The cooperative behavior of bees, resembling a singular "superorganism," is something uniquely remarkable in the world of nature.



It is not uncommon for thousands of worker bees to function collectively to protect the colony, feed it, and look after the offspring. This intricate social conduct unifies their individual actions into a concerted effort.



But how is this complex behavior encoded and inherited among generations of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-bees-spread-viruses-to-bumblebees-in-the-spring/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">honey bees</a>? The answer lies in a special gene, as unveiled by a team of scientists.



The research was led by experts at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (<a href="https://www.hhu.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HHU</a>), along with colleagues from Frankfurt/Main, Oxford, and Würzburg. The study has uncovered the genetic underpinnings of honey bee cooperation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-behind-cooperative-bee-behavior">Genes behind cooperative bee behavior</h2>



The principal investigator and the head of the Institute of Evolutionary Genetics at Heinrich-Heine University, Dr. Martin Beye, and his team have made this breakthrough discovery. The research was focused on a gene called "doublesex" or "dsx."



"The behavioral repertoire of the individual bees and their function in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-bee-colonies-are-collapsing-as-climate-change-progresses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">colony</a> are not learned, but rather inherited. Until now, it was not known how such complex behaviors were genetically encoded," said Dr. Beye.



The key discovery is that the dsx gene influences worker bee-specific behavior, noted study first author Dr. Vivien Sommer.



"The gene programs whether a worker bee takes up a task in the colony and for how long. This includes collective tasks such as caring for the larvae or foraging for food and social exchanges on food sources, for example," said Dr. Sommer. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gene-editing-in-bees">Gene editing in bees</h2>



The team used the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique to modify the dsx gene in select bees, attaching a QR code to the manipulated bees.



Cameras inside the hive monitored the bees' behavior, and with the assistance of artificial intelligence, video sequences were analyzed to determine individual behavioral patterns.



"Our central question was whether and how the inherited behavioral patterns changed as a result of the gene modification. Such changes must be reflected in the nervous system of the worker bees where the specific behaviour is controlled," said Dr. Sommer.



Adding a twist, the researchers introduced a green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the dsx sequence to visualize the neuronal circuits. 



They found that the dsx gene plays a crucial role in creating specific neural pathways in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-explores-the-basis-of-social-behavior-in-the-insect-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bee’s brain</a>, according to doctoral researcher Jana Seiler, who is also a co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-chapter-in-bee-behavior">New chapter in bee behavior </h2>



"Our findings indicate a fundamental genetic program that determines the neuronal circuitry and behavior of worker bees," said Dr. Wolfgang Rössler, an expert in the Department of Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology at the University of Würzburg.



The next challenge is to move from the individual honeybee to the whole bee colony and understand how the gene influences the “superorganism.” 



"We hope to find the link between individual programming and the coordinated behaviour of many individuals," said Alina Sturm, a doctoral researcher at HHU.



Revealing the genetic secret behind the collective behavior of honey bees is more than just a scientific breakthrough. It’s a tribute to the remarkable complexity of nature and its infinite capacity for surprise. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-of-bee-behavior">Broader implications of bee behavior</h2>



The discovery of a gene that influences honey bee behavior has implications beyond the study of bees.



Understanding how a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-single-gene-allows-cape-honey-bees-to-reproduce-asexually/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">single gene</a> can shape complex social dynamics could inspire innovations in fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence.



For example, roboticists often look to nature for insights into building more efficient, cooperative systems. The hive’s "superorganism" structure could serve as a model for developing autonomous swarm robots designed to work together toward a shared goal.



Additionally, the study of bee cooperation offers valuable insights for ecology and conservation. 



Honey bees play a critical role in pollination. Identifying the genetic foundations of their social behavior could lead to better strategies for supporting bee populations amid environmental threats.



