Big,Cuttlefish,Hanging,In,The,Blue,Water,Close,Up,Photo

Cuttlefish, small marine animals that are masters of disguise, have left researchers wide-eyed by demonstrating high levels of self-control and an innate ability to wait, think, and make smart decisions. 



These highly-intelligent relatives of octopuses and squids have shown they’re capable of pausing for better rewards at a later point in time. 



It’s the same idea behind a popular test originally given to kids to see if they could wait for a bigger treat. Instead of marshmallows, though, these sea critters wait for shrimp.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ability-of-cuttlefish-to-wait">Ability of cuttlefish to wait</h2>



The findings come from a <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.3161" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> where scientists adapted <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/marshmallow-test-revisited" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the famous marshmallow test</a> to measure whether cuttlefish would pass on a snack if it meant enjoying tastier food later.



After it was confirmed they could hold out for something better, the team took things a step further. They checked if the same animals that showed self-control would also do well on a learning task. They did.&nbsp;



This is according to behavioral ecologist Alexandra Schnell from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cambridge</a> in the UK, whose team first confirmed that cuttlefish could hold back their impulses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peeking-inside-clever-minds">Peeking inside clever minds</h2>



Cuttlefish belong to a group of animals known for surprising feats. Certain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/octopuses-could-dominate-earth-if-humans-vanish/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">octopuses</a> have been filmed using coconut shells as portable hideouts.



Some squids communicate with patterns on their bodies. But these findings raised a question for Dr. Schnell’s team: do cuttlefish also show <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cuttlefish-camouflage-is-much-more-complex-and-mind-boggling-than-initially-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">problem-solving skills</a> that appear in large-brained animals like crows and chimpanzees? 



One <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.3161" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experiment</a> put that question to the test by letting the cuttlefish choose between a snack they could get right away or an even better snack if they waited. As soon as they picked the immediate option, the better meal disappeared.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-cuttlefish-waiting-matters">Why cuttlefish waiting matters </h2>



When kids take part in a marshmallow test, they might look around nervously or cover their eyes so they don’t eat the treat too soon. In dogs, a similar ability to delay reward has been <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep42459" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studied</a> using treat tests.



While most of our beloved pets struggle to resist, some can wait longer than others. This skill often suggests a capacity for planning ahead. 



Cuttlefish, though, have never been known to rely on food storing or shared group behavior that might explain why they’d stand to benefit from waiting. So, a patient cuttlefish is a bit of a head-scratcher.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-food-to-camouflage">From food to camouflage</h2>



The study was carried out in collaboration with senior scientist <a href="https://www.mbl.edu/research/faculty-and-whitman-scientists/Roger%20Hanlon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Roger Hanlon</a> at the Marine Biological Laboratory (<a href="https://www.mbl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MBL</a>). One theory for this behavior points to the cuttlefish’s defensive strategies. 



They spend a lot of time blending in with their surroundings to avoid being eaten. That means they can’t just dart around all day in search of nibbles. 



In many cases, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cuttlefish-form-false-memories-events-similar-human-brains/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ability to hold out</a> might help cuttlefish wait for better prey, rather than risk revealing themselves for something mediocre. 



“Cuttlefish in the present study were all able to wait for the better reward and tolerated delays for up to 50-130 seconds, which is comparable to what we see in large-brained vertebrates such as chimpanzees, crows, and parrots,” said Dr. Schnell. 



A team of six cuttlefish proved they could hang back for up to about 130 seconds, which is roughly two minutes.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cuttlefish-wait-and-adapt-quickly">Cuttlefish wait and adapt quickly</h2>



Cuttlefish aren’t known to be social, nor do they spend time carrying objects to build complex traps. But <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-cuttlefish-instantly-change-their-skin-color-based-on-what-they-see-and-feel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">they do learn quickly</a>.



To measure that, the team placed two distinct shapes in the tank. One symbol signaled a reward if they touched it. 



Later, the scientists switched the meaning. The cuttlefish had to figure out that the “correct” shape now meant something else entirely. 



This is called a reversal-learning task, and it often trips up animals that rely on routine. Oddly enough, the cuttlefish that were better at waiting for a shrimp snack also learned this shape-swapping game in fewer tries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-memories-that-stay-sharp">Memories that stay sharp</h2>



Longer <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0038125" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> on cuttlefish hint they may also have a good handle on remembering past events. 



