In an era characterized by rapid technological development and growing environmental concerns, photosynthesis stands as a remarkable example of nature's enduring efficiency and sustainability.



This fundamental process, which has powered life on Earth for billions of years, exemplifies a balance that modern science strives to emulate.



Consequently, the need for innovative and sustainable solutions has become more pressing than ever, driven by the urgency to combat climate change and reduce our reliance on finite resources. 



One potential answer lies in harnessing and replicating the natural processes that sustain ecosystems.



Mimicking photosynthesis may hold the key to transforming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-hydrogen-energy-production-just-got-a-lot-easier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">energy production</a>, creating renewable pathways, and promoting a cleaner, more resilient future for generations to come.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-artificial-photosynthesis-and-clean-energy">Artificial photosynthesis and clean energy</h2>



In a decisive step towards the future, a team of brilliant minds from the <a href="https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology</a> (JAIST) and the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Tokyo</a> have taken a leaf out of nature's book. 



They have created an inventive new hydrogel that could drastically improve clean energy production by harnessing the power of natural processes.



This bioinspired hydrogel is capable of producing hydrogen and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-oxygen-discovery-deep-ocean-no-photosynthesis-baffles-scientists/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxygen</a> through a process that closely mirrors photosynthesis, offering a unique method for energy generation. 



Sunlight, instead of electricity, is used to split water molecules, leading to the generation of hydrogen - a clean, renewable, and efficient source of energy that holds great potential for future energy systems.



This is a remarkable breakthrough, as explained by Professor Kosuke Okeyoshi, who led the research team. He emphasized the significance of this achievement in advancing renewable technologies.



"Hydrogen is a fantastic energy source because it is clean and renewable. Our hydrogels offer a way to produce hydrogen using sunlight, which could help sustainably reshape energy technologies," said Professor Okeyoshi.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-science-behind-the-sun-soaked-gel">Science behind the sun-soaked gel</h2>



The hydrogels were developed by Professor Okeyoshi, his doctoral student Reina Hagiwara at JAIST, and Professor Ryo Yoshida at the University of Tokyo. They function based on their meticulously planned polymer networks.



These networks govern the vital electron transfer required for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/removing-carbon-dioxide-from-seawater/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water-splitting</a>. Packed with functional molecules, like ruthenium complexes and platinum nanoparticles, the hydrogels replicate photosynthesis. 



"The biggest challenge was figuring out how to arrange these molecules so they could transfer electrons smoothly," noted Professor Okeyoshi. "By using a polymer network, we were able to prevent them from clumping together, which is a common issue in synthetic photosynthesis systems."



“What’s unique here is how the molecules are organized within the hydrogel," said Hagiwara. "By creating a structured environment, we’ve made the energy conversion process much more efficient.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bright-prospects-for-clean-energy">Bright prospects for clean energy</h2>



This innovative hydrogel tackles one of the key limitations of previous artificial photosynthesis systems - molecule aggregation. 



By averting this, the researchers were able to enhance the activity of the water-splitting process and produce more hydrogen than older methods.



This discovery has significant implications for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bronze-age-technology-is-a-modern-solution-for-clean-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clean energy</a>. The dawn of a future where renewable hydrogen could drive industries, transport, and energy storage systems is closer than ever.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-artificial-photosynthesis">The future of artificial photosynthesis</h2>



Nevertheless, there are still hurdles to overcome. “We have shown the potential, but now we need to refine the technology for industrial use. The possibilities are exciting, and we’re eager to continue pushing forward," said Professor Okeyoshi.



Going forward, the team aims to accomplish precise integration within the hydrogels to further increase their energy conversion efficiency. 



Their continued efforts will be pivotal in bringing this innovative technology closer to practical, sustainable energy solutions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scaling-up-and-potential-applications">Scaling up and potential applications</h2>



While this breakthrough marks an exciting step forward, the path to practical implementation still poses challenges. 



