Florida’s wetlands are home to two striking and often confused waterbirds - the&nbsp;anhinga&nbsp;and the&nbsp;double-crested cormorant. Both are expert divers that rely on their feet to propel themselves underwater. They are commonly seen perched on branches or docks with their wings spread wide to dry.



However, despite their similar appearances and behaviors, new research from the&nbsp;University of Miami&nbsp;reveals that these birds are quite different in their&nbsp;physiology, hunting techniques, and metabolism.



A research team led by&nbsp;Jeff White, a recent&nbsp;biology doctoral graduate, spent months studying these species to understand their unique adaptations.



The findings, which build on earlier work by ornithologist&nbsp;Oscar "Bud" Owre, offer fresh insights into these fascinating birds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-anhingas-and-cormorants-hunt">How anhingas and cormorants hunt</h2>



To the casual observer, anhingas and cormorants might seem interchangeable. 



Both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/habitat-and-evolution-shape-the-unique-sounds-of-birds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a> dive beneath the water’s surface in search of fish and then emerge to dry their fully soaked feathers in the sun. However, their approaches to foraging and movement in the water set them apart.



Cormorants&nbsp;are&nbsp;aggressive hunters. They&nbsp;chase&nbsp;their prey with&nbsp;strong, rapid movements, often diving deep and pursuing larger fish. Their ability to consume more oxygen allows them to sustain this high-energy hunting style. 



"Cormorants have a really large muscle in their leg and are able to really prioritize storage of oxygen in their leg muscles," explained White, who is affiliated to the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Miami</a>. This muscle adaptation gives them an edge in deep-water environments, including&nbsp;coastaland&nbsp;oceanic waters.



In contrast, anhingas are stealthy ambush <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-wings-have-a-surprising-effect-on-island-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">predators</a>. Rather than chasing fish, they wait patiently in shallow water, camouflaged among vegetation, until their prey swims close enough for a lightning-fast strike.



This sit-and-wait strategy is common among ambush predators like herons and alligators, but it is unusual among diving birds. By minimizing movement, anhingas conserve energy and use less oxygen than cormorants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-they-stay-underwater">How do they stay underwater? </h2>



Both species dive for about&nbsp;two minutes at a time, but their bodies handle oxygen storage differently. Unlike ducks and other diving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-than-100-bird-species-have-been-lost-for-over-a-decade/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a>, anhingas and cormorants&nbsp;fully wet their feathers. 



This reduces buoyancy and allows them to stay underwater more easily. However, their methods of&nbsp;oxygen management&nbsp;vary.



"They both must hold their breath to dive, so we observed how each of these species convert their oxygen stores into energy in the swimming and flying muscles," noted McCracken, a co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxygen-use-of-anhingas-and-cormorants">Oxygen use of anhingas and cormorants</h2>



Cormorants store&nbsp;most of their oxygen in their leg muscles, which power their&nbsp;aggressive swimming style. These&nbsp;large, oxygen-rich muscles&nbsp;allow them to&nbsp;generate bursts of speed&nbsp;and maneuver swiftly to catch prey. This trait aligns them more with deep-diving seabirds like penguins.



Anhingas, on the other hand, rely on neutral buoyancy, meaning they neither sink nor float. This allows them to remain motionless under the water without needing to swim to stay in place.



"They are the only aquatic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/terror-bird-phorusrhacid-discovery-was-largest-meat-eating-bird-of-its-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bird</a> I know of that can sit underwater without having to swim to stay in place," said White. This&nbsp;passive diving adaptation&nbsp;is&nbsp;unique among aquatic birds&nbsp;and helps anhingas hunt with minimal energy expenditure.



Additionally, anhingas have a&nbsp;low metabolism, which means they require&nbsp;less oxygen to generate energy. While cormorants prioritize storing oxygen in their muscles, anhingas make efficient use of the oxygen in their blood.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flight-differences-soaring-vs-powerful-wingbeats">Flight differences: Soaring vs. powerful wingbeats</h2>



Beyond their diving behaviors, the two species differ in&nbsp;flight mechanics. 



Cormorants are&nbsp;strong fliers. Their powerful wing muscles allow them to&nbsp;fly quickly and with sustained flapping, making them more agile in the air. This strength is necessary since they often travel between freshwater and saltwater environments in search of food.



Anhingas, by contrast, are less suited for continuous flapping. Instead, they&nbsp;soar and glide, using&nbsp;thermals&nbsp;(rising air currents) to stay in the air with minimal effort. This flight style is similar to&nbsp;hawks and vultures, rather than the rapid, flapping flight of cormorants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-the-research">Significance of the research</h2>



While this study sheds light on anhingas and cormorants, its implications&nbsp;reach far beyond ornithology. Understanding how these birds&nbsp;manage oxygen&nbsp;could offer insights into&nbsp;human physiology, exercise science, cardiovascular health, and metabolism.



"There might be benefits to understanding how other species can generate energy without oxygen," White noted. Some medical conditions and athletic performance studies could benefit from&nbsp;learning how these birds use oxygen efficiently.



Additionally, this research helps scientists&nbsp;better understand metabolism. Different species process nutrients and oxygen in distinct ways, and the anhinga’s ability to function&nbsp;with minimal oxygen use&nbsp;is a&nbsp;fascinating case study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-on-anhingas-and-cormorants">Future research on anhingas and cormorants</h2>



Despite this latest research, anhingas remain one of the least studied aquatic birds. Jeff White hopes to continue his work to uncover more about their unique adaptations. He realized that scientists know surprisingly little about these birds, especially compared to other diving species.



