The vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is the world’s rarest marine mammal, with fewer than 10 surviving in the wild. It faces grave challenges, from illegal fishing nets to black-market demand for totoaba swim bladders. 



Experts worry that this unique creature could disappear before most people even learn it exists.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vaquitas-a-species-in-peril">Vaquitas: A species in peril</h2>



<a href="https://seashepherd.org/2024/06/11/2024-vaquita-survey/#">Populations</a> of this small porpoise have plummeted at an astonishing rate since the late 1990s.



Vaquitas inhabit the northern Gulf of California, and are restricted to an area of roughly 1,500 square miles (3,900 square kilometers). This small region, combined with the pressures of organized poaching activity, has given vaquitas little <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/endangered-lemurs-millions-of-years-of-diversity-at-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">room for recovery</a>. 



Jamie Knaub from Florida Atlantic University (<a href="https://www.fau.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FAU</a>) and her colleagues believe that drastic measures are necessary to preserve any record of these animals for generations to come.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rescuing-a-rare-vaquita-skeleton">Rescuing a rare vaquita skeleton</h2>



A complete <a href="https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/photos-san-diego-researchers-scan-rare-skeleton-of-worlds-smallest-endangered-porpoise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vaquita skeleton</a> in the United States is hard to find. Such a specimen recently appeared at SeaWorld San Diego, with ties to the San Diego Natural History Museum.&nbsp;



“We are delighted to collaborate with likeminded organizations to make our collections as useful and accessible as possible,” said Phil Unitt, curator of birds and mammals at the San Diego Natural History Museum.&nbsp;



“A complete skeleton of a vaquita is an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/public-concern-over-species-extinctions-fades-quickly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extremely rare specimen</a>, so we’re thrilled to learn its replica will be available to the public.”



<a href="https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/fau-high-school-opens-one-of-a-kind-owls-imaging-lab.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FAU’s High School Owls Imaging Lab</a> carried out micro-CT scans on the skeleton. Knaub transported it back to Florida as precious carry-on luggage.&nbsp;



She spent 165 hours conducting high-resolution scans, gathering nearly three terabytes of data. When finished, Knaub carefully returned the vaquita remains to SeaWorld.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-hopes-for-the-tiniest-porpoise">High hopes for the tiniest porpoise</h2>



Researchers are eager to share 3D scans of this delicate skeleton on the <a href="https://www.morphosource.org/docs/about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MorphoSource</a> online repository. The goal is to let educators and researchers worldwide access and learn from the files.&nbsp;



With vaquitas vanishing at a high rate, preserving their anatomy through digital replicas could be the only way to keep them on the radar.&nbsp;



“At the rate that vaquita’s are disappearing, it’s extremely important to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/are-we-failing-the-worlds-most-threatened-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preserve</a> as much about this species as we can. They are very elusive and not many physical specimens from this species exist,” said Knaub.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-education-and-replication-efforts">Education and replication efforts</h2>



The experts hope that these skeleton scans, once turned into models, can be placed in museums or classrooms. Brittany Aja Dolan from SeaWorld San Diego, who pushed this plan forward, wants everyone to see the small porpoise up close.&nbsp;



“We hope that by creating replicas, which will be available worldwide, and hopefully on display at SeaWorld San Diego in the near future, everyone will have the opportunity to learn about the world’s most endangered marine mammal and what we can all do to help,” explained Dolan.



Some genetic <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm1742" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> suggests the surviving vaquitas retain enough diversity to bounce back if threats cease. However, rapid action is crucial.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preserving-vaquita-data-for-future-research">Preserving vaquita data for future research</h2>



FAU’s advanced imaging technology captured the skeleton’s intricate details. 



