An artificial intelligence (AI) tool has been developed to predict the habitat of endangered whales, helping to reduce deadly ship strikes and promote responsible ocean development. The tool was designed by researchers at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.



By analyzing vast datasets, the AI model improves existing monitoring techniques, offering a more precise way to track the movements of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.



This species has been listed as endangered under the <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/laws-policies/endangered-species-act" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Endangered Species Act</a> since 1970. Currently, the whales have an estimated population of only 370 individuals, including around 70 reproductively active females, according to the <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/north-atlantic-right-whale" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-whale-movements-with-ai">Mapping whale movements with AI</h2>



The project was led by Ahmed Aziz Ezzat, an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at <a href="https://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rutgers</a>’ School of Engineering.&nbsp;



Ezzat collaborated with Josh Kohut, a Rutgers professor of marine sciences, and doctoral student Jiaxiang Ji, who is the study’s first author.



Professor Kohut likened the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-helps-humans-have-20-minute-conversation-with-humpback-whale-named-twain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI</a> model’s function to tracking human movement patterns in a household, where factors like food in the kitchen or a television in the den influence where people gather at specific times.



“With this program, we’re correlating the position of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-whales-use-songs-to-hide-from-predators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">whale</a> in the ocean with environmental conditions,” Kohut explained. “This allows us to become much more informed on decision making about where the whales might be.”



“We can predict the time and location that represents a higher probability for whales to be around. This will enable us to implement different mitigation strategies to protect them.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-valuable-tools-for-the-blue-economy">Valuable tools for the blue economy</h2>



The researchers initially aimed to create high-resolution habitat models to support <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/offshore-wind-farms-threaten-electric-sensitive-sharks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">offshore wind farm</a> development. However, their findings have broader implications, prompting them to publicly share additional details as part of their study.



“These tools are valuable and would solidly benefit anyone engaged in the blue economy - including fishing, shipping and developing alternative forms of energy sustainably,” said Ezzat.&nbsp;



“This approach can support a wise and environmentally responsible use of these waters so that we achieve our economic objectives, and at the same time make sure that we cause minimal to no harm to the environmental habitat of these creatures.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-ai-enhances-whale-tracking">How AI enhances whale tracking</h2>



Unlike traditional programs that operate on fixed instructions, the machine-learning model used in this study analyzed massive datasets to detect patterns and refine its predictions over time.



“The outcome of the machine-learning model is basically a prediction of where and when you will have a higher likelihood of encountering a marine mammal,” Ezzat said, describing it as a “probability map.”



The model integrated data from the <a href="https://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership</a>, which has been gathering whale detection and oceanographic data since 1992. The analysis also incorporated satellite data from the <a href="https://www.udel.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Delaware</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-leveraging-ocean-data-for-conservation">Leveraging ocean data for conservation</h2>



To build an accurate predictive tool, the researchers used two primary sources of oceanographic data: autonomous underwater gliders and satellite-based measurements.



Underwater gliders, torpedo-shaped robotic vessels, collect real-time information on seawater temperature, salinity, currents, and chlorophyll levels. They also use sonar to assess fish populations and record whale vocalizations, allowing researchers to pinpoint their locations.



Meanwhile, satellite data provides broader environmental context, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-are-substantially-changing-the-seasons-of-the-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea surface temperature</a>, water color, and oceanic fronts—factors that influence whale distribution.



“We’ve had the data but, until now, we’ve not been able to put the two sets – those detections of where the whales are, and what the environment is like at those places - together,” Kohut said. “This is a demonstration of the power of employing AI methodologies to advance our ability to predict or estimate where these whales are.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-whales-with-ai">Protecting whales with AI</h2>



By harnessing AI to integrate decades of environmental and whale tracking data, the Rutgers team has developed a powerful tool to improve conservation efforts, mitigate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-new-approach-to-protecting-whales-from-ship-strikes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ship collisions</a>, and support sustainable ocean development.&nbsp;



As human activities increasingly intersect with marine ecosystems, this AI-driven approach provides a critical step toward protecting North Atlantic right whales and ensuring responsible management of ocean resources.



The study was published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-80084-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.