Researchers have tested whether these animals recall what they ate, when they ate it, and where they found it. Their memory holds up, even when they’re older. 



Other <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(24)01547-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> show they might sometimes form mistaken memories. That means the way they store events in their minds could be as twisty as it is in humans. 



Cuttlefish may even exhibit different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-three-fish-make-a-school-study-offers-surprising-insights/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">responses</a> to misleading cues, suggesting a process much like our own memory reconstruction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-intelligence">Understanding intelligence</h2>



Biologists studying big brains in animals often look at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bonobos-group-cohesion-common-enemy-effect-do-not-kill-inside-their-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">primates</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-care-more-about-unmet-expectations-than-fairness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">corvids</a>, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parrots-have-a-unique-voice-print-similar-to-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parrots</a>, because these groups seem to come up with creative solutions to daily challenges. 



The cuttlefish’s ability to hold back in a waiting game is a strong clue that self-control doesn’t always depend on working in teams or building fancy tools. It could arise from a creature’s environment. 



In this case, it might have grown out of the cuttlefish’s camouflage routine and the need to pick high-quality prey without exposing itself to danger.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



Cuttlefish might not make complicated gadgets or team up to hunt in packs, yet they handle some tasks as well as animals famous for smarts.&nbsp;



That raises a puzzle about how intelligence evolves in separate branches of the animal kingdom. 



Scientists have speculated that these brainy feats can pop up when a species needs to adapt in special ways, whether to outwit predators or to find hidden meals.



The team's research was published in <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/lookup/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.3161" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.



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Cuttlefish show levels of self-control and reasoning that rivals that of primates

Cuttlefish, small marine animals that are masters of disguise, have left researchers wide-eyed by demonstrating high levels of self-control and an innate ability to wait, think, and make smart decisions. These highly-intelligent relatives of octopuses and squids have shown they’re capable of pausing for better rewards at a later point in time.  It’s the same idea behind a popular test originally given to kids to see if they could wait for a bigger treat. Instead of marshmallows, though, these sea critters wait for shrimp. Ability of cuttlefish...

A previously unknown hybrid zone for hummingbirds has been discovered along the coast of northern California and southern Oregon. 

Hybrid zones are areas where two species interact with each other and sometimes interbreed. Interbreeding can result in new mutations, adaptations, and increases in biodiversity. 

Hybrid zones offer a key resource for understanding how rare instances of interbreeding impact species diversity. 

In a new study, researchers from <a href="https://www.sdsu.edu/">San Diego State University</a> mapped out a hummingbird hybrid zone where Allen’s Hummingbirds and Rufous Hummingbirds overlapped. 

The researchers observed courtship behavior and collected data from more than 300 hummingbirds in the region by trapping the male birds at feeders and carrying around females in cages. 

“Sometimes the birds outsmart me,” said Brian Myers, a member of the research team. “They’ll only visit a feeder when the trap isn’t on it, or they won’t perform their courtship displays to the female hummingbird I’m carrying around, and this can make things very slow sometimes.”

Both Rufous and Allen’s hummingbirds have distinct <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hummingbirds-songs-tail-feathers/">acrobatic mating displays</a> unique to their perspective species.

The breeding males in the hybrid zone, which spanned nearly 100 miles along the Pacific Coast, had mating displays that were a mix of both species. This mix shifted more toward Rufous mating displays further north to more Allen’s-like toward the south end of the zone. 

“When a hybrid zone is so large, and when one of the hybridizing species has as small a range as Allen’s Hummingbird, it raises the possibility of their range shrinking even further as they’re swamped by hybrids that carry Rufous Hummingbird traits and pass these genes into Allen’s Hummingbird populations,” said Myers.

The study, published in the journal<a href="https://academic.oup.com/auk/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/auk/ukz049."> the Auk: Ornithological Advances</a> offers insight into interbreeding and biodiversity. 

“As biodiversity continues to drop, it’s more important than ever to understand how new species form and what maintains species barriers once they’re made - is there a certain habitat or other resources that require protection,” asked Meyers. Is it more related to sexual selection? Hybrid zones are an ideal tool with which to study this.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Brian Myers

Hummingbird ‘hybrid zone’ sheds light on species interbreeding

A previously unknown hybrid zone for hummingbirds has been discovered...