By shedding light on the inner workings of the hive, this research adds a new dimension to preserving biodiversity and maintaining the stability of ecosystems that rely heavily on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-honey-bee-day-protecting-our-vital-pollinators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollinators</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adp3953?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D91765132952246405812279585398434020131%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1730680771" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Bees do not learn to be cooperative - it is in their genes

The cooperative behavior of bees, resembling a singular "superorganism," is something uniquely remarkable in the world of nature. It is not uncommon for thousands of worker bees to function collectively to protect the colony, feed it, and look after the offspring. This intricate social conduct unifies their individual actions into a concerted effort. But how is this complex behavior encoded and inherited among generations of honey bees? The answer lies in a special gene, as unveiled by a team of scientists. The research was led by experts...

A new study from the<a href="https://www.rvc.ac.uk/"> Royal Veterinary College</a> (RVC) has revealed some of the most common health issues found in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breathing-trouble-pugs-french-bulldogs-tough-predict/">French bulldogs</a>, which have recently one of the most popular breeds of dog. The researchers are reporting that these pets commonly suffer from breathing problems, ear infections, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, and skin issues.

“French Bulldogs are a relatively new arrival to the list of common UK breeds so there is very little current research on them in the UK,” explained lead author Dr. Dan O'Neill.

The study was based on health records of French Bulldogs from hundreds of veterinary clinics in the UK.

“It provides owners with information on the issues that they could expect and should look out for in French Bulldogs,” said Dr. O’Neill. “It may also help potential new owners to decide if a French Bulldog really is for them.”

The experts found that females are typically healthier than males.

“Males were more likely to get 8 of the 26 most common health problems while there were no issues that females were more likely to get than males,” said Dr. O’Neill.


The study authors theorized that the attractive appearance of French Bulldogs is what makes them so popular, with their short muzzles and prominent eyes. These features, however, may increase the risk of some illnesses among the dogs.


Breathing issues, which were found in 12.7 percent of the individuals analyzed for this study, are common in dogs with short noses and flat faces. Skin problems, which were found to be the most common issue among the French Bulldogs evaluated, may be caused by the deep skin folds characteristic of this breed.

“This study also documents the dramatic rise in popularity of the French Bulldog, from 0.02% of puppies born in 2003 to 1.46% of puppies born in 2013,” said Dr. O'Neill. 

“This level of population growth in a single dog breed is unprecedented. There is a worry that increased demand for the French Bulldog is damaging to these dogs' welfare because of the health risks associated with their extreme physical features.”

The study study is published in the journal <a href="https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/">Canine Genetics and Epidemiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What makes French bulldogs so cute also increases health risks

A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has...

Populations of freshwater dolphins in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drying-amazon-wetter-indonesia/">Amazon</a> basin are declining at an alarming rate, according to a new study. 

Even though the dolphins are legally protected, dolphin hunting that began in the early 2000s has taken a toll on two previously abundant species of freshwater dolphins, the boto (Inia geoffrensis) and the tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis).

Researchers from the <a href="http://portal.inpa.gov.br/">Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia</a> saw that there was a lack of data on two river dolphins species in the Amazon basin, especially concerning their <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a> (IUCN) Red List status. 

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0191304">PLOS ONE</a> and the results show that the two dolphin species have been steadily declining, with populations dropping by half every decade. 

In order to accurately assess the two species’ populations and measure their decline, the researchers collected and analyzed data from 22 years (1994 though 2017) of observational surveys of the dolphins in the Mamirauá Reserve in Brazil. 

The researchers found that both the boto and tucuxi populations are rapidly declining at a steady pace. The analysis showed that the boto population is dropping by half every 10 years and the tucuxi is halving every nine years. 

The rates are some of the worst declines for dolphins worldwide since modern whaling began and the two species should soon be classified as Critically Endangered based on the IUCN’s criteria. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dolphins are on a sharp decline in the Amazon

Populations of freshwater dolphins in the Amazon basin are declining...

The skull of a 100-million-year-old bird known as Ichthyornis dispar is providing scientists with new insight into avian evolution. The iconic bird represents the remarkable transition from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teeth-fossils-dinosaurs-ate/">dinosaurs</a> to modern-day birds.

The combination of newly-discovered remains and two previously overlooked fossils, which were stored for decades in a collection, has enabled scientists to construct a three-dimensional skull of Ichthyornis dispar.