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AI predicts whale movements to reduce deadly ship strikes

An artificial intelligence (AI) tool has been developed to predict the habitat of endangered whales, helping to reduce deadly ship strikes and promote responsible ocean development. The tool was designed by researchers at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. By analyzing vast datasets, the AI model improves existing monitoring techniques, offering a more precise way to track the movements of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. This species has been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1970. Currently, the whales have an estimated population of only...

Many non-human primates live in social groups that revolve around cooperation and the exchange of services much like humans do. Grooming interactions are particularly important in this type of social system because they can be exchanged for some of the most important services, such as food or support during a fight.

Grooming time is limited, so individuals aim to select the best grooming partner from all available candidates. However, the success of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-learn-grooming-mothers/">grooming</a> interaction also depends on the audience. For example, if the partner has a friend in the audience, the friend may try to interfere or the partner may choose to leave the grooming session early - wasting the time and effort of the groomer.

Primatologist Alexander Mielke and his team from the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a> have studied the social behavior of chimpanzees and sooty mangabeys at Taï National Park. The researchers wanted to know what is taken into account when these animals select a grooming partner, and also whether a nearby audience has any influence on this decision.

As part of the Taï Chimpanzee Project, the researchers collected data in two chimpanzee communities and one mangabey community, analyzing data that had been previously collected to determine the social relationships and ranks of the individuals.

“Choosing a grooming partner from among ten, fifteen possible candidates - some of them friends, high-ranking, or with babies - is a very difficult task indeed,” explained study first author Alexander Mielke. “And yet individuals from both species, chimpanzee and sooty mangabey, chose their partner flexibly.”

“Both mangabeys and chimpanzees actually preferred grooming mothers with babies, something we did not know was the case in chimpanzees. Both species used grooming for reconciliation, and both species groomed their friends more.” 

“Most strikingly, in both species grooming choices depended strongly on the social environment. The animals avoided grooming individuals with close friends nearby, possibly because these friends might interrupt the grooming interaction, or because their potential partner might prefer to go and groom these friends.” 

Mielke said that individuals also chose partners who were higher-ranking compared to other potential partners, regardless of their overall rank in the community. 

“This shows that both species are flexible when it comes to taking a decision, and that individuals use the information they have about all available partners,” he explained. “Yet they also consider the wider social circumstances, and adapt their choice to maximize their own benefit.”

The findings of the study demonstrate that primates are aware of the ranks and social relationships of possible partners, and they also judge individuals flexibly and simultaneously to choose the best option.

“The fact that we found these results in both mangabeys and chimpanzees might indicate that this impressive cognitive feat is more widespread amongst primates than previously known,” said Mielke. 

“Grooming is an important part of primate cooperation and choosing the best partner in a specific situation is a vital skill. As in humans, primate social groups consist of many individuals, each with their own status, own objectives, own history.”

“This study gives further evidence that at least mangabeys and chimpanzees are equipped with the cognitive abilities to navigate and thrive in this complex social world.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/">Royal Society Open Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Humans are not the only primates to carefully select friends

Many non-human primates live in social groups that revolve around...

An international team of researchers led by the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> has found that illuminating fishing nets with inexpensive LED lights could cut injuries and deaths to seabirds and marine animals by more than 85 percent.

The experts demonstrated that green, battery-powered <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/led-lights-last-longer-but-some-shades-are-harmful-to-wildlife/">LED lights</a> can drastically reduce the amount of birds getting caught in gillnets, which are placed in fixed positions and designed to capture fish by the gills. The investigation was focused on 114 pairs of gillnets in fishing waters off the coast of Peru.

The study revealed that, compared to the nets that were not illuminated, the nets with LED lights caught 85 percent fewer guanay cormorants - a native diving bird that commonly becomes entangled in nets.


[caption id="attachment_1216254" align="aligncenter" width="996"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/led-lights.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-1216254" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/led-lights-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="996" height="747" /></a> Image Credit: ProDelphinus[/caption]

A previous study conducted by the same team found that LED lighting also reduced the number of sea turtles caught in fishing nets by 64 percent.


The researchers believe that the lights provide a cheap and reliable method that will dramatically reduce the capture and death of birds and turtles, while essentially having no effect on the amount of fish caught in the nets.


