Recreational activities on mountain trails are pushing large carnivores like grizzly bears and wolves away from their native habitats, even when those trails lie hundreds of meters from where the animals roam.&nbsp;



A new study from the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/en/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Alberta</a> highlights the need for improved land management practices that allow people and wildlife to peacefully coexist. 



This issue is particularly pressing in the Bow River Valley, long recognized as a natural corridor linking the prairies to the Continental Divide.



Over the past 15 years, a team of researchers led by Peter Thompson set up camera traps at more than 1,600 sites in the Bow River Valley and surrounding areas. 



These traps were in place between 2007 and 2022, capturing over a million images of humans and tens of thousands of images of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grizzly-bears-help-huckleberries-thrive-in-a-changing-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">grizzly bears</a> and wolves.



The scientists then used statistical models to assess the relationship between human activity and carnivore presence on the landscape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-recreation-and-large-carnivores-nbsp">Human recreation and large carnivores&nbsp;</h2>



Upon examining the images and activity patterns, the researchers discovered a significant disturbance effect from busy trails, extending far beyond the immediate path.&nbsp;



The results showed that wolves and bears did not merely avoid the immediate vicinity of high-traffic areas; they stayed away from locations hundreds of meters away as well.



Thompson, formerly a postdoctoral fellow with Colleen Cassady St. Clair in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta, is now a postdoctoral fellow at <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Simon Fraser University</a>.



“We initially thought bears might use hiking trails as efficient routes when humans weren’t around, but they actually avoid these areas altogether,” said Thompson.



“Our results show that human recreation has significant effects on wildlife, substantially influencing their behaviour even hundreds of meters away from the trail.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-widespread-displacement-of-large-carnivores-nbsp">Widespread displacement of large carnivores&nbsp;</h2>



For grizzly bears, half of the displacement effect from high-use trails remained in effect up to 300 meters from the trail. For wolves, this displacement was observed up to 600 meters away. Thompson noted that the phenomenon is considerably more extensive than was previously believed.



“When trails become busier, people may not realize the extent to which they are disrupting wildlife movement and habitat security,” Thompson added.&nbsp;



This finding demonstrates that outdoor enthusiasts using high-traffic trails, especially in popular regions, could unknowingly be displacing wolves and bears from substantial parts of their natural habitat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effects-of-recreation-on-wolves-nbsp">Effects of recreation on wolves&nbsp;</h2>



While grizzly bears are visibly impacted by busy trails, the displacement effect was even more pronounced for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gray-wolves-are-a-crucial-component-of-the-american-west/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wolves</a>. Their avoidance of human activity at distances of up to 600 meters likely relates to their year-round activity cycle, which intersects with winter recreation such as skiing and snowmobiling.&nbsp;



This further highlights how multiple forms of recreation can compound the stress on top predators.



“Wolves are even more affected by human recreation than grizzly bears, and they are active year-round, coinciding with winter recreational activities,” said St. Clair, Thompson’s former supervisor.&nbsp;



“This research highlights the critical need to manage human use in a way that allows people to share the landscape with these wary predators.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mitigating-the-impacts-on-large-carnivores-nbsp">Mitigating the impacts on large carnivores&nbsp;</h2>



The Bow River Valley is particularly significant for wildlife, functioning as a key passageway for many species.&nbsp;



Shifts in animal movement due to human traffic on trails could compromise the valley’s role as a corridor for genetic exchange and resource access.&nbsp;



If large carnivores are consistently deterred from these areas, the consequences could include altered feeding patterns, reduced breeding success, and changes in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/danger-zones-climate-change-is-altering-predator-prey-dynamics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">predator-prey dynamics</a>.