Transitioning this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-hydrogel-can-extract-unlimited-amounts-of-water-from-the-air-even-in-deserts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hydrogel</a> technology from research to real-world applications will require further innovation and testing. 



Ensuring that the hydrogels can be produced at a larger scale and integrated into existing energy systems is key to unlocking their potential.



The promise of sunlight-driven hydrogen production could extend to various industries - powering vehicles, supporting energy storage, and fueling large-scale facilities.



If successfully adopted, this technology could significantly contribute to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and advancing global sustainability efforts.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/cc/d4cc04033c" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chemical Communications</a>.



Image Credit: Kosuke Okeyoshi from JAIST



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Artificial photosynthesis could transform power generation

In an era characterized by rapid technological development and growing environmental concerns, photosynthesis stands as a remarkable example of nature's enduring efficiency and sustainability. This fundamental process, which has powered life on Earth for billions of years, exemplifies a balance that modern science strives to emulate. Consequently, the need for innovative and sustainable solutions has become more pressing than ever, driven by the urgency to combat climate change and reduce our reliance on finite resources. One potential answer lies in harnessing and replicating the natural processes that...

Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a hot spot for bee diversity, but the Trump administration’s push for fewer land protections could put the thriving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bee-friendly-pesticides/">bee populations</a> in the region at risk, according to a new study. 

In 2017, Trump reduced protections for both Utah’s Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument and Bears Ears National Monument in a bid to make more land available for mining and other commercial ventures. 

Besides being a historical landmark, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument houses a wealth of geological information dating back millions of years and is rich in biodiversity. 

Researchers from <a href="http://www.usu.edu/">Utah State University</a> recently published a paper in the journal PeerJ documenting a four-year study of the monument and its bee populations. 

One out of every four bee species known in the United States can be found in Utah, and there are more bee species in the “The Beehive State” than most other states in the country. 

The researchers found that nearly half of Utah’s bee species live in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. 

660 species of bee were identified in the study, and some of the species were new discoveries. 

“We identified almost as many species as are known in the entire eastern United States,” said Olivia Messinger Carril, a lead author of the study. “We discovered 49 previously unknown species, as well as 150 'morphospecies,' that is, somewhat unique species that don't match known species.”

The reason for all the bee biodiversity has a lot to do with the number of flowering plant species in the region.

“Many are surprised to learn 87 percent of Utah's flowering plant species live within the monument's boundaries,” said Carril. “Which likely contributes to the rich diversity of pollinators.”

The Trump administration reduced the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to about half its previous size, according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/us/trump-bears-ears.html">New York Times</a>, which could jeopardize the future of the regions bees and threaten the biodiversity of both bee species and flowering plants. 

“It's an amazing natural laboratory of pollinators, of which we don't know a lot,” said Joseph Wilson, a member of the research team. “The large reduction of this protected areas could have implications for future biodiversity.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Joseph S. Wilson, USU

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah is home to thriving bee diversity

Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a hot spot for...

A new study led by the Milner Centre for Evolution at the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/">University of Bath</a> has determined that climate change will facilitate the return of deadly mosquito-borne diseases. After tracing the evolutionary tree of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/malarial-mosquitoes-cattle-decoys/">mosquitoes</a> back as far as 195 million years, the researchers found that mosquito-related illnesses will not only affect Europe and other areas where the diseases have been previously eradicated, but will impact completely new regions as well. 

Mosquito-borne diseases including malaria, Yellow fever, Zika virus, and Dengue fever are responsible for millions of deaths each year. The rate at which new species of mosquitoes evolve usually increases as levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide rise. 

Despite this known link between rising CO2 levels and mosquito diversification, however, the researchers have discovered that this association is much more complicated than previously realized. Other factors, such as the diversity of mammalian hosts, also contribute to an increase in the species variance of mosquitoes.