“We are very encouraged by the results from this study,” said lead author Dr. Jeffrey Mangel. “It shows us that we may be able to find cost-effective ways to reduce bycatch of multiple taxa of protected species, and do so while still making it possible for fishers to earn a livelihood.”

Peru's gillnet fleet is estimated to set at least 100,000 kilometers of net per year, in which thousands of turtles and seabirds will be unintentionally caught as bycatch.


“It is satisfying to see the work coming from our Exeter Marine PhDs leading to such positive impact in the world,” said study co-author Professor Brendan Godley. “We need to find ways for coastal peoples to fish with the least impact on the rest of the biodiversity in their seas.”


The research is published in the journal <a href="http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/">Royal Society Open Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Andrew F Johnson

LED lights could save seabirds from getting stuck in fishing nets

An international team of researchers led by the University of...

The endangered Southern Resident killer whale of the Pacific Northwest has been in a state of steady decline in recent years. By the end of 2016, the population hit the lowest it has been in several decades with a total number of 78 individuals. 

The <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA) has been actively monitoring Southern Resident killer whales to find ways to protect what remains of this iconic species. According to NOAA, the population has gone through several stages of growth and decline since the 1970s.

Experts at NOAA have identified three major threats to the group, including the simultaneous decline of their primary food source - Chinook salmon, sound interference from boat traffic, and high levels of contaminants.

In addition, a recent study found that female orcas are having reproductive issues due to nutritional stress caused by the low supply of Chinook salmon.

The NOAA researchers are applying many different methods to study how these threats are affecting the whales. The study findings will be used help inform conservation and management actions that can effectively address these threats.  

Acoustic monitors and digital acoustic tags are helping the experts understand the everyday activity of the whales. They are also learning about how the orcas respond to sound disturbances and how this may affect their foraging behavior.

Aerial drones are being used to take photos of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-research-reveals-that-whales-mourn-their-dead/">whales</a> to examine their body conditions such as health, weight, and whether any females are pregnant.

The researchers also collect poop from the whales to study hormones, contaminants, and the genetics of individual whales and the salmon they eat.

In order to protect Southern Resident killer whales, the NOAA researchers explained that their top priorities are understanding what is causing problems with health and reproduction and also increasing the amount of food available for the whales.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts are scrambling to save endangered killer whales

The endangered Southern Resident killer whale of the Pacific Northwest...

In an article written for <a href="http://theconversation.com/au">The Conversation</a>, Dr. David Redding and Dr. Elizabeth Boakes of the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> (UCL) provide some troubling insight into the impact of human activities on our planet's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/biodiversity-key-measure-success/">biodiversity</a>.

According to the researchers, “fossil records show that current extinction levels are around 1,000 times the natural background rate.” The experts explain that habitat loss, hunting, climate change, and the introduction of invasive species are all accelerating this loss.

“Amphibians seem particularly sensitive to environmental change, with estimated extinction rates up to 45,000 times their natural speed,” write the researchers. “Most of these extinctions are unrecorded, so we do not even know what species we are losing.”

The experts point to the loss of the last male white rhino, Sudan, and question how we will be affected by species that are not as iconic or that we do not even know exist. They stress how healthy ecosystems provide invaluable services to humans and keep the planet balanced.

“Forests and wetlands prevent pollutants entering our water supplies, mangroves provide coastal defence by reducing storm surges, and green spaces in urban areas lower city-dwellers’ rates of mental illness,” the authors write in The Conversation. “A continued loss of biodiversity will disrupt these services even further.”

According to the experts, the stress that we are putting on ecosystems and the disturbances that we are causing to the Earth have never before occurred simultaneously. They warn that it is “quite a gamble to assume that we can so damage our planet while at the same time maintaining the seven billion humans that live on it.”


Dr. Redding and Dr. Boakes also emphasize that while some of the environmental damage we have done can still be reversed, extinction cannot. 


“Extinction is irrevocably final,” write the authors.


