges have the opportunity to move forward from rescuing single species to protecting animal communities and ecosystems."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biological-conservation">Biological Conservation</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The popularity of giant pandas does not protect their neighbors

Conservationists widely believe that the popularity of giant pandas, and...

While it is known that sleep is critical for healthy <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/research-confirms-that-covid-19-enters-the-brain/">brain</a> function, it is not known when animals started to require sleep. A surprising new study from <a href="https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/">Kyushu University</a> suggests that animals needed sleep before they even had brains. 

The investigation was focused on hydras - tiny freshwater organisms that lack a central nervous system. The researchers discovered that not only do hydras show signs of a sleep-like state despite having no brain, but also respond to molecules associated with sleep in more evolved animals.

"We now have strong evidence that animals must have acquired the need to sleep before acquiring a brain," said study lead author Professor Taichi Q. Itoh.

Three years ago, scientists at Caltech were the first to document sleeping behavior in a brainless animal, the Cassiopea jellyfish, a relative of hydras that is also known as the upside-down jellyfish.

In collaboration with experts at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in Korea, the Kyushu team found that several chemicals which cause drowsiness even in humans had similar effects on the species Hydra vulgaris.

"Based on our findings and previous reports regarding jellyfish, we can say that sleep evolution is independent of brain evolution," said Professor Itoh.

"Many questions still remain regarding how sleep emerged in animals, but hydras provide an easy-to-handle creature for further investigating the detailed mechanisms producing sleep in brainless animals to help possibly one day answer these questions."

To monitor resting behavior among hydras, the researchers used a video system to track their movement and determine when hydras they were in a sleep-like state. 

The hydras displayed four-hour cycles of active and sleep-like states. The researchers uncovered many aspects of sleep regulation that were similar to that of animals who do possess a brain on a molecular and genetic level.

Melatonin moderately increased the amount and frequency of sleep among hydras, while the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA greatly increased sleeping activity.

When the hydras were exposed to dopamine, they also slept more. In humans and other animals, dopamine typically causes arousal. "While some sleep mechanisms appear to have been conserved, others may have switched function during evolution of the brain," explained Professor Itoh.

The researchers used vibrations and temperature changes to disturb the hydras' sleep and induce signs of sleep deprivation. This caused the hydras to sleep longer during the following day and even suppressed cell proliferation.

Upon further analysis, the experts found that sleep deprivation led to changes in the expression of 212 genes. One of these genes in particular is related to PRKG, a protein involved in sleep regulation in a wide range of animals.

"Taken all together, these experiments provide strong evidence that animals acquired sleep-related mechanisms before the evolutional development of the central nervous system and that many of these mechanisms were conserved as brains evolved," said Professor Itoh.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Animals needed sleep before they even had brains

While it is known that sleep is critical for healthy...

Greater conservation efforts are needed to protect harbor porpoises in the North Sea, according to a study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>. The researchers investigated how this particular porpoise population has been handling the stress of human disturbances, such as heavy ship traffic, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/indigenous-fishing-practices-are-needed-to-revive-salmon-fisheries/">fisheries</a>, offshore oil rigs, and wind farms.

The harbor porpoise is known as a "sentinel species," which can be studied to measure the overall health of an ecosystem and identify potential risks. The researchers found that the porpoises are in a state of steady decline in the North Sea.

"The trend seen here is concerning," said study co-author Dr. Anita Gilles. What is especially troubling is the fact that harbor porpoises have experienced a substantial decline in protected areas, such as the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Sylt Outer Reef. These areas are specifically designated to keep marine life safe. In that particular region, the harbor porpoise population declined by an average of 3.79 percent per year. The experts determined that by contrast, the population increased to the south, which may signify a shift in distribution. 

To estimate the numbers of harbor porpoises, Dr. Gilles and her colleagues surveyed small parts of the sea at a time and then conducted aerial surveys. 

"Knowing the abundance of a population is at the heart of ecology, but extremely challenging for mobile species in a rapidly changing marine environment like the North Sea," said Dr. Gilles. 

Study co-author Sacha Viquerat developed an innovative framework for trend analysis, which was based on two decades of surveys. 

"After almost 20 years of systematic data collection... we now have a wealth of data at hand," said Dr. Gilles. This data can help drive legislation to aid conservation efforts. "Abundance, distribution, and trends are key for EU and other legislative instruments, and for marine conservation management in general."