Study co-author Professor Matthew Wills explained: “It's only the female mosquitoes that take a blood meal, and they use the CO2 that mammals and other vertebrates exhale as a very general cue to locate their hosts. One line of thinking is that as ambient levels of atmospheric CO2 rose, as they have done in recent decades, mosquitoes may have found it increasingly difficult to distinguish between the CO2 from their hosts and those background levels.”

“Vision, body heat and other smells might then have become more important in locating their blood meals, but many of these cues tend to be more specific to particular hosts. As a general rule, we know that strong host specificity can be an important driver of speciation within parasites, and the same may be true in mosquitoes.”

Study co-author Dr. Katie Davis from the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a>'s Department of Biology, said: “We found that the increase in the diversity of mammals led directly to a rise in the number of mosquito species, and also that there is a relationship between CO2 levels and the number of mammal species, but there are still missing pieces of this puzzle, so we can still only speculate at this stage.”

“It is important to look at the evolution of the mosquito against climate change because mosquitoes are responsive to CO2 levels. Atmospheric CO2 levels are currently rising due to changes in the environment that are connected to human activity, so what does this mean for the mosquito and human health?”

“Despite some uncertainties, we can now show that mosquito species are able to evolve and adapt to climate change in high numbers. With increased speciation, however, comes the added risk of disease increase and the return of certain diseases in countries that had eradicated them or never experienced them before.”


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio">Communications Biology</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Climate change could bring back eradicated mosquito-related diseases

A new study led by the Milner Centre for Evolution...

A new report from the United Nations has revealed that the ozone layer is steadily returning to normal and is expected to make a full recovery over the next five decades. The researchers also determined that the hole in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-antarctic-ozone-layer-is-healing/">ozone layer</a> above Antarctica has been improving by around three percent each decade. 

The ozone is a layer in the Earth's stratosphere that protects our planet from ultraviolet radiation. When this layer is comprised, humans are left more vulnerable to the harmful rays and their associated impacts, such as skin cancer and other diseases. 

In the 1980s, it was discovered that widely-used industrial substances known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were destroying the ozone layer. The <a href="https://www.state.gov/e/oes/eqt/chemicalpollution/83007.htm">Montreal Protocol</a> banned the use of CFCs worldwide in 1987.

According to the assessment by the <a href="http://www.unenvironment.org/">UN Environment Programme</a>, the <a href="https://www.wmo.int/">World Meteorological Organization</a>, the European Commission, and other agencies, the Montreal Protocol has successfully allowed the ozone layer to heal. Erik Solheim, the head of UN Environment, described the Montreal Protocol as “one of the most successful multilateral agreements in history.”

The experts have estimated that the ozone layer will be fully regenerated at some point in the 2060s.

“Evidence presented by the authors shows that the ozone layer in parts of the stratosphere has recovered at a rate of 1-3 percent per decade since 2000,” the UN Environment and the World Meteorological Organization said in a statement. 

“At projected rates, Northern Hemisphere and mid-latitude ozone is scheduled to heal completely by the 2030s followed by the Southern Hemisphere in the 2050s and polar regions by 2060.”

[caption id="attachment_1861657" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/nasa-via-ap.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1861657" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/nasa-via-ap.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="394" /></a> Image Credit: NASA via AP[/caption]

Earlier this year, scientists at the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA) were shocked to discover a sharp rise in CFCs from an unknown source.

The study's lead author, NOAA scientist Stephen Montzka, explained: “In the end, we concluded that it's most likely that someone may be producing the CFC-11 that's escaping to the atmosphere. “


“We don't know why they might be doing that and if it is being made for some specific purpose, or inadvertently as a side product of some other chemical process.”

According to Montzka, if the source can be identified and the CFCs can be contained soon, the damage to the ozone should be only minor. In the meantime, the mysterious emissions will slow the progress of global efforts to rehabilitate the ozone layer and maximize its efficiency. 

