Scientists have uncovered a disturbing twist in how climate change affects our oceans, revealing that tiny changes at the bottom of the food chain can have massive impacts on most fish populations.



The findings of a recent study highlight the intricate workings of the ocean's food web and how it's more vulnerable to warming temperatures than previously thought.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tiny-ocean-creatures-big-fish-impact">Tiny ocean creatures, big fish impact</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-heatwaves-have-complex-effects-on-phytoplankton-food-web/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Phytoplankton</a> are tiny, plant-like organisms that float around in oceans, seas, and lakes. Even though you can't see them without a microscope, they're incredibly important. 



They use sunlight to make their own food through photosynthesis, just like plants do on land. In the process, they produce a huge amount of the Earth's oxygen -- some estimates say up to half of it. 



These little guys are the starting point of the food chain in aquatic environments, feeding small fish, shrimp, and other marine creatures.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-from-africa-sparked-a-massive-phytoplankton-bloom/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Phytoplankton</a> also play a big role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to regulate our planet's climate. But they're sensitive to changes in their environment, like warming waters.



When climate models predict that warming oceans will reduce phytoplankton levels by 16% to 26% in regions like the North Atlantic, it's a cause for concern.



But here's where it gets alarming: the study found that this seemingly modest drop in phytoplankton could slash the ocean's capacity to support fish by a staggering 38% to 55%. That's more than double the initial decrease in phytoplankton.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phytoplankton-and-the-hidden-amplifier">Phytoplankton and the hidden amplifier</h2>



Dr. Angus Atkinson from the <a href="https://pml.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plymouth Marine Laboratory</a> and Dr. Axel Rossberg of <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University</a> of London led the research team behind this discovery.



They took a straightforward approach by examining real-world data on plankton sizes from oceans, seas, and lakes around the globe. 



By looking at the sizes of plankton, they could determine how efficiently energy moves up the food chain -- from tiny phytoplankton to the fish we rely on.



This amplification effect hinges on a surprising twist: temperature, often blamed for food web disruptions, appears to play a secondary role. 



Instead, the key driver is the overall amount of phytoplankton, which governs how efficiently energy flows from tiny plankton to larger fish.



"Our global analysis sheds light on a hidden vulnerability," explained Dr. Atkinson. "We were surprised to find temperature didn't directly affect food web efficiency. Instead, we see ecosystems <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invisible-forest-of-phytoplankton-thrives-in-a-warming-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adapting to warming</a> by changing plankton size. "



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nutrients-the-unsung-hero">Nutrients: The unsung hero</h2>



In the open ocean, nutrients come from deeper waters. As the surface warms, it becomes more layered, making it harder for these nutrients to reach the <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/spectacular-phytoplankton-bloom-in-the-north-atlantic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phytoplankton at the top</a>.



"Close to shore or in lakes, excess nutrients from land can cause imbalances like harmful algal blooms," notes Dr. Rossberg. 



"But at the vast scales relevant to climate change, it's the lack of nutrients from deeper waters that becomes the major bottleneck."



To clarify, warming oceans, seas, and lakes impact fish indirectly by reducing nutrient supply from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/toxic-legacy-decades-old-ddt-found-in-deep-sea-fish/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deeper waters</a>, ultimately shrinking phytoplankton size and hindering energy transfer throughout the food web.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-real-world-impact-for-ocean-fish">Real world impact for ocean fish</h2>



When phytoplankton numbers change, the impact can ripple through the entire <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-twilight-zone-stabilizes-the-marine-food-chain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine ecosystem</a>, impacting everything from water quality to the abundance of fish.



This isn't just a problem for the fish; it's a problem the planet. Many communities around the world depend on fishing for food and livelihood. 



The study highlights the need to consider climate change impacts when managing fisheries.



"Global averages can mask the true picture," explains Dr. Atkinson. "Some of the most significant projected declines are in areas with concentrated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-stocks-are-collapsing-globally-as-overfishing-continues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fishing activities</a>."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



So, what can we do about it? The researchers suggest a multi-pronged approach to ensure sustainable fisheries in the face of climate change. 



"We need a combination of data on plankton size structure and sophisticated computer simulation models to design truly 'climate-smart' ocean protection strategies," concludes Dr. Rossberg. 



"By understanding the hidden amplifiers within the food web, we can better safeguard the future of our oceans and the vital resources they provide."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oceans-fish-and-the-global-food-chain">Oceans, fish, and the global food chain</h2>



To sum it all up, these scientists found that even a small drop in phytoplankton levels due to warming oceans can massively reduce fish populations. 