Land managers in this region may consider strategies such as creating buffer zones, limiting trail access during peak activity times, or issuing guidelines that reduce disturbance in critical wildlife areas.&nbsp;



Such steps might help maintain the valley’s ecological function and ensure that grizzlies, wolves, and other species can continue to move freely.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-need-for-thoughtful-recreation-planning">Need for thoughtful recreation planning</h2>



The paper’s authors emphasize that as recreational use of mountain trails grows, the effects on wildlife will likewise increase.&nbsp;



Raising awareness about how trail use displaces animals, even far from the trail itself, could encourage more responsible behavior among outdoor enthusiasts.&nbsp;



Measures such as seasonal trail closures, visitor education programs, and designated wildlife corridors could help minimize the disruption to grizzly bears, wolves, and other sensitive species.



The findings in the Bow River Valley also reflect broader challenges faced worldwide as conservation areas strive to balance human recreation with wildlife protection.&nbsp;



By taking preemptive steps - whether through trail design, user quotas, or educational outreach - policymakers and conservation managers can better safeguard critical habitats for large carnivores and foster a more harmonious coexistence between people and nature.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reevaluating-our-use-of-mountain-trails-nbsp">Reevaluating our use of mountain trails&nbsp;</h2>



This study provides actionable insights into how recreational activities influence the distribution and well-being of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/apex-predators-can-help-restore-ecosystems-but-not-immediately/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">apex predators</a>.&nbsp;



With wolves and bears essential to ecosystem balance, preventing their displacement has ecological significance beyond individual species.&nbsp;&nbsp;



According to Thompson, these results show that human recreation has significant effects on wildlife, and these findings are a call to reevaluate how we manage and use mountain trails.&nbsp;



Through careful planning and targeted conservation efforts, there is hope that humans and large carnivores can continue to share these magnificent landscapes for generations to come.



The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14837" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Applied Ecology</a>.



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Mountain recreation displaces large carnivores from their habitats

Recreational activities on mountain trails are pushing large carnivores like grizzly bears and wolves away from their native habitats, even when those trails lie hundreds of meters from where the animals roam.&nbsp; A new study from the University of Alberta highlights the need for improved land management practices that allow people and wildlife to peacefully coexist. This issue is particularly pressing in the Bow River Valley, long recognized as a natural corridor linking the prairies to the Continental Divide. Over the past 15 years, a team of...

A wildlife survey that has been conducted by citizen scientists since 1979 has uncovered an alarming trend: common garden birds like sparrows, starlings and song thrushes have seen drastic declines in their numbers.

For four decades now, the <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/">Royal Society for the Protection of Birds</a> has sponsored the <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/">Big Garden Birdwatch</a> at the end of each January. Volunteers from throughout the United Kingdom spend an hour watching the birds that come and go in their yards, then report their count, giving the RSPB a point-in-time count of the region’s avian life.

“Big Garden Birdwatch participants have made a significant contribution to monitoring garden bird numbers over the past four decades,” RSPB executive Mike Clarke told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ushome/index.html">Daily Mail</a>. “Those taking part work together as part of a community with thousands of other Big Garden Birdwatchers to help the RSPB’s work to protect birds, other wildlife and the places they live.”

Like the <a href="https://www.audubon.org/">Audubon Society</a>’s annual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/audubon-society-christmas-bird-count/">Christmas Bird Count</a>, the RSPB event produces data for use by wildlife managers, biologists and other scientists.

But this year’s count and an analysis of four decades of data offers a grim outlook for some species.

Starlings, though an invasive species in North America, are one species of garden birds on the decline in England. Since 1979, their numbers have declined about 80 percent. Their huge flocks, known for creating massive, swirling <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-starlings-aerial-ballet/">aerial shows known as murmurations</a> above cities, are now more common in rural areas. 

Song thrushes have plummeted by 75 percent, greenfinches and house sparrows both 57 percent, and chaffinches by 55 percent. 

Scientists suspect the declines could range from loss of habitat, in the case of the starlings, to trichomonosis, a parasite-linked disease common in finches.

And while house sparrow numbers are down, populations are growing in Scotland, North Ireland and Wales.

Other species of garden birds have done quite well in the series of surveys, with woodpigeon populations growing 950 percent, coal tits 263 percent, magpies 173 percent, and wrens 88 percent.

Collared doves have also seen their numbers spike, 307 percent, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. The doves are not native to the UK; they arrived in the 1950s from the Middle East.