The full assessment from the United Nations can be viewed <a href="http://conf.montreal-protocol.org/meeting/mop/mop30/presession/Background-Documents/SAP-2018-Assessment-ES-October2018.pdf">here</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The ozone layer is expected to make a full recovery by 2060

A new report from the United Nations has revealed that...

Huge hurricanes that have hit the Gulf Coast in recent years as a result of climate change have not altered life within the waters, researchers at <a href="https://utmsi.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin's Marine Science Institute</a> (UTMSI) found. Some fish species were still able to spawn during a Category 4 hurricane, which is great news for species across the globe.

A team of UTMSI researchers along with scientists from the <a href="http://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> discovered via underwater microphones that the Gulf Coast’s spotted trout continued to spawn during <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hurricane-harvey-global-warming/">Hurricane Harvey</a> in August 2017, which brought with it an 8- to 10-foot storm surge and 134 miles per hour winds.

During the storm, the sea trout spawned normally. The only upset occurred after the storm when the trout began spawning 2.5 hours earlier than usual. However, their schedule returned to normal after a few days.

This is great news for the Texas coast, where sportfishing is a $2 billion industry, and is relieving for environmentalists who are studying the impact of climate change on global species.

[caption id="attachment_1861649" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/spotted-seatrout.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1861649" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/spotted-seatrout.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="213" /></a> Image Credit: University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute[/caption]

Christopher Biggs, a UTMSI PhD candidate studying fisheries ecology and lead author on a paper, said, “This data gives us a little insight into how key species will handle changing and unpredictable conditions. They are somewhat preadapted to this. They regularly deal with changing situations. They might be better suited to handle the changing climate in the future."

Briggs added that sea trout are an important factor in the Gulf Coast ecosystem. Not only do they attract sport fishermen, but they’re also, “a top predator in the estuary and a favorite food for dolphins."

If the Gulf Coast sea trout were unaffected by Hurricane Harvey, this could mean other fish species are just as hearty and can easily adapt to the increase of extreme weather.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Gulf Coast fish continue to spawn amidst more extreme hurricanes

Huge hurricanes that have hit the Gulf Coast in recent...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.caryinstitute.org/">Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies</a> have found alarming levels of pharmaceutical compounds in stream insects. Out of 69 compounds, some were detected at concentrations that threaten the animals that feed on them, such as trout and platypus. Furthermore, the stream insects can pass the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antidepressants-waterways-marine-life/">drugs</a> along to spiders, birds, and other streamside predators when they emerge as flying adults. 

Pharmaceutical pollution is present in surface waters worldwide. Most wastewater treatment facilities are not equipped to remove drugs from sewage, and aging septic tanks and pipes are contributing to the problem.

Study co-author Emma Rosi is an aquatic ecologist at the Cary Institute. 

“Stream life is swimming in a mixture of pharmaceuticals. Our study is the first to show that this chronic drug pollution can concentrate in aquatic insects and move up food webs, in some cases exposing top predators to therapeutically-relevant doses,” explained Rosi. 

The investigation was focused on six streams in Melbourne, Australia, where the  researchers screened for 98 pharmaceutical compounds including common drugs like antibiotics, antidepressants, antihistamines, and NSAIDs. The team collected aquatic insects and riparian spiders for testing.

[caption id="attachment_1861639" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/stream-drug-pollution.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1861639" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/stream-drug-pollution-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="525" /></a> Image Credit: Stephen Hamilton[/caption]

Study lead author Erinn Richmond is a freshwater ecologist at <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a> in Australia. “We focused on riparian spiders because they build their webs over streams and feed on adult aquatic insects as they emerge from the water,” said Richmond. 


The analysis of tissues detected up to 69 different pharmaceutical compounds in aquatic insects and up to 66 compounds in riparian spiders. Insects collected downstream of wastewater treatment facilities or in heavily populated areas with potential septic tank leakage had the highest drug concentrations. Across these sites, pharmaceutical concentrations were an average of 10 to 100 times higher compared to sites with less contamination.

