Fungi are often overlooked in the grand tapestry of life, yet they play an essential role in ecosystems around the world. From decomposing organic matter to forming symbiotic relationships with plants and animals, fungi are nature’s silent architects. 



Recently, a discovery involving a fungus growing on a spider has added a new layer of understanding to the story of these remarkable organisms.



During this research, scientists identified a previously unknown <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fungi-can-think-and-make-smart-decisions-without-a-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species of fungus</a> that has been named in honor of a legendary figure in natural history. 



This discovery adds to our knowledge of fungal diversity and is a reminder of how much there is still to learn about the intricate connections between fungi and their hosts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-species-gibellula-attenboroughii">New species Gibellula attenboroughii</h2>



Dr. Harry Evans, an Emeritus Fellow at CAB International, led a team of researchers from institutions such as the <a href="https://snm.dk/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Natural History Museum of Denmark</a> and the <a href="https://www.kew.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Botanical Gardens Kew</a>. 



The investigation began during the filming of the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p012msk2/episodes/guide" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BBC Winterwatch series</a> in Northern Ireland, where a peculiar fungus was found growing on a spider.



Using both morphological and molecular evidence, the scientists confirmed that this fungus represented a novel species. 



In recognition of his profound impact on natural history programming, the team decided to name it after Sir David Attenborough.



"[The species is] named after the broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough, a pioneer of BBC natural history programs, who - in his role as controller of BBC 2 - helped to develop the Natural History Unit," noted Dr. Evans.



This led, indirectly, to the filming of the present nature series, during which the new species was first discovered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gibellula-attenboroughii-and-spiders">Gibellula attenboroughii and spiders</h2>



The spider that hosted the fungus was later identified as Metellina merianae, an orb-weaving cave spider belonging to the family Tetragnathidae.



With the help of a local speleologist, the researchers extended their search and discovered more specimens of the newly named species, Gibellula attenboroughii, in cave systems across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. 



Interestingly, the fungus was also found to infect another spider species, Meta menardi, which occupies different ecological niches within the caves. 



Like the original specimen, which was located on the ceiling of a gunpowder store, all of the infected spiders were found on the roof or walls of the caves.



These typically reclusive creatures had abandoned their usual hiding spots or webs, and migrated to exposed areas before dying.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-connection-to-zombie-ant-fungi">Connection to zombie-ant fungi</h2>



This behavior mirrors what has been observed in ants that are similarly infected by fungi of the genus Ophiocordyceps in Brazil's Atlantic rainforest. 



In those cases, the fungi manipulated their ant hosts to position themselves in locations ideal for spore dispersal, which led to the use of the term "zombie-ant fungi."



This phenomenon has captured the public's imagination, inspiring books, video games, and even the popular television series The Last of Us. 



Scientists have since identified behavioral-changing metabolites, such as dopamine, in cultures of zombie-ant fungi.



The discovery of similar behaviors in spiders infected by Gibellula attenboroughii suggests that these fungi may employ comparable mechanisms to control their hosts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fungus-and-spiders-in-the-british-isles">Fungus and spiders in the British Isles</h2>



Published in the journal Fungal Systematics and Evolution, the study went beyond identifying the new species. 



The researchers conducted extensive historical herbarium records and literature searches, and revealed a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-fungi-diversity-can-be-pulled-out-of-thin-air/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hidden diversity</a> within the genus Gibellula in the British Isles.



The experts also uncovered evidence of widespread disease epidemics among spiders in Norfolk and Wales. 



The findings suggest that fungi like Gibellula attenboroughii may play a significant role in regulating spider populations.



"Their role in spider-population dynamics warrants further study, as do the metabolites they produce which enable them to exploit such a highly specific ecological niche," noted the researchers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-zombie-fungus-controls-spiders">How zombie fungus controls spiders</h2>



The discovery of Gibellula attenboroughii highlights the importance of studying fungi not only for their ecological roles but also for their potential applications. 



Understanding how these fungi influence spiders could provide insights into broader <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tipping-point-discovered-in-fungi-evolution-that-impacts-their-shape-and-growth-rate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecological dynamics</a>.



For instance, if certain fungi regulate spider numbers, they might indirectly affect other species within the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rare-frost-beard-ice-formation-exidiopsis-effusa-fungi-discovered-by-hiker/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystem</a>. 



Additionally, investigating the metabolites produced by these fungi could lead to discoveries with implications beyond ecology. 