Study co-author Dominik Nachtsteim is hopeful that the survey design and data analysis methods can be used in other regions. This study was limited to the German North Sea, meaning that population counts and observed trends in the broader North Sea are missing.

The experts theorize that the steady decline of harbor porpoises in the North Sea is due to an increase in human activities, a change in prey availability, a distribution shift. "Most probable, it is a mixture of different causes and cumulative effects," said Dr.. Gilles."We urgently need more research into the drivers of change."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Porpoises are steadily declining in the German North Sea

Greater conservation efforts are needed to protect harbor porpoises in...

Scientists at the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> are working to understand how gill development limits fish growth. The temperature of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-oceans-absorb-much-more-carbon-than-previously-thought/">oceans</a> and fresh waters, as well as the concentration of dissolved oxygen, have much more influence on the growth and reproduction of fish than the distribution of their prey.

Daniel Pauly is the principal investigator of the Sea Around Us initiative at UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. He argues that scientists need to avoid attaching human attributes to fish and start looking at their unique biology and constraints in a different way. 

Pauly has proposed the Gill Oxygen Limitation Theory (GOLT), which explains kthat as fish grow, the surface area of their gills cannot keep up with the oxygen requirement of their bodies.

The theory emphasizes that gills, which are the respiratory organs of fish, are surfaces through which water must flow. Gill surface area grows in two dimensions, length and width, but struggles to keep up with bodies that grow in three dimensions, length, width, and depth. Therefore, as fish get bigger, they have less gill surface area and their gills provide less oxygen per unit volume or weight.

"The problem is that many colleagues fail to understand the basic geometry of gills, and argue that, as fish grow bigger and, thus, require more oxygen, they can just grow larger gills," said Pauly. "But they can't pack their heads full of gills because, if that were to happen, water wouldn't be able to flow through."

The research indicates that the gill issue is a constraint that fish can evolve past. Once the gills reach a threshold where they cannot support a bigger body, the fish stop growing.

"This is particularly important in the context of climate change because warm waters contain less oxygen. This means that gills have less oxygen to supply to bodies that require more oxygen at higher temperatures," said Pauly. "This double whammy occurs because fish cannot maintain their body temperature constant, and higher water temperatures accelerate their metabolisms."

In rising water temperatures, with less oxygen available, fish are forced to stop growing at a smaller size. This has important implications for fisheries and aquaculture.

Pauly acknowledges that one of the limitations of the Gill Oxygen Limitation Theory is that it is mainly qualitative and makes few quantitative predictions. He would like to address this, as well as the fact that the theory does not deal with bioenergetics and the role food plays in the life of fish.

"Food is necessary for life and the GOLT is structured around the notion that there is enough food but what if there isn't enough food? The relationships between food and oxygen will have to be studied, too."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Gill development and water temperatures limit fish growth

Scientists at the University of British Columbia are working to...

Why have crocodiles changed so little over the last 200 million years? Crocodiles today look very similar to those that lived during the Jurassic period alongside the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/when-the-dinosaurs-vanished-forests-expanded-and-thrived/">dinosaurs</a>, and they have also not diversified much since that time. 

In a new study from the University of Bristol, scientists have determined that a "stop-start" pattern of evolution, governed by environmental change, may explain why crocodiles have changed so little over millions of years. 

There are only 25 species of crocodiles alive today. Other animals, like birds and lizards, have branched off into thousands of species in the same time frame. 

The researchers pointed out that there were also types of ancient crocodiles that vanished, including giants as big as dinosaurs, plant-eaters, fast runners, and serpentine forms that lived in the sea. 

In their study, the scientists explain how crocodiles follow a pattern of evolution known as "punctuated equilibrium." This means that they evolve slowly, but this rate picks up speed occasionally due to environmental changes.

In particular, the researchers found that the evolution of crocodiles is accelerated in a warmer climate, and their body size increases. 

"Our analysis used a machine learning algorithm to estimate rates of evolution. Evolutionary rate is the amount of change that has taken place over a given amount of time, which we can work out by comparing measurements from fossils and taking into account how old they are," said study lead author Dr. Max Stockdale.