“We may not all agree, but extinction is broadening its reach, so consensus and urgent action are needed if we hope to control it.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Human activities are prompting alarming extinction rates

In an article written for The Conversation, Dr. David Redding...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/home">Lund University</a> in Sweden have found evidence that contradicts the theory that black and white stripes keep zebras cool in the hot sun.


The debate on the function of zebra stripes dates back to the time of Charles Darwin. Some experts have suggested that the stripes help zebras to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-use-camouflage/">camouflage</a> themselves.

Another theory is that the contrast in heat among the black and white areas of fur create small vortexes that circulate like a fan and cool the body.


To investigate this hypothesis, the research team filled metal barrels with water and covered them with colors to imitate skin, including black and white stripes, black, white, brown, and grey. 

After the barrels were exposed to the sun, the experts measured the temperature in each barrel. As expected, the black one was the hottest and the white one the coolest. The temperatures recorded in the striped and grey barrels were similar and were not substantially cooler.

“According to the hypothesis of regulating body temperature, zebra stripes are expected to cool the body by means of convective air eddies induced by temperature gradients over alternating black and white stripes,” said study co-author Susanne Åkesson.


She explained that this theory seems likely because black zebra stripes do get warmer in the sun as they absorb more light compared to the cooler white stripes.


Infrared imaging revealed that sunlit black stripes are, in fact, warmer than sunlit white stripes and that the difference rises with the temperature. On the other hand, the team found that the temperature differences are reversed at night, when black stripes become cooler than white ones.

“All these experimental findings provide evidence against the hypothesis of cooling effect of zebra stripes, because striped coats do not keep the core temperature of the body any cooler than homogeneous grey coats with a similar average whiteness,” said Åkesson. “The stripes didn't lower the temperature. It turns out stripes don't actually cool zebras.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Stripes do not help zebras stay cool in the sun

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have found evidence that...

A study from the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> (U-M) has identified a new threat to monarch butterflies. The researchers have found that rising carbon dioxide levels diminish the medicinal properties of milkweed plants, which make the butterflies more resilient against disease.

For the investigation, the research team raised four milkweed species that have different levels of protective compounds known as cardenolides. 

While half of the plants were grown under typical carbon dioxide conditions, the other half were exposed to double the amount of atmospheric <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-ocean-floor/">CO2</a>. The plants were then fed to hundreds of monarch caterpillars.

The study revealed that the most protective of the four milkweed species lost its medicinal properties when grown under elevated CO2, which substantially affected the monarch’s ability to endure a parasite and reduced its lifespan by a week.

“We discovered a previously unrecognized, indirect mechanism by which ongoing environmental change--in this case, rising levels of atmospheric CO2--can act on disease in monarch butterflies,” said study first author Leslie Decker.

“Our results emphasize that global environmental change may influence parasite-host interactions through changes in the medicinal properties of plants.”

Study co-author and ecologist Mark Hunter has studied monarchs at the U-M Biological Station, located in Michigan's Northern Peninsula, for more than a decade. He explained that the findings of the monarch study have broad implications. 

“If elevated carbon dioxide reduces the concentration of medicines in plants that monarchs use, it could be changing the concentration of drugs for all animals that self-medicate, including humans,” said Hunter.

“When we play Russian roulette with the concentration of atmospheric gases, we are playing Russian roulette with our ability to find new medicines in nature.”

The researchers were able to determine how changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels altered toxin concentrations in the four milkweed species and how the monarch's lifespan and disease susceptibility was affected.

The largest impacts were observed in monarchs that fed on A. curassavica, a milkweed species in which cardenolide production was lowered by nearly 25 percent when raised under elevated CO2 conditions.

In caterpillars that fed on A. curassavica milkweed grown under accelerated climate conditions, tolerance to the parasite declined by 77 percent when compared to caterpillars that fed on A. curassavica grown under typical levels of CO2. 

Furthermore, these insects lost seven days of their life span due to parasitic infection. Among monarchs that ate A. curassavica grown under ambient CO2 levels, parasites reduced their average lifespan by only two days.

“We've been able to show that a medicinal milkweed species loses its protective abilities under elevated carbon dioxide,” said Decker. “Our results suggest that rising CO2 will reduce the tolerance of monarch butterflies to their common parasite and will increase parasite virulence.”