Bhart-Anjan Bhullar is a paleontologist at <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> and the study's principal investigator.

[caption id="attachment_1214149" align="aligncenter" width="996"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/169269.png"><img class="size-large wp-image-1214149" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/169269-1024x878.png" alt="" width="996" height="854" /></a> Image Credit: Michael Hanson/Yale University[/caption]

“Right under our noses this whole time was an amazing, transitional bird,” said Professor Bhullar. “It has a modern-looking brain along with a remarkably dinosaurian jaw muscle configuration.”

According to the professor, the skull reveals what the bird beak looked like as it first appeared in nature.

“The first beak was a horn-covered pincer tip at the end of the jaw,” said Professor Bhullar. “The remainder of the jaw was filled with teeth. At its origin, the beak was a precision grasping mechanism that served as a surrogate hand as the hands transformed into wings.”


The team analyzed the specimens, as well as fossils from other sources including the Alabama Museum of Natural History, using CT-scan technology. 

“The fossil record provides our only direct evidence of the evolutionary transformations that have given rise to modern forms,” said study co-author Daniel Field. “This extraordinary new specimen reveals the surprisingly late retention of dinosaur-like features in the skull of Ichthyornis -- one of the closest-known relatives of modern birds from the Age of Reptiles.”

The model of Ichthyornis dispar demonstrates that the brain of birds evolved before the remainder of the skull. 

The findings add to a growing collection of research by Bhullar's lab focused on various aspects of vertebrate skulls.


“Each new discovery has reinforced our previous conclusions. The skull of Ichthyornis even substantiates our molecular finding that the beak and palate are patterned by the same genes,” said Professor Bhullar. 

“The story of the evolution of birds, the most species-rich group of vertebrates on land, is one of the most important in all of history. It is, after all, still the age of dinosaurs.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ancient skull reveals transition from dinosaurs to modern birds

The skull of a 100-million-year-old bird known as Ichthyornis dispar...

In the lowlands of Mexico, large areas of natural forest have been transitioned into farmland. Researchers from <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/">Simon Fraser University</a> set out to examine how habitat loss may be affecting birds that have a winter home in this region.

Scientists have speculated that the biggest and oldest birds will take over the prime forest territories as a result of habitat loss. A team led by Simón Valdez-Juárez tracked yellow warblers to investigate how land use changes may have impacted their location during the non-breeding season. 

The experts counted how many warblers were present in riparian gallery forest, scrub mangrove forest, and on agricultural land. The researchers also documented the age, sex, size, and place of origin for some of the birds.

The team was surprised to find that the majority of warblers in western Mexico existed in agricultural habitats.

“The implications for migratory bird populations depend on whether the condition and survival of birds wintering in agriculture is lower than that of birds wintering in natural habitats or not,” said Valdez-Juárez. 

“If it is lower, it might cause localized declines, as females from the contiguous U.S. and western Alaska were more likely to use agricultural habitats and lower female survival has been implicated in the population declines of other warblers.”

The experts found little evidence to show that a bird’s body size or age influenced where it ended up.

The researchers theorized that irrigated agricultural areas may be appealing to the warblers compared to dry forests. However, stressors such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bee-friendly-pesticides/">pesticides</a> may threaten the survival of the birds in their new habitat.

Professor Kevin Fraser is an avian behavior and conservation expert at the <a href="http://umanitoba.ca/">University of Manitoba</a> who was not involved in this research. 

“With increasing agricultural intensification across the ranges of many long-distance migratory songbirds, it is critical to determine if they are using these new habitats. This new study shows that yellow warblers overwintering in western Mexico not only use agriculturally dominated habitats but are more common there than nearby sites with more natural land cover,” said Professor Fraser.

“They also report that more southern breeding females are more likely to use agricultural habitats than more northern breeding females, suggesting any impacts of overwintering habitat use may differ by breeding latitude.” 