According to a new study from researchers at <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University in Australia</a>, a strange-bodied group of giant marsupials, called palorchestid marsupials, roamed ancient <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/first-inhabitants-australia/">Australia</a> about 25 million years ago.

Palorchestids were large in size, had tapir-like skulls, and giant claws. However, until recently, scientists did not know exactly how their limbs looked or worked. 

Researchers studied more than 60 fossil specimens of varying geologic ages to characterize the function and evolution of palorchestids’ arms and legs.

Throughout their existence, palorchestids grew larger and looked stranger they more they evolved. Researchers believe the latest palorchestid could have weighted over 2,200 pounds. 

[caption id="attachment_1877891" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/marsupials.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1877891" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/marsupials.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="365" /></a> Image Credit: Hazel Richards (2019)[/caption]

The team also found that the creature’s forelimbs were extremely muscular and most likely adapted in a way to help the animal grab and scrape at leaves and branches. Furthermore, the palorchestids’ elbow joins were immobile and fixed at a 100-degree angle, likely for the same purpose.

"This study has allowed us for the first time to appreciate just how huge these mega-marsupial palorchestids were, while also providing the first comprehensive view of a strange limb anatomy unprecedented in the mammalian world,” the authors state. “This research reveals yet more about the diversity of unique large marsupials that once roamed Australia not so long ago."

This study is published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0221824">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Alizada Studios

Strange-looking giant marsupials roamed Australia 25 million years ago

According to a new study from researchers at Monash University...

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill site may be attracting deep-sea crabs and shrimp, according to a new study. 

Crustaceans are meeting at the site to mate, but exposure to the oil is negatively impacting the arthropods. Shells are turning black, the crabs and shrimp have become vulnerable to some parasites, and there are even reports of mutations and lost limbs. 

Researchers from <a href="https://lumcon.edu/">Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium</a> led the study. 

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, which started in April 2010 and went on for 87 days, was the largest accidental marine oil spill in history. Around four million barrels of oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico a result. 

For this study, the researchers investigated the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deepwater-horizon-spill-today/">impacts of the Deep Water Horizon</a> spill seven years later, comparing biodiversity and species abundance for large benthic (the lowest level of the ocean) organisms at sites immediately after the spill and in 2017. 

Remote operated were vehicles were used to record video footage of marine life 1,600 feet around the spill site, and these videos were compared to footage taken a few months after the spill. 

The researchers discovered an increase in arthropod abundance near the spill site. There were nearly eight times more crab and shrimp near the well in 2017 compared to other sites. 

Red deep-sea crab, red shrimp, and white shrimp were all abundant at the spill site, and the researchers say that the degrading hydrocarbons at the site are chemically attracting the arthropods. 

Exposure to the oil at the site is negatively impacting the crabs and shrimp. 

“Crabs showed clearly visible physical abnormalities and sluggish behavior compared to the healthy crabs we had observed elsewhere,” Craig McClain, the lead author of the study, told CNN. “Once these crustaceans reach the site, they may become too unhealthy to leave.”

Crabs and shrimp may be confusing the chemical signals from the oil spill for a sex hormone. 

As predators eat the shrimp and crabs the toxins from the site are making their way up the food chain. 

More research and monitoring is needed to fully understand the impacts of the spill and the slow rate of recovery of the deep-sea habitats near the well site. 

“Human impacts on the environment never really go away. Loss of biodiversity can mean one species or thousands of individuals,” Clifton Nunnally, a co-author of the study told CNN. “We can’t allow this heavily impacted disaster site to slip from our collective memory, and further study is needed to shed light on the long-term impacts that oil spills have on fragile deep-sea ecosystems.” 

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.191164">Royal Society Open Science</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Breck P. Kent

Crabs are meeting to mate at the Deepwater Horizon spill site

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill site may be attracting deep-sea...

As antibiotic use has become widespread around the world over the past few decades, antibiotic-resistant diseases have begun to emerge.

Now, a new study has found that it’s not just humans facing the unintended side effect of antibiotic use. Dolphins, too, are beginning to fall prey to drug-resistant strains of previously treatable illnesses – possibly due to discarded human medications washing into coastal waters.