Study co-author Jerker Fick is a chemist at <a href="https://www.umu.se/en/">Umeå University</a> in Sweden who analyzed the insect and spider samples. 

“Insect tissues had drug concentrations that were orders of magnitude higher than concentrations measured in surface waters,” said Fick. “We also found a diverse suite of drugs in spiders, indicating that drugs are passed from the water to prey to predator, thereby exposing other animals in the food web to drugs.”

Richmond added: “Pharmaceuticals were present in every insect and spider we tested - including those collected in Dandenong Ranges National Park. Even this seemingly pristine site was contaminated, likely because people live in the park's drainage area and visit the park.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Denise Illing

Stream animals found to be heavily contaminated by drug pollution

Researchers at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies have found...

Corn production in the midwestern United States has been booming for the past 70 years, and new research shows that climate change has played a significant role in the abundance of crop yields. 

However, while warmer and earlier springs have benefitted midwest farmers, researchers wonder if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warmer-temperatures-will-threaten-corn-availability/">corn will continue to hold up</a> as climate change worsens and food demand increases. 

Since 1940, corn production has increased fivefold, and it had been thought that this was because of advancements in farming technology. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> recently conducted a study to examine the role climate change and local temperatures have played in Midwest corn harvests. 

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The researchers found that earlier and warmer springs are allowing farmers to plant earlier which gives their corn more opportunity to grow and thrive before harvest. 

The results show that both longer growing seasons and a natural cooling effect during the hottest days of the summer have boosted corn production. 

“Our research shows that improvements in crop yield depend, in part, on improvements in climate,” said Peter Huybers, professor and co-director of the <a href="http://environment.harvard.edu/">Harvard University Center for the Environment.</a> “In this case, changing temperatures have had a beneficial impact on agricultural production, but there is no guarantee that benefit will last as the climate continues to change. Understanding the detailed relationships between climate and crop yield is important as we move towards feeding a growing population on a changing planet.” 

The researchers reviewed crop yield and temperature data from 1981 through 2017 and discovered that the increase in temperatures over the years moved planting days three days earlier per decade. 

Planting earlier wasn’t the only factor improving corn crops, though, as the researchers found that high temperatures create a cooling effect over large fields. 

These twin effects, cooling and earlier planting, have been responsible for much of the crop increases since the 1980s. 

“Increasingly productive and densely-planted crops can evaporate more water from leaves and soils during hot days,” said Nathaniel Mueller, a co-author of the paper. “Widespread increases in rates of evaporation apparently helps shield maize from extreme heat, cooling the surrounding area and helping to boost yields.”

Corn farmers are using climate change to their advantage and planting earlier with the season has so far improved crop yields, but the researchers are not sure if these trends will continue with future climate change. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Is the midwest’s booming corn production sustainable?

Corn production in the midwestern United States has been booming...

A new study from <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a> has linked industrial emissions, fine particles from vehicle exhaust, and other sources of air pollution to an increased risk of autism. The study was focused on children in Shanghai from birth to three years old, who were found to be 78 percent more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when exposed to long-term <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-asthma-attacks/">air pollution</a>. 

For the investigation, 124 ASD children and 1,240 healthy children were examined over a nine-year period. While previous research has linked prenatal air pollution exposure to ASD in children, this study is the first to analyze the potential for this association in early life. 

Study co-author Yuming Guo is a professor in Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. 

“The causes of autism are complex and not fully understood, but environmental factors are increasingly recognized in addition to genetic and other factors,” said Professor Guo. “The developing brains of young children are more vulnerable to toxic exposures in the environment and several studies have suggested this could impact brain function and the immune system.” 

“These effects could explain the strong link we found between exposure to air pollutants and ASD, but further research is needed to explore the associations between air pollution and mental health more broadly.”

According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is the cause of up to 4.2 million deaths every year. Professor Guo explained that global air pollution is rapidly becoming worse, and there is no safe level of exposure.

