Octopuses have long fascinated scientists with their intelligence, camouflage abilities, and unique biology. 



These remarkable creatures continue to surprise researchers, revealing new secrets about their evolutionary past. One of the most intriguing mysteries has been the question of how octopuses determine their sex.



Scientists at the University of Oregon recently identified a sex chromosome in the California two-spot octopus. This discovery confirms that cephalopods, a group that includes squid and nautiluses, rely on chromosomes for sex determination. 



The research also suggests that this chromosome has existed for at least 480 million years, making it one of the oldest known sex chromosomes in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/turquets-octopus-dna-tells-scientists-that-west-antarctic-ice-sheet-collapse-is-close/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal kingdom</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sex-chromosome-in-octopuses">Sex chromosome in octopuses</h2>



“Cephalopods are already such interesting creatures, and there are so many things we’re still learning about them, especially in neuroscience,” said Gabby Coffing, a doctoral student at the <a href="https://www.uoregon.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oregon</a>. 



“This is just showing one more interesting thing about them: They have really ancient sex chromosomes.”



The findings, published in the journal Current Biology, provide new insights into the genetic history of octopuses and their relatives. Understanding this ancient sex determination system could help scientists uncover more about how these intelligent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-octopus-day-the-intelligent-creatures-of-the-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">creatures</a> evolved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sex-determination-varies-across-species">Sex determination varies across species</h2>



Sex determination is not the same for all animals. While humans and most mammals rely on the X/Y chromosome system, other species follow different methods. 



In turtles, sex depends on the temperature at which the eggs incubate. Some fish determine sex using a single gene rather than a whole chromosome. 



Even in humans, sex chromosomes are not always straightforward. Gene mutations or extra sex chromosomes can lead to biological variations that do not fit into a simple male or female category.



Cephalopods have long posed a challenge for genetic research. They are not standard laboratory animals like mice or fruit flies, making it difficult for scientists to study their genetics in depth. 



Although researchers have sequenced the genomes of some octopus <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/octopus-suckers-the-future-of-underwater-adhesives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a>, they still struggle to link specific genes to particular traits. The discovery of an octopus sex chromosome marks a major breakthrough in understanding how these animals develop and reproduce.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unique-sex-chromosome-in-female-octopuses">Unique sex chromosome in female octopuses</h2>



The research team at the University of Oregon made an unexpected discovery when sequencing the DNA of a female California two-spot octopus. 



Among its 30 chromosomes, one stood out because it contained only half the usual amount of genetic material. This anomaly had not appeared in previous studies of male octopus DNA.



“This particular chromosome had half the amount of sequencing data, which indicated there was only one copy,” Coffing explained. “Then as we explored that more, we reached the conclusion that we must have stumbled upon a sex chromosome.”



This finding suggested that female octopuses carry a unique chromosome that males do not. The scientists needed to confirm their discovery by comparing it with data from other cephalopods. 



If this chromosome appeared in multiple species, it would indicate an ancient and consistent pattern of sex determination.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sex-chromosome-exists-in-other-cephalopods">Sex chromosome exists in other cephalopods</h2>



The team analyzed genomic data from other octopus species and found similar evidence of this unique chromosome. 



The experts also detected the sex chromosome in squid, a species that diverged from octopuses between 248 and 455 million years ago. More surprisingly, they identified traces of it in the nautilus, a mollusk that split from the octopus lineage approximately 480 million years ago.



“This indicates that their common ancestor had this similar sex determination system,” Coffing said.



Most sex chromosomes change rapidly over time because they play a crucial role in reproduction. However, this cephalopod sex chromosome appears to have remained stable for hundreds of millions of years. 



This suggests that octopuses and their relatives have relied on this system without significant evolutionary changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comparing-ancient-sex-chromosomes">Comparing ancient sex chromosomes</h2>



While the octopus sex chromosome is one of the oldest known, other ancient sex chromosomes exist in nature. 



Some plants, like mosses and liverworts, evolved their sex chromosomes early in Earth’s history. Insects also have sex chromosomes that date back about 450 million years, though these have changed considerably over time.



The discovery in octopuses challenges the idea that sex chromosomes always evolve quickly. It suggests that some systems remain stable if they continue to work effectively over long periods. Cephalopods seem to have found a genetic formula for sex determination that has stood the test of time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mystery-of-the-missing-w-chromosome">Mystery of the missing W chromosome</h2>



One question remains unanswered: how exactly does the sex determination system work in octopuses? Scientists initially suspected that octopuses might have a system similar to birds and butterflies, where males have two identical chromosomes (ZZ) and females have one of each (ZW).



Kern and his team searched for a W chromosome in female octopuses but didn't find one. This leaves open the possibility that octopuses follow a different system in which males have two copies of a single chromosome (ZZ), while females have only one (Z).



Researchers still need more evidence to confirm how octopus sex chromosomes function. While this study has solved one piece of the puzzle, many questions remain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-secrets-of-the-octopus">Secrets of the octopus </h2>



Octopuses continue to be one of the most enigmatic creatures in the ocean. Their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-octopus-has-mastered-the-art-of-multispecies-hunting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">intelligence</a>, problem-solving skills, and unique genetics set them apart from most other animals. 



The discovery of an ancient sex chromosome adds another layer to their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-animal-will-replace-humans-as-earths-dominant-species-this-scientist-has-an-idea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolutionary story</a>. For now, researchers know that this octopus sex chromosome has been around for nearly half a billion years. However, the exact mechanics of how it works remain uncertain.



As scientists continue to explore cephalopod genetics, they will uncover more about how these fascinating animals developed their extraordinary traits.