They discovered that it's not just the temperature rise itself causing problems, but the decrease in nutrients reaching these tiny organisms. 



This leads to smaller plankton and less efficient energy transfer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microbial-awakening-arctic-food-webs-are-transforming-from-green-to-brown/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">up the food chain</a>, which is bad news for fish and, by extension, us.



This study underscores underscores the interconnectedness of Earth's ecosystem. Tiny changes at the bottom can have huge impacts at the top. 



It's a reminder that we need to pay attention to even the smallest players in the ecosystem if we want to protect the health of our planet. 



By understanding these hidden mechanisms, we can work towards smarter strategies to safeguard our oceans and the communities that rely on them.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-44406-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Earth’s oceans, seas, and lakes are quickly losing their ability to keep fish alive

Scientists have uncovered a disturbing twist in how climate change affects our oceans, revealing that tiny changes at the bottom of the food chain can have massive impacts on most fish populations. The findings of a recent study highlight the intricate workings of the ocean's food web and how it's more vulnerable to warming temperatures than previously thought. Tiny ocean creatures, big fish impact Phytoplankton are tiny, plant-like organisms that float around in oceans, seas, and lakes. Even though you can't see them without a microscope, they're...

In a recent study, a team of scientists led by <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a> in Australia has found that only 0.18 percent of the global land area and 0.001 percent of the world’s population are exposed to levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) deemed safe by the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> (WHO). While daily levels of these dangerous pollutants have reduced in Europe and North America during the two decades to 2019, in Australia, New Zealand, Southern Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean they have increased, with over 70 percent of days globally witnessing potentially hazardous levels.



The experts combined traditional air quality monitoring observations, satellite-based meteorological and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-will-increase-dramatically-in-a-hotter-climate/">air pollution</a> detectors, and statistical and machine learning methods to more accurately assess PM2.5&nbsp;concentrations worldwide.&nbsp;



“In this study, we used an innovative machine learning approach to integrate multiple meteorological and geological information to estimate the global surface-level daily PM2.5&nbsp;concentrations at a high spatial resolution of approximately 10km ×10km for global grid cells in 2000-2019, focusing on areas above 15 μg/m³, which is considered the safe limit by WHO (the threshold is still arguable),” explained senior author Yuming Guo, a professor of Global Environmental Health and Biostatistics at Monash.



The analysis revealed that, regardless of a slight decrease in high PM2.5 days globally, over 70 percent of days still had PM2.5&nbsp;concentrations higher than 15 μg/m³ by 2019, with areas in southern and eastern Asia witnessing such dangerous concentrations in more than 90 percent of days.&nbsp;



While the annual average concentration between 2000 and 2019 was 32.8 µg/m3 globally, the highest concentrations were found in eastern Asia (50.0 µg/m3), southern Asia (37.2 µg/m3), and northern Africa (30.1 µg/m3), and the lowest ones in Australia and New Zealand (8.5 μg/m³), Oceania (12.6 μg/m³), and southern America (15.6 μg/m³).



The researchers also discovered that unsafe PM2.5&nbsp;concentrations exhibited different seasonal patterns, with northeast China and north India facing high concentrations in winter, and eastern areas in northern America being exposed to more air pollution in summer.&nbsp;



According to Professor Guo, this study is important since it provides a deep understanding of the current state of outdoor air pollution and its possible impacts on human health. “With this information, policymakers, public health officials, and researchers can better assess the short-term and long-term health effects of air pollution and develop air pollution mitigation strategies,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00008-6">The Lancet Planetary Health</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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Almost no place on Earth is safe from air pollution

In a recent study, a team of scientists led by...

Chinstrap,Penguin,,Antarctica,,January,2019

On February 21, 2023, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-sea-ice-levels-are-at-their-lowest-on-record/">Antarctic sea ice</a> extent dropped to its lowest level since satellite observations began 45 years ago, marking the second year in a row with an ice area below two million km2. These worrisome findings raise the question of whether this change is merely a brief anomaly – since sea ice in the Southern Ocean is known to be highly variable, both seasonally and interannually – or an early sign of a transition to a long-term decline comparable to the current situation in the Arctic.