“These results are important, as they highlight the need to investigate whether regions undergoing agricultural intensification are providing viable habitat for overwintering migrants, and how their use may carry-over to impact survival or fecundity in subsequent seasons.”

The study is published in <a href="http://www.americanornithologypubs.org/loi/cond">The Condor: Ornithological Applications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: S. Valdez

Facing habitat loss, migrating birds pick agricultural land

In the lowlands of Mexico, large areas of natural forest...

Conservationists often focus habitat management efforts on one particular high-profile species, known as an “umbrella species,” with the aim of indirectly supporting other species that share the same ecological community, but a new study has revealed that this is not always the best strategy.

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.uwyo.edu/">University of Wyoming</a> focused an analysis on the Greater-Sage Grouse and its neighboring songbird species. Shrub mowing is a strategy used to protect sage-grouse, which require less shrubs and more grass and flowering plants during chick-rearing season. 

The team tracked the numbers and nesting success rates of three <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-deforestation-songbird-populations/">songbird</a> species before and after shrub mowing in central Wyoming. They collected data in sites that had not been mowed for comparison.

Two of the species which use shrubs for nesting, Brewer's Sparrows and Sage Thrashers, had no nests where shrubs had been mowed. In these areas, it could be decades before shrubs have recovered enough for nesting. In addition, the overall abundance of Sage Thrashers was reduced by 50 percent after shrub mowing.

The third species examined in the study, Vesper Sparrows, were found to be more abundant in areas that were mowed extensively.

"The umbrella species concept is an appealing shortcut," said study lead author Jason Carlisle. “However, when conservation practitioners go beyond protecting the umbrella species' habitat and start manipulating habitat conditions to meet the needs of the umbrella species, they risk harm to other species that also rely on those areas.”

Because shrub mowing only covered a region of about five square kilometers in this particular case, the researchers explained that the benefits would likely outweigh the costs. However, the study authors highlighted a need for improved overall monitoring of umbrella-species management.

Russell Norvell is an Avian Conservation Program Coordinator at the <a href="https://wildlife.utah.gov/">Utah Division of Wildlife Resources</a> who was not involved in the study.

“It is clear that the observed effects on ‘background’ species are not consistent across the range of potential beneficiaries, and that the assumed benefits do not accrue to many,” said Norvell. 

“It is likely these effects will persist, given the relatively slow growth rates in this arid system. While the conservation of Greater Sage-Grouse habitats across its range is likely to encompass much good, local habitat manipulations driven by unexamined assumptions or uninformed by landscape context have much to prove.”

The research is published in <a href="http://www.americanornithologypubs.org/loi/cond">The Condor: Ornithological Applications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: J. Carlisle

Umbrella species management may have unforeseen consequences

Conservationists often focus habitat management efforts on one particular high-profile...

Researchers have estimated that a 52-percent increase in animal production would be required to meet the dietary needs of the global population by 2050. A new study from the <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">University of California Santa Barbara</a> has found that farming fish is the most feasible way to satisfy the growing demand for protein without placing too much strain on the environment.

Animal agriculture takes up large areas of land, uses massive amounts of energy, and results in harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-higher-methane-emissions/">greenhouse gas emissions</a>. The amount of cropland needed for raising animals could be significantly reduced with the development of more aquatic farming, or aquaculture. 

The research from UC Santa Barbara is the first land-use analysis to focus on aquaculture. The findings of the study show that fish farming has great potential for improved food security and land conservation.

“While aquaculture can add some pressure because - ultimately - it is a food production system, our study demonstrates the relative amount is minuscule compared to terrestrially farmed animals,” said lead author Halley Froehlich. “Aquaculture is not going to be the main strain on future crop feed and land use. It is - and will likely continue to be - terrestrial livestock.”


The researchers set out to compare how much land would be required to grow the seven most common crops used to feed livestock and farmed fish under several scenarios between now and 2050. 

The experts modeled a business-as-usual scenario where meat consumption continues to rise at the current rate compared to fish consumption. They also modeled two scenarios where aquaculture meets the increasing demands of the global population by 2050 and eliminates the need to raise more terrestrial animals for food.