“The serious health effects of air pollution are well-documented, suggesting there is no safe level of exposure. Even exposure to very small amounts of fine particulate matter have been linked to preterm births, delayed learning, and a range of serious health conditions, including heart disease.”

The current study analyzed the health impacts from three types of particulate matter including PM1, PM2.5, and PM10. These airborne particles are produced by emissions from factories, vehicle exhaust, road dust, and construction. Experts have established that the smallest airborne particles are more capable of penetrating the lungs and entering the bloodstream, which can lead to serious health issues.

“Despite the fact that smaller particles are more harmful, there is no global standard or policy for PM1 air pollution,” explained Professor Guo. “Given that PM1 accounts for about 80% of PM2.5 pollution in China alone, further studies on its health effects and toxicology are needed to inform policy makers to develop standards for the control of PM1 air pollution in the future.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international">Environment International</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Study: Air pollution exposure linked to development of autism

A new study from Monash University has linked industrial emissions,...

Sea ice that covers the Arctic Ocean creates a barrier which protects the natural underwater soundscape from the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-activity-marine-noise-pollution/">noise</a> generated by commercial shipping. But now, as growing amounts of ice are shrinking in the Arctic Ocean, more ships are gaining access to the western Canadian region. 

This is raising concern about how noise pollution will impact marine animals that are critically important to the Arctic food web, including the Arctic cod.

Study co-author Matt Pine is a research fellow at the <a href="https://www.uvic.ca/">University of Victoria</a> and Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada).

“Noise from shipping traffic can lead to acoustic masking, reducing the ability of cod and other marine animals to detect and use sound for communication, foraging, avoiding predators, reproduction, and navigation,” said Pine.

The investigation was focused on the potential relief in acoustic masking by reducing the speed of container and cruise ships by 10 knots. The researchers used advanced modeling to simulate ship noise and the effects on arctic cod, two types of whales, and two types of seals.

Field data was incorporated from the passage of container and cruise ships through the western Canadian Arctic through the Northwest Passage. The team explored the effect that each type of ship had on the volume of the ocean surrounding the study subjects and their ability to hear a predator or prey.

The analysis revealed that the negative impact of noise from shipping vessels can be mitigated by reducing the ship's speed.

“Our modeling study shows that reduction in acoustic masking effects can be substantial,” said Pine. “Acoustic masking effects are quite dynamic, and slowing down a vessel doesn't necessarily equal the same benefits for all animals.”

The masking effects were sometimes weakened by certain weather conditions. For the fish, however, weather conditions did not make a big difference because their hearing thresholds are above the ambient levels in most frequency bands.

“In this case, the type of vessel was more important, with cruise ships reducing their masking effect more if slowed by 10 knots than the container vessels nearer the vessel.”

The research will be presented at the <a href="https://acousticalsociety.org/176th-meeting-acoustical-society-of-america/">Acoustical Society of America's 176th Meeting</a>, which is held in conjunction with the Canadian Acoustical Association's 2018 Acoustics Week in Canada.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Slowing down boats can reduce underwater noise pollution

Sea ice that covers the Arctic Ocean creates a barrier...

Last-chance tourism just might be the gloomiest travel trend on the rise. This travel experience takes visitors to endangered and diminishing destinations to experience them firsthand before they might be gone forever. While last-chance tourists travel to these destinations to appreciate their beauty and value, they are, paradoxically, contributing to their demise.

Last-chance tourism, previously believed to be a small segment of the travel industry, was recently<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2017/12/28/for-second-year-last-chance-tourism-named-top-travel-trend-for-2018/#b9b69c664bef"> voted</a> the top travel trend in 2018. With its increased popularity comes more travelers flying, driving and walking through these imperiled habitats.

Climate change is a major motivation for last-chance tourists and the most popular travel destinations are those that are at the highest risk, such as the Arctic and the Great Barrier Reef.