The annual look at the numbers of common garden birds helps to underline how the contributions of citizen scientists can help professionals spot trends – negative and positive – in local wildlife populations.

“Everyone has a role to play in saving nature and protecting our wildlife,” Clarke said.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Some UK garden birds see populations plummet

A wildlife survey that has been conducted by citizen scientists...

Fish farms can provide millions of tons of fish to countries around the world, and as the future of food security is largely uncertain due to climate change, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farming-fish-food-security/">aquaculture could become an important food source</a> in the coming years. 

Several countries have expressed interest in octopus farms, and the short life spans and numerous hatchlings of a female octopus make the eight-legged cephalopod seem like an ideal fit for domestication. 

But a new analysis of octopus farms published in the journal Issues in Science and Technology warns that octopus farms could have a dangerous environmental impact.

Researchers from the <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a>, <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> and the <a href="https://www.sussex.ac.uk/">University of Sussex </a>investigated the impacts of future commercial octopus farming. 

“We are all living during the rapid domestication of aquatic species, and research is almost entirely around the question of which aquatic animals we can farm, rather than which animals we should farm,” said Jennifer Jacquet, the lead author of the study. 

After examining the pros and cons of octopus aquaculture, the researchers found that octopus farming would threaten the wellbeing of octopuses in those conditions and would result in a negative ripple effect.

The analysis comes at a crucial time since many countries like Japan, Spain and Mexico are already working to develop commercial octopus farming operations. One seafood company based in Japan has announced plans to distribute fully farmed market-ready octopus as early as 2020. 

“Universities and companies are investing time and money into farming octopus, which we believe is a big mistake,” said Jacquet. “Mass producing octopus would repeat many of the same mistakes we made on land in terms of high environmental and animal welfare impacts, and be in some ways worse because we have to feed octopus other animals.”

Around 550 aquatic species are farmed around the world, and the researchers say that because the majority of the fish are carnivorous (octopus included) farming these species puts added pressure on the food web. Additionally, 30 percent of the world’s fish harvest is used for feed. 

Octopuses are also incredibly intelligent, and many aquariums have reported entertaining accounts of their <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/04/13/octopus-slips-out-of-aquarium-tank-crawls-across-floor-escapes-down-pipe-to-ocean/?utm_term=.54cc133df62b">resident octopus escaping its tanks</a> or trying to <a href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96476905">manipulate its environments</a>. 

Placing an octopus in an enclosed fish farm would results in more octopus deaths, increased aggression (as octopus are generally solitary creatures), and pave the way for widespread infection and disease. 

The researchers also say that octopus farms would produce high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. 

Besides the impracticality of farming octopus, the researchers say that octopuses are not necessary for ensuring food security. 

“If society decides we cannot farm octopus, it will mean relatively few people can continue to eat them,” the researchers explain. “However, in the case of octopus, this does not pose problems for food security. The main markets for octopus--Japan, South Korea, northern Mediterranean countries, the U.S., China, and Australia--are food secure.”
--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Octopus farms could have a dangerous environmental ripple effect

Fish farms can provide millions of tons of fish to...

Sea cucumbers have adapted a very surprising method of mobility. New research has revealed that these creatures can suck water into their bodies through their anus, among other openings, puffing up like balloons and floating along with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-currents-rainfall/">ocean currents</a>. 

According to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/">National Geographic</a>, this strategy allows the sea cucumbers to cruise along at speeds of up to 50 miles per day. It has been long assumed that these animals, which are nicknamed sea slugs, are not capable of moving quickly aside from their larval stage.

The study authors explained that sea cucumbers have an “unexpected ability to actively modify their buoyancy, leading them to tumble or float at speeds orders of magnitudes faster than through benthic crawling.”

The investigation was focused on the activity of two sea cucumber species, Cucumaria frondosa and Holothuria scabra, in both the lab and the ocean. 

National Geographic reported that the researchers observed the response of the animals to various factors including salinity levels, strong currents, and sediment. The researchers found that the animals can puff up their body by more than 700 percent by taking in water.