After the 2022 minimum of 1.924 million km2, massive heatwaves in mid-March contributed to further declines – particularly in East Antarctica and coastal areas – and since late May, the pace of seasonal ice growth had slowed dramatically, mostly due to anomalous northerly and northwesterly winds in parts of the eastern Pacific, western Atlantic, and central Indian Oceans that transported warm air southwards. Later in the year, the seasonal ice melt continued to increase in response to a stronger seasonal warming anomaly, culminating in the seasonal minimum of 1.788 million km2 measured in February.



According to an analysis published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.34133/olar.0007">Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research</a>, this new record low could be a sign that Antarctic sea ice might enter a new regime, involving “a robust transition from long-term increasing Antarctic sea ice to decreasing sea ice, in which anthropogenic forcing outweighs natural variability.”



“Concern about a tipping point is enhanced by the fact that the latest generation of climate and earth system models projects a large decrease in Antarctic sea ice associated with increased greenhouse gases during the 21st century,” the authors explained.



If sea ice continues to dwindle at such a rate, Antarctica will likely witness more frequent climate extremes and severe instability of its ice shelves, phenomena that will disastrously impact the local food chains and wildlife populations, and have major global consequences such as sea level rise and carbon cycle feedback.



“The question is, has climate change reached Antarctica? Is this the beginning of the end? Will the sea ice disappear for good in the coming years in the summer?” asked Christian Haas, head of the Sea Ice Physics Research Section at the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en/">Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research</a> in Germany.&nbsp;



However, since until now Antarctica’s response to climate change has been highly different from the Arctic’s, it is not yet clear how Antarctic sea ice will evolve during the following years. “The downward trend in sea ice may be a signal that global warming is finally affecting the floating ice around Antarctica, but it will take several more years to be confident of it,”&nbsp;concluded Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the <a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/">Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences</a> (CIRES).



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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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Antarctic sea ice hits a new record low this year

On February 21, 2023, Antarctic sea ice extent dropped to...

Researchers from <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> recently published a paper which suggests that “greening” - the amount of leaves that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-plants-adapt-to-rapid-warming-and-drought/">plants</a> can produce - will significantly impact how much carbon dioxide plants can capture and store.



“As we work to anticipate the future climate, a big question is: What’s going to happen to vegetation, one of the largest stores of carbon on Earth? We know temperatures will rise and the growing season will be longer in most places, but there are a lot of unknowns about how that will affect how carbon is cycled between plants and the atmosphere. Our new results allow us to be more confident about what those changes will be," said study co-author Josh Gray.&nbsp;



Although climate change has led to more greening in some areas, it leaves other places vulnerable to “browning.” This process is caused by high temperatures which negatively impact photosynthesis and promote more carbon release.



“An earlier spring might be good for plant productivity because you have a longer period of carbon uptake,” said study first author Xiaojie Gao. “However, a longer autumn might make the situation worse. In autumn, plants tend to emit carbon.”



The researchers used satellites that measured infrared light to determine leaf biomass.



“Healthy green leaves are sort of like infrared mirrors,” said Gray. “So, they look really ‘bright’ to satellites in these wavelengths. With a few tricks, we can calculate an index that is the combination of how bright a place is in infrared and red wavelengths, and corresponds to how many leaves are in a place.”



The experts discovered that leaf biomass might have a larger impact on carbon uptake than the length of the growing season.



“There are some places where we have more leaves than we used to have, particularly at the higher latitudes,” Gray said. “There are also some places where spring might be coming early, and fall might be coming late. These changes are all affecting the amount of photosynthesis that is going on, but the amount of leaves plants are producing has a stronger association with carbon uptake than changes in growing season length. In other words, we found that greening trends were more important pound for pound than an extension in the growing season for carbon uptake.”



The research team believes satellites will play an essential role in future research and hope their research will help inform climate predictions.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2022GB007462">Global Biogeochemical Cycles</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Earth greening affects carbon uptake by plants

Researchers from North Carolina State University recently published a paper...

By analyzing the genetic makeup of grapevines, a team of scientists led by <a href="https://www.ariel.ac.il/wp/en/">Ariel University</a> in Israel has found that the harsh <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-disruption-threatens-humanitys-survival/">climate</a> during the Pleistocene period resulted in the fragmentation of wild ecotypes. This process paved the way towards the domestication of grapevine about 11,000 years ago in the Near East (Israel) and Caucasus.&nbsp;



In order to identify the genetic changes that occurred during the domestication and evolution of grapevines in Eurasia, the experts sequenced the genomes of 3525 grapevine accessions (2503 domesticated (V. vinifera) and 1022 wild (V. sylvestris)).&nbsp;



The investigation revealed that the Israel wild grapevine population (Syl-E1) is the source for the domestication of grapes, which afterwards dispersed into many areas of Europe with early farmers, introgressed with ancient wild western ecotypes, and - by the late Neolithic - diversified into unique western wine grape ancestries. Thus, although the precise timeline for these processes is not yet clear, hybridization with local V. Sylvestris seemed to be common in creating extant European wine grapes.