"In 2009, we reported a high prevalence of antibiotic resistance in wild dolphins, which was unexpected," lead author Adam M. Schaefer of <a href="https://www.fau.edu/">Florida Atlantic University</a> said in a press release. "Since then, we have been tracking changes over time and have found a significant increase in antibiotic resistance in isolates from these animals. This trend mirrors reports from human health care settings.”

Until recently, antibiotic-resistant diseases were found mainly in health care settings, the researchers said. However, in recent years they’ve spread beyond hospitals and care facilities. Many of the drug-resistant strains thrive in marine environments, according to the researchers.

The team – from FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a>, the <a href="https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/">Georgia Aquarium</a> and the <a href="https://web.musc.edu/">Medical University of South Carolina</a> – conducted the study from 2003 to 2015 in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon, where bottlenose dolphins live. Nearby human residents have a major influence on the lagoon’s ecosystem.

The researchers found more than 730 pathogen isolates in samples from 171 individual dolphins. A full 88.2% of the pathogens showed resistance to at least one antibiotic, particularly erythromycin (91.6%), ampicillin (77.3%) and cephalothin (61.7%).

“Based on our findings, it is likely that these isolates from dolphins originated from a source where antibiotics are regularly used, potentially entering the marine environment through human activities or discharges from terrestrial sources," Schaefer said.

The study shows that humans are in danger from antibiotic-resistant diseases in the water, not just dolphins and other marine animals, the researchers said. 

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/">Aquatic Mammals</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Paid for by Earth.com

Like humans, dolphins are at risk from antibiotic-resistant diseases

As antibiotic use has become widespread around the world over...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-turns-50/">Arctic National Wildlife Refuge</a> in Alaska could soon be home to pipelines along with polar bears, eagles and caribou. On Thursday, the federal government released <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&amp;currentPageId=152110">final plans</a> to open the wilderness to oil drilling.

The plan would open the coastal plain – about 1.5 million acres out of the refuge’s 19 million acres – to oil companies. 

The controversial decision comes after Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski added an amendment to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The House of Representatives voted Thursday to prevent the move, but the Senate would have to vote to approve a companion bill, which is unlikely, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/461079-house-votes-to-block-drilling-in-arctic-refuge">The Hill</a>.

Supporters of opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have argued that drilling could inject new funds into the Alaskan economy. The plan could also generate about $900 million for the federal government, according to an analysis by the <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/">Congressional Budget Office</a> – though that’s about half the amount originally predicted by federal sources.

“Forty years after Congress selected the Arctic Coastal Plain for potential energy development, the Trump Administration is making good on that decades old potential,” Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a press release.

Environmental groups, however, argue that drilling in the wild lands could permanently damage the ecology of the region. 

“Unfortunately, this sham environmental impact statement ignores the overwhelming scientific evidence that demonstrates the unprecedented risks to wildlife that would result from drilling in the Coastal Plain,” Collin O’Mara, president of the <a href="https://www.nwf.org/">National Wildlife Federation</a>, told the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/">Los Angeles Times</a>. “Alaskans, tribes and conservationists all agree that this is the wrong approach.”

Oil exploration could cause devastating damage to the wild lands, Lois Epstein of the <a href="https://www.wilderness.org/">Wilderness Society</a> told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>.

“By opening the entire coastal plain to oil drilling, the Trump administration has ignored data showing likely impacts on wildlife including the Porcupine Caribou Herd and polar bears,” she said.

Officials say that they will take care to do as little damage as possible to the species that call the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge home.

A team of interested parties including tribal members, state officials and scientific experts has been working with the <a href="https://www.blm.gov/">Bureau of Land Management</a> to address issues in the environmental report and mitigate potential problems caused by drilling, Margaret Everson of the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> said in a statement. 

"The team's work forms the scientific and conservation foundation that will protect high-value wildlife habitats and important uses in this area, while advancing the President's agenda on energy independence,” she said.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Paid for by Earth.com.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could soon be opened to oil drilling

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska could soon be...

It turns out that dogs and cats are not the only animals that like to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/interacting-animals-reduce-stress/">play with their owners</a>. A new study has found that rats can learn to play hide and seek with humans and excel at the game.  