"For our study we measured body size, which is important because it interacts with how fast animals grow, how much food they need, how big their populations are and how likely they are to become extinct."

The findings show that a slow rate of evolution is responsible for the limited diversity of crocodiles. It seems that the crocodiles arrived at a body plan that was very efficient and versatile enough that they did not need to change it in order to survive.

Such versatility could explained how crocodiles survived the meteor impact and subsequent environmental changes that killed the dinosaurs. 

Crocodiles cannot control their body temperature and require warmth from the environment. The climate during the Jurassic period was warmer than it is today, which likely supported the diverse types of crocs that no longer exist. 

"It is fascinating to see how intricate a relationship exists between the Earth and the living things we share it with," said Dr. Stockdale. "The crocodiles landed upon a lifestyle that was versatile enough to adapt to the enormous environmental changes that have taken place since the dinosaurs were around."

Next, the Bristol team will investigate why some types of prehistoric crocodile died out, while others persisted.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio">Communications Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Crocodiles have not changed much in 200 million years

Why have crocodiles changed so little over the last 200...

Scientists at the <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/">Natural History Museum</a> described 503 previously unknown species in 2020. The work persisted despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the museum closed its doors to the public for the longest time since World War II.

Museum researchers, curators, and scientific associates, have described new species from almost all kingdoms of life, including wasps, minerals, and miniature tarantulas.

"Once again, an end of year tally of new species has revealed a remarkable diversity of life forms and minerals hitherto undescribed," said Dr. Tim Littlewood, Executive Director of Science at the Natural History Museum. "The Museum's collection of specimens provide a resource within which to find new species as well as a reference set to recognize specimens and species as new." 

"Revealing new and undescribed species not only sustains our awe of the natural world, it further reveals what we stand to lose and helps estimate the diversity we may lose even before it's discovered. Our understanding of the natural world's diversity is negligible and yet we depend on its systems, interconnectedness and complexity for food, water, climate resilience and the air we breathe."

"In a year when the global mass of biodiversity is being outweighed by human-made mass it feels like a race to document what we are losing. 503 newly discovered species reminds us we represent a single, inquisitive, and immensely powerful species with the fate of many others in our hands."

The most exciting discovery is a new species of monkey found living on the side of an extinct volcano in Myanmar. The creature was identified using skins and bones that have been in the Museum's collection for over 100 years. 

The monkey, which is critically endangered, has been named the Popa langur after the mountain where it lives. "We hope that the naming of the species will help in its conservation,' says Roberto Portela Miguez, a senior curator at the museum. 

In the last 12 months, the researchers have described a total of three plants, three red seaweeds, ten ciliates, four diatoms, and a lichen. One of these species, Corallina chamberlainiae, is a beautiful seaweed that is found in the south Atlantic waters off of the Falkland Islands.

The team also discovered a crested lizard from Borneo, two new species of frogs, and nine new snakes.

"Our collections are made up of 80 million specimens and contain a huge range of species and a deep history that is key to allowing our scientists to be certain that they have found a creature which is new to science," said Ken Norris, Head of Life Sciences at the museum.

"‘These discoveries go to show the vital role that natural history collections around the world continue to play in describing new species and the hidden diversity that is contained within the collections."

The team introduced 170 beetles, 70 wasps, and 51 new species of snails. They also named nine moths, six species of centipedes, nine flatworms, one butterfly, and 10 bryozoans. Overall, the team found 122 new fossil species, including many extinct sea creatures. 

"With the world changing at an astonishing pace through climate and land use change as well as other numerous pressures on the natural world, it has never been more important to record life on our planet," said Norris.

"To protect and preserve life on our planet we need to document and understand it.  Thanks to the astonishing effort of the Museum's researchers during this difficult past year, we now know just that little bit more."

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The Natural History Museum introduced 503 new species in 2020

Scientists at the Natural History Museum described 503 previously unknown...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uoregon.edu/">University of Oregon</a> are describing incredible sounds produced by Weddell seals beneath frozen water. The seals can be heard chirping, whistling and trilling under the Antarctic ice at sound frequencies that are inaudible to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-should-remember-they-are-part-of-nature-says-prince-charles/">humans</a>, according to the study. 