Such compounds might have pharmaceutical or industrial uses, which makes this area of research particularly promising.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tribute-to-sir-david-attenborough">Tribute to Sir David Attenborough</h2>



Naming the fungus after <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0041003/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sir David Attenborough</a> serves as a fitting tribute to his lifelong dedication to exploring and sharing the wonders of the natural world. 



His work has inspired countless individuals, including the scientists involved in this study, to examine the mysteries of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deadly-fungus-found-in-garden-soils-across-america/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nature</a>. 



By honoring Sir Attenborough in this way, the researchers not only celebrate his contributions but also emphasize the interconnectedness of scientific discovery and public engagement. It is a reminder that science thrives when curiosity is shared and nurtured.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-is-gibellula-attenboroughii-important">Why is Gibellula attenboroughii important?</h2>



The identification of Gibellula attenboroughii opens up numerous avenues for future research. Scientists are eager to explore how these fungi manipulate their hosts and what chemical compounds they produce to achieve such precise control. 



Furthermore, understanding the role of fungi in regulating spider populations could provide valuable insights into ecosystem stability.



In a time when biodiversity is under threat, studies like this remind us of the importance of preserving ecosystems and the species within them. 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/wfbi/fuse/pre-prints/content-f1_fuse_vol15_art7;jsessionid=dd632sclfekn9.x-ic-live-03" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fungal Systematics and Evolution</a>.



Image Credit: CABI



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Newfound fungus infects and controls spiders, turning them into 'zombies'

Fungi are often overlooked in the grand tapestry of life, yet they play an essential role in ecosystems around the world. From decomposing organic matter to forming symbiotic relationships with plants and animals, fungi are nature’s silent architects. Recently, a discovery involving a fungus growing on a spider has added a new layer of understanding to the story of these remarkable organisms. During this research, scientists identified a previously unknown species of fungus that has been named in honor of a legendary figure in natural history. This...

Indoor air quality must be regulated if we want to prevent another pandemic, according to a study from <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">CU Boulder</a>. The experts are calling for urgent recognition that SARS-CoV-2 and other airborne <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neurological-problems-affect-8-out-of-10-covid-19-patients/">pathogens</a> can be controlled by improving indoor ventilation systems.

"Air can contain viruses just as water and surfaces do," said study co-author Professor Shelly Miller. "We need to understand that it's a problem and that we need to have, in our toolkit, approaches to mitigating risk and reducing the possible exposures that could happen from build-up of viruses in indoor air."

The researchers are asking the World Health Organization to extend indoor air quality guidelines to include airborne pathogens, and to recognize the need to control hazards of airborne transmission of respiratory infections.

Now that the research on SARS-CoV-2 has finally exposed the fact that many respiratory diseases are airborne, the experts argue that we must take action with improved ventilation standards.

"Let's now not waste time until the next pandemic," said study co-author Professor Jose-Luis Jimenez. "We need a societal effort. When we design a building, we shouldn't just put in the minimum amount of ventilation that's possible, but instead we should keep ongoing respiratory diseases, such as the flu, and future pandemics in mind."

While there are building safety guidelines for chemicals such as carbon monoxide, there are currently no guidelines that provide standards for mitigating bacteria or viruses in indoor air.

"Air in buildings is shared air - it's not a private good, it's a public good. And we need to start treating it like that," said Professor Miller.

Study lead author Lidia Morawska is the director of Queensland University of Technology's International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health. She said there needs to be a shift away from the perception that we cannot afford the cost of control.

Morawska noted that the global monthly cost from COVID-19 had been conservatively estimated as $1 trillion and the cost of influenza in the U.S. alone exceeded $11.2 billion annually.

The researchers are also calling for national comprehensive indoor air quality (IAQ) standards to be developed by all countries. In order for this to happen, public awareness will be needed.

"I think there is a certain amount of demand that needs to start coming from the consumer and from the person who works in these indoor spaces in order to push change," said Professor Miller.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Indoor air quality standards needed to prevent pandemics

Indoor air quality must be regulated if we want to...

In a new report from the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a>, scientists are describing the largest-ever trial of artificial insemination in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sharks-attract-illegal-fishing-in-protected-areas/">sharks</a>. The study has revealed that "virgin births" are more common than what was previously realized.

The project resulted in 97 baby sharks. According to the researchers, some of the babies have parents that live on opposite sides of the country, and a few have no fathers at all.

"Our goal was to develop artificial insemination as a tool that could be used to help support and maintain healthy reproducing populations of sharks in aquariums," said study lead author Jen Wyffels, who conducted the research with the South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction &amp; Conservation.