The lab’s <a href="https://www.microphotonics.com/what-is-micro-ct-an-introduction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">micro-CT machine</a> is known for its ability to scan minute structures within skeletal fragments. Knaub, along with her mentors, previously used similar equipment to study thresher shark vertebrae, a study that is published in <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.231473" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Society Open Science</a>.&nbsp;



The same techniques have now preserved the precise shape of each vaquita bone, thus mapping out a piece of history that might soon be gone if illegal nets continue to harm the species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-unique-laboratory-environment">A unique laboratory environment</h2>



FAU’s Owls Imaging Lab attracts student researchers from across various disciplines. This facility contains tools like scanning electron microscopes and microtomes, and offers early exposure to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-is-tracking-endangered-animal-habitats-from-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">high-level projects</a>.&nbsp;



“The primary aim of our open-access research hub is to create a dynamic environment that promotes meaningful collaborations between our students and university mentors," said Tricia Meredith, director of research for FAU’s on-site lab schools.



"By providing opportunities for hands-on teaching, innovative demonstrations, experimentation, and robust data collection, the hub seeks to enhance the educational experience and advance research excellence.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-the-brink">Looking beyond the brink</h2>



Those involved in the vaquita project see it as a chance to save the species in some form, even if the real animals fade away. There is also motivation to rescue any remaining individuals in the Gulf of California.&nbsp;



Organizations like FAU, SeaWorld San Diego, and the San Diego Natural History Museum keep shining a light on this small porpoise, stressing that the vaquita’s future rests on determined human intervention.&nbsp;



Until effective solutions disrupt the illegal fishing trade, digital scans and educational displays might be the closest many of us will ever come to encountering the vaquita in real life.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://phys.org/journals/royal-society-open-science/">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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Vaquitas may disappear before most people know they exist

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is the world’s rarest marine mammal, with fewer than 10 surviving in the wild. It faces grave challenges, from illegal fishing nets to black-market demand for totoaba swim bladders. Experts worry that this unique creature could disappear before most people even learn it exists. Vaquitas: A species in peril Populations of this small porpoise have plummeted at an astonishing rate since the late 1990s. Vaquitas inhabit the northern Gulf of California, and are restricted to an area of roughly 1,500 square miles (3,900...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> in the UK has found that the Amundsen Sea Embayment – the fastest changing region in Antarctica – has lost over 3,000 billion tons of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-sea-ice-is-currently-the-lowest-ever-recorded/">ice</a> during a 25-year period. If all this lost ice were to cover Manhattan, it would reach a height of 61 kilometers, or 137 Empire State Buildings placed on top of one another.



To estimate the fluctuations of sea ice in that region, the experts calculated a variable called “mass balance,” referring to the balance between the mass of ice gain due to snowfall and mass lost through calving, a process in which icebergs form at the end of a glacier and drift out to sea. When this phenomenon happens faster than the replacement of the lost ice through snowfall – or when the snowfall supply drops - the Embayment loses mass overall, contributing to sea level rise.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that, between 1996 and 2021, West Antarctica lost 3,331 billion tons of ice, contributing more than nine millimeters to global sea level rise. According to the experts, changes in ocean temperature and currents were the most important drivers of ice loss.



“The 20 glaciers in West Antarctica have lost an awful lot of ice over the last quarter of a century and there is no sign that the process is going to reverse anytime soon although there were periods where the rate of mass loss did ease slightly,” said study lead author Benjamin Davison, a research fellow in Climate and Atmospheric Science at Leeds.



“Scientists are monitoring what is happening in the Amundsen Sea Embayment because of the crucial role it plays in sea-level rise. If ocean levels were to rise significantly in future years, there are communities around the world who would experience extreme flooding.” &nbsp;



By using climate models showing how air currents move across the globe, the researchers found that the Embayment had experienced several extreme snowfall events over the 25-year study period – such as during the winters of 2019 and 2020 – as well as “snow droughts” or periods of very little snowfall that characterized the 2009-2013 period. Although the massive snowfalls managed to replace part of the ice lost during snow droughts, overall, the ice mass declined significantly over the past quarter of a century.&nbsp;



“We were really surprised to see just how much periods of extremely low or high snowfall could affect the ice sheet over two to five-year periods – so much so that we think they could play an important, albeit secondary role, in controlling rates of West Antarctic ice loss,” Davison explained.