Study co-author Annie Mercier is a marine biologist at <a href="https://www.mun.ca/">Memorial University of Newfoundland</a> who has been studying sea cucumbers for decades. She explained that the sea cucumbers rely on their respiratory system for this behavior. “They take up water from all the orifices they can, including through the anal opening,” Mercier told National Geographic.

While it is not known how far the animals are capable of traveling, the ability may allow sea cucumbers to migrate to safety if it becomes necessary for their survival.

The team discovered that the species H. scabra puffed up and floated more at night and during full moons. Mercier told National Geographic that this indicates the behavior is deliberate, and not random. “It does tell us probably that it's a means of dispersal.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652656">Journal of Animal Ecology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sea cucumbers can make themselves buoyant to speed around the ocean

Sea cucumbers have adapted a very surprising method of mobility....

Most of the planet’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-composition-tropical-forest-biodiversity/">biodiversity is heavily concentrated in the tropics</a> and the further you go in either direction toward the poles, the scarcer biodiversity becomes. 

However, a few groups of species seem to defy this norm, and scientists have long wondered why diverse species of warm-blooded marine mammals like whales and seals thrive in Arctic and Antarctic oceans but are less abundant in the tropics. 

A new study led by researchers from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> has shed light on this interesting phenomenon in species richness at the poles, and the results help explain why marine mammals, seabirds, and penguins do so well in their native polar habitats. 

The study was published in the journal Science. 

The researchers put together a distributional database from information on 998 top marine predators like whales and sharks. 

Once the data was all put together, the researchers found interesting differences between warm-blooded and cold-blooded predators, and these differences may help explain why warm-blooded marine mammals at the poles thrive the way they do. 

The researchers modeled predator-prey relationships based on water temperatures and metabolism and discovered that warm-bodied predators have a metabolic advantage in the polar regions because they can efficiently hunt “slow, stupid, and cold” prey, according to the study. 

Warm-blooded marine mammals like whales are faster and smarter because their metabolism helps increase temperatures in key areas like the eyes and brain to help with hunting. 

Unfortunately, biodiversity in the polar regions is in jeopardy as climate change continues to increase ocean temperatures, and unless more is done to mitigate climate change, these pockets of polar biodiversity are at risk. 
--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Why warm-blooded marine predators thrive at the poles

Most of the planet’s biodiversity is heavily concentrated in the...

A team of scientists at the <a href="http://www.uky.edu/UKHome/">University of Kentucky</a> successfully assembled the genome of the axolotl, a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/decline-giant-salamander/">salamander</a> species that is able to regenerate almost every part of its body. Having access to the complete genome may help scientists figure out regeneration in humans.

“It's hard to find a body part they can't regenerate: the limbs, the tail, the spinal cord, the eye, and in some species, the lens, even half of their brain has been shown to regenerate," said Randal Voss, a professor in the <a href="https://scobirc.med.uky.edu/">UK Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center </a>about the axolotl.

Voss and his colleague Jeramiah Smith, an associate professor in the <a href="https://bio.as.uky.edu/">UK Department of Biology</a>, adapted a classical genetic organization method called “linkage mapping” to efficiently assemble the massive axolotl genome in the correct order — a vital process necessary for understanding how the axolotl genome compares to the human genome. This is the first instance that a genome of this size has been properly assembled and organized.

"Just a few years ago, no one thought it possible to assemble a 30+GB genome," Smith said. "We have now shown it is possible using a cost effective and accessible method, which opens up the possibility of routinely sequencing other animals with large genomes."

Using the assembled axolotl genome, Voss and Smith identified a heart defect-causing gene, which thusly provides a new model of human disease.

"Biomedical research is increasingly becoming a genetically-driven enterprise," Voss explained. "To understand human disease, you have to see be able to study gene functions in other organisms like the axolotl."

He continued, "Now that we have access to genomic information, we can really start to probe axolotl gene functions and learn how they are able to regenerate body parts. Hopefully someday we can translate this information to human therapy, with potential applications for spinal cord injury, stroke, joint repair...the sky's the limit, really."