The study revealed that replacing additional land animal production with fish production could save between 729 and 747 million hectares of land globally. This area of land is twice the size of India, which is the seventh largest country in the world.


The research demonstrates how critical of a role that food choices will play in the future of biodiversity. Habitat loss, which is largely driven by land use changes, is the biggest threat to biodiversity.

“The expansion of agriculture across the world is driving most species extinctions and the dramatic loss of ecosystems,” said study co-author Claire Runge. “This is only going to increase into the future. Aquaculture offers one way to reduce some of this pressure on our natural landscapes, wild places and wildlife.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Farming fish can improve global food security and conserve land

Researchers have estimated that a 52-percent increase in animal production...

A few years ago in Poughkeepsie, New York, my fiancé, Erin and I went to a day of talks about Africa.  One of the stars of the talks was an Anatolian Shepherd. The shepherd was a tall, relaxed dog that seemed contented to stand as guests passed by to pet her.  As incredible as it sounds, people actually train Anatolian Shepherds to protect goats, sheep and other livestock from that iconic African predator: the cheetah.  A <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-humans-common/">dog</a> facing down a cheetah seems less far-fetched if you actually meet an Anatolian shepherd, as they are enormous dogs that stand as high as an adult man’s hip. The dogs are large in frame too, not tall and delicate like greyhounds but closer to Saint Bernards.  It’s not without precedent to have dogs defend livestock from enormous predators, either. 

In David Quammen’s book The Monster of God, he visits shepherds in Romania that protect their herds from Eurasian brown bears Ursus arctos (to be clear, that’s the same species as the North American grizzly).  The name Shepherd in a dog breed gives the vital clue that these dogs were indeed bred to protect sheep from predators.  The key for Anatolian Shepherds seems to be that the dogs are raised with the livestock and grow up thinking of the sheep or goats or whatever other animals are part of the same pack as them.  Just as a dog will defend a human as part of her extended family, so will an Anatolian Shepherd raised with livestock. 

The advantage of dogs for the Cheetahs is that, in most cases, the Cheetah is scared off with no great harm to the big cat.  If a dog can protect a flock of sheep or a herd of goats, then there’s no need to buy a gun or to kill cheetahs preemptively.  It’s the same story with Quammen’s bears, although in that case the dogs have been there for a long time and are used along with other deterrents, such as guns.  With Anatolian Shepherds, the dogs were purposefully brought to Africa by The Cheetah Fund and others as a way for livestock and cheetahs to coexist.

Dogs in many jobs are prized for their noses.  Dogs are used in airport and border security to detect drugs or explosives.  So it’s no surprise that dog noses can also be used for conservation. 

<a href="https://wd4c.org/">Working Dogs for Conservation</a> and similar organizations train dogs to sniff for things like wildlife scat.  The dogs that the organization uses are all rescued from shelters before being trained.  As they explain on their website:

 “Humans have approximately 5 million scent receptors in our noses; dogs can have upwards of 220 million, which is why they can detect a single teaspoon of sugar in a million gallons of water. Where we experience the world visually, dogs perceive a detailed scentscape.”

The dogs used in conservation are versatile; they can be used in virtually any landscape quadruped wildlife lives.  The specific goal for using dogs varies from project to project, but often they’re used to detect scat. Scat detection is a way to find the presence of an animal without trapping, collaring or darting, simply put it’s non-invasive.  Detecting where an animal is allows conservationists to help set aside the land that animal needs most. Dogs are 40 times more efficient than human researchers at finding scat and aren’t biased towards scat of adult individuals according to Working Dogs for Conservation.  

Dogs were used in the Centennial Mountains of Idaho and Montana to collect data on wolves, grizzly and black bears and mountain lions.  The data collected showed that these predators showed up in places researchers never suspected and stopped the development of 1200 homes and an 18 hole golf course in critical predator habitat.  

Dogs have also been used in a similar way to monitor endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox populations in California, helping steer public policy in a direction compatible with the fox.  