“Ocean temperature changes and glacial dynamics appear strongly connected in this part of the world, but this work highlights the large variability and unexpected processes by which snowfall also plays a direct role in modulating glacier mass,” concluded co-author Pierre Dutrieux, a scientist at the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36990-3">Nature Communications</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Antarctica has lost 3,000 billion tons of ice in 25 years

A new study led by the University of Leeds in...

Matcha tea is known for many health benefits such as boosting mental performance, promoting heart health, and supporting weight loss. Researchers at <a href="https://ewww.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/">Kumamoto University</a> in Japan have now taken a closer look at the anti-depressive effects of Matcha tea.



Using a mouse model, the experts found that Matcha powder activates neuronal connections through which dopamine travels to areas of the brain and body. In certain mice, symptoms of depression improved.



"Depression is the most-prevalent psychiatric disorder in the world, and the number of patients with depression is continuously increasing worldwide," wrote the study authors. "Although there are individual differences in the onset of depression, its pathogenesis is thought to involve a reduction in dopaminergic function in the brain."



"Postmortem brain analysis and positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand studies in humans have shown that dopamine D1 receptor expression and function are significantly reduced in the patients with major depressive disorder."



Previous research has shown that matcha tea consumption improves anxiety-like behavior in mice by activating dopamine D1 receptor signaling. The Kumamoto team set out to investigate whether the same dopamine boost may also improve symptoms of depression.



The researchers set out to investigate the effects of Matcha tea powder in socially isolated mice. They subjected stress-tolerant and stress-susceptible mice to social isolation. In mice that were susceptible to stress, a dose of Matcha tea appeared to reduce levels of depression.



“Matcha tea reduced the immobility time only in stress-susceptible mice that experienced greater stress from social isolation, and exhibited higher depression-like behavior, in comparison to the stress-tolerant mice," explained Dr. Yuki Kurauchi.



When the experts analyzed the brain activity of the stress-susceptible mice after they had consumed the Matcha tea, they found higher neural activity and dopamine production.



"These results suggest that Matcha tea powder exerts an antidepressant-like effect by activating the dopaminergic system of the brain, and this is influenced by the mental state of the individual," said Dr. Kurauchi.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu15030581">Nutrients</a>.



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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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Matcha tea relieves symptoms of depression 

Matcha tea is known for many health benefits such as...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>, researchers are describing how a South African daisy deceives male pollinators by building fake females on its petals. These fly-like structures, created by the South African daisy Gorteria diffusa, have fascinated scientists for decades. 



Each three-dimensional fake fly is quite complex, with hairy bumps and white highlights. As male flies approach the structure and attempt to mate, they inadvertently pollinate the flower.



The Cambridge team has now identified, for the first time, the mechanism behind this elaborate scheme. The experts found three sets of genes that are involved in building the fake female flies.&nbsp;



The researchers were surprised to find that these sets of genes play other roles in the plant as well. One set is responsible for making iron, one makes the roots grow, and the third set controls when flowers are made.



According to the researchers, the three sets of genes work together in the daisy petals to build the fly-like structures. They add iron to change the petal color from reddish-purple to blue-green, make hairs expand on the petal to add texture, and make the flies appear in "random" positions.



“This daisy didn’t evolve a new ‘make a fly’ gene. Instead it did something even cleverer - it brought together existing genes, which already do other things in different parts of the plant, to make a complicated spot on the petals that deceives male flies,” explained study senior author Professor Beverley Glover.



The researchers say the daisy’s petals give it an evolutionary advantage by attracting more male flies to pollinate it.&nbsp;



“We’d expect that something as complex as a fake fly would take a long time to evolve, involving lots of genes and lots of mutations," said study first author Dr. Roman Kellenberger. "But actually by bringing together three existing sets of genes it has happened much more quickly."



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.003">Current Biology</a>.



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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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South African daisy creates fake flies to attract pollinators 

In a new study from the University of Cambridge, researchers...

Listening to music can boost the effectiveness of medication, according to a new study led by <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>. The research was focused on the potential for music to help alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea (CIN).