The octopus has revealed one of its secrets, but it still holds on to many more.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00005-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



-----



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Sex chromosome discovered in octopuses is 480 million years old

Octopuses have long fascinated scientists with their intelligence, camouflage abilities, and unique biology. These remarkable creatures continue to surprise researchers, revealing new secrets about their evolutionary past. One of the most intriguing mysteries has been the question of how octopuses determine their sex. Scientists at the University of Oregon recently identified a sex chromosome in the California two-spot octopus. This discovery confirms that cephalopods, a group that includes squid and nautiluses, rely on chromosomes for sex determination. The research also suggests that this chromosome has existed for...

In eusocial species – organisms that are highly organized and have groups of infertile workers – altruism is a community trait that can help keep the group alive and fit. For many years, it has been thought that genetics and the level of relation between individuals was the most important factor for the evolution of altruistic social behavior in some organisms. Now, a new study from researchers at <a href="https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/">Hokkaido University</a> has found that this is not the case.

An organism’s “fitness” is directly related to its ability to successfully reproduce and propagate its genes. In this study, researchers studied the foraging and nesting behaviors of the sweat bee (Lasioglossum baleicum), and found that the fitness was more strongly linked to the bees’ cooperative behavior than it was to their genetic similarity. This is the first empirical evidence to suggest that social behavior in eusocial species is only somewhat attributed to how related the individuals are to each other.

The results of this study go against earlier theories that linked altruistic selfless behavior in eusocial species to genetic relatedness and a desire to propagate their own genes. Past studies have found that, in some insect species, genetic similarity is higher between sisters than between a sister and its own offspring – this has been considered the key factor in the formation of a eusociety.

In their study, evolutionary biologist Eisuke Hasegawa and his colleagues studied five aggregations of sweat bee nests in a variety of areas on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. Each aggregation contained two types of nests: one in which multiple females worked together to care for the offspring of a single queen, and one in which a mother bee took care of her own offspring.

Observations found that the females working in cooperative nests foraged more often than females in solitary nests. Solitary nests were also devoid of adult females for a much larger amount of time than social nests, which leaves the nest vulnerable to predators. The main predator of sweat bees is the ant, which a solitary female sweat bee is able to fend off by plugging the nest opening with her head to protect it from scout ants. Cooperative nests are much more efficiently defended, as other females are able to defend the nest when one goes off to forage.

Individual females in social nests were found to have higher fitness than solitary females, which means that social bees are more successful in propagating their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/two-genes-control-genes/">genes</a>. The researchers found that 92 percent of the increase in fitness is a result of the benefits of grouping (i.e. more efficient foraging and defense). The other 8 percent is attributed to genetic similarity between individuals. 

“There has been a decade-long debate among scientists as to whether genetic similarity or the benefit of grouping is the primary drive of sociality,” says Hasegawa. “Our study could help reveal some of the factors behind the evolution of cooperation, including among humans, by quantifying how much cooperative behavior contributes to the increased fitness of altruistic individuals in a group.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Norihiro Yagi

Cooperation in a society matters more than genetic relations

In eusocial species – organisms that are highly organized and...

Victor and Isabel, the world's first <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/first-test-tube-lion-cubs/">lion cubs</a> to be conceived through artificial insemination, are described as being “healthy and normal” five weeks after they were born in South Africa. The outcome suggests that this reproductive alternative could be an option to help save lions and other endangered cat species.

Andre Ganswindt is the director of the Mammal Research Institute at the <a href="https://www.up.ac.za/">University of Pretoria</a>, where the experiment was developed. 

“There are tremendous threats to wildlife due to the loss of habitat and anthropogenic pressures which also affect big cats,” said Ganswindt. “That is why a number of species are listed as vulnerable or endangered, but this research could combat the threat of extinction facing several types of big cat around the world.”

After 18 months of preparation such as closely monitoring the female lion's hormone levels, she was artificially impregnated.

[caption id="attachment_1802021" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-10-03-at-8.50.37-AM.png"><img class="wp-image-1802021" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-10-03-at-8.50.37-AM-1024x553.png" alt="" width="700" height="378" /></a> Image Credit: AFP/Getty Images[/caption]

“We collected sperm from a healthy lion, and luckily it was successful,” said Ganswindt. “There were several attempts, but surprisingly it didn't take too much effort.”

The African lion is currently listed as “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The West African lion subpopulation is classified as “critically endangered.”

A news release from the University of Pretoria explains why the development of artificial insemination protocols are needed to protect lions from extinction. 

“Although African lions normally breed quite well in captivity, the wild population is highly fragmented and suffers progressively from isolation and inbreeding. Indiscriminate killing and prosecution, habitat loss and prey depletion, epidemic diseases, poaching, and trophy hunting threaten the extinction of these existing wild populations.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: AFP/Getty Images

First lion cubs conceived with artificial insemination are healthy

Victor and Isabel, the world's first lion cubs to be...

A team of experts has reviewed over 300 studies focused on the cognitive abilities of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dogs-helped-humans-exclude/">dogs</a> and many other species. The investigation revealed that the intelligence of dogs has been overestimated when they are compared to other animals.

Study co-author Stephen Lea is a professor of Psychology at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>.

“During our work it seemed to us that many studies in dog cognition research set out to 'prove' how clever dogs are,” said Professor Lea. “They are often compared to chimpanzees, and whenever dogs ‘win,’ this gets added to their reputation as something exceptional.”

In order to accurately measure the intelligence level of dogs, the researchers determined that dogs must be classified as carnivorans, social hunters, and as domestic animals. 

“Taking all three groups into account, dog cognition does not look exceptional,” said study co-author Dr. Britta Osthaus of <a href="https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/">Canterbury Christ Church University</a>. “We are doing dogs no favor by expecting too much of them. Dogs are dogs, and we need to take their needs and true abilities into account when considering how we treat them.”