These fragile ecosystems are already in a precarious state. A<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0041-2"> paper</a> published in Nature this year found that almost one-third of the Great Barrier Reef’s coral was killed as a result of ocean temperature spikes in 2016. The <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)</a><a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/"> predicts</a> that Greenland has lost an average of 281 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2016.

So why are tourists visiting these vulnerable habitats? A<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160922085356.htm"> 2016 study</a> set out to explore travelers’ motivations for visiting the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-bounce-back/">Great Barrier Reef</a>. They found that just under 70% of respondents were “strongly motivated” to see the reef before it was gone. While the travelers displayed a high level of concern about climate change and coral bleaching, they expressed little concern on the impacts of tourism on the reef health.

"This finding was of interest, as it emphasises the paradox involved in LCT [last-chance tourism], in that tourists are travelling greater distances to view the destination that is in danger, contributing higher levels of emissions and thus exacerbating the impacts of climate change,” the authors note.

A similar sentiment<a href="http://www.livablecitiesforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Groulx_LCF-2016_Loving-a-place-to-death.compressed.pdf"> was found</a> in last-chance tourists traveling to Canada to visit the Arctic. Tourists visited the destination because of a desire to “capture a disappearing experience in a ‘pristine’ environment.”

A<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09669580903215147"> 2010 study</a> that examined the carbon costs of polar bear viewing tourism in Churchill, Canada found that the industry contributed an estimated 20,892 t/CO2 each six-week season. The carbon costs can be even higher when many tourists are traveling from far distances. According to<a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/heres-how-much-co2-will-make-the-arctic-ice-free-20844"> Climate Central</a>, every round-trip transatlantic flight causes the planet to lose 30 square feet of Arctic sea ice. Polar bears are dependent on sea ice for a variety of activities such as hunting, traveling, searching for mates and raising their cubs. The IUCN Red List, which currently <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22823/14871490#threats">lists</a> the polar bear as Vulnerable, states that climate change is the single most important threat to the long-term persistence of the species.

While last-chance tourists generally seem concerned about climate change, there is a disconnect between their concerns and actions. Only 46% of the last-chance tourists studied in Churchill stated that they would be willing to pay a carbon travel tax to offset the environmental damage they have caused. Seven percent of the tourists had purchased carbon offsets when interviewed.

As climate change continues to accelerate, last-chance tourism will likely become more controversial. Critics of last-chance tourism claim that tourists visit the endangered destinations for self-serving reasons. Others may argue that tourism is justified if the damage is irreversible and the habitat will be lost regardless of tourist activity.

Either way, the grim idea of visiting parts of our world that may destroyed by climate change should help us grasp the gravity of the situation.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

"Last-chance tourism” lets visitors see endangered habitats at a cost

Last-chance tourism just might be the gloomiest travel trend on...

Australia’s long-lasting and severe drought, known as the “Big Dry,” has been persisting for years in some parts of the country and is devastating populations of Australia's iconic animals. 

The drought is shrinking greenery and with it, food and water for many animals like kangaroos, Koalas, emus, wombats, and echidnas. 

Unable to adapt to the drought while farmers work to reserve grazing areas for their livestock, wildlife in Australia are taking more risks, traveling farther, and venturing into more populated areas in search of food. 

As a result, wildlife rescuers are seeing an increase in traffic incidents from animal crossings and abandoned young. 

In the last three years, there has been a 20 percent increase in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emus-australian-drought/">wildlife traffic incidents</a>, according to insurance reports from Australia. 

Many drivers in North America don’t have to be reminded of the hazard of driving during peak deer season in the fall. 

Deer can do untold amounts of damage to a car, and in Australia, kangaroos pose a similar risk and drivers are being cautioned not to swerve when faced with a potential collision. 

“People don't want to hurt the animal because that's understandable, but sometimes you just need to learn you don't swerve, you just have to brake,” Australian farmer, Sandra Ireson, told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6340625/Perilous-times-Australia-wildlife-amid-severe-drought.html">Daily Mail</a>. “And you may have to injure the animal, which is disappointing but that's better than having a disastrous accident.”