The research was based on two years of recordings at a live-streaming underwater observatory in McMurdo Sound. The recordings captured nine distinct types of ultrasonic seal vocalizations that range up to 50 kilohertz. Humans hear in the sonic range of 20 kilohertz.

Weddell seals thrive under Antarctic sea ice, using their large teeth to create air holes. While searching for food, the seals can dive to 600 meters and remain submerged for 80 minutes. 

In 1982, researchers identified 34 types of seal calls at sonic frequencies, which were all linked to various social interactions.

Study lead author Paul Cziko began recording the seals' sonic-ranged vocalizations in 2017 after completing the installation of the McMurdo Oceanographic Observatory. He said that workers at McMurdo Station often fell asleep listening to broadcasts of the seals' sonic sounds coming from below.

"The Weddell seals' calls create an almost unbelievable, otherworldly soundscape under the ice," said Cziko. "It really sounds like you're in the middle of a space battle in 'Star Wars,' laser beams and all."

Over the next two years, a broadband digital hydrophone was used that was more sensitive than equipment used in earlier recordings. The new hydrophone picked up the higher-frequency vocalizations during passive monitoring.

"We kept coming across these ultrasonic call types in the data," said study co-author Lisa Munger. "Finally, it dawned on us that the seals were actually using them quite regularly."

"It was really surprising that other researchers previously had, in effect, missed a part of the conversation," said Cziko. He explained that the seals may use the ultrasonic vocalizations to "stand out over all the lower-frequency noise, like changing to a different channel for communicating."

Another possibility is that the vocalizations are used for echolocation, a biological sonar used by other animals to locate prey.

"The possibility of seals using some kind of echolocation has really been discounted over the years," said Cziko. "We actually had a lot of somewhat heated discussions in our group about whether or how the seals use these ultrasonic sounds for echolocation-like behaviors."

It remains a mystery how Weddell seals navigate and find prey during the months of near absolute darkness in the Antarctic winter.

"We'd like to know who is producing the ultrasonic calls - males, females, juveniles, or all of the above," said Munger. "And how are the seals using these sounds when they're out in deeper water, looking for fish? We need to record in more places to be able to correlate sounds with behaviors."

The study is published in <a href="https://asa.scitation.org/journal/jas">The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Weddell seals communicate with ultrasonic sounds

Researchers at the University of Oregon are describing incredible sounds...

Tens of thousands of migratory birds that mysteriously dropped dead in the Southwest earlier this year apparently died of long-term starvation. According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc">National Wildlife Health Center</a>, most of the bird carcasses showed signs of starvation, including emaciation, severely shrunken breast muscles, empty stomachs, and kidney failure.

The USGS report suggests that a severe summer drought contributed to prolonged starvation among the birds. An unusual cold front followed the drought, and temperatures plummeted below freezing in early September.

The researchers said that the cold snap likely made things worse, causing the birds to become disoriented. Some were struck by vehicles, flew into buildings, or died from exposure to the cold weather. 

Although the experts could not identify a single, definitive cause of death, they were able to rule out disease and poisoning, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildlife-health-wildlife-health-weather-new-mexico-0ec435b343f3285baa1a91e771c3f0b1">Associated Press</a>.

Many of the deaths may have also been tied to this year's devastating wildfire season. In September, Professor Martha Desmond of New Mexico State University speculated that the fires may have pushed some birds into early migrations that they were not physically prepared for, while others likely died from lung damage.  

“Birds who migrated before they were ready because of the weather might have not had enough fat to survive,” Professor Desmond told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a>. “Some birds might have not even had the reserves to start migrating so they died in place.”

The USGS team found no evidence of smoke poisoning in the birds. Regardless, Jon Hayes of the Audubon Society believes the fires played a role. 

“The birds could have been altering their migration path to avoid smoke plumes, thereby increasing the energy demand of their migration and causing exhaustion,” Hayes told Audubon Magazine. “The evidence they’ve shown regarding poor body condition could still fit that scenario, and so I think there’s still questions like the role of fire in particular.”

Many different types of migratory birds were found dead, including bluebirds, sparrows, blackbirds, flycatchers, and warblers. There were multiple reports by people who had witnessed strange behavior among birds leading up to the die-off. For example, birds that are typically seen foraging in shrubs or trees were observed chasing insects on the ground.