Dogs are being used for conservation in more typical law enforcement capacities as well.  In Zambia dogs have been used to sniff out poached animal parts and illegal weapons used in poaching.  Other places trying similar dog projects are in Botswana and Kenya, places on the frontlines of the fight against poaching and wildlife trade.  

Less on the frontlines than sniffers, dogs in Denali National Park and other protected areas in Alaska are used as sled dogs.  Sled dogs allow rangers to move through the winter backcountry of parks and wilderness areas quietly. A snowmobile may seem more practical to us living in 2018 than dogs, but it’s also disruptive to wildlife, people recreating outdoors and has a greater carbon footprint than dogs.  The dogs are retired at age 9 from the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/">National Park Service</a>, and according to their website:

“While nine years might seem quite old for a big dog, Denali’s dogs are unmatched in their health and energy at that age.”

This is why the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/">National Park Service</a> encourages people with active, outdoor lives to adopt one of their retired sled dogs.  

I like to think that working with dogs rather than GPS collars, drones, and camera traps connects people to the environment in a more real way.  Dogs can be a link between us and the wild environment that’s hard to beat. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dogs help with conservation all over the world

A few years ago in Poughkeepsie, New York, my fiancé,...

For most homeowners, a quiet neighborhood is an ideal place to live. But for fish looking for a home in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-protect-coastlines/">coral reefs</a>, noise is actually a good thing, according to a new study. 

Young fish use the noise from coral reefs to find a good home and place to mate. The sounds of a coral reef can be heard for miles and the species that call corals home use sounds to communicate with each other, warn others in case of predators, and for mating. 

Snapping shrimp, chirps from damselfish, and chattering clownfish create a symphonic soundscape that is a key indicator of a healthy reef. 

Over time, due to the increase in bleaching events, pollution, and habitat degradation, coral reefs have become much quieter and in turn, attract less fish. 

This was the major takeaway from research conducted by an international team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 

The researchers performed several field experiments on the Northern Great Barrier Reef and discovered that years of bleaching and cyclones due has put a literal damper on the “coral reef orchestra”. 

It’s had a silencing effect over the years and coral reefs are much quieter now compared to five years ago.  

“It's heartbreaking to hear. The usual pops, chirps, snaps, and chatters of countless fish and invertebrates have disappeared. The symphony of the sea is being silenced.” said Tim Gordon, the study’s lead author. 

The degraded reefs are now attracting 40 percent fewer juvenile fish, which put corals in even more danger, as fish are required for a healthy and thriving reef system. 

“If fish aren't hearing their way home anymore, that could be bad news for the recovery prospects of reefs,” said Harry Harding, a co-author of the research.  “Fish play critical roles on coral reefs, grazing away harmful algae and allowing coral to grow. A reef without fish is a reef that's in trouble.”

The team of scientists built experimental reefs to test how much sound plays a role in attracting fish. The researchers used underwater loudspeakers and played both healthy and degraded reef sounds to see which attracted more fish. 

The difference is audible, as sound clips from the research show just how stark and muted degraded reefs’ soundscapes are in comparison to healthy reefs. 

“Over the last 15 years my research group have discovered how important sound can be for fish to locate and select specific reefs,” said Steve Simpson, the senior author of the study. “We have marveled at the remarkable diversity and complexity of coral reef soundscapes. But in the last few years, the reefs we know and love have died before our eyes. And the deserted and crumbling rubble fields have turned eerily quiet.”

Coral bleaching has killed up 80 percent of some corals in the Great Barrier Reef and climate change continues to threaten marine ecosystems and reef recovery. The researchers say more must be done to keep reefs from going quiet. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Tim Gordon, <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>

Silence of the reefs: how quiet coral reefs are keeping fish away

For most homeowners, a quiet neighborhood is an ideal place...

While the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/whales-right-handed/">blue whale</a> is largest living species on Earth, the title of largest living fish goes to the filter feeding whale shark. 

Whale sharks can measure up to 40 feet in length and have a distinctly large mouth that can expand and scoop up plankton, small fish and crab as it swims along. 