The cognitive abilities of dogs were measured up against other animals that fit into the three categories, including cats, spotted hyenas, wolves, bottlenose dolphins, horses, and chimpanzees. The comparisons were based on associative learning, sensory cognition, physical cognition, spatial cognition, social cognition, and self-awareness.

The study revealed that dogs did not test higher than other animals in associative learning, and their physical cognition was comparable to that of other species. While dogs performed well in spatial tasks, they did not necessarily stand out.

Dogs are known for their impressive social skills, particularly the way they interact with humans. However, other animals were found to be even more perceptive of social cues.


“Some other domestic species may do as well as dogs, though no other social hunters (except for wolves) have been shown to do as well,” wrote the researchers. “Dogs also have impressive capacities for social learning, and they seem to do better at these tasks than any other carnivorans, except wolves. Nevertheless, they have not demonstrated any capacities that have not also been shown in other social hunters.”

Dogs are also known for having an excellent sense of smell, but similar levels of sensory cognition have been found in some carnivorans and domestic animals.

“Dogs are special insofar as they occupy the intersection between domestic animals, social hunters and carnivorans,” Dr. Britta told <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/">Newsweek</a>. “But their cognition is not fundamentally different from that of the comparison species. Dogs do not show any cognitive ability that could not be expected from any comparison species. Their cognition is not exceptional.”


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/psychology/journal/13420">Learning &amp; Behavior</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ruh-roh: The intelligence of dogs may have been overestimated

A team of experts has reviewed over 300 studies focused...

The sunny hills and plains of southern Spain may not, like the Amazon rainforests or the savannahs of Africa, evoke images of wildlife in peril. Pastoral and balmy, the region is dotted with farms and small towns. To those who don’t frequent the area, it seems frozen in time, a picture of Mediterranean bliss. In fact, this idyllic landscape is the last stronghold of one of the few large predators to survive in Europe. And though efforts in the past several decades have resulted in a remarkable resurgence, the golden-eyed, spotted ghost of the Iberian Peninsula is still hanging on by a thread.

The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) was once widespread in Spain and even outside of it. The species is one of four species of lynx. The others are the bobcat (L. rufus) and Canadian lynx (L. canadensis) of North America, and the Eurasian lynx (L. lynx) of Europe and Asia. The Iberian lynx, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article/95/1/19/2187452">which diverged as a unique species</a> some 1.5 million years ago, is intermediate in size between the bobcat and the Eurasian and Canadian species. 

As recently as the <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/40270018/Ancient_DNA_evidence_of_Iberian_lynx_pal20151122-25325-11el43z.pdf">late Holocene</a>, it ranged into France and Italy. (A species known as the cave lynx is now thought to be either a subspecies, or the progenitor, of the Iberian lynx.) Theories vary as to how the Eurasian species and the Iberian species interacted. Some contend that the Iberian lynx was pushed out of the majority of Europe by the larger Eurasian lynx while others suggest that their ranges only ever overlapped slightly.

Whatever the case, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/92/5/1081/885349">since at least the early 19th century</a>, the Iberian lynx has been in decline, its range having shrunk to small parts of Spain and Portugal. Beginning in the 1940s, that decline became even more precipitous. It wasn’t until 1963, however, with the publication of a <a href="https://www.iberlibro.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=22854970971&amp;searchurl=sortby%3D0%26vci%3D7331636">paper on the subject</a>, that its plight received any real attention. This resulted in the <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5b3e/13ae1cb7a4aff1ec3f32b4dc6fda90949703.pdf">protection of the species from hunting in Spain</a> in 1966; a hunting ban was not instituted in Portugal until 1974. 

Nonetheless, the population sustained even further reductions during the period leading up to the turn of the century. The species was considered extirpated in Portugal by 1992. By 2002, the species was restricted to a small area of southern Iberia, perhaps 2% of the area it once inhabited. Its two remaining strongholds were Doñana National Park and the Sierra Morena Mountains. And the population amounted to a mere 94 individual animals. 

That year, the lynx was listed as critically endangered by the IUCN and efforts begun to conserve it in the 1990s were ramped up substantially. The largely EU-funded <a href="http://www.iberlince.eu/index.php/eng/">LIFE Iberlince</a> project has been at the forefront of the efforts to restore the species to its former range. 

Begun in the mid-1990s, the project received an influx of funding following the realization a decade later that the species was truly in crisis. To date, some $75 million dollars have been spent in an attempt to salvage the decimated population. Four breeding centers, three in Spain and one in Portugal, have been successful in inducing the animal to reproduce in captivity. In addition to reintroducing captive-bred specimens to their primary refugia in the Iberian peninsula, they have also expanded the species’ current range to the Montes de Toledo and the Matachel Valley in Spain and the Guadiana Valley in Portugal. 

As of 2016, 404 Iberian lynx live in the wild, largely due to reintroduction efforts, which have created new breeding populations. The captive breeding programs have been careful to select genetically distant specimens in order to avoid problems with inbreeding in an already shallow gene pool.

Despite this quadrupling of the population from its nadir, the Iberian lynx still faces a multitude of threats to its ultimate reestablishment. Poaching, somewhat curtailed by national regulation, nonetheless still poses a danger. The fragmentation of its habitat by agricultural endeavours such as strawberry farms and timber plantations haven’t helped. Worse still is the expansion of roads through its habitat. In 2014, 22 Iberian lynx perished due to car collisions. Conservationists have constructed underpasses for them, but automobiles remain a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wildlife-corridors-habitat-fragmentation/">significant obstacle</a> to fully restoring these finicky felines. And finicky they are. 