“Habitat loss, problems during migration and climate change all contribute to monarch declines,” added Hunter. “Unfortunately, our results add to that list and suggest that parasite-infected monarchs will become steadily sicker if atmospheric concentrations of CO2 continue to rise.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14610248">Ecology Letters</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: Austin Thomason/Michigan Photography

Monarch butterflies facing new threats with rising CO2 levels

A study from the University of Michigan (U-M) has identified...

The world’s smallest dog, holding the Guinness record since 2012, has recently received a new world record for being cloned 49 times. 

She was given the name Miracle Milly because when the tiny Chihuahua was born it was believed that she would not survive, however she is thriving today despite weighing less than a pound. 

Milly has gained worldwide recognition and has thousands of fans, but her size and stature caught the attention of scientists from the <a href="http://en.sooam.com/dogcn/sub01.html">Sooam Biotech Research Foundation</a> in Seoul, Korea. 

Milly’s owners granted the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation permission to clone the dog. 

According to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5924809/Worlds-cloned-dog-Miracle-Milly-copied-record-breaking-49-times.html">Daily Mail</a>, cells extracted from Milly were then transplanted to a donor egg cell and later an embryo was placed into a surrogate. 

Twelve pups were born from that first litter of clones in August of 2017 and all of them live with Milly's family. 

Today Milly has been now cloned 49 times and researchers are hoping that the clones will provide clues to how Milly is able to thrive given her tiny stature. 

Besides slight size differences, according to Milly’s family, her first 12 clones have similar looks and personalities. 

“The original idea was to make ten clones in total, nine for research and one for us, but they decided to clone her more times,” Vanesa Semler, Milly’s owner, told the Daily Mail. “She was chosen for being the smallest dog in the world. They want to find out why she was so small and then study her genes to find out what makes her so tiny. It's amazing to be around all of her clones, they are so smart, very playful like Milly and have really similar personalities.” 

The research lab in Seoul is hoping to clone other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/domesticated-dogs-lost-pack-mentality/">dogs</a> besides Milly and are offering $100,000 to owners willing to clone their pets. 

In Milly’s case, the research data on her clones will be compiled and analyzed and eventually published in a study which will hopefully reveal the secrets to her size.

“We will be working together with the Director as well as four specialists from the world renown Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) as well as other collaborating scientists to characterize the genetic and epigenetic factors of the of the cloned Milly and the original Milly,” David Kim, from the Soaam, 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 

Image Credit: AOWR, Caters News

World’s smallest dog is now also the world's most cloned dog

The world’s smallest dog, holding the Guinness record since 2012,...

Despite the fact that hundreds of millions of people and at least a quarter of all marine life depend on the world's corals for survival, we are losing these important <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-protection/">reefs</a> at an alarming and unprecedented rate.

Dr. Caroline Palmer is a visiting researcher at the <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a> who has been studying the immune health of corals for more than a decade. 


Dr. Palmer has discovered that corals with higher immune defenses are less likely to bleach or become diseased. She has recently authored a paper which suggests that focusing research on coral immunity could improve reef conservation efforts.

Dr. Palmer's latest work is based on a theory that explains how corals might coexist with specific microorganisms as a “holobiont,” while resisting infection and other threats.

She has also developed a model of coral susceptibility, and has found that investing in immunity enables coral to tolerate more damage before initiating an immune response. This model shows how corals may vary in their response to disturbances, such as bleaching events.

“There is no question that climate change is devastating coral reef systems. But if we are to conserve or restore them, we need to understand coral health - what drives tolerance and how can we promote it,” said Dr. Palmer. “If you have a strong immune system, and the energy to support it, you are more likely to be healthy and to survive adverse conditions.”


Bleaching has been the focus of most coral research and is often distinguished from coral immunity, but Dr. Palmer proposes that bleaching is actually a component of coral holobiont immunity. 

Dr. Palmer also believes that an immunological model could help increase the tolerance of corals, preparing them for adverse conditions and future warming.

“Coral biologists are racing to conserve coral reefs before it's too late. There is currently a lot of interest in creating more tolerant corals through genetic engineering and of restoring reefs by targeting more resilient corals. I fully support these approaches, but believe understanding what drives coral health will be key to their success.”