Voss and Smith’s work will appear in the February issue of <a href="https://genome.cshlp.org/">Genome Research</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Studying salamanders could open the door to human regeneration

A team of scientists at the University of Kentucky successfully...

A report from <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a> has revealed that a previously unknown animal was discovered in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/china-gene-edited-babies-illegal/">China</a> among 600-million-year-old rocks. The unnamed creature dates back further than Dickinsonia, a mysterious organism that was named Earth's oldest animal just last year. 

Discovered by Professor Zhenbing She of the <a href="https://en.cug.edu.cn/">China University of Geosciences</a>, the animal precedes Dickinsonia by more than 40 million years. Dickinsonia was described from pancake-shaped fossils that date back to the Ediacaran period around 558 million years ago. 

While all of the primitive Ediacaran creatures vanished 541 million years ago, the newly discovered animal is believed to be related to modern-day comb jellies.

“The origin and earliest evolution of animals is a fascinating question that has puzzled scientists for many decades,” said Professor She.

According to New Scientist, the fossils were found in a drill core from the Doushantuo Formation in southern China. The fossils stood out to Professor She and his team because they were shaped like a jellyfish.


Under the microscope, the scientists saw what appeared to be muscle tissue, tentacles, nerve cells, mucous layers, gonads, and cilia.

Professor She announced his findings at the <a href="https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/">Geological Society</a> meeting in London last week, where he said that the features of the new animal are very similar to those of the comb jelly phylum Ctenophora. 

Professor She explained that the cilia clusters look like structures called ctenes that are used by comb jellies to swim. He also pointed out that the fossils most closely resemble the living genus of comb jellies known as Pleurobrachia, or sea gooseberries.

“It was a very interesting talk - it seems like they have some very interesting biological creatures preserved,” Emily Mitchell from the University of Cambridge, who attended the conference, told New Scientist. “If these fossils are comb jellies, they may have been part of a surprisingly complex ecosystem.”

The full, exclusive report from New Scientist can be found <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24132142-700-exclusive-600-million-year-old-blobs-are-earliest-animals-ever-found/??utm_medium=NLC&amp;utm_source=NSNS&amp;utm_campaign=2019-0124-GLOBAL-NSDAY&amp;utm_content=NSDAY">here</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image: Stock image of a modern sea gooseberry

Organism found in Chinese rocks may be Earth’s earliest known animal

A report from New Scientist has revealed that a previously...

The most recent influenza pandemic occurred in the years 2009-2010, and was caused by the H1N1 strain – which is considered to be relatively mild. But this “relatively mild” strain of flu resulted in the deaths of roughly half a million people around the globe. However, when compared to historic pandemics such as the Spanish flu in 1918 – which killed 50 million – the damage caused by the H1N1 pandemic does seem rather minimal.

Despite our distance from major influenza pandemics, it stands to reason that researchers and healthcare professionals do all they can to prevent these viruses from spreading. One of the major fears currently is that a deadly flu strain could jump from wild birds into humans through the poultry we raise and eat. The strain could then potentially mutate into a pandemic airborne form, which may spread more easily between humans.

Now, new research details how British scientists are developing gene-edited chickens, designed to be completely resistant to flu, in an effort to stop the next deadly pandemic. The first batch of transgenic chicks are scheduled to be hatched later this year at the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, according to Wendy Barclay, a professor of virology at Imperial College London and co-leader of the research. 

Researchers altered the birds’ DNA using the widely-publicized new gene editing technology called <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/harmful-effects-crispr-gene-editing/">CRISPR</a>. The edits made remove parts of a protein (ANP32) that the flu virus needs to survive, which then makes the chickens completely flu-resistant. In making these chickens resistant to influenza, this process could lead to us forming a buffer between humans and wild birds. “If we could prevent influenza virus crossing from wild birds into chickens, we would stop the next pandemic at source,” says Barclay. 