According to the experts, the results of the study highlight the need to consider nonpharmacologic treatments as adjunct interventions.&nbsp;



"This pilot study investigated the feasibility and overall effects of a 30-minute adjunct music listening intervention in 12 patients experiencing chemotherapy-induced nausea," wrote the study authors. "Music listening was started at the time participants took their as-needed antiemetic medication, and it was repeated as needed."



Professor Jason Kiernan said that music-listening interventions are like over-the-counter medications. "You don’t need a doctor to prescribe them.”&nbsp;



“Pain and anxiety are both neurological phenomena and are interpreted in the brain as a state. Chemotherapy-induced nausea is not a stomach condition; it is a neurological one.”&nbsp;



For the investigation, a dozen chemotherapy patients were asked to listen to their favorite music for 30 minutes each time they needed to take anti-nausea medication. They repeated the music anytime nausea occurred during the five days after chemotherapy treatment.&nbsp;



Professor Kiernan said that while there was a reduction in the ratings of patients’ nausea severity and distress, it is difficult to isolate whether it was the gradual release of the medication doing its job or the increased benefit of the music.&nbsp;



In a previous study, researchers measured the amount of serotonin that was released into the blood after listening to pleasant or unpleasant music.&nbsp;



“Serotonin is the major neurotransmitter that causes chemotherapy-induced nausea,” said Professor Kiernan. “Cancer patients take medications to block serotonin’s effects.”&nbsp;



The research showed that after listening to unpleasant music, patients experienced greater stress and increased levels of serotonin release.



“This was intriguing because it provides a neurochemical explanation and a possible way to measure serotonin and the blood platelet release of serotonin in my study,” said Professor Kiernan. “In 10 to 20 years, wouldn’t it be neat if you could use a nonpharmacological intervention like listening to 10 minutes of your favorite music to complement a medicine?”&nbsp;



The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10547738221149895">Clinical Nursing Research</a>.



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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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Listening to music makes medication more effective

Listening to music can boost the effectiveness of medication, according...

Several studies have shown an association between exposure to the sound of traffic and increased risk of hypertension (elevated blood pressure). However, it was still unclear whether noise or the air pollution linked to high levels of traffic played a larger role. Moreover, these studies were cross-sectional: while they provided evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traffic-noise-linked-to-higher-risk-of-dementia/">traffic noise</a> and hypertension were linked, they failed to show a clear causal relationship.



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://english.pku.edu.cn/">Peking University</a> in China has analyzed data from the UK Biobank from over 240,000 people aged 40 to 69, who started out without hypertension, while estimating road traffic noise based on their residential address and the <a href="https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC72550">Common Noise Assessment Method</a>, a model developed by the European Union to assess levels of exposure of European citizens to a variety of noises.&nbsp;



By using follow-up data for an average period of 8.1 years, the researchers found not only that individuals exposed to road traffic noise were more likely to develop hypertension, but also that this risk increased proportionally with the levels of noise experienced. This association was robust even after adjusting for exposure to air pollution.&nbsp;



“Road traffic noise and traffic-related air pollution coexist around us,” said study lead author Jing Huang, an assistant professor in Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences at Peking. “It is essential to explore the independent effects of road traffic noise, rather than the total environment.”



These findings call for the development of public health measures to alleviate the negative impact of road traffic noise, including setting stricter noise guidelines and enforcement, improving road conditions and urban design, and investing in building quieter vehicles.



“To date, this is the first large-sized prospective study directly addressing the effect of road traffic noise on the incidence of newly-diagnosed hypertension,” said Jiandong Zhang, an expert&nbsp; in cardiovascular disease at the <a href="https://www.unc.edu/">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill</a>, and lead author of an accompanying <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100266">editorial comment</a>. “The data demonstrated in this article provides a higher quality of evidence to justify the potential to modify road traffic noise and air pollution from both individual and societal levels in improving cardiovascular health.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100262">JAAC Advances</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Traffic noise increases the risk of hypertension

Several studies have shown an association between exposure to the...