Dr Palmer is currently the lead scientist on the Seeking Survivors project, which is focused on coral health in Costa Rica.

The study is published in the Nature Research journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio/about">Communications Biology</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: Caroline Palmer / <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a>

Immune health may be key to saving the world’s corals

Despite the fact that hundreds of millions of people and...

A group of poachers got an unexpected surprise when they were attacked by a pride of lions after breaking into the Sibuya Game Reserve in South Africa to hunt rhinoceroses earlier this week.

According to <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/">Newsweek</a>, reserve owner Nick Fox said that there was evidence the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ground-vibrations-elephants-poachers/">hunters</a> had been eaten alive by the lions between Sunday night and early Monday morning.

A trained guard on the reserve, who was equipped with a dog that is specially trained to detect poachers, was alerted to commotion coming from the lions about 4:30 in the morning on Monday. The activity was dismissed because this is a time when the lions are usually active, and officials believe this is when the hunters were killed.


“The only body part we found was one skull and one bit of pelvis, everything else was completely gone,” Fox told Newsweek. “There is so little left that they don’t know exactly how many people were killed, we suspect three because we found three sets of shoes and three sets of gloves.” 

The police also recovered the team’s hunting gear in thick, thorny brush near the group of lions, including a high-powered rifle with a silencer and an ax, which was presumably for removing the horns of rhinos after killing them. In addition, officials found food, water, and wire cutters.

The lions were shot with tranquilizer darts to protect reserve employees and police who were involved in the recovery effort on Wednesday. Fox told <a href="https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/">Sowetan Live</a>, “The remains were scattered over a very wide area making it difficult to comb the scene and get all the evidence.”

Poaching has become a serious problem in the Eastern Cape. According to <a href="https://www.thesouthafrican.com/">The South African</a>, there have already been nine rhinos killed this year in the Eastern Cape alone, and investigators have reason to believe that there are two groups of poachers responsible for the killings.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rhino poachers killed by lions at a South African game reserve

A group of poachers got an unexpected surprise when they...

Goats were one of the first animals that early humans domesticated, kept close as a source of meat, milk, and hides. They have been a partner animal since 8,500 BC, with the earliest evidence of domestic goats being found in the Fertile Crescent region of Southwest Asia – the area where crop farming and animal herding first began. Now, a team of international scientists has sequenced the genomes of ancient goat bones found in this region, and their results give great detail into the 10,000-year history of local farmer practices involving genetic exchange between wild and domesticated herds, as well as selection by early farmers.

Prior to herding, local hunters would go after wild goats – known as bezoar – which ultimately led to the start of goat management and livestock keeping. But determining how early farmers practiced domestication is difficult due to thousands of years of migration and mixture.

“Just like humans, modern goat ancestry is a tangled web of different ancestral strands,” explains Dan Bradley, a professor at <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/">Trinity College Dublin</a> and lead investigator of the study. “The only way to unravel these and reach reliably into the past is to sequence genomes from actual ancient animals; a kind of molecular time travel.”

The researchers used genetic data from more than 80 ancient wild and domestic goats, charting the initial patterns of domestication, and finding a surprising amount of genetic differentiation between goats throughout the Fertile Crescent and surrounding areas. 

“Goat domestication was a mosaic rather than a singular process with continuous recruitment from local wild populations,” says Pierpaolo Maisano Delser, a research fellow at Trinity and joint first author of the paper. “This process generated a distinctive genetic pool which evolved across time and still characterizes the different goat populations of Asia, Europe and Africa today.”

This study was the earliest genetic discovery of the domestication process in human history. The findings show that – like modern breeders – early farmers were interested in animal appearance. “Whole genome sequences from the past allowed us directly analyze some of the earliest goat herds,” says Kevin Daly, a PhD researcher at Trinity and first author of the paper. “We found evidence that at least as far back as 8,000 years ago herders were interested in or valued the coat color of their animals, based on selection signals at pigmentation genes.”