Future studies could explore how anhingas achieve&nbsp;neutral buoyancy, allowing them to stay underwater without sinking or floating. Researchers also want to examine their&nbsp;metabolic rates&nbsp;to understand how they survive on lower oxygen levels compared to other diving birds. 



Additionally, studying their&nbsp;evolutionary adaptations&nbsp;could reveal how they developed their distinct physiological traits over time.



Anhingas’ unique energy conservation and oxygen use strategies could also help scientists learn more about metabolism in other animals, including humans. Further research will help unravel the mysteries of this remarkable waterbird.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-perspective-on-florida-s-waterbirds">New perspective on Florida’s waterbirds</h2>



For those who frequent Florida’s lakes, swamps, and coastal waters, the anhinga and the double-crested cormorant are&nbsp;familiar sights. Yet, beneath their seemingly similar exteriors, these birds have evolved&nbsp;very different strategies for survival.



Cormorants are the&nbsp;powerful, fast-moving predators, excelling in deep-water hunting and flight. Anhingas are&nbsp;masters of stealth and efficiency, conserving energy and using their&nbsp;neutral buoyancy&nbsp;to ambush prey.



Next time you see one of these birds perched with wings outstretched, take a closer look. The&nbsp;mystery of their adaptations&nbsp;is still unfolding, and there’s much more to learn about these remarkable waterbirds.



The study is published in the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00360-024-01593-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Comparative Physiology B</a>. 



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Florida’s waterbirds: Expert divers with bold hunting techniques

Florida’s wetlands are home to two striking and often confused waterbirds - the&nbsp;anhinga&nbsp;and the&nbsp;double-crested cormorant. Both are expert divers that rely on their feet to propel themselves underwater. They are commonly seen perched on branches or docks with their wings spread wide to dry. However, despite their similar appearances and behaviors, new research from the&nbsp;University of Miami&nbsp;reveals that these birds are quite different in their&nbsp;physiology, hunting techniques, and metabolism. A research team led by&nbsp;Jeff White, a recent&nbsp;biology doctoral graduate, spent months studying these species to understand their...

Research proves that the ‘crazy cat lady’ stereotype is false. After psychoanalyzing the emotional health of individuals with and without pets, a team of researchers at <a href="http://www.ucla.edu/">UCLA</a> has determined that it is time to put the "crazy cat lady" stereotype to rest. The study revealed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cat-owners-hunting-wildlife/">cat owners</a> are no more "crazy" than anyone else.

"We found no evidence to support the 'cat lady' stereotype: cat-owners did not differ from others on self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety or their experiences in close relationships," wrote the study authors.

The study was focused on the mental health of 264 young adults with cats, dogs, or both. For comparison, the team also evaluated 297 young adults who had no pets.     

The researchers analyzed the potential link between pet ownership and mental health-related or social difficulties, and also observed how the participants reacted to distress calls from animals. 

The experts said that their findings do not support the idea that cat owners tend to be mentally unstable or lonely. In 2017, researchers at University College London came to a similar conclusion. They could not find any evidence that cat ownership is linked with the development of psychotic symptoms.

The UCLA study also demonstrated that cat and dog owners were more likely to react with empathy when they heard the distress calls of an animal. Pet owners were found to be more emotional than people without pets when they heard dog whimpers or cat meows.

"We found several subtle differences between how adults with and without pets generally rated animal vocalizations," said the study authors. 

A growing collection of research has found that caring for a cat or dog has a positive impact on mental health, helping to relieve depression, anxiety, and stress. In addition, pets provide companionship, boost physical activity, and ease loneliness.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos">Royal Society Open Science</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/Alena Ozerova

Research proves that the ‘crazy cat lady’ stereotype is false

Research proves that the ‘crazy cat lady’ stereotype is false....

Three days after herpetologist Andrés Charrier discovered a critically endangered species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-loneliest-water-frog-love/">water frog </a>in Chile had disappeared from the now dried up single stream they were known to inhabit, he and a team of conservationists lept into action to understand what had happened, and more importantly, where the frogs had gone. 

As Charrier started examining the Loa water frog’s habitat, likely dried up due to illegal water extraction through mining or agriculture, he discovered a muddy pond and buried in the muck were several live, malnourished, and sickly water frogs. 

“We had a choice to make,” Charrier told <a href="https://www.globalwildlife.org/blog/the-loa-down-how-a-small-team-is-taking-heroic-measures-for-a-species-of-frog-barely-holding-on/">Global Wildlife Conservation</a>.  “As scientists, we could either do something or we could leave the frogs there to die and then publish a paper about the extinction of the Loa Water Frog. We decided to do something.”

The frogs, 14 in total and what may very well be the last remaining of the species, were relocated to the National Zoo of Chile. Currently, specialists at the zoo are working on caring for the frogs and helping them recover. 

The Loa water frogs lived in a stream in the middle of the Atacama desert near the city of Calama. When their habitat had all but dried up, the researchers needed to make a plan. 

The hope is that the National Zoo of Chile can start a breeding program to conserve and protect the species. 

“The first big challenge is to help these frogs survive, and while the rescue was the best chance to save the Loa water frog, there are always risks with trying to care for a new species—especially when the animals are already struggling,” said Alejandra Montalba, director of the National Zoo of Chile.  “That’s the main goal right now, and later we need to be able to breed them.” 

Conservationists are also calling on the Chilean government to implement policies to restore the water frog’s habitat and stop activities that pose a threat to the Loa water frog’s survival. 

Protecting the Loa water frogs and 63 other species of water frogs found in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina is vital, but it’s not just water frogs that are in danger if watersheds dry up. 

“What will happen to the frogs in Chile will happen to the people here in the not too distant future,” said Charrier, “If the frogs from the high mountains from Santiago start dying because their rivers go dry, we will have no water to drink in Santiago. These connections are critical.”