Through captive breeding programs, experts aim to pair up sharks in ways that will increase genetic diversity.

"Moving whole animals from one aquarium to another to mate is expensive and can be stressful for the animal, but now we can just just move genes around through sperm," said study co-author Kevin Feldheim, who led the DNA analysis of the newborn sharks to determine their parentage.

Identifying the parents of a baby shark can be challenging. In some species, the females can store sperm for months after mating, so the father of a newborn shark is not necessarily the male that the mother most recently had contact with. 

Some female sharks are even capable of reproducing with no male at all. In a process called parthenogenesis, the female's egg cells are able to combine with each other and create an embryo that only contains genetic material from the mother.

The current investigation was focused on whitespotted bamboo sharks, which are small and gentle.  

"When people think of sharks, they picture great whites, tiger sharks, and bull sharks - the big, scary, charismatic ones," said Feldheim. "Whitespotted bamboo sharks are tiny, about three feet long. If you go to an aquarium, they're generally just resting on the bottom."

According to the researchers, whitespotted bamboo females do not require frequent and repeated mating during their laying season and use sperm that they have stored to fertilize eggs. These sharks are also known to reproduce parthenogenetically.

Overall, 20 female sharks located at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and the Aquarium of the Pacific were inseminated. Baby sharks hatched from fertilized eggs after 4 months of incubation. 

"The hatchlings are about the size of your hand, and they have distinctive spot patterns that help to tell them apart," said Wyffels. 

Tissue samples were collected from all of the babies and the parents for DNA analysis at the Field Museum's Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution.

"We sequenced the DNA and found sections where the code repeats itself," said Feldheim. "These repeating bits of code serve as signatures, and when we see them in the babies, we match them up to the potential dads."

The experts determined that freshly collected semen was effective in fertilizing eggs in 27.6 percent of cases, while semen that had been cold-stored for 24 hours had a success rate of 28.1 percent.

The genetic analysis of the offspring revealed two instances of parthenogenesis - where the mother reproduced without using the sperm she had been inseminated with. 

"These cases of parthenogenesis were unexpected and help illustrate how little we know about the basic mechanisms of sexual reproduction and embryo development among sharks," said Wyffels.

"One of the goals of this pilot project was to just see if it worked," said Feldheim. "Now, we can extend it to other animals that actually need help breeding, from other species in aquariums to sharks under threat in the wild."

The researchers noted that if their work contributes to the conservation of sharks in the wild, it will be largely thanks to aquariums. 

"Aquariums allow you to observe the same individual animals over time, and that's very difficult to do in the wild," said Wyffels. "Aquarists have eyes on their animals every day. They pick up on subtle changes in behavior related to reproduction, and they tell us what they see. Research like this depends on that collaboration."

"We are already taking what we learned from this study and applying it to other species, especially the sand tiger shark, a protected species that does not reproduce often in aquariums."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">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

Artificial insemination project confirms "virgin births" in sharks

In a new report from the Field Museum, scientists are...

A new study reveals that 8 out of 10 patients hospitalized for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-has-worsened-covid-19-outcomes/">COVID-19</a> develop neurological issues. Furthermore, COVID-19 patients with clinically diagnosed neurological symptoms are six times more likely to die in the hospital than those without neurological complications.

The researchers analyzed data from the Global Consortium Study of Neurologic Dysfunction in COVID-19 (GCS-NeuroCOVID), a large cohort study that includes 133 adult patient sites on every continent except Antarctica.

The goal of GCS-NeuroCOVID is to gather information about the incidence, severity, and outcomes of the neurological manifestations of COVID-19.

Study lead author Dr. Sherry Chou is the principal investigator of the consortium and an associate professor of Critical Care Medicine, Neurology, and Neurosurgery at the <a href="https://www.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh</a> School of Medicine and UPMC. 

"Very early on in the pandemic, it became apparent that a good number of people who were sick enough to be hospitalized also develop neurological problems," said Dr. Chou.

"A year later, we are still fighting an unknown invisible enemy and, like in any battle, we need intel - we have to learn as much as we can about neurological impacts of COVID-19 in patients who are actively sick and in survivors."

In one group of 3,744 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 82 percent had neurological symptoms. Nearly 4 out of 10 patients reported headaches, while 3 out of 10 lost their sense of smell or taste. 

The most common neurological syndrome that was clinically diagnosed was acute encephalopathy, which is characterized by mental confusion. 