Perhaps the greatest spectre hanging over the efforts to save the Iberian lynx is the alarming decline of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). This colonial species of lagomorph constitutes some 90% of the lynx’s diet. An adult lynx needs to capture one rabbit a day and a breeding female needs three. While in times of desperation they will resort to eating partridge (<a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Alectoris_rufa/">Alectoris rufa</a>), and other birds, and may take the fawns and calves of fallow deer (<a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Dama_dama/">Dama dama</a>), red deer (<a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cervus_elaphus/">Cervus elaphus</a>), and mouflon (Ovis musimon), they really do prefer the tender meat of rabbits. That’s the problem. As ubiquitous as the rabbit might seem in other parts of the world, the European rabbit population has dwindled alarmingly in Spain. 

A strain of rabbit hemorrhagic disease swept Europe beginning in 2011. It devastated a population already etiolated by myxomatosis, a fatal disease intentionally introduced worldwide in the 1950s as a means of controlling unwanted bunnies. By 2014, hemorrhagic disease had claimed nearly 90% of the rabbits in the lynx’s home range. In an effort to compensate for this loss, hundreds of thousands of rabbits have been released into the areas currently inhabited by the lynx. Artificial warrens have been constructed to encourage their persistence. And supplementary food and water are offered to otherwise wild specimens. 

While the numbers suggest that these efforts have been somewhat successful, conservationists were vexed when in 2015 the IUCN downgraded the Iberian lynx from critically endangered to endangered. Though it may be slowly reestablishing its former range, factors such as climate change imperil its ultimate survival. The spotted spectre of the Iberian peninsula isn’t out of—or rather, into—the woods yet.

--

By <a href="mailto:rtpallardy@gmail.com">Richard Pallardy</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Spanish Ghost: Resurrection of the Iberian Lynx

The sunny hills and plains of southern Spain may not,...

Recently, severe drought has struck parts of the already rather arid Australian outback and it’s having a noticeable impact on emus.

Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) are the second largest living bird by height in the world after the perhaps more famous ostrich.  Emus cover the whole of Australia, and once subspecies lived on Tasmania and King Island as well but were killed off quickly after European colonization.  Emus are flightless and reach towering heights (for birds) of up to 6.2 feet. The birds eat plants and insects and have been observed to fast for weeks when food isn’t available.  Quick, agile and strong, emus have managed to cohabitate with human hunters and dingoes for at least 40,000 years and retain healthy populations in Australia today. 

Emus are native to Australia but they’ve also been raised in parts of the United States.  Some farmers in the US decided that raising the exotic bird for meat and eggs might be a way to make a good profit.  Largely speculative emu farming in the US was a failure. In 1998, <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-12-27/news/9812270274_1_american-emu-association-bird-health-foods">The Chicago Tribune</a> reported that Emu farming had peaked a few years before that, leading to some of the large birds being released.  An Emu in Harrisburg, Illinois disrupted traffic and was killed by the police to stop potential car accidents.

Emu meat is lower in cholesterol and fat than beef and so was embraced by a fickle health food trend.  Emu meat consumption and even use of its oil for therapy has declined and many farmers didn’t know what to do with the flightless Australian bird. 

 In the area of my own hometown of Grand Junction Colorado, I’ve seen a few emus, walking behind high fences and making an odd drum-like sound deep in their chests.  The birds look like nothing so much as dinosaurs on long scaly legs and fluffily feathered bodies. I know a commercial paleontologist who sells casts of an emu’s foot as a representation of what a theropod dinosaur foot may have looked like.  Many of the emus I’ve seen over the years in Western Colorado were said to have been turned out, much like the once farmed emus of Illinois. Some even speculate that the emus released into the desert may have found a way to establish small feral populations unseen by most in the rough canyon lands of the southwest. 

Given the strength, speed, intelligence and size of the emu, it isn’t too surprising that there have been conflicts between them and humans in their homeland of Australia as well as the US.  In the wake of World War I, the Australian government hit on a plan to settle and occupy veterans returning from the Great War. 

Military veterans were given plots of land in the dusty outback to turn into farms.  <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/running-ponies/the-great-emu-war-in-which-some-large-flightless-birds-unwittingly-foiled-the-australian-army/">Scientific American</a> reports that by 1920 the government had turned over 90,000 hectares of land to veterans for farming.  By that time, the Australian government was running out of good land and started giving veterans more marginal property near Perth.  The onset of the Great Depression and little experience in farming set the veterans up for failure and into the struggle stepped the emu.  

Initially emus were a protected animal under Australian law.  Things changed when emus started eating wheat planted by the veterans turned farmers and seemed to be wreaking havoc on crops already planted in marginal land by the inexperienced.  Emus were (temporarily) reclassified as vermin, which anyone could legally kill. Quickly the situation escalated and things got nasty. 

The farmers called on the Australian government to send in the military to cull the herds of emus, starting what would come to be called The Great Emu War.  Mostly the military’s efforts ended in failure. The emus proved smarter than people generally conceded. The birds seemed to learn how far away from machine guns they could stand safely out of range.  The emus coordinated with one bird reportedly watching out while the others fed and calling an alarm at any danger. The birds moved so quickly it was hard to shoot them with any accuracy. In the end it was estimated that it took 10 military bullets to kill a single emu during the ‘war’.  The military operation stopped and instead the government simply supplied guns and ammunition to locals for their own effort in emu control.

This year, a drought has hit parts of Australia particularly hard.  <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/34798fb4-ac22-11e8-94bd-cba20d67390c">Financial Times</a> reports that this is the driest beginning for the growing season since 1982 and the third driest on record in the state of New South Wales.  The drought has also hit Victoria, Queensland and parts of South Australia. In reaction to the drought, the federal government of Australia offered up a $2 billion aid package to help farmers and others affected.