Barclay has teamed up with scientists at Roslin Institute for this research. Ironically, Roslin is where scientists first cloned Dolly the sheep, so it’s really no surprise they are in the mix on another study that involves manipulating DNA. 

Despite the researcher’s belief in the effectiveness of this gene-editing approach, Barclay knows that one of the biggest hurdles could be poultry producers’ concerns about public acceptance of these transgenic chickens. “People eat food from farmed animals that have been altered by decades of traditional breeding,” she says. “But they might be nervous about eating gene edited food.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists create flu-resistant chickens to prevent the next pandemic

The most recent influenza pandemic occurred in the years 2009-2010,...

With zoonotic diseases, the concern is often which viruses we can catch from an animal. Rarely do we hear about animals being <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vaccine-protect-chimps-ebola-virus/">infected by the same diseases as humans</a>. 

But a little less than two years after it was discovered that chimpanzees in Uganda were dying from the “common cold,” researchers from the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a> identified two more human respiratory viruses infecting communities of chimps in the same region.

A team of researchers, led by Tony Goldberg, an epidemiologist and professor at UW-Madison, studied chimp communities suffering from two simultaneous outbreaks of respiratory viruses between 2016 and 2017. 

The researchers published their findings in the journal Emerging Microbes and Infections.

One group, the Ngogo community, lost 25 chimpanzees and 44 percent of the 205 members in the community became infected during the outbreak. 

Another smaller group, the Kanyawara community, had a larger percent of chimpanzees who were infected but none of the chimpanzees in the Kanyawaya community died. 

The researchers were able to collect the bodies of recently dead chimpanzees in Uganda’s Kibale National Park before they had decomposed which allowed them to conduct a rare post-mortem comparison between the two chimp communities. 

The team discovered that the Kanyawara chimps had become infected by the parainfluenza virus 3, while the Ngogo chimps had become infected by the metapneumovirus. 

“This was really shocking,” Goldberg said in a UW-Madison <a href="https://news.wisc.edu/human-respiratory-viruses-continue-to-spread-in-wild-chimpanzees/">news release</a>. “At the time, we were convinced that the same virus must have been causing both outbreaks, especially considering that the outbreaks were happening at exactly the same time.”

Both viruses are common in humans. 

“These are very common human viruses that circulate worldwide and cause ‘the sniffles’ in kids,” said Goldberg. “In people, they are no big deal unless the patient has asthma or another underlying condition.”

But for the chimpanzees, it’s a different story, and these common cold viruses are causing more severe symptoms. 

In 2013, researchers discovered that the human cold virus rhinovirus C was infecting chimps in Uganda, but this new study shows that chimps are susceptible to a wide range of respiratory viruses that originate in humans. 

“So, it seems like a plethora of common and mostly benign respiratory viruses of people can be transmitted to chimps in this part of the world, causing disease and sometimes death,” said Goldberg. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Richard Wrangham

Chimps in Uganda dying from common human viruses

With zoonotic diseases, the concern is often which viruses we...

Wildlife poaching has long been a threat to many threatened and endangered species throughout the world. As populations of targeted species continue to decline, technology has increasingly been used as a tool to combat poaching.

<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/magazine-41672803/drones-are-being-used-to-protect-elephants-and-rhinos-from-poachers">Drones</a> are being used in Africa to watch over wild elephant and rhino populations and <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/new-anti-poaching-technology-leads-to-dozens-of-arrests-of-wildlife-criminals-in-africa">infrared cameras</a> have already resulted in the arrest of dozens of poachers. But now, in an effort to protect sea turtles, fake GPS eggs are being used to track the movement of poachers.

There are seven species of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-sea-turtle-species/">sea turtles</a>, all of whom face pressures from poaching. All but one species of sea turtle is listed as Vulnerable or higher on the IUCN Red List. The elusive Flatback turtle is listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List but is listed as Vulnerable under the Australian Commonwealth’s Endangered Species Protection Act, according to <a href="https://www.seeturtles.org/flatback-turtle/">See Turtles</a>.  