"Acute encephalopathy is by far the most common symptom that we see in the clinic," said Dr. Chou. "Those patients may be in an altered sensory state or have impaired consciousness, or they don't feel like themselves and act confused, delirious or agitated."

Patients with a pre-existing neurological condition of any kind, such as chronic migraines, dementia or Alzheimer's disease, had more than double the risk of developing COVID-19-related neurological complications.

Furthermore, patients who experience any neurological symptoms related to COVID-19, even something as seemingly harmless as the loss of smell, have six times the risk of death. For individuals with neurological symptoms that recover, their long-term health outlook is still uncertain.

"Even if the pandemic is completely eradicated, we are still talking about millions of survivors who need our help," said Dr. Chou. "It is important to find out what symptoms and health problems those patients are facing, and there is still plenty of work for years to come."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/">JAMA Network Open</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Neurological problems affect 8 out of 10 COVID-19 patients

A new study reveals that 8 out of 10 patients...

Porcupines are being illegally hunted and exploited for meat and medicine in Indonesia, according to a new study published by <a href="https://pensoft.net/">Pensoft</a>.

"Indonesia is home to five species of porcupines, three of which are island endemics. While all five species are currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, impacts of harvest and trade have not been factored in," wrote the researchers.

"To gain a fuller understanding of the porcupine trade in Indonesia, this study examines seizure data of porcupines, their parts and derivatives from January 2013 to June 2020."

The investigation revealed a total of 39 incidents involving an estimated 452 porcupines. There are no harvest quotas for any porcupine species in Indonesia, which means that all hunting and trade activities are illegal. 

The study authors explained that porcupines are targeted for a number of reasons. Their meat is consumed as an alternative source of protein, and their bezoars are traditionally used in South East Asia and Europe for the treatment of conditions including cancer, poisoning, typhoid, and hepatitis.

The Sunda porcupine is the only one of the five Indonesian species that is currently protected. When the Sunda porcupine received its protected status in 2018, the Malayan species was removed from the updated protection list.

"The reasons for this are unclear, but certainly unwarranted, considering that the Malayan porcupine is the species most frequently identified as confiscated, and one can only assume the reason for its removal is due to its commercial value," said study co-author Lalita Gomez, Programme Officer of <a href="https://mcrsociety.org/">Monitor Conservation Research Society</a>.

While porcupine populations are known to be declining in Indonesia, there seems to be little control or monitoring on extraction and trade. The researchers noted that this is particularly concerning because four of the five species in Indonesia have a restricted range.

Gomez recommends that all porcupines be categorized as protected species under Indonesian wildlife laws and listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which would require any international trade to take place through a supervisory system.

"What clearly emerges from this study is that porcupines are being illegally hunted and exploited throughout their range in Indonesia facilitated by poor enforcement and legislative weakness," wrote the study authors.

"Porcupines are in decline due to habitat loss, retaliatory killings and uncontrolled poaching. It is therefore crucial that effective conservation measures are taken sooner rather than later to prevent further depletion of these species."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/">Nature Conservation</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Porcupines are exploited for meat and medicine in Indonesia

Porcupines are being illegally hunted and exploited for meat and...

Sharks rely on Earth's magnetic field to navigate across long distances, according to a new study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>. While scientists have long suspected that sharks use magnetic fields, this has been challenging to confirm. 

Researchers previously established that some shark species travel over great distances to very specific locations year after year.

"It had been unresolved how sharks managed to successfully navigate during migration to targeted locations," said Save Our Seas Foundation project leader Bryan Keller. "This research supports the theory that they use the earth's magnetic field to help them find their way; it's nature's GPS."

"To be honest, I am surprised it worked. The reason this question has been withstanding for 50 years is because sharks are difficult to study."

The investigation was focused on small sharks called bonnetheads that are known to migrate each year to the same location.

"The bonnethead returns to the same estuaries each year," said Keller. "This demonstrates that the sharks knows where 'home' is and can navigate back to it from a distant location."

To investigate whether bonnetheads rely on a magnetic map to travel, the researchers used experiments to test 20 wild-caught juveniles. 

The team exposed sharks to magnetic conditions representing locations hundreds of kilometers away from where the sharks were actually caught. The goal was to see how the sharks would orient themselves after displacement. 

If the sharks were deriving positional information from the geomagnetic field, the researchers predicted northward orientation in the southern magnetic field, and southward orientation in the northern magnetic field. The study revealed that the sharks behaved just as predicted.