The first signs of the mortality event emerged on August 20, when about 200 dead birds were found at the White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico. Over the next few weeks, dead birds began turning up in alarming numbers across several states. 

In her interview with CNN, Professor Desmond said that many birds were lethargic and unresponsive, and were getting struck by cars in larger numbers than ever before. She added that at the missile range golf course, swallows were sitting on the ground letting people approach them.

Professor Desmond pointed to the role of climate change in this shocking mortality event. “We have lost three billion birds in the U.S. since 1970 and we’ve also seen a tremendous decline in insects, so an event like this is terrifying to these populations and it’s devastating to see.”

Experts warn that rising temperatures due to human-caused climate change will cause even more severe droughts in the Western United States. A recent study from Columbia University reports that the region is experiencing a 20-year megadrought that is on its way to becoming the worst in modern history. 

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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

Shocking bird mortality event was caused by long-term starvation

Tens of thousands of migratory birds that mysteriously dropped dead...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>, researchers report that the biggest <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bumblebees-in-low-quality-habitats-are-more-susceptible-to-disease/">bumblebees</a> take the time to memorize the location of flowers with the richest nectar. With a shorter flight range and less carrying capacity, smaller bees are not concerned with finding the best flowers.

Honeybees are known to perform "learning flights" after leaving flowers. The Exeter team discovered that bumblebees do the same thing, repeatedly looking back to memorize a flower's location.

"It might not be widely known that pollinating insects learn and develop individual flower preferences, but in fact bumblebees are selective," said study co-author Professor Natalie Hempel de Ibarra.

"On leaving a flower, they can actively decide how much effort to put into remembering its location. The surprising finding of our study is that a bee's size determines this decision making and the learning behavior."

The researchers designed an experiment in which captive bees visited artificial flowers that contained a sugar solution of varying concentrations. The experts found that, the larger the bee, the more its learning behavior varied depending on the richness of the solution.

Meanwhile, smaller bees invested the same amount of effort in learning the locations of the artificial flowers, regardless of whether the sugar concentration was high or low.

"The differences we found reflect the different roles of bees in their colonies," said Professor Hempel de Ibarra.."Large bumblebees can carry larger loads and explore further from the nest than smaller ones."

"Small ones with a smaller flight range and carrying capacity cannot afford to be as selective, so they accept a wider range of flowers. These small bees tend to be involved more with tasks inside the nest - only going out to forage if food supplies in the colony are running low."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Large bumblebees can find the best flowers

In a new study from the University of Exeter, researchers...

Bumblebees in low quality landscapes have higher levels of disease pathogens, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a>. Increased pathogen loads were also found among bumblebees in areas with higher numbers of managed honey bee hives.

The low quality habitats observed in the study were characterized by a relative lack of spring flowers and suitable nesting areas. 

The researchers explained that the findings can be used to inform management practices and support the conservation of bee species that provide essential pollination services in natural and agricultural ecosystems.

"Recent worldwide declines in wild and managed bee populations have been attributed to several factors," said study lead author D.J. McNeil. "For example, extensive habitat loss and degradation has led to a lack of flowers and nest sites, which in turn has contributed to the loss of wild bee abundance and diversity."

McNeil noted that more recently, some bee losses - especially among honey bees and bumblebees - have been blamed on rising levels of novel bee pathogens, perhaps exacerbated by other factors that weaken bee immunity or resistance.

"Many of the factors known to undermine bee health, such as poor nutrition or exposure to pesticides, can increase susceptibility to disease. Bees are more likely to be nutritionally deprived in landscapes with fewer and less diverse flowering plants, and poor nutrition can reduce the immune response and increase pathogen and parasite loads."

According to study co-author Professor Heather Hines, the incidence and loads of a particular pathogen or parasite in bee populations are likely influenced by the composition of bee communities as well. She explained that the incidence of viruses and parasites in wild bumble bees was higher in the presence of honey bee colonies, which often harbor higher loads of pathogens that are transmissible to native bees.

"Given all these interacting factors, disease prevalence and virulence can be challenging to predict in wild bee populations," said Professor Hines. "Our study is among the first to use data from a large geographic scale to evaluate the relative role of landscape features on the distribution and loads of key pathogens and parasites in wild bees."

The study was focused on the common eastern bumblebee. The team collected specimens from diverse sites across Pennsylvania, including 38 of the state's 67 counties.