In a recent study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00720-w">Nature Communications: Earth &amp; Environment</a>, an international team of scientists has warned that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-sea-ice-cycles-show-impacts-of-climate-change/">Arctic sea ice</a> may soon disappear completely during the summer months – echoing a similar situation that occurred 10,000 years ago.&nbsp;



In a time of rising temperatures due to global warming, the so-called “Last Ice Area” located north of Greenland and Canada remains the last sanctuary of all-year ice in the Arctic. By collecting and analyzing sediment samples from the seabed in the Lincoln Sea – part of the “Last Ice Area” – the researchers found that the ice in this region melted away completely during summer months in the Early Holocene, when global temperatures were at a level we are rapidly approaching today.



“Climate models have suggested that summer sea ice in this region will melt in the coming decades, but it’s uncertain if it will happen in 20, 30, 40 years, or more. This project has demonstrated that we’re very close to this scenario, and that temperatures only have to increase a little before the ice will melt,” said study senior author Christof Pearce, an assistant professor of Geoscience at <a href="https://international.au.dk/">Aarhus University</a> in Denmark.



The scientists warned that, when the last traces of sea ice will melt during the summer months, there could be major consequences for the climate, since the sea will absorb over ten times as much solar energy and thus exacerbate global warming.



In addition, sea ice loss could have marked negative effects on a variety of ecosystems. “The sea ice is a base for many ecosystems. The algae we examined are food for fish, fish are food for birds, etc. How will the marine ecosystems be affected globally if the sea ice disappears? We don’t know the answer yet,” explained study lead author Henrieka Detlef, a geoscientist at Aarhus.



However, according to the experts, the data shows that this worrisome trend can be reversible if we significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and set ambitious political and environmental goals.&nbsp;



“The study is a wake-up call, because we know that it will happen. This news is not making the situation more depressing, just more urgent. We have to act now so we can change it,” Pearce concluded.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Arctic sea ice will soon vanish during the summer

In a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications:...

On this year’s <a href="https://www.worldwaterday.org/">World Water Day</a> – an annual celebration highlighting the importance of freshwater resources initiated by the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a> (UN) in 1993 – <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en">UNESCO</a> in collaboration with <a href="https://www.unwater.org/">UN-Water</a> (a mechanism coordinating the efforts of UN entities and various international organizations working on water and sanitation issues) published a report warning of an imminent risk of a global water crisis.&nbsp;



According to the experts, currently two billion people (26 percent of the global population) do not have safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion (46 percent) lack access to safely managed sanitation – a dire situation expected to worsen in the coming decades, particularly in urban areas, posing severe risks to the livelihoods of people all over the globe.



Scientists estimate that the global urban population facing water scarcity will likely double from 930 million in 2016 to between 1.7 and 2.4 billion by mid-century. Moreover, the increasing frequency of extreme, prolonged droughts will increase the stress on ecosystems worldwide, severely endangering a variety of plant and animal species.



“There is an urgent need to establish strong international mechanisms to prevent the global water crisis from spiraling out of control. Water is our common future and it is essential to act together to share it equitably and manage it sustainably,” said UNESCO’s Director-General Audrey Azoulay.



The authors of the report argue that international collaboration is the main key to provide water access to people worldwide. While almost every water-related intervention involves some kind of cooperation – ranging from shared irrigation systems among farmers and communal management of water supply and sanitation infrastructure in cities to collaboration between urban and rural communities in order to maintain food security and uphold farmer incomes – when it comes to managing rivers and aquifers crossing national borders, larger collaborative networks are urgently needed to prevent a global water crisis.



In addition, data sharing and co-financing opportunities are crucial to address the current water problems and make sure they will not intensify in the following decades. For instance, financing schemes bringing together downstream users – such as cities, businesses, and utilities – to invest together in upstream environmental protection and agricultural land management will play a major role in improving water quantity and quality. Such ‘water funds’ have already proven successful in Mexico and Sub-Saharan Africa, and will likely benefit other parts of the world too.



Finally, inclusive shareholder participation is essential in planning and implementing water systems which match the needs and available resources of disadvantaged communities, while increasing public acceptance and ownership.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“There is much to do and time is not on our side.&nbsp;This report shows our ambition and we must now come together and accelerate action. This is our moment to make a difference,” concluded Gilbert F. Houngbo, the Chair of UN-Water.