Furthermore, when the sharks were exposed to the magnetic field that matched their capture site, they had no orientation preference.

According to the researchers, this ability to navigate based on magnetic fields may contribute to the population structure of sharks. 

The findings also help to explain impressive migrations by other shark species. For example, one great white shark was documented to migrate between South Africa and Australia, returning to the same exact location the following year.

"How cool is it that a shark can swim 20,000 kilometers round trip in a three-dimensional ocean and get back to the same site?" said Keller. "It really is mind blowing. In a world where people use GPS to navigate almost everywhere, this ability is truly remarkable."

In the future, Keller said he would like to explore how sharks are affected by magnetic fields from anthropogenic sources such as submarine cables. The researchers also plan to investigate whether sharks rely on magnetic cues during their everyday activities.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sharks use Earth's magnetic field for long migrations

Sharks rely on Earth's magnetic field to navigate across long...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-a-trillion-corals-counted-in-the-pacific-ocean/">Corals</a> in the northern Red Sea, along with their symbiotic algae, appear to be overcoming the threat of global warming. In a new study from <a href="https://www.epfl.ch/en/">EPFL</a>, experts are closer to understanding why.

Global warming is pushing ocean temperatures beyond the limit that coral reefs, as well as many other marine organisms, will be able to survive. For example, the photosynthetic algae that provide corals with essential nutrients will not be able to resist the temperatures that are projected by the end of this century.

These symbiotic algae contain a variety of pigments that give coral reefs their brilliant colors. As the algae are lost, the corals turn white in a process known as coral bleaching. 

"We already knew that corals in the Gulf of Aqaba, at the northern tip of the Red Sea, were particularly resistant to higher temperatures. But we wanted to study the full molecular mechanism behind this resistance," said study lead author Romain Savary.

The scientists found that these corals, as well as their unicellular algae, can withstand average temperatures the are up to five degrees Celsius higher than what they typically experience. Despite the intensity of global warming, it is unlikely that Red Sea temperatures will rise more than five degrees Celsius by the end of the century, noted the researchers. 

"This gives us real hope that we can save at least one major coral reef ecosystem for future generations," said study co-author Anders Meibom.

"The main thing we found is that these corals currently live in temperatures well below the maximum they can withstand with their molecular machinery, which means they're naturally shielded against the temperature increases that will probably occur over the next 100 or even 200 years," said Savary. "Our measurements showed that at temperatures of up to 32°C, the corals and their symbiotic organisms were able to molecularly recover and acclimate to both short-term and long-term heat stress without any major consequences." 

The findings have laid the groundwork for a much more ambitious project that will be led by the Transnational Red Sea Center, which was established at EPFL in 2019. The new project will kick off this summer and will continue for four years. 

"We'll sail the entire Red Sea - some 2,000 km long - on the research vessel Fleur de Passion, owned by our partner the Fondation Pacifique," said Meibom. 

"The goal will be to map the heat tolerance levels and the diversity of all the different types of corals found in these waters. Water temperatures rise as you head further south on the Red Sea, with a 5-6°C differential between the northern and southern tips. That's what makes it a perfect real-world laboratory for studying these ecosystems. It's as if you're sailing towards the future as you head south."

According to the researchers, corals in the southern Red Sea are already starting to bleach.

"We have to protect these corals and shield them from local stressors, which are mainly sources of pollution and physical destruction," said Savary. 

"That way we can keep a stock of 'natural super corals' for potentially recolonizing areas that have been hit particularly hard by climate-change-induced heat waves."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Corals in the northern Red Sea can resist global warming

Corals in the northern Red Sea, along with their symbiotic...

A new study from the <a href="https://ttk.elte.hu/en/">ELTE Faculty of Science</a> has identified four independent traits that influence a dog's ability to form eye contact. The experts found that shorter noses, younger age, visual cooperation, and playfulness are all traits that make <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-can-sniff-out-coronavirus-with-96-percent-accuracy/">dogs</a> more capable of establishing eye contact with humans.

Eye contact plays a critical role in communication between humans and dogs. By recognizing the direction of the human's gaze, dogs can decide whether a message is directed at them. 

Furthermore, eye contact between dogs and their owners can raise levels of oxytocin - the "love hormone" that promotes social bonding. 

When it comes to making eye contact, however, some dogs are more skilled than others. Their tendency to form eye contact is influenced by many factors, such as age and personality, the anatomy of the eye, and the original function of the dog breed.

"One hundred and thirty family dogs were examined at the Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University. We measured the length and width of their heads because this is related to their vision." said study first author Zsófia Bognár. 