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/">, Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Claudio Soto Azat/Global Wildlife Conservation

Rescue mission evacuated the last of the world’s Loa water frogs in Chile

Three days after herpetologist Andrés Charrier discovered a critically endangered...

LandShark Lager is a summer beer made for beaches and barbecues in warm weather or fishing trips. It is classified as an island lager, a good beer to drink with a slice of lime or lemon. But now, LandShark is joining <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breweries-conserve-western-river-habitat/">other breweries</a> who’ve recently given money to environmental charities. 

Breweries have given money to everything from trails and public land organizations to wildlife and water conservation groups. Keeping with the idea of beaches and the nearby oceans as well as their name, LandShark is also giving money to shark conservation.

LandShark is donating money to <a href="https://www.sharkangels.com">Shark Angels</a> by symbolically ‘adopting’ 100 sharks. According to Shark Angels, money from shark ‘adoptions’ is used to educate the public about sharks as well as campaign for laws to protect sharks, such as laws making ‘finning’ sharks illegal. Finning is the brutal and wasteful practice of catching a shark just to cut off it’s dorsal fin for soup and throwing the animal back to die a slow death. 

Of course, sharks also face threats from overfishing, habitat destruction and global climate change, but direct fishing of sharks is one of the most immediate threats. Shark overfishing can be remedied through a mix of educating the public and new laws, at least that’s the idea behind organizations like Shark Angels. Partnering with a brewery like LandShark is a win-win for both the brewery and shark conservation, giving good publicity to both. 

“We are beyond thrilled to have LandShark partner with us in order to further our mission and help drive the movement to save sharks and our oceans,” Jamie Pollack, Shark Angel’s Executive Director, said in a press release. “This donation will be used to further our educational programs and help empower the next generation of shark ambassadors around the world.”

LandShark is also giving away a trip for two to the Margaritaville Resort in Hollywood Beach, Florida that culminates in a shark dive. A close experience with another animal in the wild is one of the best ways to promote understanding and empathy for that animal. Empathy and real world protection are needed more than ever for sharks.

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sharks-threatened-fishing-boats/">Earth.com</a> recently reported, research shows that almost 25% of shark habitat lies within fishing areas. This means that on average sharks spend two to six months per year foraging in high fishing areas. In high fishing areas, sharks are subject to greater threats from being caught directly to declines caused by overfishing of prey species. 

Sharks are essential to and abundant in most healthy marine environments in the world. Despite their importance, there’s almost no real protection for sharks in international waters and a fish so profitable and easily demonized is at great threat. Being killed as incidental by-catch is also a major threat posed by fishing to sharks.   

<a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/30-percent-of-sharks-rays-and-related-species-at-risk-of-extinction/">Scientific American</a> reported in 2014 that over 30% of all cartilaginous fish species – that is sharks, rays and their relatives – are in danger of extinction. Another 46% of fishes in the group lack in scientific data necessary to assess their risk of extinction. This leaves less than 25% of the cartilaginous fishes thought to be safe from extinction, making them the most endangered group of vertebrates in the world. This is disturbing when you consider that this is also one of the oldest, most widespread and ecologically important group of vertebrates alive today as well. 

Sharks are also a very international group, found all over the world and individuals of certain species known to travel long distances across international waters. This is why Land Shark’s involvement in shark conservation is important.

Florida is a great place to experience sharks, too. Diving with sharks if done with a reputable business is a safe and ethical way to see the fishes relatively close and on their own terms. It’s also exciting because there’s no guarantee which sharks (or other wildlife) you might see on a dive, animals or course, come and go as they please, with some sightings being more likely than others.  

According to the <a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sg062">University of Florida</a>, there are twelve species of sharks common to the waters off the coast of Florida. Sharks in the area range from the iconic tiger shark and scalloped and great hammerhead sharks to the sharp nose shark that only reaches two to four feet in length. The sandbar shark migrates to Florida’s sandbars to mate in early spring, often staying into October. Brightly colored lemon sharks are protected and are common catch and release sharks in Florida. 

Bull sharks tolerate fresh water better than many of their cousins and sometimes swim far upstream in rivers like the Amazon and Mississippi, they’re also found off Florida. Bonnethead sharks swim continuously and are a shy shark, harmless to people. 

These are just some of the sharks found off Florida and a small chunk of the more than <a href="https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays/sharks">500 shark species</a> swimming the world’s oceans ranging from less than a foot long to the enormous whale shark. Diving with a few sharks gives only a tiny glimpse into an amazing world of fishes that predate humans by a few hundred million years and live in a world we usually only skim along the surface of. A glimpse of that world, however brief, can be enticing.

If a high adrenaline shark diving trip isn’t your thing, there’s still plenty everyone can do to learn more about sharks and plenty of organizations working on behalf of these amazing animals. You can directly support those charities or even just crack open a beer to enjoy on the beach and consider the beautiful life out beneath the waves, including sharks.            

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Matt9122

LandShark Lager gets serious about shark conservation

LandShark Lager is a summer beer made for beaches and...

Fiddler <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/95-million-year-crab-cousin/">crabs</a> can see the polarization of light, which helps give them an advantage over their predators, and new research has discovered how crabs process this information in the brain. 

Light is an electromagnetic wave. If you think of these waves moving or vibrating in different directions, vertically and horizontally, light polarization is where the light is only traveling in one defined direction, or on a single plane. 

The fiddler crab uses this light polarizing ability to watch out for rival crabs or evade a predator. 

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> investigated the underlying mechanisms that allow the fiddler crab to see the polarization of light and it all boils down to being able to separate polarization and brightness information when an approaching object is detected. 