More information about this year’s UN World Water Development Report can be found <a href="https://www.unesco.org/reports/wwdr/2023/en">here</a>.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Global water crisis could spiral out of control

On this year’s World Water Day – an annual celebration...

An unusual parasite strain that has killed at least four sea otters may pose a threat to marine animals and humans, according to a study from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a>. The experts report that the animals died from an unusually severe form of toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by the microscopic parasite Toxoplasma gondii.



The researchers noted that toxoplasmosis is common in sea otters, but the new Toxoplasma strain appears to be more lethal and capable of rapidly killing healthy adult otters.



The scientists warn that this rare form of toxoplasma infection, which has never been seen on the California coast before, could threaten both wildlife and humans if it contaminates the environment and the marine food chain.



“Because this parasite can infect humans and other animals, we want others to be aware of our findings, quickly recognize cases if they encounter them and take precautions to prevent infection,” said study co-author Melissa Miller. “We encourage others to take extra precautions if they observe inflamed systemic fat deposits in sea otters or other marine wildlife.”



Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite that infects most species of warm-blooded animals and causes toxoplasmosis. The sea otters that were found stranded with the new strain of Toxoplasma had severe inflammation of their body fat - a condition called steatitis. According to the researchers, this is a very unusual finding in sea otters with toxoplasmosis.



“The appearance of this lethal type of Toxoplasma in coastal California is concerning for two main reasons: First, because of potential population health impacts on a threatened species, and second, because this parasite could also affect the health of other animals that are susceptible to Toxoplasma infection,” said study co-author Devinn Sinnott of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.



Through microscopic examination, the experts found that the deceased otters had high numbers of Toxoplasma parasites in their tissues. However, the parasites were not present in the brain, which is usually affected in sea otters with fatal toxoplasmosis.



DNA tests revealed that the animals had been infected with a rare strain of Toxoplasma called COUG, which was first identified in 1995 in Canadian mountain lions.



“This was a complete surprise,” said study senior author Karen Shapiro of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “The COUG genotype has never before been described in sea otters, nor anywhere in the California coastal environment or in any other aquatic mammal or bird.”



“I have studied Toxoplasma infections in sea otters for 25 years, and I have never seen such severe lesions or high parasite numbers,” said Miller. “We are reporting our preliminary findings to alert others about this concerning condition. Since Toxoplasma can infect any warm-blooded animal, it could also potentially cause disease in animals and humans that share the same environment or food resources, including mussels, clams, oysters, and crabs that are consumed raw or undercooked.”



According to Sinnott, larger-scale studies are needed to understand the potential impact of infection by the COUG Toxoplasma strain on sea otter populations, how geographically dispersed it is, how it is being introduced into the ocean, and what other animals might be affected.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1116899">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.



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Sea otters killed by lethal strain of Toxoplasma 

An unusual parasite strain that has killed at least four...

During the past three years, the origins of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-origins-of-covid-19-will-most-likely-remain-a-mystery/">Covid-19</a> pandemic have been intensely debated. While some scientists argued that the virus initially emerged in wild animals traded at the Huanan market in Wuhan and then spilled over to humans, others claimed that the virus may have leaked from the <a href="http://english.whiov.cas.cn/">Wuhan Institute of Virology</a>. 



Although it is likely that the origins of the pandemic will remain a mystery, new genetic evidence that emerged this week points to the possibility that racoon dogs - small, heavy-set, fox-like canids native to East Asia - might have started the pandemic.



Initially, swabs collected from stalls at the Huanan market in the first months of 2020 were found to contain only SARS-CoV-2 and human DNA. However, at the beginning of this week Florence Débarre, an evolutionary biologist at the <a href="https://www.cnrs.fr/en/cnrs">French National Center for Scientific Research</a> (CNRS), discovered a series of genetic sequences in several coronavirus-positive samples posted on the virology database <a href="https://gisaid.org/">GISAID</a> that contained significant amounts of DNA from racoon dogs, as well as traces of animal DNA from civets and other mammals known to be highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2.