As the world’s third largest beef exporter, Australia has been hit hard by the drought, their cattle herd expected to drop by almost 2 million head this year.  The wildlife which must compete with livestock for food and water has also been hurt by the drought. 

Emus have once again begun competing with humans for land and resources.  The <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-45239791">BBC</a> reported that emus have wandered into Broken Hill and other towns in New South Wales and surrounding areas.  Emus have even been seen walking down main streets of rural communities. Some locals have left out food and water for the emus, others have merely been startled by their sudden appearance.  Emus have been seen crashing soccer games, eating from gardens and drinking any water available. In other areas kangaroos have been reported entering towns as well, searching for a means of survival.  

Along with the hardship on livestock, farmers and wildlife, bushfires have increase in response to Australia’s drought.  Amidst the increase in emus and kangaroos arriving like some biblical plague, a debate on climate change has flared up in Australia.  Some Australians, especially farmers and other rural dwellers are skeptical over climate change. It’s impossible to link a specific drought to climate change but it’s possible that faced with such a severe drought, Australian farmers may rethink the possible implications of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mojave-bird-populations-declines/">climate change</a>.                          

--

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>

Australian drought driving more frequent encounters with emus

Recently, severe drought has struck parts of the already rather...

A new study from the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> has demonstrated that the varying personalities of male great tits influence how they bond with their future <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/puffins-migrate-struggle-breeding/">breeding</a> partners. The research revealed that male birds who are shy have a tendency to play the field, while the males who are more bold focus on forming strong, monogamous relationships.

The courageous males were also found to be more proactive by selecting their future partners sooner. In addition, they put more effort into their relationship before the breeding season began. Shy males were less dedicated to forming a strong bond, and spent their time flocking with other females.

“Finding a mating partner is of utmost importance to these birds, just as it is for many species across the animal kingdom,” said study lead author Dr. Josh Firth. “We wanted to ask why individuals of the same species differ so much in how much effort they put into forming these relationships.”

The study was focused on the personality traits of hundreds of great tits at Oxford University's Wytham Woods. The research team used radio-frequency identification tags to track the birds and their social networks over several years.

“We show that personality plays an important role explaining the differences in pair-bonding tactics; proactive males dedicate more time to their chosen future partner, even long before mating begins, while the less proactive males take the alternative option of sampling lots of different females right up until the breeding season actually starts,” explained Dr. Firth.

“Through linking differences in male bird's behavior to different mating strategies, the findings suggest their may be no 'best personality' to have, and therefore help explain why we even see these differences in personalities in the first place. It could well be the case that being bold and proactive is better for finding a good partner in some social situations, while more reserved strategies are preferable in others.”

The study authors hope that the findings will lead to further research on how individual behavioral differences can shape social relationships across various species.

 The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Molly Harwood

Bold male birds are more monogamous than the shy ones

A new study from the University of Oxford has demonstrated...

Insects are an eco-friendly source of protein - would you try one?. Would you be open to trying a snack made with insects? 

For people in western countries, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/freshwater-insects-eaten-microplastics/">insects</a> are rarely consumed as food, and if they are it’s usually as a novelty, but in many countries insects are a welcome source of protein. 

According to a recent report in <a href="https://theconversation.com/eating-insects-has-long-made-sense-in-africa-the-world-must-catch-up-70419">The Conversation</a>, roughly 2 billion people around the world eat insects, and in Africa it is especially common. 

In a future where food insecurity is slated to become a widespread challenge due to climate change, finding ways to sustainably meet food demand and still reduce greenhouse gas emissions is key, and one way to do this is to cut back on livestock farming and meat production. 

Insects could be a viable alternative protein source, but how do you get countries that don’t typically eat insects to warm up to entomophagy (the practice of eating insects). 

But now, a new study may have found the answer and it has to do with clever marketing. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.unibe.ch/index_eng.html">University of Bern</a> conducted a study examining strategies that could be employed to help people be more comfortable with eating insects. 

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2018.00088/full">Frontiers in Nutrition</a> and the results suggest that promoting insects as a luxury or tasty delicacy could help improve the appeal in countries where insects are not regularly eaten. 

“Insects have numerous health benefits as a source of protein and dramatically outperform conventional meats in terms of greenhouse gas emissions,” Sebastian Berger, the lead author of the study. “Therefore, insect-based food might help in the fight against climate change.”

The researchers asked members of the public in Cologne, Germany to view advertisements for an insect-based food. Some of the advertisements promoted insects as an environmentally friendly and healthy food, but other adverts highlighted the pleasurable and tasty aspects of the food. 

Participants were then given a mealworm chocolate truffle and a questionnaire about the treat, if they were willing to try it, what they thought it would taste like, it’s quality, and if it was eaten, how it tasted. 

It was the advertisements that promoted the insect truffle as luxurious and high-quality that peeked the most interest and appeal among consumers. The advertisements that showcased the insect as eco-friendly were not as effective. 

The researchers say that for people who don’t eat insects, marketing is crucial for overcoming the “disgust” factor that consumers might have about eating insects. Promoting the eco-friendly benefits just isn’t enough to make the insect itself appealing. 

Instead, the study shows that appealing to people’s emotions is the more strategic way to go and giving insects luxury status could help sway strong feelings of disgust. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Insects are an eco-friendly source of protein - would you try one?

Insects are an eco-friendly source of protein - would you...