The researchers used a special computer monitor system to test how fiddler crabs respond to objects. The monitor allowed the researchers to change brightness and polarization levels of different visual stimuli to see what combinations canceled the other out. 

To the human eye, the way we see the polarization of light also impacts brightness. 

“If you look through Polaroid sunglasses at the sky, you will notice that the brightness changes when you tilt your head,” said Sam Smithers, an author of the study. “This is because the light from the sky is polarised and your sunglasses allow you to see differences in polarisation as differences in brightness.” 

For the fiddler crab, separate visual channels allow the crab to process a broader range of information and light polarization has no impact on brightness. 

[caption id="attachment_1876870" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Fiddler-crabs-can-separate-light-polarization-and-brightness-.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1876870" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Fiddler-crabs-can-separate-light-polarization-and-brightness-.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="500" /></a> Fiddler crab Afruca tangeri. Image Credit: Kate Feller, University of Minnesota[/caption]

“For our experiments we tested whether fiddler crabs see the same effect,” said Smithers. “However, we discovered that the crabs detect polarisation in a completely different way to this and polarisation has no effect on how the crabs detect the brightness of a scene.”

Future research will focus on how brightness and polarization are processed in deeper recesses of the brain to see why and how one might provide an advantage over the other.

The study was published in the journal Science Advances. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Wuttichok Panichiwarapun

Fiddler crabs can separate light polarization and brightness

Fiddler crabs can see the polarization of light, which helps...

Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s Disease, was once feared to be highly contagious but is now known to be a curable bacteria disease that is not easily transmitted. Research suggests that 95% of humans are immune to leprosy, making it a mystery how the disease is spread at all. 

According to the <a href="https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/contagious-skin-diseases/leprosy">American Academy of Dermatology</a>, a healthy person must have months of contact with an infected person to catch leprosy. Often thought of in the context of biblical times, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/leprosy">World Health Organization</a> (WHO), there were 211,009 new cases of leprosy reported globally in 2017. 

Leprosy is a strange disease that may show symptoms within a year or may be asymptomatic for up to 20 years. Although <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/amazonian-armadillos-leprosy/">leprosy</a> is often thought of as exotic or ancient, there are still cases of the disease in the US even as it remains rare. Most leprosy cases in the US are from people who traveled abroad and caught the disease from another person. Perhaps the most interesting and tragic history of leprosy in the US comes from Hawaii, starting before the islands were even part of the US.

In a remote part of the island of Molokai, 8,000 patients were kept in misguided isolation from the outside world to stop the spread of leprosy. According to the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/kala/pdf/B3LepHawaii.pdf">National Park Service</a>, the leper colony was created by an act of the legislative assembly of the Hawaiian island, approved by King Kamehameha V. 

The new law made isolation in the leper colony compulsory. The last few leper patients in the colony still remain; according to <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/hawaii-still-has-a-leprosy-colony-with-six-patients?ref=scroll">The Daily Beast</a>, there are still six patients. Patients were allowed to transfer to other medical facilities in 1969 but some preferred their isolated home. 

Initially, the leper colony was not provided with food but instead expected to farm the lands. Over time, the isolated colony grew into a community with churches, marriages and children who upon birth were removed for adoption outside the colony. The case of the Molokai leprosy colony illustrates the hysteria and confusion surrounding the disease. Although leprosy isn’t easily spread from one person to another, it can and is carried across national borders by travelers. 

No one is quite sure how leprosy came to Hawaii; the only certainty is that before contact with the outside world, Hawaii was free of the disease. Most likely, leprosy came to Hawaii by traders or others that visited the islands from outside. Another idea is that a Hawaiian chief travelled abroad and brought the disease back with him. Either way, the establishment of leprosy and its spread throughout several islands combined with a history of fear to cause the forced isolation. 

Fear and forced isolation of leprosy patients has lingered in many parts of the world. The <a href="https://www.leprosy.org/leprosy-history/">Leprosy Foundation</a> reports that it wasn’t until 1996 that forced isolation of patients was abolished in Japan. Another leper colony where people were confined in the US was in Louisiana. Lepers in the Louisiana colony weren’t allowed to vote until the right was restored in 1946, according to the <a href="https://www.hrsa.gov/hansens-disease/history.html">Health Resources &amp; Services Administration</a>. Patients in the colony were guarded as prisoners and called ‘inmates’ until being allowed to leave for two month periods in the 1970s, and eventually the colony became an outpatient treatment facility in the 1980s. 

The fact that the second leper colony in the US was in Louisiana is an important fact because leprosy is more prevalent in the southeastern US than any other part of the country. 

The southeast is a stronghold for leprosy due to another strange quirk in its natural history. Although the disease isn’t easily transferred to another person, there is one animal that is a ready carrier for the bacteria that cause leprosy. 

It was discovered in 2011 that armadillos actually carry the bacteria that causes leprosy and eventually contract the disease symptoms as humans do. Armadillos are the only other known animal (besides humans) to carry the disease. Nine-banded armadillos are only found in the southern US. Research suggests that the armadillos in the southwest don’t carry the disease but this doesn’t exclude parts of Texas. Of course, armadillos are found outside of the United States as well.

<a href="https://cvmbs.source.colostate.edu/new-evidence-that-wild-armadillos-spread-leprosy-to-humans/">Colorado State University</a> (CSU) reported last year that researchers found 62% of armadillos in the western Brazilian state of Pará were infected with the bacteria that causes leprosy. The rates of leprosy in Brazilian armadillos are three times higher than those in Louisiana or Texas. Furthermore, the research showed that people who kill, hunt or eat armadillos are at a greater risk of contracting leprosy. 