“Our findings provide important insights into the domestication and evolution of grapevine, which is a religiously, culturally, and economically important crop,” said study co-author Elyashiv Drori, an expert in Molecular Biology and Oenology at Ariel.



“The indigenous grapevine population we have collected in the last 12 years, containing both wild and domesticated subpopulations, have central importance in this research. The Israeli wild grapevines (Syl -E1) were found to be the source of domestication for all the cultivated group of table grapes (CG1), which includes the Israeli domesticated grapevines. This initial group of grapevine varieties then were dispersed to eastern and western Europe, to form most of the known wine grapes.” &nbsp;



“This is a research breakthrough in the field of the beginning of agriculture as well,” added co-author Ehud Weiss, a specialist in the domestication of crops at Bar Ilan University. “The accepted view was that annual crops, like wheat, barley, and legumes, were domesticated some 10,000 years ago, while perennials were domesticated thousands of years later. Current research changes this view and demonstrates these transitions occurred simultaneously, and moreover, with the same species, some 1,600 kilometers apart – a phenomenon we have never met.”



Since vineyards worldwide are currently threatened by climate change and a variety of emerging diseases, these findings could help develop new strategies to protect and sustain the wine industry in the future. By studying in greater detail the main features of Israel’s indigenous grapevine and what allowed it to develop in the dry and harsh climatic conditions of ancient Levant, the researchers hope to discover a repository for resistance genes that could be used to protect extant grapevine species.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.add8655">Science</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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Grapevines first domesticated in Israel 11,000 years ago

By analyzing the genetic makeup of grapevines, a team of...

In urban areas, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-majority-of-urban-trees-are-threatened-by-climate-change/">trees</a> and other greenery provide many benefits. For instance, their leaves and needles play a fundamental role in filtering air pollutants and reducing exposure to dangerous airborne substances that are known to increase the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. However, it is not yet clear which species of trees purify the air more effectively.&nbsp;



To clarify this issue, a research team from the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en">University of Gothenburg</a> in Sweden has collected leaves and needles from eleven different tree species from the Gothenburg Botanical Garden’s arboretum and analyzed which pollutants they have captured. The investigation has focused on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a type of pollutants emerging mostly from traffic.



“Our analyses show that different tree species have different abilities to absorb air pollutants. Conifers generally absorbed more gaseous PAHs than broadleaved trees. Another advantage of conifers is that they also act as air purifiers in winter, when air pollution is usually at its highest,” reported study co-author Jenny Klingberg, a postdoctoral fellow in Biology and Environmental Sciences at Gothenburg.&nbsp;



While needles continue to absorb air pollutants for several years – which leaves, for obvious reasons, cannot – broadleaved trees were found to be more efficient at cleaning the air of particles, due to their larger surface area to which these particles can attach.



“The various species differed more than we expected. Larch, which is a conifer that sheds its needles each autumn, was best in test. Larch trees absorbed the most particle-bound pollutants, but were also good at capturing gaseous PAHs,” Klingberg added.



However, since needles and leaves cannot significantly break down pollutants (even if sunlight can start the process), the soil beneath the trees can become contaminated when they shed and decompose, placing soil ecosystems at risk. Fortunately, the pollutants do not seem to impact trees’ photosynthesis.&nbsp;



“Leaf chlorophyll content is just as high in the most polluted areas of Gothenburg compared with trees that grow in less polluted environments. But this likely looks different in cities with even worse air quality,” explained lead author Håkan Pleijel, a professor of Applied Environmental Science at Gothenburg.



These findings suggest that authorities should not simply start filling city streets with trees but rather combine different tree species to optimize air purification, while also taking into account other functions and benefits particular trees may have. Finally, while trees and greenery can definitely contribute to better air quality in urban settings, the most important measure remains reducing emissions.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109681">Ecological Indicators</a>.&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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Which trees are best at purifying the air?

In urban areas, trees and other greenery provide many benefits....