The researchers screened for three pathogens known to infect bees: deformed wing virus, black queen cell virus, and Vairimorpha - a microsporidian parasite. They also looked for the expression of a gene that regulates immunity. 

Using statistical analysis techniques, the experts linked pathogen loads to several environmental stressors, including floral abundance, nesting habitat quality, insecticide loading, climate conditions, and interactions with managed honey bees.

The results indicate that bumblebees collected in low quality landscapes exhibited the highest pathogen loads, and the main drivers were spring floral resources and nesting habitat availability. The team also measured higher loads of bumblebee pathogens where honeybee apiaries were more abundant.

McNeil said results of the study highlight the need to maintain and create high quality landscapes, such as those with abundant floral and nesting resources, to support healthy wild bee populations. The findings also draw attention to the value of spring floral resources.

"Our results suggest that it may be possible to predict potential risks from pathogens and parasites based on these landscape indices, which can help inform decisions as to where habitat restoration and conservation practices should be applied," said McNeil. "This is particularly timely in light of widespread population declines in many insect groups, especially pollinators like bumblebees."

The researchers hope to incorporate this information into Beescape, an online tool that allows people across the United States to evaluate their landscape quality. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Bumblebees in low quality habitats are more susceptible to disease

Bumblebees in low quality landscapes have higher levels of disease...

Scientists identify the proteins that allowed vertebrates to evolve. Most animal species are vertebrates, including mammals, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/birdsong-frequency-is-influenced-by-sexual-selection/">birds</a>, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Scientists at Kyoto University's <a href="https://www.icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp/">Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences</a> (iCeMS) have spent nearly four decades investigating how vertebrates evolved, and recently discovered a family of proteins that played a very important role. Scientists identify the proteins that allowed vertebrates to evolve

The study suggests that one transporter protein in particular, ABCA1, was critical for regulating the signals involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. These processes were required for vertebrates to develop into more complex organisms.

The ATP-binding cassette proteins (ABC) are very similar across species, including in bacteria, plants, and animals. Different types of ABC proteins have different responsibilities, such as transporting nutrients into cells, exporting toxic compounds, and regulating lipid concentrations within cell membranes. Scientists identify the proteins that allowed vertebrates to evolve

Kazumitsu Ueda is a cellular biochemist at iCeMS who has studied human ABC proteins ever since he and his colleagues identified the first eukaryote ABC protein gene 35 years ago. 

"We believe ABC proteins must have played important roles in evolution," said Ueda. "By transporting lipids, they enabled plants and animals to thrive on land by protecting them from water loss and pathogen infection. They are also assumed to have accelerated vertebrate evolution by allowing cholesterol to function as an intra-membrane signalling molecule."

Some of the earliest organisms on Earth were likely formed of DNA and proteins surrounded by a leaky lipid membrane. As the organisms evolved, their membranes were strengthened to protect them from the external environment. What this means is that only those organisms that gained special ABC transporters - capable of carrying nutrients across the membrane - would have survived. 

ABC proteins also produced an outer membrane that protected cells from external stresses and removed harmful substances from inside.

Ueda and his team analyzed the roles of ABCA1, gaining deeper insight into how it regulates cholesterol. In particular, they found that ABCA1 exports cellular phospholipids and cholesterol outside the cell for generating high-density lipoproteins, or "good cholesterol."

According to the experts, ABCA1 constantly flops cholesterol from the cell membrane's inner leaflet to its outer leaflet, maintaining a lower concentration on the inner side. This process is temporarily suppressed when the cell is exposed to an external stimulus, like a growth hormone, which leads to an accumulation of cholesterol in the inner leaflet. As a result, proteins are recruited to the cell membrane. 

The researchers believe that ABCA1 allowed vertebrates to evolve complicated biological processes and sophisticated bodies.

"ABCA1 is very unique and its functions surprised us," said Ueda. "Cholesterol's role was thought to focus mainly on physically strengthening the cell membrane and reducing its permeability to ions. Our research suggests it played a more important role in vertebrates, accelerating their evolution."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/18733468">FEBS Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists identify the proteins that allowed vertebrates to evolve

Scientists identify the proteins that allowed vertebrates to evolve. Most...

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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

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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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 



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



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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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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...