"The boxer, bulldog, pug, and snub-nosed dogs, in general, have a more pronounced area centralis in the retina, so they can better respond to stimuli in the central field, which may make it easier for them to form eye contact with humans."

By contrast, long-nosed dogs have nerve cells for processing visual information that are more evenly distributed throughout the retina. These dogs, such as greyhounds, see a wide panoramic image and are more easily distracted by visual stimuli from the periphery.

For the investigation, an experimenter initiated play with a dog, and then measured how quickly and how many times the dog established eye contact within five minutes. 

"The experimenter did not speak and remained motionless until the dog looked at her. Every time the dog looked at her, she rewarded this with a treat. Meanwhile, the owner sat on a chair, silent. We measured how much time elapsed after eating the treat until the next eye contact," explained Dr. Dóra Szabó.

The results revealed that the shorter the dog's nose, the faster it made eye contact with the human. 

"It is likely, that they see the human face more sharply because of their special retina, but it is also possible that their owners gaze at them more often as their facial features resemble a small child, a powerful cue for humans. Because of this, dogs with shorter noses may be more experienced in making eye contact," explained Zsófia Bognár.

The researchers also examined the original role of the dog breeds, and whether this had any influence on eye contact. As expected, dogs bred for visually guided work - including Shepherd dogs - made eye contact faster than those driven by vocal cues like sled dogs. 

The research was part of the European Research Council funded Senior Family Dog Project. The oldest dog participant was 15 years old.

"We assumed that aging dogs would find it more difficult to control their attention and would be slower to switch from eating to looking at the face of the experimenter. That's what happened," said Dr. Eniko Kubinyi.

"Since we pre-screened our participants for potential visual and auditory impairments, the slower establishment of eye contact seems to be a natural consequence of aging." 

The research sheds new light on our knowledge of short-nosed dogs. While many experts have assumed that these dogs are selected for their baby-like facial appearance, it is also plausible that people prefer individuals that are more capable of maintaining eye contact.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">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

Dogs with shorter noses are better at making eye contact

A new study from the ELTE Faculty of Science has...

Arctic greening will not occur quickly enough to sequester a substantial amount of atmospheric <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deciduous-trees-can-offset-carbon-emissions-from-forest-fires/">carbon</a> dioxide, according to a new study from <a href="https://uci.edu/">UC Irvine</a>.

As the climate warms and more plants grow in the Arctic, there was hope that the vegetation would absorb large amounts of CO2 during photosynthesis. The new research suggests that the greening landscape will not be as powerful of a carbon sink as previously expected. 

The study was led by Jon Wang, an Earth system scientist at UCI, and Professor Mark Friedl of Boston University.

"What does greening really mean? Can we really trust it to save us from climate change?" said Wang. "A big question is: What'll happen to the carbon that's currently stored in these forests as above-ground biomass in the face of a changing climate?"

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is that much of the carbon is not staying stored in the plants. This is because wildfires and timber harvests are becoming more common in the Arctic - as climate change impacts high latitudes at an accelerated rate.

"What we found overall is across this whole domain over the past 31 years the carbon stocks have increased modestly," said Wang. "What we estimate is that 430 million metric tons of biomass has accumulated over the last 31 years - but across this domain it would've been nearly double if it weren't for these fires and harvests that are keeping it down."

According to Wang, the assumption before was that Arctic greening was happening and it was going to help draw climate-warming carbon dioxide concentrations down - but no one knew the exact extent of that help.

To investigate, the researchers used observational satellite data to model the amount of carbon stored in biomass across a 2.8 million square kilometers in Canada and Alaska.

ICESat data provides measurements of the height of forest canopies, while Landsat data extends back 31 years to 1984 and provides information about plant biomass abundance. 

The study showed that plant biomass had increased, but not as much as previous computer models suggested it would. The difference is that previous models have struggled to account for increasing frequency and severity of wildfires in the Arctic. 

Wang hopes the results will help scientists construct more accurate models to inform the world of what to expect from climate change throughout the remainder of this century. 

Study co-author James Randerson believes the new data are important because they provide an independent means to test climate models, and because of the way they represent feedbacks between the carbon cycle and the climate system. 

"The rates of carbon accumulation in this region are lower that what previous studies have indicated, and will push the science community to look elsewhere for the main drivers of the terrestrial carbon sink," said Randerson.