A new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01603-w">Nature Climate Change</a> has found that, by the end of this century, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-level-rise-will-cause-widespread-impacts-sooner-than-expected/">sea level rise</a> may disproportionately affect several Asian megacities – such as Chennai, Kolkata, Yangon, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila - as well as western tropical Pacific islands and the western Indian Ocean.&nbsp;



Scientists have long known that increases in ocean temperatures will lead to sea level rise, since water expands when it warms and melting ice sheets release more water into the ocean. However, studies have also indicated that such rises in sea levels will vary regionally because changes in ocean currents will direct more water to certain coastlines (including northeastern U.S.).



A notable aspect of this study is that it incorporates naturally occurring sea level fluctuations caused by El Niño or changes in the water cycle (a process called “internal climate variability”). By combining computer models estimating how the global climate may change in a high-emissions scenario with a specialized statistical model, the experts examined the extent to which these natural fluctuations might amplify – or, in some cases, reduce – the impact of climate change on sea level rise along certain coastlines.



The analysis revealed that, in some regions, internal climate variability could increase sea level rise by 20 to 30 percent more than climate change alone, thus leading to an exponential spike in extreme flooding events. In Manila, for instance, while coastal flooding events are predicted to occur 18 times more often by 2100 due to climate change alone, they could occur 96 times more often from a combination of both climate change and internal climate variability.



According to the researchers, although the complex and unpredictable interactions in our planet’s climate system create significant difficulties in reliably estimating sea level rise, it is critical for society to be aware of the potential of extreme sea level rise in order to develop effective adaptation strategies.



“The internal climate variability can greatly reinforce or suppress the sea level rise caused by climate change. In a worst-case scenario, the combined effect of climate change and internal climate variability could result in local sea levels rising by more than 50 percent of what is due to climate change alone, thus posing significant risks of more severe flooding to coastal megacities and threatening millions of people,” concluded study senior author Aixue Hu, a meteorologist and oceanographer at the <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a> (NCAR).&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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Sea level rise will disproportionally affect Asian megacities

A new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change...

In a new study led by <a href="https://www.curtin.edu.au/">Curtin University</a>, experts report that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fireworks-release-toxic-metals-that-can-harm-human-cells/">fireworks</a> should be replaced with cleaner drone and laser light shows to prevent "highly damaging” impacts. Lead author Professor Bill Bateman noted that fireworks remain globally popular despite the overwhelming evidence that they negatively impact wildlife, domestic animals, and the environment.



“Fireworks create short-term noise and light disturbances that cause distress in domestic animals that may be managed before or after a firework event, but the impacts to wildlife can be on a much larger scale,” said Professor Bateman.



“The annual timing of some large-scale firework events coincides with the migratory or reproductive movements of wildlife, and may therefore have adverse long-term population effects on them. Fireworks also produce significant pulses of highly pollutant materials that also contribute significantly to the chemical pollution of soil, water, and air, which has implications for human as well as animal health.”



To investigate the potential harm caused by firework displays, the researchers reviewed the ecological effects of Diwali festivities in India, Fourth of July celebrations across the United States, and other events in New Zealand and Europe.&nbsp;



The review confirmed that fireworks affect wildlife in the long-term. For example, the experts found that sea lions along the coastline of Chile have changed their breeding season as a result of New Year’s fireworks. In California, July firework displays are associated with a decline of Brandt’s cormorant colonies. Furthermore, Spanish festivals have been linked to lower breeding success among house sparrows.



Professor Bateman said that firework bans at sensitive periods for wildlife migration or mating periods could limit these ecological impacts.



“Other than horses, for which there is some evidence that they can be gradually familiarized with flashes of light, there is very little that can be done to address the disturbing impact of noise from fireworks on animals and wildlife,” said Professor Bateman.



“The future of firework displays may be in the use of safer and greener alternatives such as drones, eco-friendly fireworks or visible-wavelength lasers for light shows."



“There is growing evidence that these community events can be managed in a sustainable way and it’s clear that out-dated firework displays need to be replaced by cleaner options that are not harmful to wildlife and the environment.”



The study authors noted that firework residues also contribute significantly to chemical pollution of soil, water, and air, which has implication for human as well as animal health.&nbsp;



"Modern technological alternatives to traditional fireworks - both ‘eco-friendly’ fireworks, and reusable drone and laser-based light shows - provide safer, ‘greener’ alternatives that also present a sustainable way forward for maintaining cultural traditions without perpetuating their adverse impacts," wrote the researchers.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/PC22040">Pacific Conservation 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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Fireworks have long lasting impacts on wildlife

In a new study led by Curtin University, experts report...