The study, conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en">the Humboldt University of Berlin</a>, presents a new framework for understanding the playfulness of animals which can be challenging to measure with traditional neuroscience methods.  

Because the only reward in playing is the game itself, it is not well-understood how playfulness is represented in the brain and what underlying biological mechanisms drive playful behavior.  

For this study, the researchers taught rats to play hide and seek against humans. The rats picked up on the game quickly and were soon able to switch between hiding and finding someone that was hiding.  

When a rat was the seeker, the animal didn’t give up until their human playmate was located. A rat that was hiding also stayed in place until it was found by a human. 

The rats became more systematic in their searches and changed up their hiding locations to make it harder for the human seeker. 

The rats learned the game and became more strategic as they played each round. However, rather than rewarding the rats with treats, the researchers playfully interacted with the rats, petting or tickling them. 

Different vocal cues were also used by the rats depending on whether it was hiding or seeking, and the researchers found that spikes of activity in the prefrontal cortex of the rats when they were playing, and the patterns of activity changed as the games went on.  

The study shows that rats can be quite playful and worked hard to get better at the game even though there was no food reward.

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aax4705">Science</a>. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Kirill Kurashov

Rats can learn to play hide and seek with humans

It turns out that dogs and cats are not the...

Jurassic crocodile finally identified after 250 years. Nearly 250 years after its fossil was discovered in Germany, an 180-million-year-old <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/american-crocodile-recovery/">crocodile</a> has finally been identified as a Mystriosaurus laurillardi. 

This positive identification comes 60 years after paleontologists first hypothesized that the ancient croc was a member of a similar species, called Steneosaurus bollensis, which lived during the same time as Mystriosaurus.

Mystriosaurus had a long snout, sharp teeth, and primarily ate fish within tropical waters during the Jurassic period. It’s believed that the creature could grow up to 14.7 feet long.

The prehistoric crocodile was finally identified after a team of paleontologists, some of whom hailed from the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a>, compared its fossil to other fossils found in both the U.K. and Germany. During this process, the team successfully identified another mystery skull found in Yorkshire in the 1800s as also belonging to a Mystriosaurus laurillardi.

Because Mystriosaurus fossils have been located in present-day Germany and the U.K., scientists believe the crocodile could easily swim between islands.

“Mystriosaurus looked like a gharial but it had a shorter snout with its nasal opening facing forwards, whereas in nearly all other fossil and living crocodiles the nasal opening is placed on top of the snout,” said study leader Sven Sach, of the <a href="https://namu-ev.de/">Naturkunde-Museum Bielefeld</a>.

“Unravelling the complex history and anatomy of fossils like Mystriosaurus is necessary if we are to understand the diversification of crocodiles during the Jurassic,” added fellow researcher Dr. Mark Young, of the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/geosciences">University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences</a>. “Their rapid increase in biodiversity between 200 and 180 million years ago is still poorly understood.”

The identification and corresponding study is published in the journal <a href="https://app.pan.pl/home.html">Acta Paleontologica Polonica</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Julia Beier

Jurassic crocodile finally identified after 250 years

Jurassic crocodile finally identified after 250 years. Nearly 250 years...

Researchers at the <a href="https://scripps.ucsd.edu/">Scripps Institution of Oceanography</a> have discovered that Atlantic ghost crabs can make angry growling sounds in their stomachs when they feel threatened. The sound is produced by a structure called the gastric mill, which is also used to break down food.

Stridulation sounds are made when creatures rub two body parts together, like when crickets chirp to attract mates. Scientists had previously determined that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fiddler-crabs-separate-light/">crabs</a> can communicate through stridulation as well by rubbing their legs or specialized ridges on their claws together. 

However, study lead author Jennifer Taylor observed ghost crabs that were mysteriously making sounds while neither their legs or claws were moving. 

To investigate, Taylor teamed up with Damian Elias at UC Berkeley and used lasers to pinpoint areas of the crab that could be producing the sounds. After analyzing the sound signature, the researchers confirmed that the noise was coming from the gastric mill, a three-pronged structure that grinds up food like teeth.

"The first time I heard the rasp, I couldn't believe how clear the sound of stridulation was, even though the crab's claws were outstretched and clearly not producing sound,” said study co-author Maya S. deVries.