Driving past a wild animal carcass is a sad yet inevitable part of many drives throughout the United States. As human expansion continues, we are increasingly encroaching on animal habitats resulting in human-wildlife conflicts and casualties. But wildlife corridors use an innovative approach to help mitigate the effects of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/habitat-fragmentation-extinction/">habitat fragmentation</a> and protect wild animals.

Wildlife corridors are structures which link two or more wildlife habitats. The corridors help animals cross over roads and other obstacles, which have historically caused high rates of mortality. According to the non-profit <a href="http://www.culturechange.org/issue8/roadkill.htm">Culture Change</a>, 1 million animals are hit by motor vehicles every day in the U.S.

Habitat loss poses the greatest threat to wildlife today and range size is seen as the most important predictor of extinction risk. Habitat loss adversely affects wildlife in many ways, such as reducing their access to resources, making them easier targets for poaching, decreasing genetic fitness and pushing them closer to humans. Exacerbating the effects of habitat loss is the issue of<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/114/29/7635.full"> habitat fragmentation</a>. Not only are animals’ habitats becoming smaller, but the animals are also more likely to live in patches of land, isolated from others by roads, cities and farmland.

To help address the issue of habitat fragmentation, wildlife corridors are increasingly being built across the world. Wildlife corridors can be found in countries such as<a href="https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/10-important-wildlife-corridors"> India, Nepal, Canada and Germany</a>. The United States is home to multiple wildlife corridors including over 40 structures, both overpasses and underpasses, along Highway 93 in Montana. Just this week, a section of a wildlife corridor in Seattle opened up and deer have already been <a href="https://q13fox.com/2018/09/26/critters-begin-crossing-animals-only-bridge-over-i-90/">seen</a> using it despite the fact that the crossing isn’t even fully constructed yet.

U.S Representative Don Beyer hopes to see more wildlife corridors across the United States. He introduced the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act in 2016, which would establish a national system of corridors to help diminish the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation. While the bill is not currently being considered this session,<a href="https://wildlandsnetwork.org/policy/wildlife-corridors-conservation-act/"> The Wildlands Network</a> states that they anticipate the bill will be reintroduced this year.

A system of wildlife corridors could be hugely beneficial for wildlife, especially for species with a large range such as bears, mountain lions and panthers. Stories about mountain lions getting hit by cars in California routinely make the news. Even the cougar known as P-32 who<a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/08/150814-mountain-lions-animals-science-california-death/"> become famous</a> for navigating Los Angeles’ busy freeway system eventually was struck and killed by a car.

Wildlife corridors have already proven successful in the U.S.<a href="http://www.peopleswaywildlifecrossings.org/"> People’s Way Partnership</a>, an organization who builds awareness and support for wildlife corridors along U.S. Highway 93 in Montana, has been researching the corridors for 14 years. The organization states on their website, “We can definitively state that US 93 North crossing measures have reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions and maintained or improved habitat connectivity for deer and black bear.”

Additionally, a<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01450.x"> meta-analysis</a> on the effectiveness of wildlife corridors analyzed 78 experiments and found that 60 experiments showed positive results and overall, the corridors increased movement between patches of habitat by 50 percent.

Despite their ability to allow wild animals to move safely, a 2012<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001253#pbio.1001253-Wildlife1"> article</a> published in PLOS One questions the overall effectiveness of the corridors. The authors point out that there is little evidence that corridors promote gene flow and studies on corridors have focused on environments that are different from landscapes the corridors are designed for. The authors do not discount the potential of wildlife corridors and continue to study the effectiveness of corridors.

Wildlife corridors alone will not prevent continued population declines. While we work to creatively mitigate the effects of our expanding world, we also need to protect pristine habitat areas for wildlife.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Wildlife corridors help reduce deaths from habitat fragmentation

Driving past a wild animal carcass is a sad yet...

You may notice as you grow older that you share certain characteristics with your mother (physical characteristics, we’re definitely not saying you act at all alike). You might have your mom’s nose, or her eye color, or penchant for getting sunburnt way too easily – it’s all part of the traits she passed down to you. And while it may be somewhat frustrating to know she bears responsibility for a few of your physical flaws, at least you can sleep easy knowing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/giraffes-long-necks/">giraffes</a> have the same problem.

A new study published in <a href="https://peerj.com/">PeerJ</a> has confirmed a 49-year-old hypothesis about how baby giraffes inherit their characteristic spots. The report, published by researchers at Penn State, finds that a giraffe’s spot pattern is passed down from mother to baby, and that the survival of young giraffes is directly related to their spot pattern – which helps provide camouflage from predators.

“Giraffe spot patterns are complex and can be quite different among individuals, but we don’t really know their purpose in the wild,” explains first author Derek E. Lee, an associate research professor at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a>. “Complex markings can help animals evade predators, regulate their temperature, or recognize family or individuals, all of which can affect their ability to survive and reproduce. In this study, we analyzed survival records and photos of spots of Masai giraffes, and show that spot patterns do affect juvenile survival and are heritable – they are passed from mom to baby.”

Dr. Anne Innis Dagg was the first giraffe field researcher in Africa, and presented evidence back in 1968 that the shape, number, area, and color of spots in a giraffe’s coat may be heritable. However, her hypothesis came from studying a small zoo population. In this study, the researchers observed wild giraffes and used modern imaging and analysis techniques to confirm this nearly five-decade old hypothesis.

The study also determined that newborn giraffes with larger spots and irregularly shaped spots had better survival rates during their first few months of life. This is likely due to the spots providing better camouflage, but it could also be a result of other survival factors such as temperature regulation or visual communication.

“My hope is that other scientists will use the same tools to measure mammal coat patterns to advance our understanding of what these patterns mean,” says Lee. “Quantifying heritability and fitness consequences of variation in coat patterns could help us understand how and why complex coat patterns evolve in wild animals.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Derek Lee, Wild Nature Institute/Penn State

Baby giraffes inherit their spots from their mothers

You may notice as you grow older that you share...