Despite protection under national and international laws, sea turtles are heavily poached for their meat, shells and eggs. Turtle eggs are considered a delicacy, aphrodisiac or even a bar snack in some places. Their shells can be used to make jewelry and souvenirs. In the last 100 years,<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/8005/12881238#threats"> millions</a> of Hawksbill turtles have been killed for the tortoiseshell trade alone.

Without intervention, poaching could result in the extinction of our ocean’s sea turtles. That is where the fake GPS eggs come in. Paso Pacifico, a non-profit that works to conserve ecosystems along Central America’s Pacific slope, has developed a unique product called the InvestEGGator, a GPS tracking device that looks and feels like a real sea turtle egg. 

The non-profit works in Central America, where sea turtle egg poaching is common. Hawksbill turtles in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Ecuador and Leatherback turtles in Mexico, Costa Rica and Nicaragua are among the<a href="https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/import/downloads/ci_threatened_turtlemap_final.pdf"> world’s 11 most threatened sea turtle populations.</a> It is believed that poachers destroy more than 90% of sea turtle nests on many Central American beaches.

The GPS eggs are placed in real sea turtle nests for poachers to grab. Once the poachers take the tracking devices, Paso Pacifico can receive information on poachers’ smuggling routes. 

“Armed with that information, we intend to work with authorities to dismantle egg trafficking, both domestically and internationally,” the group says on their<a href="http://pasopacifico.org/project/investeggator-sea-turtle-eggs/"> website</a>.

“If you're deploying eggs on several beaches in a country, and let's say they all end up going to the same neighborhood or the same block, then that suggests maybe a very centralized network with a couple of really key players,” Kim Williams-Guillén, who works for Paso Pacifico, explained in a<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/cracking-down-on-poaching-with-3d-printed-fake-turtle-eggs"> PBS interview</a>.

The eggs have the potential to provide important insight into the movement of poachers and traffickers who sell the products in the illicit wildlife market. In addition, the eggs may also help locals, some of whom may be poachers themselves. 

Paso Pacifico hires locals to work as rangers who patrol the beaches and collect scientific data. The ranger jobs provide an alternative for individuals who may rely on poaching for an income. In this way, the ranger program is not only helping to watch over sea turtles but transform individuals from poachers to guardians.

Paso Pacifico continues to refine the InvestEGGator in the hopes of making the technology available for widespread use. The technology may be able to help other species such as birds whose eggs are smuggled for the wildlife trade.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Fake GPS turtle eggs are being used to help track wildlife poachers

Wildlife poaching has long been a threat to many threatened...

The analysis of 250 million-year-old fossils has led to the discovery of a marine reptile that resembled a duck-billed platypus. Eretmorhipis carrolldongi existed in shallow seas during the Triassic period, and hunted for prey by relying on its sense of touch using a platypus-like bill.


In addition to having a cartilaginous bill, Eretmorhipis was about 70 centimeters in length with a rigid body, small head, and tiny eyes. The creature also had four flippers for swimming and steering, with bony plates along its back.

Study co-author Professor Ryosuke Motani is a paleontologist at the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a>. He explained that Eretmorhipis was previously known only from partial fossils without a head.

“This is a very strange animal,” said Professor Motani. “When I started thinking about the biology I was really puzzled.”

The two new fossils revealed that the animal's skull had bones that would have supported a bill of cartilage. Just like the modern platypus, there is a large hole in the bones in the middle of the bill.

[caption id="attachment_1866047" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/marine-animal.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1866047" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/marine-animal.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="525" /></a> Image Credit: Gianluca Danini[/caption]

In the early <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-pterodactyl-species-triassic/">Triassic</a>, the region in China where the Eretmorhipis fossils were found was covered by a shallow sea that was around a meter deep. Underneath, a carbonate platform extended for hundreds of miles. The remains were recovered at what would have been deeper holes, or lagoons, in the platform. 

While there are no fossils to show what Eretmorhipis ate, it likely fed on shrimp, worms, and other small invertebrates, according to Professor Motani. He said that the creature’s long, bony body likely meant that it was a poor swimmer. “It wouldn't survive in the modern world, but it didn't have any rivals at the time.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</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: Gianluca Danini

Strange marine animal from the Triassic had a platypus-like bill

The analysis of 250 million-year-old fossils has led to the...