Considering the rates of infection in the southeastern US, it’s likely that people there also face a greater risk of infection from hunting or eating armadillos as well. Taking this into account, it’s easy to see why armadillos might be demonized as disease reservoirs. 

Although it’s true that armadillos carry leprosy, researchers believe that humans first transmitted leprosy (an old world disease) to armadillos (new world animals). Leprosy was first brought to Brazil by the slave trade more than 500 years ago and later spread to armadillos. 

A recent report in <a href="https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-08-humans-gave-leprosy-armadillos.html">The Conversation</a> shows evidence that armadillos in the United States were only infected with leprosy since the 1960s. Although it’s unknown how armadillos were first infected by humans, it’s possible the small mammal first contracted the disease by digging in infected soil. 

Armadillos often dig for food or to create burrows. Leprosy and armadillos seems a strange case of humans spreading a disease to an animal and then catching it from that animal through hunting. So although many people seek to eradicate armadillos due to misunderstanding the odd little creature, doing so may actually increase the risk of leprosy. 

It seems the best way to prevent catching leprosy is to leave the shy, armored mammal alone and simply observe them from a reasonable distance. Perhaps humans can learn a bit about zoonotic disease as well as dehumanizing hysteria by looking at the history of leprosy in the new world. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Heiko Kiera

The strange story of armadillos and leprosy in the Americas

Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s Disease, was once feared to...

Just a few years ago, there was a significant decline in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/drinking-stations-koala-bears-hydrated/">koala</a> population of Cape Otway in Victoria, Australia. 

“In 2013 the koala population reached very high densities, leading them to defoliate their preferred food tree species, manna gum,” explains Dr. Michaela Blyton of the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a>, an author on a new study published in <a href="https://animalmicrobiome.biomedcentral.com/">Animal Microbiome</a>. “This led to 70 per cent mortality due to starvation, which was very distressing.”

Blyton noticed that even though the koalas were dying of starvation, many of them refused to start eating their less-preferred tree species, known as messmate. This was made stranger by the fact that some koalas feed only on messmate.

“This led me and colleague Dr. Ben Moore at Western Sydney University to wonder if the microbes present in koalas’ guts - their microbiomes - were limiting which species they could eat, and if we could allow them to expand their diet with fecal inoculations,” says Blyton. 

Thus began Blyton’s messy experiment of catching wild koalas and keeping them in temporary captivity in order to collect the end stage product of their messmate diets – less formally known as “poo.”

“We collected poo from radio-collared wild koalas that ate messmate, concentrated the microorganisms in the poo, packaged it into acid-resistant capsules and gave them to the captive koalas,” explains Dr. Blyton. “We then monitored how much messmate the koalas were willing to eat over an 18-day period and assessed how the microbiomes changed after the inoculations, comparing their diets to those of control koalas that received manna gum microbes.”

The results at the end of this period showed that the fecal inoculations actually changed the koalas’ microbiomes and allowed them to eat messmate. 

“This could affect all aspects of their ecology including nutrition, habitat selection and resource use,” says Blyton. “Koalas may naturally have trouble adapting to new diets when their usual food trees become over browsed or after being moved to a new location. This study provides a proof of concept for the use of encapsulated fecal material to successfully introduce and establish new microbes in koalas’ guts.”

Blyton believes that this procedure could be used to help adjust koalas’ microbiomes before they are moved to environments where they have the habitat and food source to survive. The inoculation may also serve as a source of probiotics during and after antibiotic treatment. So next time you complain about needing to swallow a pill, just be thankful that its contents are bound to be more appetizing than a koala’s fecal inoculation. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: The University of Queensland

How fecal inoculations could help save koalas

Just a few years ago, there was a significant decline...

A new study has revealed that Asian tiger mosquitoes are adapting to colder winters and pushing the limits of their northern range by using their eggs as ‘time capsules.’  

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, first arrived in the US in the 1980s and successfully spread from Houston, Texas to St. Louis, Missouri in just a year. 

Researchers from <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis</a> have discovered that mosquitoes further north are finding ways to rapidly adapt to the cold, which could impact <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tick-mosquito-borne-disease-spreading/">disease prevention efforts</a> as the mosquitoes spread beyond their known territory. 

Tiger mosquitoes can spread West Nile virus, dengue fever, and Zika. 

“This all happened within a period of 30 years,” said Kim Medley, the first author of the new study. “This disease vector has evolved rapidly to adapt to the United States. The fact that this has occurred at a range limit may suggest that there is potential for the species to continue to creep farther northward.”

When the days get shorter and winter is on the way, the mosquito responds by laying egg “time capsules” that will hatch later when conditions are right. This kind of delayed development egg is called a diapause egg. 

Mosquito larvae need standing water to hatch, but diapause eggs can survive not only cold conditions but dry periods as well. 

In this new study, the researchers were able to understand how northern eggs perform and hatch when conditions are favorable. 

The researchers collected mosquito eggs and larvae from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. In a lab setting, the researchers raised the mosquitos and monitored their growth and development through differing generations.  

Next, the mosquitoes were exposed to longer periods of darkness to simulate the oncoming of winter. 

When the mosquitoes in the lab laid diapause eggs, the researchers collected and placed them in different locations in field sites at the northern edge of their typical range, an optimal climate-controlled setting and a site well outside their northern range in Wisconsin. 

The following summer, the researchers returned to the sites to collect new eggs.

“We counted all of the eggs to see how many survived the winter in all of these locations,” said Medley. “What we learned was that the northern mosquitoes’ diapause eggs survived northern winters significantly better than the southern mosquitoes’ eggs did. 