A study published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-hazardous-materials">Journal of Hazardous Materials</a> has recently described a new fibrotic disease in seabirds. Instead of being caused by infectious agents such as viruses or bacteria, “plasticosis” is caused by small pieces of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastics-can-be-passed-from-mothers-to-unborn-babies/">plastic</a> that the birds ingest from their environment, leading to inflammation of their digestive tracts. Over time, repeated or persistent inflammation can cause digestive tissues to become scarred or deformed, which impacts the birds’ digestion, growth, and ultimately survival.



“While these birds can look healthy on the outside, they’re not doing well on the inside,” said study co-author Alexander Bond, a senior curator at the Natural History Museum in London. “This study is the first time that stomach tissue has been investigated in this way and shows that plastic consumption can cause serious damage to these birds’ digestive system.”



The researchers discovered this disease in flesh-footed shearwaters on Lord Howe Island, an island located 600 kilometers off the coast of Australia. These birds consume large amounts of plastics from the sea after mistaking it for food. Repeated ingestion of plastics leads to scarring of the proventriculus – the first chamber of the birds’ stomachs – and, as plastic exposure increases, the tissue becomes increasingly swollen until it begins to break down.



“The tubular glands, which secrete digestive compounds, are perhaps the best example of the impact of plasticosis,” Bond explained. “When plastic is consumed, these glands get gradually more stunted until they eventually lose their tissue structure entirely at the highest levels of exposure.”



The condition causes birds to be more vulnerable to infections and parasites, and diminishes their ability to absorb some vitamins. In addition, plasticosis can also cause the stomach to become hardened and less flexible, making it less effective at digesting food. This can be extremely harmful particularly for young birds and chicks – which often consume food containing plastic particles fed to them by their parents – sometimes making them starve to death as their stomachs fill up with plastic they cannot digest.&nbsp;



Although, so far, this disease is only known to affect the digestive system, scientists suggest that it may also have an impact on other parts of the body, such as the lungs.



Until now, this disease has only been documented in a single bird species. However, given the amount of plastic pollution worldwide, it is likely that it affects other species too. Further research is needed to assess the prevalence of this condition, while measures to curb plastic pollution should be urgently taken in order to safeguard the health of a variety of animal species, including humans.



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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 disease found in seabirds is caused by plastic consumption

A study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials has...

When spring arrives and the ground begins to warm up, bumblebee queens – the only bumblebees that survive the winter - emerge from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hibernation-may-be-key-to-extraordinary-longevity-in-bats/">hibernation</a> and spend a couple of weeks looking for places to lay their eggs and start a new colony. However, a research team led by <a href="https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/">Lund University</a> in Sweden has recently found that, as a result of a warming climate and a changing agricultural landscape, queens are flying earlier in the year.



The researchers found that on average, the first flight after hibernation now occurs five days earlier than two decades ago. This change may lead to the loss of various bumblebee species, reducing the pollination of crops and wild plants.



“Across Sweden, we see that the increased temperatures due to climate change clearly affect when the queens wake up and fly to find a new nest,” said study lead author Maria Blasi Romero.



However, it is not only temperature that affects bumblebees’ behavior. By using the Lund Biological Museum’s collection to examine bumblebee queens over the past 117 years in various areas of southern Sweden, the scientists discovered that the first bumblebee flight in an intensively farmed landscape occurs two weeks earlier than a century ago.



A consistent loss of grassland habitats, such as meadows and permanently grazed pastures, along with the emergence of large agricultural fields where only a few different crops are grown, has led to a general decline in farmland biodiversity. Thus, bumblebee queens leaving their hibernation earlier nowadays is likely due to a combination of rising temperatures, lack of food during the flight period, and more varying microclimatic conditions in today’s agricultural landscape than in the more diverse landscapes from a few decades ago.



By examining ten bumblebee species, the experts found that those known to fly earliest in the season have become even earlier flyers, while those emerging later in the season have not significantly changed their flight behavior. This phenomenon could lead to a poor match between the activity periods of flowering plants and bumblebees and lack of proper nourishment for several bumblebee species.



“We see a clear risk that more bumblebee species are at risk of extinction locally, especially the species that usually emerge later in the summer. This could also lead to a decline in the number of bumblebees overall and that would have consequences for the pollination of crops and the functioning of ecosystems,” said study senior author Anna Persson.