Additionally, they found distinct but parallel patterns of this selection in various early herds, which shows that this was a repeated phenomenon. Other evidence points towards animals being selected for liver enzymes that gave better tolerance to toxins, potentially from fungus growing on food, as well as production traits such as fertility and size.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Marjan Mashkour

Goat genome reveals oldest genetic discovery of domestication

Goats were one of the first animals that early humans...

Researchers have developed a new way to identify the best sites for lion conservation activities. The international team of scientists, which was led by Samuel Cushman of the U.S. Forest Service, analyzed the movement of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lion-africa-still-threatened/">lions</a> using GPS collar data.


Lions are now distributed across a range that is less than 10 percent of its past size, primarily due to human conflict and land use changes. 

Experts agree that conservation efforts must integrate the preservation of core habitat areas and the paths that link them with the mitigation of human-wildlife conflict. Up until now, however, few efforts have made all three of these factors a priority.


For the current investigation, the research team took two approaches to spatial modeling known as “resistant kernel” and “factorial least cost path.” These strategies were used to analyze GPS collar data captured from lions in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), which spans more than 520,000 square kilometers in four countries.


The scientists identified nine key regions where lions can move freely between breeding sites, enabling them to maintain a level of genetic diversity that supports healthy lion populations. The experts also identified 27 corridors linking these core areas, as well as 27 potential sites for human-lion conflict.

Overall, the team pinpointed three dispersal areas as being critical for continued lion conservation, four strategic corridors that must be protected for the safe movement of lions, and four locations with the greatest risk of human-lion conflict that require action.


The location-ranking system used in this study could be used to improve upon conservation strategies for others species as well.


“The next decade is a critical time for lion conservation given the rapid pace of population growth and land use change across Africa,” said Cushman. “It is critical that landscape conservation designs based on rigorous analysis identify and prioritize the most important places for protection.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</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

Image Credit: Karen Arnold

Scientists name the top locations for lion conservation in Africa

Researchers have developed a new way to identify the best...

The world’s most critically endangered species, the northern white rhino, is in such peril that currently only two females remain. 

After the last male northern white rhino died in Kenya, all that is left are his daughter and granddaughter, and researchers are concerned that the species may die off with them. 

Poaching and habitat destruction have brought the rhinos to the brink of extinction, but there may be hope for recovery as researchers have recently created hybrid embryos and developed them to the point that they are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/northern-white-rhinos-extinction/">ready to be implanted in a surrogate</a>. 

Researchers have been looking into in vitro fertilization (IVF) alternatives as possibilities to conserve and protect northern white rhinos but now for the first time, those efforts could soon come to fruition. 

The hybrid embryos were developed by a team of researchers from the <a href="http://www.izw-berlin.de/welcome.html">Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research</a> and in order to create an embryo ready for implantation, eggs from southern white rhinos were used. 

The eggs were then fertilized with frozen northern white rhino sperm. Southern white rhinos are closely related to northern white rhinos and so their genetic pairing is ideal for potential IFV. 

The embryo was developed to the blastocyst stage, according to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5914471/Hybrid-embryos-doomed-northern-white-rhino-created-lab.html">Daily Mail</a> who reported on the breakthrough. 

If the embryos are to be implanted in a surrogate, the researchers stated that southern white rhinos would carry the new rhino hybrids to term. 

There are concerns that because only two northern white rhinos remain it will create a limited gene pool and future rhinos will be at risk for a wide array of health problems linked to inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity. 

Yet, the new embryos are a good jumping off point and offer at least a glimmer of hope for the species.

The new embryos shouldn’t take away from other conservation efforts, and the <a href="https://www.savetherhino.org/">Save the Rhino</a> group states that the focus should be on protecting natural habitats and other critically endangered rhino species as well. 

“The real fight for the survival of northern white rhinos in their natural habitat was lost over a decade ago,” said Jo Shaw, an African rhino expert with the WWF conservation group, told the <a href="https://www.ap.org/">Associated Press</a> in March. “Large mammals, like rhinos, should be seen as symbols of large functioning ecosystems and we must focus our efforts and energy on their protection and ongoing survival within these vital landscapes around the globe.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Could IVF bring white rhinos back from the edge of extinction?

The world’s most critically endangered species, the northern white rhino,...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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"

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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...