[caption id="attachment_1876802" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/overwintering-and-collection-sites.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1876802" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/overwintering-and-collection-sites.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="503" /></a> Overwintering and collection sites, Image Credit: Journal of Applied Ecology[/caption]

The only eggs that didn’t survive were the mosquitos in Wisconsin. 

Not only are northern mosquitoes laying more diapause eggs, but these eggs perform better through the winter, the researchers found. 

The tiger mosquito may be testing the bounds of what ecologists know about animals adapting to new conditions. 

“Based on theory, we expect that populations at range limits will be small, they will be fragmented and that they will be low in genetic diversity,” said Medley. “It’s thought that these populations will not have the demographic and genetic robustness to adapt, so they remain at this state of maladaptation. That may not be the case with this species.” 

The study findings were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/InsectWorld

Tiger mosquitoes may be quickly adapting to colder climates

A new study has revealed that Asian tiger mosquitoes are...

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.amnh.org/">American Museum of Natural History</a>, the <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>, and the <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">University of California, Santa Barbara</a>, have concluded that the brain evolution of anthropoid primates — a diverse family of both modern and extinct monkeys, humans, and their nearest relatives — was much more complex earlier on in history than previously realized. 

By studying a 20-million-year-old Chilean primate skull (the only skull and known specimen of the Chilecebus carrascoensis) the researchers saw that the brain enlarged repeatedly and independently throughout anthropoid history. 

These findings are published in <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

"Human beings have exceptionally enlarged brains, but we know very little about how far back this key trait started to develop," said lead author Xijun Ni, a research associate at the Museum and a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "This is in part because of the scarcity of well-preserved fossil skulls of much more ancient relatives."

"Through more than three decades of partnership and close collaboration with the National Museum of Chile, we have recovered many remarkable new fossils from unexpected places in the rugged volcanic terrain of the Andes," said John Flynn, the Museum's Frick Curator of Fossil Mammals. "Chilecebus is one of those rare and truly spectacular fossils, revealing new insights and surprising conclusions every time new analytical methods are applied to studying it."

[caption id="attachment_1876798" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/brain-sizes.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1876798" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/brain-sizes.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="672" /></a> Comparing the brain sizes of a variety of primates, Image © Xiaocong Guo/Xijun Ni[/caption]

Flynn, Ni, and their colleagues had previously studied Chilecebus and gathered a rough outline of the species’ encephalization, or the brain size relative to body size. Most primate species have encephalization quotients (EQs) relative to other mammals, however some <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/young-brains-impulsive-behavior/">primates</a> have higher EQs than others, such as humans and their closest kin.

To look deeper into the EQ history of anthropoids, the researchers used Chilecebus to map out patterns across the anthropoid family tree, which resulted in a phylogenetic encephalization quotient (PEQ). Most modern monkeys have PEQs of 0.86 to 3.39, whereas Chilecebus had a PEQ of 0.79. And humans have a PEQ of 13.46.

Using this framework, the researchers were able to confirm that cerebral enlargement happened repeatedly and independently throughout anthropoid evolution, as did occasional cerebral reduction. 

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image © AMNH/N. Wong and M. Ellison

Ancient skull reveals complex brain evolution in apes and monkeys

A team of researchers from the American Museum of Natural...

Increasing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/evolutionary-booms-oxygen-levels/">oxygen levels</a> in North America gave rise to dinosaurs 215 million years ago, according to a new study.  

Researchers from <a href="https://www.rpi.edu/">Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute</a> in New York created a new method for measuring the compositions of gas trapped in carbonate minerals.  

The researchers were able to measure the oxygen in ancient rocks with this new technique and assess the atmospheric concentrations of oxygen when dinosaurs first started to appear in North America.  

A spike in oxygen over a three million year period correlates with the rise of dinosaurs in the North American fossil record, but the researchers still aren’t sure exactly what sparked this rise in air concentrations.

After analyzing small amounts of gas extracted from rocks from the Colorado Plateau and the Newark Basin with a spectrometer, the researchers found that oxygen levels increased by a third in a relatively short amount of time. 

“Our results show that over a period of around 3 million years - which is very rapid in geological terms - the oxygen levels in the atmosphere jumped from around 15% to around 19%,” said Professor Morgan Schaller, the lead researcher for the study. “For comparison, there is 21% oxygen in today's atmosphere. We really don't know what might have caused this increase, but we also see a drop in CO2 levels at that time.”  

When the gasses were trapped in the rocks, both the Colorado Plateau and the Newark Basin were near the equator and part of the supercontinent Pangea. 

However, despite both regions being close to the equator, the areas were far enough apart that the researchers hypothesize that the increase in oxygen was a worldwide phenomenon. 

“We expect that this change in oxygen concentration would have been global change, and in fact we found the change in samples which were 1000km apart,” said Schaller. “What is remarkable is that right at the oxygen peak we see the first dinosaurs appearing in the North American tropics, the Chindesaurus. The Sauropods followed soon afterwards.” 

It’s important to note that there may be other factors influencing the rise of North American dinosaurs, Schaller added.

“Again, we can't yet say if this was a global development, and the dinosaurs don’t rise to ecological dominance in the tropics until after the End-Triassic extinction,” said Schaller. “What we can say is that this shows that the changing environment 215 M years ago was right for their evolutionary diversification, but of course oxygen levels may not have been the only factor.”  

The researchers presented their findings at the<a href="https://goldschmidt.info/2019/"> Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference</a> in Barcelona. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/AmeliAU

Increases in oxygen levels helped give rise to the dinosaurs

Increasing oxygen levels in North America gave rise to dinosaurs...

Changes in the young brains of humans and primates cause impulsive behavior. Impulsive decision-making is not a growing phase that is unique to teenagers, but is actually experienced by other <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/demand-commodities-primates-extinction/">primates</a> as well.