Don’t let the shark in its name scare you off, because despite their large size they are considered gentle giants and many tour groups specialize in letting you swim with groups of whale sharks. 

But sadly the species is endangered and it’s been reported that over the past 75 years, almost half of the world’s whale sharks have disappeared. 

There is a surprisingly limited amount of research that has been done on whale sharks, but a new study reported the longest whale shark migration that’s ever been recorded, revealing new insight into their migration patterns and behaviors. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://stri.si.edu/">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a> tagged a female whale shark near the Coiba Island in Panama. 

Whale sharks can be found in both the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, and large groups of whale sharks have been reported near the Galapagos, Australia, southern China, and Seychelles. 

For this study, the researchers tagged sharks near the Coiba Island in a World Heritage Site that is protected. 

The female whale shark was named Anne and the tag attached to the shark signaled her position during migration using the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS). 

At first, Anne stayed near Panama for 116 days before swimming toward Clipperton Island in France, next she moved on to the Cocos Island in Costa Rica as she made her way toward the Galapagos. 

The signal was lost for 235 days during her migration which meant that Anne was swimming too deep for the satellite to pick up the signal from the shark’s tag. Anne was detected again near Hawaii and she eventually arrived at the Marianas Trench which houses the deepest spot in the Earth’s surface. 

Overall, Anne traveled from the Eastern Pacific to the Western Indo-Pacific covering a distance of over 12,000 miles. 

Whale sharks can dive to more than 6,000 feet, but researchers are not sure why the species dive down to these lower depths or migrate such large distances. 

“We have very little information about why whale sharks migrate,” said Héctor M. Guzmán, lead author of the study. “Are they searching for food, seeking breeding opportunities or driven by some other impulse?”

Previous genetic research has revealed that whale sharks worldwide are closely related which means they must travel long distances to mate, but this latest tracked migration covers the longest distance ever recorded. 

The whale sharks’ endangered status unfortunately is not doing enough to protect it from hunting or getting caught in fishing nets as regulations are often not enforced. Their pull as a tourist attraction can also be harmful to the sharks’ populations. 

“Whale sharks in Coiba have already changed their behavior to avoid the surface and tourists,” said Guzman. “These studies are critical as we design international policy to protect transboundary species like the whale sharks and other highly migratory marine species.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Kevan Mantell

Female whale shark sets the record for longest migration

While the blue whale is largest living species on Earth,...

Pika, Medecine Lake, Near Jasper, Alberta

American pikas are smaller relatives of rabbits and hares that live in the mountains of western North America. There have been concerns that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drought-wildfires-pacific-northwest/">global warming</a> will pose a threat to the survival of pikas, but the findings of a new study suggest otherwise.

Previous investigations found that, when the weather conditions became warmer and drier, pikas no longer occupied their usual sites in the Great Basin. It was assumed that pikas had sought refuge in higher grounds or had died. However, these studies were conducted in regions where pikas had lived historically, and other potential habitats were not explored.

The current study tracked the distribution of pikas across the entire Great Basin. Pikas were documented in territories and climate conditions they had never been observed in before. 

Pikas were found in wetter in colder conditions as well as warmer and drier conditions. They were discovered at sites ranging from 5,350 feet to over 13,000 feet in the mountain ranges of California, Oregon, Utah, and Nevada.

Study lead author Connie Millar is a senior research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service's <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/">Pacific Southwest Research Station</a>.

“This evidence provides an important new perspective on the status of pikas in the Great Basin,” said Millar.”Pikas are persisting broadly across the region, and these findings give us reason to believe that the species is able to tolerate a wider set of habitat and climate conditions than previously understood.”


The researchers analyzed over 2,000 records of pika sites, and could not identify a consistent pattern in elevation or climate across these sites.

“Climate conditions do not adequately explain locations of the extirpated and ‘old-sign’ sites, suggesting that other factors interact with climate and contribute to the loss of pika populations in some environments,” said Millar.

Identifying other factors that may cause declines in pika populations will be important in predicting how they will respond to future climate conditions.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/uaar/current">Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

American pikas are adapting surprisingly well to climate change

American pikas are smaller relatives of rabbits and hares that...