Taylor and deVries performed fluoroscopies on the ghost crabs by feeding them fluoro bromide, a blue liquid that moves through the body and dyes the organs. “For this approach to work, we had to get the crabs to ingest the dye,” said Taylor. “We eventually succeeded and were able to see the gastric mill teeth in the x-ray.”

The researchers observed the crabs using the gastric mill to produce the stridulation noises when they were agitated. According to the researchers, it is possible that other crabs are using the same form of communication. 

“All crabs have a gastric mill and the capacity to communicate with sound,” said Taylor. “It will be interesting to see how our understanding of crustacean communication unfolds.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Natalia Kuzmina

Ghost crabs growl with teeth in their stomachs when agitated

Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have discovered that...

Small robot can launch itself out of the water like a flying fish. Researchers at <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> have created a robot that mimics a flying fish, using water as fuel to launch itself from the surface of a lake or ocean. The robot can travel 26 meters through the air after take-off, which could make it useful for monitoring water pollution or for collecting water samples in hazardous conditions after <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-flooding-north-carolina/">flooding</a>. 

In the past, experts have found it challenging to generate enough power for a small robot to transition from water to air. The Imperial team has invented a system that requires just 0.2 grams of calcium carbide powder in a combustion chamber. 

The only moving part in the system is a small pump that brings in water from the surrounding ocean or lake. When the water combines with the calcium-carbide powder in a chamber, the reaction produces a burnable acetylene gas that ignites and expands to push the water out as a jet. The robot is propelled out of the water, gliding up to 26 meters.

"Water-to-air transition is a power-intensive process, which is difficult to achieve on a small-scale flying vehicle that needs to be lightweight for flight," said study lead author Dr. Mirko Kovac.

"We have used water-reactive chemicals to reduce the materials that the robot needs to carry. Since the chamber fills passively and the environmental water acts as a piston, we can create a full combustion cycle with only one moving part, which is the pump that mixes the water with the fuel."

Tests conducted in a lake and a wave tank showed that the robot can blast off of the water's surface even when conditions are relatively rough. The system generates a force that it 25 times the weight of the robot, which is only 160 grams, to help it overcome waves.

The team is now working with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology to refine the robots using advanced materials and to begin field trials in a range of environments, including the oceans around coral reefs and offshore energy platforms.

"These kinds of low-power, tether-free robots could be really useful in environments that are normally time- and resource-intensive to monitor, including after disasters such as floods or nuclear accidents," said study first author Raphael Zufferey.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://robotics.sciencemag.org/">Science Robotics</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Aerial Robotics Lab/Imperial College London

Small robot can launch itself out of the water like a flying fish

Small robot can launch itself out of the water like...

In a new study from <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a>, researchers have demonstrated that soil <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-human-food-chain/">microplastics</a> adversely affect earthworms by stunting their growth and potentially causing them to lose weight. Because of their contribution to soil structure and nutrient availability, earthworms play a crucial role in the soil ecosystem. 

"Earthworms can be called 'ecosystem engineers' as they help maintain a healthy soil. They do this through ingesting dead organic matter, therefore contributing to the availability of nutrients," explained study co-author Connor Russell.

"Their burrowing activity improves soil structure, helping with drainage and preventing erosion. It's therefore highly likely that any pollution that impacts the health of soil fauna, such as earthworms, may have cascading effects on other aspects of the soil ecosystem, such as plant growth."

The study was focused on endogeic worms, which live in the upper layers of soil. The team investigated the impact of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and microplastic clothing fibers (acrylic and nylon) on earthworms.

High-density polyethylene is commonly used in the production of plastic bottles and carrier bags. After 30 days of exposure to HDPE, rosy-tipped earthworms had lost an average of 3.1 percent of their weight. By comparison, a group of earthworms living in control conditions without the presence of microplastics had weight increases of 5.1 percent in the same time frame.

High-density polyethylene was also found to decrease the soil pH, which is a measure of the acidity and alkalinity in soil.

When the team planted ryegrass across the affected and unaffected soil, dirt containing the biodegradable plastic PLA was much less productive and the shoot height of the grass was significantly reduced. At the same time, microplastic clothing fibers led to fewer ryegrass seeds germinating.