This life process is directly influenced by changes in the brain structure, primarily in regions that affect self-control. In a new study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, researchers have compared the adolescent brains of humans and macaque monkeys.

"As is widely known, adolescence is a time of heightened impulsivity and sensation seeking, leading to questionable choices. However, this behavioral tendency is based on an adaptive neurobiological process that is crucial for molding the brain based on gaining new experiences," said study co-author Beatriz Luna.

Structural and functional comparisons have shown that macaque monkeys, like humans, have difficulty controlling their reactive responses during puberty.

"The monkey is really the most powerful animal model that comes closest to the human condition," explained study co-author Christos Constantinidis. "They have a developed prefrontal cortex and follow a similar trajectory with the same patterns of maturation between adolescence and adulthood."

According to the researchers, risk-taking and thrill-seeking during this time is not necessarily a bad thing. 

"You don't have this perfect inhibitory control system in adolescence, but that's happening for a reason. It has survived evolution because it's actually allowing for new experiences to provide information about the environment that is critical form optimal specialization of the brain to occur," said Luna. "Understanding the neural mechanisms that underlie this transitional period in our primate counterparts is critical to informing us about this period of brain and cognitive maturation."

During adolescence in humans, the brain network is undergoing critical changes where redundant and unused neural connections are being pruned, or eliminated. Meanwhile, white matter tracts - which will regulate learning and other functions in the adult brain - are strengthened. Changes in the young brains of humans and primates cause impulsive behavior

As the adolescent brain is refined, one key aspect is the development of neural activity patterns that allow for the preparation of a response.

"Executive function involves not only reflexive responses but actually being prepared ahead of time to create an appropriate plan. This is the change between the adolescent and adult brain and it is strikingly clear both in the human data and animal data," said Constantinidis.

Luna explained that it is necessary for humans and animals to have an exploratory time in adolescence because these new experiences are needed to help shape the adult brain. 

"It's important to have this conversation and comparison between human and animal models so that we can understand the neural mechanisms that underlie vulnerability during this time for impaired development such as in mental illness, which often emerges in adolescence, but importantly to inform us on how to find ways to correct those trajectories."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/home">Trends in Neurosciences</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/Pavel Chagochkin

Changes in the young brains of humans and primates

Changes in the young brains of humans and primates cause...

Washington dam removal is controversial but may be the best chance for salmon. Wheat in Washington State is dependent on dams built and maintained by the federal government, but not for the reasons you may perhaps suspect. 

Wheat farmers in Washington harvested 2.2 million acres of their crop in 2018, bearing 153.2 million bushels of the grain, according to the <a href="http://wagrains.org/all-about-wheat/varieties-of-wheat/">Washington Grain Commission</a>. Washington is ranked number four in the top wheat producing states in the US. Wheat production in Washington represents almost $691 million annually. The only Washington crop that puts more into the economy is apples. 

Of the wheat produced in Washington, 85 to 90 percent is exported per year, much of it to Asia, where it’s made into noodles and other products. The wheat producers in Washington are dependent on dams in the state to transport the wheat by barge down the Snake and Columbia Rivers to Portland and Seattle where the wheat is then loaded onto ships for international export. 

Although some of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rising-co2-levels-wheat-yield/">wheat</a> is moved by rail, over half of it is transported by barge along the rivers. Unfortunately for wheat farmers, they’re not the only ones dependent on the Snake and other rivers. 

Washington is home to all five species of Pacific salmon. According to the <a href="https://www.rco.wa.gov/salmon_recovery/">Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office</a>, salmon in the state have long been in decline. In 1991, the federal government declared the first species of salmon in the Pacific Northwest, the Snake River sockeye, to be endangered. Since that time, 18 varieties of salmonid and salmon in Washington have been declared <a href="https://www.rco.wa.gov/salmon_recovery/listed_species.shtml">threatened or endangered</a>. The decline of salmon isn’t isolated, and like all organisms, salmon are connected to larger ecosystems that affect and are affected by them.      

Traditionally, Washington state has been home to both commercial and sport fishing for salmon. Salmon are also a key ingredient to the marine and freshwater ecosystems. The <a href="https://www.critfc.org/salmon-culture/tribal-salmon-culture/">Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commission</a> points out the long history of cultural importance of salmon to native groups in the Pacific Northwest. Today, salmon is still used as an important part of ceremonies, and the fish are also of course still important sources of food. 

The annual return of migrating salmon is still cause for celebration. <a href="https://www.wildsalmoncenter.org/work/why-protect-salmon/">Wild Salmon Center</a> reports that salmon are also the foundation of animal life in river ecosystems. Throughout the United States, salmon give food to bears, seals and orcas. Salmon are also important sources of nutrition for plants growing along stream banks. In Alaska spawning salmon <a href="http://www.biol.wwu.edu/hooper/Helfield%26Naiman2001Ecol_Salmon-derivedN%26ForestGrowth.pdf">provide up to 25% of the nitrogen</a> in trees and other forest plants in the spawning area. <a href="https://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/protected_species/marine_mammals/killer_whales/srkw-salmon-sources-factsheet.pdf">NOAA</a> reports that endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales feed primarily on Chinook Salmon. The orcas visit the mouths of the Columbia, Snake, Klamath and Sacramento Rivers in search of their favorite salmon prey. The decline of salmon in Washington is a factor in the decline of the killer whales as well. The potential fate of two iconic Pacific northwestern animals has pushed Washington state salmon recovery programs.

Habitat restoration, like removing dikes and culverts and blocking migrations on some rivers, has helped. But <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/after-20-years-and-1-billion-spent-on-washington-state-salmon-programs-fish-still-declining-new-report-says/">The Seattle Times</a> reports that salmon are still declining. Official reports show some improvement in localized salmon populations but also declines. 