According to the “hygiene hypothesis,” children need to be exposed to germs so that their immune systems can develop resistance to diseases. A recent study from the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> is providing more evidence to support this theory, finding that growing up in a rural environment around animals is linked to a more stress-resistant immune system and a lower risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-mental-health-benefits/">mental health</a> issues.

“It has already been very well documented that exposure to pets and rural environments during development is beneficial in terms of reducing risk of asthma and allergies later in life,” said co-author Christopher Lowry. “This study moves the conversation forward by showing for the first time in humans that these same exposures are likely to be important for mental health.”


The investigation, which was led by Professor Stefan Reber of the <a href="https://www.uni-ulm.de/en/">University of Ulm</a>, was focused on 40 healthy German males between 20 and 40 years old. Half of the individuals had grown up on a farm around animals and the other half had grown up in the city without any pets.

The study participants were tasked with giving a speech in front of a neutral audience before attempting to solve a challenging math problem while being timed. The researchers collected blood and saliva samples from the individuals before and after the challenges.

Those participants who had grown up in cities had a heightened immune response to the experience, including higher levels of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), prolonged elevation of the inflammatory compound interleukin 6, and muted activation of the anti-inflammatory compound interleukin 10.

“People who grew up in an urban environment had a much-exaggerated induction of the inflammatory immune response to the stressor, and it persisted throughout the two-hour period,” said Lowry

Despite intense immune responses, the participants from urban backgrounds surprisingly reported feeling less stress after the tests compared to participants from rural backgrounds.

“This exaggerated inflammatory response is like a sleeping giant that they are completely unaware of,” said Lowry.

In past studies, exaggerated inflammatory response has been linked to a higher risk of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) later in life. 

Previous research has also demonstrated that our immunoregulatory response to stress develops in childhood and is strongly influenced by our microbial environment.Humans are exposed to far fewer microorganisms in the city, which is now home to more than half of the global population.

“If you are not exposed to these types of organisms, then your immune system doesn't develop a balance between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory forces, and you can develop a chronic, low-grade inflammation and exaggerated immune reactivity that makes you vulnerable to allergy, autoimmune disease and, we propose, psychiatric disorders,” said Lowry.


The researchers recommend eating probiotics, spending more time in nature, and getting a pet.

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> (PNAS).

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exposure to animals and the outdoors strengthens mental health

According to the “hygiene hypothesis,” children need to be exposed...

The slithering, wave-like movements of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/roundworms-protection-alzheimers/">worms</a> and other invertebrates are a major defining trait. Some worms, like the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, can even move backwards and forwards in a fluid repetitive sine-wave shape. Imagine the wave patterns in a sound frequency and you can get the idea of repetitive sinusoidal waves and roundworm movements. 

For some time, backward movement of C. elegans was not well understood, but now a new study has identified the protein and receptors that control the backward movement. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.iiserpune.ac.in/">Indian Institute of Science Education &amp; Research</a> conducted a study of genetically diverse worms and found that the backward movement of C. Elegans is controlled by a neuropeptide protein. 

The study, published in the journal JNeurosci, shows that the proteins fluctuate in response to food availability. 

Previous research had found that a long reversal movement of C. Elegans increased the likelihood that the roundworm would change directions toward a food source. 

For the study, the researchers wanted to better understand the backward movements and what drove changes in direction. 

The researchers studied strains of C. Elegans with varying expressions of the protein FLP-18 and its receptors NPR-4 and NPR-1. 

After examining the worms, the researchers found that FLP-18 controlled backward movement by regulating sensory neurons and interneurons in a circuit. 

The researchers also conducted an experiment where the worms fasted for 24 hours. This increased levels of FLP-18 and reduced the chances that the worm would change direction.

The results show what factors control the backward movement in roundworms, and shed insight on the way genetic and environmental factors influence the way an animal moves and explores its surroundings.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How roundworms are able to travel backwards

The slithering, wave-like movements of worms and other invertebrates are...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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