"The earthworms lost weight overall when certain microplastics were present and grew significantly in weight in soil without added microplastics. However, the specific reasons for this weight loss needs unravelling," said study lead author Dr. Bas Boots.

"It may be that the response mechanisms to microplastics may be comparable in earthworms to that of the aquatic lugworms, which have been previously studied. These effects include the obstruction and irritation of the digestive tract, limiting the absorption of nutrients and reducing growth."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/photographyfirm

Microplastics are negatively affecting the ‘engineers’ of soil ecosystems

In a new study from Anglia Ruskin University, researchers have...

Mercury and other high concentrations of pollutants were discovered in the skin and blubber of bottlenose dolphins that live in the English Channel. 

The levels of pollutants are some of the highest ever found in bottlenose dolphins in Europe, according to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-48485-7">Scientific Reports.</a>

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uliege.be/">University of Liège</a> in Belgium measured levels of organic pollutants and mercury in the blubber and skin 82 bottlenose dolphins that inhabit the Normanno-Breton Gulf in the English Channel. 

In the blubber, the researchers found high concentrations of pollutants from industrial fluids containing chlorine and the pollutants were found in 91 percent of males and 92 percent of females. 

High concentrations of mercy in the skin of the dolphins matched mercury levels found in bottlenose dolphins in the Florida Everglades and the Mediterranean Sea.

Even though chlorine-containing pollutants were banned from many countries in the 1970s and 80s, marine biologists are still finding levels of harmful organic pollutants in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-white-sharks-mercury-arsenic/">marine life. </a>

When industrial waste and fertilizer runoff filter into the ocean, the organic pollutants carried with them can dissolve in the fat and oils of marine species like dolphins. 

This is why bottlenose dolphins serve as an excellent model for studying pollution because of the build-up of mercury and chlorine in the fatty tissues. 

Due to the high levels of mercury and pollutants discovered in the dolphins in the English Channel, the researchers recommend that Normanno-Breton Gulf become a conservation area to ensure that Europe’s largest population of coastal bottlenose dolphins is protected.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Hannah Stanbury

High levels of mercury and pollutants found in English Channel dolphins

Mercury and other high concentrations of pollutants were discovered in...

Rising temperatures could lead to a shortage in omega-3 fatty acids. Declines in global fish stocks due to climate change could lead to deficiencies in a crucial brain-building <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/omega-3s-seafood-healthy-aging/">omega-3 fatty acid </a>for a majority of the world’s population, according to a new study. 

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain, and DHA plays an essential role in cell survival and neuroprotection. 

Even though DHA is a necessary fatty acid and crucial for brain development, we can’t make enough of the stuff on our own. Instead, people get DHA from fish or supplements. 

In a new study, researchers from <a href="https://www.dal.ca/">Dalhousie University,</a> the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a>, and <a href="https://www.ryerson.ca/">Ryerson University</a> found that climate change could drastically limit DHA availability in the future. 

Ninety-six percent of the world’s population may not have enough access to DHA from fish by 2100, according to the study if global temperatures continue to rise. 

For the study, the researchers used data from the <a href="http://www.seaaroundus.org/">Sea Around Us database</a>, which shows how fishing impacts marine ecosystems. 

The researchers also collected data from the United Nations on fishery catches, and aquaculture to create a mathematical model that predicted annual DHA production in different United Nations Fishing Zones under various global warming scenarios. 

DHA is primarily produced by algae and makes its way up the aquatic food chain. 

The model’s predictions showed that countries like Greenland, Norway, and New Zealand where fish production is high and populations are smaller will not have to worry about DHA deficiencies. 

However, China, Japa, and most countries in Africa could lose ample access to domestic fish production and DHA. 

“According to our model, global warming could result in a 10 to 58% loss of globally-available DHA in the next 80 years,” the researchers said. “A decrease in levels will have the greatest effect on vulnerable populations and periods of human development, such as foetuses and infants, and may also affect predatory mammals, especially those in Polar Regions.”

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-019-01234-6">Ambio</a>.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com </a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Michail Patakos

Rising temperatures could lead to a shortage in omega-3 fatty acids

Rising temperatures could lead to a shortage in omega-3 fatty...

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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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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.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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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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

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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...