Along with its enormous size and long, ivory tusks, the African bush elephant is known for its characteristic wrinkly, gray skin. While its wrinkled epidermis may seem undesirable to us humans – who often pay hundreds of dollars a year to stay wrinkle-free – its unappealing appearance serves an important purpose.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/university/presentation/">University of Geneva (UNIGE)</a>, Switzerland, and the <a href="https://www.sib.swiss/">SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics</a> have reported in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a> that the many crevices that make up an elephant’s skin are designed to help these mammals regulate their body temperature. The extensive network of tiny crevices on the elephant’s surface retains water and mud, protecting their skin from parasites and intense solar radiation. 

It’s known that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/artificial-intelligence-protect-elephants/">African elephants</a> lack sweat and sebum glands, which help other mammals keep their skin moist and flexible. So to avoid overheating and get rid of parasites, African elephants are constantly wallowing in mud. 

After receiving skin samples from scientists and museums in Switzerland, France, and South Africa, the multidisciplinary team of researchers assessed the samples and used a custom computer model to determine the functions of an elephant’s skin. Close inspection revealed that their skin is deeply sculptured by an intricate network of extraordinarily small crevices, all interconnected. The minuscule pattern of millions of channels prevents the shedding of mud, and allows spreading and retention of 5 to 10 times more water than on a flat surface.

The researchers used a computer model to show that the combination of the skin’s hyper-keratinization, shedding-deficiency, and lattice of millimetric elevations is able to cause mechanical bending stress to accumulate in between the skin elevations during the progressive thickening of the skin, ultimately forming cracks.

One area of focus in developmental biology is to discover how forms and shapes are created by heterogeneous tissue differentiation and growth as a result of differential gene expression throughout the body. But complex phenotypes can also be a result of mechanical instabilities – such as the folds and wrinkles of an elephant’s skin – caused by mismatched growth between adjacent tissue layers. Examples of this in our own body include the looping of our gut and the folding of our brain’s cerebral cortex.

This study is the first to show that African elephant skin is characterized by a network of channels that not only look like cracks, but are true physical cracks in the animal’s keratinized epidermis. They surmise that thickening of the African elephant keratinized epidermis is a result of imbalance between its formation at the base and its shedding at the skin surface. This actually brings about an interesting parallel to the skin morphology of these elephants and that of humans with the condition ichthyosis vulgaris, a common genetic disorder that is known to cause dry, scaly skin.

If these findings are confirmed by molecular and cell biology analyses, their equivalence could be a notable link between a human pathological condition and the skin of another mammal species.

“This correspondence would also demonstrate that similar mutations that occurred independently in the evolutionary lineages of humans and elephants turned out to be unfavorable in the former and adaptive in the latter,” says lead author Michel Milinkovitch, a professor at the Department of Genetics and Evolution of the UNIGE Faculty of Science and Group Leader at the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Michel Milinkovitch

African elephants evolved wrinkled skin to help them cool off

Along with its enormous size and long, ivory tusks, the...

Fish and marine wildlife are not the only animals at risk of ingesting <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-spread-insects/">microplastics</a>, according to a new study. 

Plastic pollution research has been typically focused on the oceans and finding ways to track plastic pollution to its source, stop fish and wildlife from ingesting plastic, and measure how much plastic enters the oceans every year. 

Far less attention is paid to freshwater sources like rivers and streams, environments where many insects, like mayflies, lay their eggs. 

When the eggs hatch, the larva spends the first part of its life swimming in streams and lakes eating algae, and unfortunately is not able to tell the difference between microplastics and food. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/business-school">Cardiff University’s School of Business</a> recently conducted a study examining three different kinds of mayfly and caddis larvae. 

The study, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, is the first of its kind to investigate the risks of microplastic ingestion for insects near freshwater environments. 

Microplastics measuring less than 5 millimeters were found in as many as one in two  insects at every site the researchers collected samples from. 

“Every year, between eight and twelve million tonnes of plastics are thought to be entering the World's oceans, but around four million tonnes of it passes along rivers,” Fred Windsor, the lead author of the study, told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6216115/Microplastics-50-freshwater-insects-as.html">the Daily Mail</a>. “In some cases, there can be over half a million plastic fragments per square meter of river bed, so that ingestion by insects is very likely.” 

The research shows how widespread plastic pollution is outside of the ocean and that microplastics are entering watersheds from sewage treatment plants and wastewater flows. 

Insects are lower on the food chain and so any microplastic they ingest is then in turn ingested unknowingly by animals that feed on insects like birds and reptiles, making plastic pollution even more widespread. 

“Although people are more and more aware of the damage caused to ocean wildlife from ingesting plastics, the potential problem of plastics in river ecosystems has been seriously overlooked,” Isabelle Durance, Director of the Water Research Institute at Cardiff University, told the Daily Mail.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

1 in 2 freshwater insects found to have eaten microplastics

Fish and marine wildlife are not the only animals at...

Recently, I wrote about the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loss-bears-american-landscape/">decline of bears</a> throughout the United States, all bears but most importantly Brown (or grizzly) bears.  The story I wrote was connected directly to Yellowstone area brown bears being removed from protection under the Endangered Species Act. But <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/09/24/judge-grizzly-bear-protection-wyoming-idaho-hunt/1417295002/">USA Today</a> reported on Monday that the decision by the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> to remove protections of Yellowstone area bears has been overturned.

Chief District Judge Dana L. Christensen of Montana ruled that the decision to remove protection from the bears was “arbitrary and capricious”.  Much of the judgment is based on genetic science. The judge said that the change in status of Yellowstone Grizzly bears fails to take into account the effect on other bear populations in the area.  