"The change is good news for climate - but it's also much lower than we might've expected, because these fires have raged, and gotten more severe," said Wang.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</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

Arctic greening will not slow local climate changes

Arctic greening will not occur quickly enough to sequester a...

A long-term study from <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a> has revealed that exposure to air pollution in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-exposure-to-air-pollution-affects-cognitive-skills-later-in-life/">childhood</a> is linked to mental distress and dysfunction at age 18.

The researchers found that young adults are more likely to exhibit symptoms of mental illness if they were exposed to higher levels of traffic-related air pollutants, especially nitrogen oxides, during childhood.

The findings indicate that the greater an individual's exposure to nitrogen oxides, the more likely they are to show signs of mental illness at the transition to adulthood at age 18. This is when most symptoms of mental illness begin to emerge.

Study first author Aaron Reuben said that the link between air pollution exposure and young adult mental illness symptoms is modest, but because harmful exposures are so widespread around the world, outdoor air pollutants could be a significant contributor to the global burden of psychiatric disease.

The study showed that air pollution, which is a neurotoxicant, is a weaker risk factor for mental illness than better-known risks such as family history, but is equal to other neurotoxicants that are known to harm mental health, such as childhood exposure to lead.

Study co-author Helen Fisher of King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology &amp; Neuroscience was involved in a previous study that linked childhood air pollution exposure to the risk of psychotic experiences in young adulthood. This suggests that air pollutants increase the risk for psychosis later in life.

For the current study, the researchers measured exposure to air pollutants - particularly nitrogen oxides (NOx) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) - by modeling air quality around study member's homes at ages 10 and 18 years.

Overall, 22 percent of the individuals had exposure to NOx that exceeded WHO guidelines, and 84 percent had exposure to PM2.5 that exceeded guidelines.

The participants mental health was assessed at age 18, based on symptoms associated with ten different psychiatric disorders: dependence on alcohol, cannabis, or tobacco; conduct disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and eating disorder; and thought disorder symptoms related to psychosis. The symptoms were used to calculate a single measure of mental health, called the psychopathology factor, or "p-factor."

Individuals with a higher p-factor score had a higher number of psychiatric symptoms with greater severity. 

The effects of air pollution on mental health were observed across all symptoms of mental distress or dysfunction, with the strongest links to thought disorder symptoms.

While the findings are most relevant to high-income countries with moderate air pollution, like the U.S. and the UK, there are also implications for countries with higher levels of air pollution, like China and India. 

"We don't know what the mental health consequences are of very high air pollution exposures, but that is an important empirical question we are investigating further," said Fisher.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</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

Air pollution in childhood linked to mental dysfunction

A long-term study from Duke University has revealed that exposure...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, experts have discovered that sea sponges have been moving across the floor of the Arctic Ocean. The researchers identified mysterious trails of light brown sponge spicules that were spotted in a video.

"We observed trails of densely interwoven spicules connected directly to the underside or lower flanks of sponge individuals, suggesting these trails are traces of motility of the sponges," explained the researchers. "This is the first time abundant sponge trails have been observed in situ and attributed to sponge mobility."

According to the study authors, it looked as though the sponges had "crawled" into their current positions. But once these creatures have settled in a spot and matured there, they do not generally move around.

In fact, sponges have no muscles or specialized organs for locomotion, so the researchers were amazed to find a large number of trails 

Sponges can only move a little by contracting or expanding their bodies. In some cases of sponges raised in the lab, movement involved remodeling their entire bodies.

The video footage was captured in 2016 by the research icebreaker Polarstern as it surveyed the Langseth Ridge, which is permanently covered in ice. The peaks of the ridge were found to be covered by one of the densest communities of sponges that has ever been recorded. 

The researchers said it is not clear, given the challenging environment, how the area supports such a large community. The team was even more surprised to observe trails of spicules that appeared in nearly 70 percent of the seafloor images that contained living sponges.

The trails were several centimeters in height and many meters long, often connecting directly to living sponges. 

The team generated 3D models to show the way the trails were interconnected. The findings suggest that the moving sponges sometimes change direction, explained the researchers.

According to the experts, the movement is not simply a matter of gravity. For example, the images revealed that the trails often meandered uphill. The researchers speculate that the sponges may have to move in order to access food.

"These features are all indicative of feeding and population density behavioral trends previously observed in encrusting sponges," wrote the study authors. 

"The extremely low primary productivity, sedimentation, and particle advection rates of the Langseth Ridge region overall result in some of the lowest standing stocks of benthic life; so potentially, this Arctic Geodia community relies on particulate and dissolved fractions from the degradation of old organic debris trapped within the spicule mat as additional food sources." 