Following her discovery, Débarre shared the data with an international team of world-famous scientists currently investigating the origins of the pandemic, as well as with the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a>.&nbsp;



“We were able to figure out relatively quickly that at least in one of these samples, there was a lot of raccoon dog nucleic acid, along with virus nucleic acid,” said Stephen Goldstein, a virologist at the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a>. Nevertheless, he stressed that the jumbling together of genetic materials from the virus and the animal does not conclusively prove that a racoon dog was initially infected and then passed the virus to humans; in fact, it is possible that the opposite scenario might have happened, with various animals catching the virus from humans.



However, according to Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a>, this finding is “just one more brick on this massive wall of evidence that all fits together. If it weren’t so politicized, it’s one of the clearest sets of evidence for how a pandemic emerged that we’ve ever had.”



“Top line is that there were animals at the market and they are in the exact location where the virus was,” added Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the <a href="https://www.usask.ca/">University of Saskatchewan</a>. “We can’t say for sure that they were infected, but this is very strong evidence supporting that the pandemic’s origin was due to the live animals at Huanan market.”



After analyzing the genetic sequences, the experts reached out to the Chinese scientists that originally posted the data on GISAID for a possible collaboration but, soon after that, the data disappeared from the database, highlighting once more the intensely politicized dimensions of the pandemic, and China’s refusal to admit the massive illegal wildlife trade occurring in its markets.&nbsp;



This led WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to renew his call for China to share scientific data on the origin of the pandemic on Friday. “We continue to call on China to be transparent in sharing data, and to conduct the necessary investigations and share the results. Understanding how the pandemic began remains both a moral and scientific imperative.”&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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New evidence that Covid-19 spilled over from animals

During the past three years, the origins of the Covid-19...

In a new study led by the <a href="http://www.sf.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research</a>, experts set out to investigate how the brain develops a preference for unhealthy foods.&nbsp;



The researchers found that foods with high fat and sugar content actually rewire our brain. By regularly eating these foods, even in small amounts, the brain unconsciously learns to prefer high-fat snacks.



"Our tendency to eat high-fat and high-sugar foods, the so-called Western diet, could be innate or develop as a result of being overweight. But we think that the brain learns this preference," explained study lead author Sharmili Edwin Thanarajah.



In collaboration with experts at Yale University, the researchers designed an experiment with two study groups who were instructed to eat pudding once per day for eight weeks in addition to their normal diet.&nbsp;



One group of participants was given a small pudding containing a lot of fat and sugar, while the other group received a pudding that contained the same number of calories but less fat. The researchers measured the brain activity of the volunteers before and during the eight weeks.



The study revealed that among the group that ate the high-sugar and high-fat pudding, the brain's response to this type of food had greatly increased after eight weeks. In particular, the brain responded by activating dopaminergic pathways that are associated with reward and motivation.



"Our measurements of brain activity showed that the brain rewires itself through the consumption of chips and co. It subconsciously learns to prefer rewarding food," said Marc Tittgemeyer, who led the study. "Through these changes in the brain, we will unconsciously always prefer the foods that contain a lot of fat and sugar."



The researchers assume that the preference for sugary foods will continue after the end of the study. "New connections are made in the brain, and they don't dissolve so quickly," said Tittgemeyer. "After all, the whole point of learning is that once you learn something, you don't forget it so quickly."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/home">Cell Metabolism</a>.



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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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Sweet snacks rewire the brain to prefer unhealthy food

In a new study led by the Max Planck Institute...

Since the flavor of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/growing-environment-impacts-the-aroma-of-beer-and-hops/">beer</a> begins to change as soon as it is packaged, scientists have long wondered if this type of beverage stays fresher in bottles or in cans. Now, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a> (CSU) has found that the answer to this question depends on the type of beer. For instance, while an amber ale remained fresher in bottles, container choice made much less difference to the stability of Indian Pale Ale (IPA).



Besides water and ethanol, beer contains thousands of flavor compounds produced by yeast, hop, and other ingredients. Since during storage, chemical reactions break down some of these components while forming others, the content of some tasty flavors is reduced, contributing to the aging, or staling, of beer. Although researchers have already studied beer aging in order to help brewers prolong shelf life, they focused mainly on light lagers and a limited group of chemicals. Now, the CSU team extended the analysis to amber ale and IPA, while comparing the stability of beer packaged in glass bottles versus aluminum cans.