Indeed, bears from the Yellowstone area and the area of Glacier National Park have been ranging far and may possibly soon come into contact with each other, the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/yellowstone-grizzlies-may-soon-commingle-with-northern-cousins-a8041906.html">Independent</a> reported last year.  Furthermore, there is a greater hope by <a href="https://y2y.net/vision/our-progress/grizzly-response">some organizations</a> that bears from Yellowstone may be again connected with their kin as far north as the Yukon at least genetically.  Different bear populations interbreeding increases the genetic resilience of both populations and of the Grizzly Bear as a species overall.  The judge’s decision on this case is a nod towards the great hope of truly restoring the Grizzly Bear to western North America. 

This decision comes in as a victory for environmentalists trying their best to push back against agencies and an administration intent on dismantling wildlife protections.  The fight over protection of bears in Yellowstone is part of a larger fight for the protection of wild animals throughout the U.S., especially predator species like grizzly bears and wolves.    

The <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2017/alaska-wildlife-03-21-2017.php">Center for Biological Diversity</a> reported in March of last year in a press release on the removal of protection on bears and wolves in Alaskan National Wildlife Refuges.  The protections had been put into place by the Obama administration to override predator control techniques approved of by the state government of Alaska.  Techniques now allowed include shooting bears from aircraft, poisoning and trapping as well as killing during denning season. 

The change in protection rules in Alaskan National Wildlife Refuges came down to a vote of the senate under the Congressional Review Act.  This action combined with the attack on bears in the greater Yellowstone area shows a disdain by the ruling party for wildlife, especially potentially dangerous wildlife.

In places like Alaska and the western US where many of the residents and voters are hunters and ranchers, there’s a lot of political pressure behind predator control ideology.  Alaska seems to prioritize hunting in their public lands over wildlife itself, especially predatory wildlife. Not only does allowing predator control increase the hunting of bears, it allows prey animals such as caribou to expand beyond normal measures and thus increase hunting of them as well.  

What matters for now is that the bears are protected in Greater Yellowstone, even if they face more predator control in Alaska where state laws protect them in various ways but not as vigorously as the rolled back federal protections.  

The idea of controlling predators isn’t very sound scientifically speaking in the first place.  Predator populations have been shown to increase and decrease proportional to the populations of their prey base.  Removing predation can also problems in prey populations, allowing unchecked growth and population crashes. The US Fish and Game were claiming that the population of Grizzly Bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem had reached Its carrying capacity and needed to be culled but this claim is bogus.  

Treating greater Yellowstone like a closed system while it is actually a tiny piece of the grizzly bear’s former range is ludicrous.  For many environmentalists, myself included, the idea of bears spreading out from Yellowstone and inhabiting the mountains, hills, prairies and forests of the western US is wonderful.  There is no scientifically sound basis for treating the Yellowstone area as a bear habitat and the surrounding areas as something else. Historically Grizzly Bear range covered most of western North America.                 

Early in the history of US wildlife management culling predators was part of normal procedure and rarely criticized.  Among hunter conservationists like Teddy Roosevelt, there was even a distinction made between sportsman-like hunting practices and predator control, where all means were employed.  With hunting, Roosevelt and other conservationists of his day stressed a certain unwritten code of conduct, with principles of sportsmanship involved. When it came to controlling predators, the former president was much more ruthless.  Roosevelt spent time killing many predators himself but throughout his life his views changed. In <a href="https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/hisnps/NPShistory/beasts.pdf">an article</a> about predator control in Yellowstone, the National Park Service sums up his evolving viewpoint:

“Roosevelt referred to wolves as “the beasts of waste and desolation.” In this same book, Roosevelt depicted cougars as “bloodthirsty” and “cowardly” predators with a “desire for bloodshed which they lack the courage to realize.” Yet despite his depiction of predators as destroyers of cattle and wildlife, Roosevelt was a careful student of predators and their natural behavior. As he spent more time studying predators in their natural setting, his attitudes toward their role in nature began to change, so much so that by 1908 he ordered predator control of Yellowstone’s cougars be stopped in order to allow these predator populations to curtail growing elk populations. This change in Roosevelt’s perspective toward Yellowstone’s predator population was influenced by several factors, including his goal of establishing a wildlife reserve in Yellowstone, his personal interest in hunting, and his increased understanding of the role of predators in an ecosystem.”

This change in heart about predator control was also mirrored in Aldo Leopold, one of the fathers of the modern science of wildlife management.  Leopold spent some of his younger years actively involved in killing predators like wolves involved with the same agencies that were actively trying to eradicate bears from much of the American west.  In one of the more famous tales of wildlife conservation, Leopold watched a wolf die and saw in the wolf’s green eyes an epiphany. 

The shift in opinion on predator control is clearly not unanimous among even wildlife professionals but it seems that the overall consensus has shifted.  A federal judge recognizing that the evidence as presented favors those with no interest in curtailing bear populations or ‘controlling’ predator populations is a step in the right direction.  Still, states like Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho and much of the west have views antithetical to allowing predators and prey to reach a natural balance. Hunting is often prioritized over healthy wildlife populations and the wildness of natural systems.  

If we want this legal victory to be a long term one, views but also laws will need to change to formally recognize the rights and standings of other animals.  Recognizing formally that we share this planet, not rule would be a step in the right direction. For now we should celebrate that bears in Greater Yellowstone are protected which makes all Grizzly Bears just a little bit safer.   

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Protection of Yellowstone Grizzly Bears has been upheld by the court

Recently, I wrote about the decline of bears throughout the...

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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?

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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