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> may help to explain why toxic methylmercury concentrations in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/record-payment-tuna-ocean-fish/">tuna fish</a> vary across different geographic regions. The researchers have mapped the regional variations in an effort to examine the biological, environmental, and ecological factors that are driving these fluctuations. 

Methylmercury is highly toxic form of mercury that can cause damage to the central nervous system in humans. Methylmercury is known to accumulate in the aquatic food chain, potentially leading to greater concentrations in fish that are higher up on the food chain, including tuna. 

Mercury compounds are released into the atmosphere from natural sources, such as volcanoes and human activities like gold mining. When these compounds reach the ocean, natural bacterial reactions convert them into methylmercury.

The scientists focused their investigation on bigeye, yellowfin, and albacore tuna captured in a region known as the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). For most of the samples, the researchers found that methylmercury levels were below food safety guidelines.

The study also confirmed previous findings from other ocean regions that body size is the primary factor in determining contamination within a species. Bigger fish accumulate a higher concentration of methylmercury in their tissues compared to smaller fish. Furthermore, the experts determined that this concentration is affected by sea-surface temperature and the depth of the ocean layer in which tuna feed. 

Based on their findings, the team developed a model to help predict methylmercury levels in tuna. The model was found to be accurate for WCPO, as well as for the North Central and Central Equatorial Pacific Oceans, but underestimated levels in fish from the Eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean. The researchers explained that the research could help in assessing the risks and benefits of eating tuna caught in a particular location.


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why do some tuna contain toxic mercury levels, while others don’t?

A new study published by the American Chemical Society may...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-krill-ocean-acidification/">Krill</a> are a key food source for many marine animals including whales, penguins, seabirds, seals, and fish. Krill are small, shrimp-like crustaceans that swim in vast swarms that are sometimes dense and wide enough that they can be viewed from space, according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/krill/">National Geographic</a>.

Unfortunately, Antarctic krill populations appear to be declining. A new study has found that climate change is driving Antarctic krill southward and changing species distribution which could have an irreversible impact on the Southern Ocean food web.

The study was led by researchers from the <a href="https://www.pml.ac.uk/">Plymouth Marine Laboratory</a> and the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a> and published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Not only did the researchers find that krill are shifting towards the South Pole, but the further north you go, the steeper the declines in krill density.

The shifts are bad news for the many species that rely on krill, and the study shows that krill distribution predictions based on environmental changes are coming true.

Researchers have been collecting data on Antarctic Krill since the 1920s. At first, the data was meant to help inform whale conservation efforts but the researchers identified an interesting trend in krill distribution in the data.

The researchers say that from the 1980s onwards, the data shows clear changes in distribution and density in Antarctic krill populations.

“Our results suggest that over the past 40 years, the amount of krill has, on average, gone down, and also the location of the krill has contracted to much less of the habitat,” Simeon Hill, a lead author of the study, told <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46953652">BBC News</a>. “That suggests all these other animals that eat krill will face much more intense competition with each other for this important food resource.”

Krill feed on phytoplankton, and the distribution changes likely have a lot to do with the krill’s search for abundant food and a more hospitable habitat with more sea ice.

The late 80s saw a climate oscillation called the Southern Annular Mode which produced warmer temperatures and reduced sea ice coverage.

According to the BBC, the Southern Annular Mode is one of the main drivers of krill distribution changes in recent years. The researchers also found changes in krill size. 

“And that's because the population has increasingly become dominated by older and larger animals,” Hill told BBC News. “This is a result of a decline in the number of krill entering the population - what we call juvenile recruitment.”

The study shows how sensitive the Antarctic ecosystem is to climate change and calls for stronger climate change mitigation to protect the Southern Ocean food web from collapsing as krill get more scarce.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Changes in Antarctic krill numbers could disrupt an entire food web

Krill are a key food source for many marine animals...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...