To mimic typical storage conditions, the scientists chilled cans and bottles of amber ale and IPA for a month and then kept them at room temperature for an additional five months, while analyzing every two weeks the metabolites in newly opened containers. During this period, the concentration of metabolites in amber ale, such as several amino acids and esters, was significantly different depending on the type of packaging. By contrast, IPA appeared less sensitive to packaging type, most likely due to its higher concentration of polyphenols from hops, which prevent oxidation and help retain amino acids in the beer for longer.



The analyses also revealed that, while the metabolic profile of both kinds of beer changed over time, regardless of the type of packaging, amber ale in cans showed the greatest variation during aging. Further research is needed to clarify how such changes affect flavor in order to help brewers make more informed decisions on what kind of packaging to use for the particular types of beers they produce.



“Taken together, the results of this study do not support the conclusion of a general best package for all beer styles but rather indicate that the effects of package type are dependent on beer style. Continued work to define the mechanisms driving the effects of package type on beer stability is warranted and would require integration with sensory outcomes. Ultimately, research on beer stability and packaging should provide relevant knowledge, so brewers may make scientifically backed packaging decisions and shelf-life determinations,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.2c00351">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.



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Is beer more stable in cans or bottles?

Since the flavor of beer begins to change as soon...

After massive collisions, such as asteroid impacts, some materials from impacted planets may be ejected into space and travel vast distances for extremely long periods of time. According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/">University of Tokyo</a>, this material could contain direct or indirect signs of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-searching-for-life-in-our-neighbor-star-system/">life</a> from the planet of origin, such as fossils of microorganisms, that could potentially be detected by astronomers in search of extraterrestrial life.&nbsp;



Although space dust can be an annoyance to some astronomers since it may hinder their observations of distant objects, it could also be a useful tool for learning about something distant without needing to leave the safety of our own planet.



“I propose we study well-preserved grains ejected from other worlds for potential signs of life,” said study author Tomonori Totani, a professor of Astrophysics at Tokyo. “The search for life outside our solar system typically means a search for signs of communication, which would indicate intelligent life but precludes any pre-technological life. Or the search is for atmospheric signatures that might hint at life, but without direct confirmation there could always be an explanation that does not require life. However, if there are signs of life in dust grains, not only could we be certain, but we could also find out soon.”



According to Professor Totani, after large asteroid collisions eject ground material into space, recently deceased or fossilized microorganisms may be contained in some of this material. While some larger pieces might fall back down or enter permanent orbits around local planets or stars, and some pieces may be too small to contain any traces of life, dust grains with a dimension of roughly one micrometer (one-thousandth of a millimeter) might not only host single-celled organisms, but they could also escape their solar system and - under the right circumstances - even reach ours.



In fact, such grains may have already reached the Earth in plentiful amounts and lie hidden in Antarctic ice or under the seafloor. While these materials could be retrieved relatively easy, analyzing them for signs of life remains a complex matter, requiring interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists. However, if this investigation is extended into space, there are already missions which capture dust in the vacuum by using ultralight materials known as aerogels.



“My paper explores this idea using available data on the different aspects of this scenario. The distances and times involved can be vast, and both reduce the chance any ejecta containing life signs from another world could even reach us. Add to that the number of phenomena in space that can destroy small objects due to heat or radiation, and the chances get even lower,” Totani said.&nbsp;



“Despite that, I calculate around 100,000 such grains could be landing on Earth every year. Given there are many unknowns involved, this estimate could be too high or too low, but the means to explore it already exist so it seems like a worthwhile pursuit. I hope that researchers in different fields are interested in this idea and start to examine the feasibility of this new search for extrasolar life in more detail,” he concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2210.07084">International Journal of Astrobiology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Space dust may contain signs of extraterrestrial life

After massive collisions, such as asteroid impacts, some materials from...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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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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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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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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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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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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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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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