According to the scientists, some measures that could reduce the effects of climate change on pollinators and increase their access to flowering plants include preserving natural grasslands, late season mowing at roadsides (after the flowering period), and designing flower strips and hedges in ways that favor pollinators.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-023-02563-5">Biodiversity and Conservation</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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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Queen bumblebees are emerging too early from hibernation

When spring arrives and the ground begins to warm up,...

According to a new study led by the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a> (UCI), carbon dioxide emissions from wildfires – which have been gradually increasing since the beginning of the 21st century – spiked dramatically to a record high in 2021. The experts report that nearly 1.76 billion tons of CO2 were released from burning boreal forests in North America and Eurasia – 150 percent higher than the annual average emissions between 2000 and 2020.



“According to our measurements, boreal fires in 2021 shattered previous records,” said study senior co-author Steven Davis, a professor of Earth System Science at UCI. “These fires are two decades of rapid warming and extreme drought in Northern Canada and Siberia coming to roost, and unfortunately even this new record may not stand for long.”



Reliably measuring the amount of CO2 released by wildfires is difficult because massive amounts of smoke often hinder satellite observations, and space-based measurements are not at a sufficiently high resolution to capture details of CO2 emissions. Moreover, since that our planet’s atmosphere already contains large amounts of CO2 from fossil fuel burning, this gas is difficult to distinguish from that released by wildfires. 



To overcome these hurdles, the experts combined measurements of carbon monoxide – which provides clear evidence of fires, since it has a shorter lifespan in the atmosphere than CO2 – with existing fire emissions and wind speed datasets.



“The inversion approach employed in this study is a complementary method to the conventional bottom-up approach, which is based on estimating the burned area, fuel load, and combustion completeness,” explained co-author Yang Chen, a researcher in Earth System Science at UCI. “Combining these approaches can result in a more comprehensive understanding of wildfire patterns and their impacts.”



The analyses revealed clear associations between extensive boreal wildfires and climate drivers, such as higher annual mean temperatures and intense heatwaves. Moreover, higher northern latitudes and areas with larger tree cover fractions were found to be particularly vulnerable.



“Wildfire carbon emissions globally were relatively stable at about two gigatons per year for the first two decades of the 21st century, but 2021 was the year when emissions really took off,” Davis said. “About 80 percent of these CO2 emissions will be recovered through vegetation regrowth, but 20 percent are lost to the atmosphere in an almost irreversible way, so humans are going to have to find some way to remove that carbon from the air or substantially cut our own production of atmospheric carbon dioxide.”



Finally, the scientists identified a climate-wildfire feedback process, in which CO2 emissions warm the planet, creating conditions that lead to more fires and thus more emissions. “The escalation of wildfires in the boreal region is anticipated to accelerate the release of the large carbon storage in the permafrost soil layer, as well as contribute to the northward expansion of shrubs. These factors could potentially lead to further warming and create a more favorable climate for the occurrence of wildfires,” Chen concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>.



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Record-breaking amount of CO2 released by wildfires in 2021

According to a new study led by the University of...

A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> (OSU) has recently analyzed bird diversity in the United States by taking into account both functional and species diversity patterns. The investigation revealed a surprising aspect that the scientists do not clearly understand yet: functional diversity patterns in the West, where species and functional richness are both highest during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-additives-reduce-breeding-success-of-corals/">breeding</a> season, are the polar opposite of what occurs in the East, where functional diversity is lowest when species richness is high.&nbsp;



The pattern discovered in the East is particularly puzzling since it implies that the overall diversity of birds’ ecosystem contributions is highest in periods when a large number of migratory species are gone.



“This tells us that, probably, migratory birds in the East versus the West have very different functional contributions to assemblages,” said lead author&nbsp;Marta Jarzyna, an assistant professor of&nbsp;Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology&nbsp;at OSU. “It suggests that resident birds in the East have a wider array of functional characteristics than migratory birds, and in the West, it’s the opposite: migratory birds contribute more to functional richness than resident birds.”



Besides quantifying species richness, the experts also incorporated four characteristics to help them estimate functional diversity: the birds’ body mass, diet, foraging niche, and activity time. “Different species obviously have different characteristics and different traits, and contribute in different ways to the community composition and ecosystem functioning,” Jarzyna explained.



“You can have 10 species in a community that just eat seeds, or 10 species in a community, five of which eat seeds and five of which eat insects. The community with more diverse attributes will have more functional diversity, even though in terms of species richness they might be exactly the same.”