These worrying numbers suggest that more must be done. Part of the problem is that as fast as habitat is restored, other habitat is damaged. Over the last decade, salmon recovery efforts have only received 16% of funding estimated to be required for salmon habitat restoration. Urban development has taken a huge toll as well. Up to 90% of coho salmon in the urban Puget sound watershed have died from toxic storm water run off before they could even spawn. With almost a billion dollars spent in 20 years of work, the salmon are still in trouble. It’s stark realities like these that have pitted the interests of the wheat farmers against what’s best for the salmon and the endangered orcas that eat them. 

Washington State’s operating budget passed earlier this year with $750,000 for a ‘stakeholder group’ to be formed to look at the consequences of removing or altering dams on the lower Snake River, <a href="https://www.opb.org/news/article/washington-budget-snake-river-dam-removal-study/">Oregon Public Broadcast</a> reported. Critics of the move note that the federal government is already undergoing a review process looking at removing the dams. Supporters feel that this will allow Washington residents to have a say in proceedings. Washington dam removal is controversial but may be the best chance for salmon

The removal of dams on the Snake River would undoubtedly benefit salmon. At the moment, salmon are loaded onto trucks and driven past dams only to be released back into the river upstream where they continue to make their way to ancestral spawning grounds. Meanwhile, barges with wheat occupy the river. Some argue that tax payer dollars could be used in a better way to help wheat farmers by improving road and railroad infrastructure and opening rivers for salmon.

Previously, plans have been made to make dams safer for salmon and allow the fish to swim past these obstacles. The federal agencies managing dams on the Snake and Columbia Rivers have lost five lawsuits over their plans for protecting salmon. 

The plans for salmon protection are called a Biological Opinion (BiOp). The BiOp for the dams has changed several times, under Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama. The lawsuit against the federal government’s 2014 BiOp was brought by conservation organizations, the Nez Perce Tribe, and the state of Oregon, according to <a href="https://www.opb.org/news/article/judge-rejects-latest-federal-plan-for-columbia-river-dams/?_ga=2.268054666.521949485.1556555825-562760037.1556555825?_ga=2.268054666.521949485.1556555825-562760037.1556555825">Oregon Public Broadcasting</a>. The continued failure of the federal government to defend its salmon protection plan in light of federal law, including the Endangered Species Act, makes dam removal one of the few options left open.

For the salmon, the situation is already dire. <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/">Natural Resource Defense Coalition</a> reports that in the 1950s, there were as many as 130,000 salmon that swam up the Snake River to spawn. In 2017, there were less than 10,000 salmon spawning in the same river. Trucking salmon hasn’t seemed to work, but returning the river to a more natural state, simply allowing salmon to act as salmon, is perhaps the best option.        

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Bill Perry

Washington dam removal is controversial but may be the best chance for salmon

Washington dam removal is controversial but may be the best...

During the spring and summer, cold water is released from Lake Shasta into the Sacramento River to create favorable spawning conditions for the winter-run chinook salmon. These fish became threatened after being cut off from their historical spawning grounds when Shasta Dam was built. 

But while <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/threatened-salmon-economic-benefits/">salmon</a> eggs need cold water for survival, the influx of colder temperatures can be detrimental to young green sturgeon in the river, who depend on warmer waters to grow and thrive. 

To resolve this conflict, a team of scientists at <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">UC Santa Cruz</a> and the National Marine Fisheries Service have developed a water management strategy that will benefit both species. Using statistical modeling, the experts found that dam releases can be managed - in times without severe drought - to support the fish as well as the needs of agricultural water users downstream.

"It's a win-win-win here in the sense that we're not giving up anything to get an improvement for the green sturgeon," said study co-author Professor Eric Palkovacs. "Currently, the primary management objectives are keeping it cold for the salmon eggs and delivering enough water downstream. As a result, we've been refrigerating the river in regions where historically the green sturgeon have been spawning."

The team found that discharge rates and water temperatures strongly influence the body condition of larval green sturgeon. In years with large cold water releases, egg survival for winter-run chinook salmon was high, yet the condition of juvenile green sturgeon was poor. On the other hand, drought years with low flows and warmer water helped the green sturgeon flourish while salmon egg survival was low. 

Study first author Liam Zarri, who conducted the research as a graduate student, explained that the key to meeting the needs of both species is that they spawn at slightly different times of the year. 

"We're able to suggest a management scenario which uses the differential timing of spawning in these two species. When they overlap, our model gives us the ideal temperature and flow for when both species are present," said Zarri.

He noted that the dam releases can draw either cold water from the bottom of the lake or warmer water from closer to the surface. Under the proposed management solution, low flows of warmer water can be released early in the season to support green sturgeon, and high flows of cold water can be released late in the season to benefit salmon and meet agricultural water needs.

Both salmon and sturgeon are present in the part of the river most affected by the dam releases in June or July, making management more complicated during this overlap period. The researchers pinpointed the ideal conditions of temperature and water flow that dam managers can pursue in an effort to keep the river cool enough for salmon and warm enough for sturgeon.

"Under the current management, there is quite a long period of cold water releases starting very early in the season before the chinook salmon have really started showing up in earnest. We're saying that you can wait until the green sturgeon have matured and moved out of the system," said Professor Palkovacs. "That has a side benefit in drought years, when limiting those early releases saves water for later in the year when it's more valuable, both for salmon and for downstream water demand."

The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652664">Journal of Applied Ecology</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: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

New strategy will support two fish species with different needs

During the spring and summer, cold water is released from...

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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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" 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> (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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" 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 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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" 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> 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



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How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

[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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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...