"We suggest that the mobility indicated here may be related to sponges searching for and feeding directly on the accumulated detrital matter trapped within the sponge spicule mat underlying the living sponges."

The research was led by Teresa Morganti of the Max Planck Institute of Marine Microbiology and Autun Purser of the Alfred Wegener Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sponges are mysteriously moving across the Arctic seafloor

In a new study from Cell Press, experts have discovered...

The body's natural pain killers can be stimulated, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.uofmhealth.org/">Michigan Medicine</a>. Experiments in both cells and mice revealed that pain-relieving compounds in the human body can be effectively enhanced with fewer side effects than opioids. 

Drugs like fentanyl, oxycodone, and morphine are known as a reliable source of pain relief, but are also known as the cause of widespread addiction and death.

For years, experts have tried to balance the pain-relieving properties of opioids with their numerous negative side effects without a lot of success. Led by Dr. John Traynor and Dr. Andrew Alt, the Michigan Medicine team has turned its attention to harnessing the body's own ability to block pain.

All opioid drugs, from opium to heroin, work on receptors that are naturally present in the brain and elsewhere in the body. One receptor, the mu-opioid receptor, binds to natural pain killers in the body called endogenous endorphins and enkephalins. 

"Normally, when you are in pain, you are releasing endogenous opioids, but they're just not strong enough or long lasting enough," said Dr. Traynor. The team had long theorized that substances called positive allosteric modulators could be used to enhance the body's endorphins and enkephalins. 

In their latest study, the researchers have demonstrated that a positive allosteric modulator known as BMS-986122 can boost the ability of enkephalins to activate the mu-opioid receptor.

Unlike opioid drugs, positive allosteric modulators only work in the presence of endorphins or enkephalins, meaning they would only kick in when needed for pain relief. 

The modulators bind to the receptor in a different location than opioids - one that enhances the receptor's ability to respond to natural pain relief.

"When you need enkephalins, you release them in a pulsatile fashion in specific regions of the body, then they are metabolized quickly," explained Dr. Traynor. "In contrast, a drug like morphine floods the body and brain and sticks around for several hours."

The next goal is to enhance activation of endogenous opioids under conditions of stress or chronic pain, to ensure that they are effective but do not lead to more dangerous responses like depression of breathing, said Dr. Traynor.

"While these molecules won't solve the opioid crisis, they could slow it and prevent it from happening again because patients in pain could take this type of a drug instead of a traditional opioid drug."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists learn how to activate the body's natural pain killers

The body's natural pain killers can be stimulated, according to...

Japan mushrooms set

In a new study from <a href="https://www.pennstatehealth.org/locations/penn-state-cancer-institute?utm_source=local-listing&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=website-link">Penn State Cancer Institute</a>, researchers have found that daily mushroom consumption is associated with a 45 percent lower risk of developing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/koalas-are-infected-with-a-virus-that-causes-cancer/">cancer</a>. 

The experts set out to investigate the relationship between mushroom consumption and cancer risk by analyzing previous research.

The meta-analysis was focused on 17 cancer studies published from 1966 to 2020, including data from more than 19,500 cancer patients.

Mushrooms are considered to be a superfood because they are loaded with vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. While they are known to promote a healthy immune system and boost bone health, the results of the new study suggest that mushrooms may also help guard against cancer. 

The researchers found that people who incorporated any variety of mushrooms into their daily diets had a lower risk of cancer. 

"Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of ergothioneine, which is a unique and potent antioxidant and cellular protector," said study lead author Djibril M. Ba. "Replenishing antioxidants in the body may help protect against oxidative stress and lower the risk of cancer."

Shiitake, oyster, maitake, and king oyster mushrooms were found to have the highest amounts of ergothioneine.

The experts determined that individuals who consumed 18 grams of mushrooms daily had a 45 percent lower risk of cancer compared to those who did not eat mushrooms.

When specific cancers were examined, the researchers found the strongest associations with breast cancer. Ba explained that this could be because many of the studies were focused on breast cancer, and not other cancers. 

"Overall, these findings provide important evidence for the protective effects of mushrooms against cancer," said study co-author Professor John Richie. "Future studies are needed to better pinpoint the mechanisms involved and specific cancers that may be impacted."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/nutrition">Nutrition</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mushroom consumption linked to 45 percent lower cancer risk

In a new study from Penn State Cancer Institute, researchers...

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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?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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