While previous efforts to describe bird functional diversity have focused only on one breeding season – a summer in the Northern Hemisphere – this study is the first to investigate diversity as the abundance of birds changes across the country over an entire year. Better understanding how functional diversity among birds changes over space and time is highly important for informing forecasting, conservation, and management of biodiversity.



However, further research is needed to understand the causes of the puzzling differences observed between the eastern and western U.S. “Why is it in the East that in the winter, when we are seeing so many species leaving those regions, we see an increase in functional richness? It didn’t make a lot of sense that you would gain this other dimension of diversity while losing something else,” Jarzyna said. “It’s not the case in the West, where we are seeing both the highest species richness and highest functional richness in the summer.”



“We still don’t even know about individual species’ contributions to functional diversity and whether there is, indeed, a difference between migratory and resident birds.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.066">Current Biology</a>.&nbsp;



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U.S. bird diversity: puzzling geographical differences identified

A team of researchers from Ohio State University (OSU) has...

A survey by the <a href="https://www.uoc.edu/portal/en/index.html">Universitat Oberta de Catalunya</a> (UOC) has revealed that the majority of people believe that edible insects could become a sustainable source of food in the future. The survey was conducted as part of a larger study by Marta Ros, a student of the UOC doctoral program in the Information and Knowledge Society.&nbsp;



"In recent years in Western Europe, studies on entomophagy have drawn the attention of many researchers interested in identifying parameters that could improve the acceptability of insect consumption in order to introduce insects as a sustainable source of protein into the future diet," wrote the researchers. "Analyzing the factors involved in consumer acceptability in the Mediterranean area could help to improve their future acceptance."



Among more than a thousand survey respondents, 58 percent agreed that insect consumption could become a reliable source of protein.



The results also showed that only 13 percent of the survey participants had ever eaten insects. Some of the reasons given for not eating insects were disgust (38%), lack of custom (15%), doubts around food safety (9%), and cultural reasons (6%).



In addition, 82 percent of respondents said that they were not prepared to include insects in their normal diet, and 71 percent said they would not cook insects at home. Furthermore, 81 percent said the public would not be receptive to dishes containing insects at a restaurant.



Despite these protests, respondents were far more optimistic about insect consumption when asked if it may become a common practice in the future. Nearly 60 percent agreed, seeing the potential for insects to become a sustainable food source and help support a booming global population.&nbsp;



"The substantial improvements in people’s health status, hygiene conditions and life expectancy, in the majority of countries over the past 50 years, means that the world population is predicted to increase considerably by 2050," wrote the study authors.



"The rising cost of animal protein production and the increasing environmental pressure on agriculture and livestock farming necessitate the search for productive alternatives and innovative techniques for food production which take into account the nutritional, environmental and sociocultural dimensions of food sustainability."



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315756">International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health</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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Most people think insects will become a sustainable food source

A survey by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) has...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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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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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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 <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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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 <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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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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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 how Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to sustain liquid water on its surface. But now, the water cycle is shifting as the climate warms, and scientists must find ways to predict how these changes will affect water availability.



Overall, 96 percent of Earth's water is saltwater, and nearly all of freshwater is found in ice and groundwater. These sources of water are linked as it passes through solid, liquid and gas phases.



In a warmer climate, the water cycle will be transformed. It will be easier for water to evaporate and form clouds, and storms will become more frequent and intense. Some regions will get too much water, while others will be left without enough water. In addition, soil moisture will be lost - which threatens food security.



Scientists are using satellite data from over the last 40 years to track changes that are happening in the water cycle. This will ultimately help us prepare for extreme events and better manage our water resources, according to ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



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.

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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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.

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



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.

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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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.

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



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.

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



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.

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



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.

Kangerlussuaq Glacier 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 the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



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.

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video 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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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Aerial,Photo,Of,River,In,Amazon,Rainforest,Jungle,In,Peru

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center</a> describes how scientists are using autonomous sound sensors to monitor deforestation in the Amazon. By recording soundscapes, the experts can determine which animals are present through their distinct sounds.&nbsp;



Using this method, sounds can be used as scientific measurements to analyze the effects of deforestation. The researchers will gain a better understanding of how the acoustics of a forest can be used to measure its health.&nbsp;



"From space, parts of the Amazon rainforest that have previously been logged or burned may look lush and green, like a place buzzing with activity and full of sounds. But inside the rainforest, the animal life may tell a different story, of a harsh environment and a quieter soundscape," says NASA.



Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center&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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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