The <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6340625/Perilous-times-Australia-wildlife-amid-severe-drought.html">Daily Mail</a> reported on the steep declines in wildlife populations due to the drought and stated that the animals are not able to adapt quickly enough to the changes. As a result, many populations are struggling to survive. 

Many animals are traveling outside of their known habitats and human-wildlife encounters are increasing. 

“We're finding a lot more wallabies with blindness because they're actually coming out into the open paddocks searching for food, and their eyes are unable to cope with full sunlight,” Rachel Walker, a wildlife rescuer told the Agence France-Presse. 

Since 2016, there has been a 52 percent increase in marsupial rescues, according to the rescue group <a href="https://www.wires.org.au/">WIRES</a>. 

In some parts of New South Wales, kangaroos have been particularly hard hit, with one ecologist reporting a 90 percent decline in the local kangaroo population. 

At this point, there is no telling when the big dry will be over, and climate change is projected to cause more droughts worldwide. 

With Australia's wildlife unable to cope with the changes, conservation measures will need to take into account wildlife populations as well as agricultural operations to preserve the country’s rich biodiversity while still allowing farming communities to keep their livelihoods.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Severe drought in Australia has led to serious declines in wildlife

Australia’s long-lasting and severe drought, known as the “Big Dry,”...

No need to feel guilty when you snack on "junk food" like fish sticks – at least, not on the environmental front. They’re surprisingly sustainable, according to a new study by the <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/">Marine Conservation Society</a>.

The society has released a “Good Fish Finger Guide” on its website to help people choose snacks with the lowest negative impact on marine life.

“Consumers may not be aware that the majority of fish in retail own brand and branded fish fingers actually comes from sustainable sources,” said Rajina Gurung, a sustainable seafood advocate with MCS. “Some saver brands even turned out to be the most sustainable, showing that you do not have to pay a fortune for sustainability.”

Gurung and colleagues analyzed 48 different brands of fish sticks – called fish fingers in the UK – to determine what kinds of fish they use and where they get their supplies. 

They found that the fish sticks contained one or more of just four species: Atlantic cod, Pacific cod, haddock and Alaska pollock. The majority got their fish ingredients from sustainable sources, the study found.

So why don’t more customers know that? The problem is one of labeling, Gurung said.

Forty percent of the fish sticks brands didn’t have a credible eco-label, and only 19 percent included enough details for buyers to know where and how their fish ingredients were caught. But with a little digging, it wasn’t hard for Gurung and her team to find out more about their fish supplies.

“By and large most of the supermarkets and brands we were in contact with were forthcoming with providing the information regarding the origins of the fish within their fish fingers. We’re now considering focusing on other processed products that are available through retail or food service outlets,” she said. 

To find out more, visit the <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/responsible-seafood/fish-finger-guide">Good Fish Finger Guide</a>.

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By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Save the oceans – eat more fish sticks

No need to feel guilty when you snack on "junk...

A new study focused on the DNA of corals has revealed that some corals have a stronger defense against bleaching. Using advanced genomic techniques, researchers led by <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/">The Australian National University</a> (ANU) have found that the group of corals classified as “robust,” which includes some types of brain corals and mushroom corals, have the unique ability to generate an essential amino acid that is not independently produced by other corals.

The experts found that robust corals have this physiological advantage over “complex” corals, such as common branching corals. The study was led by Dr. Emily Ying of the ANU Research School of Biology.

“Amino acids are the building blocks of life," said Dr. Ting. “Amino acids are crucial, for example, in repairing tissue or growing new tissue. But, generating amino acids is energetically costly for animals, so they usually only generate 11 of the 20 required for life. The remaining nine amino acids are called the ‘essential’ amino acids because they must be supplied by the animal's diet. For corals, this includes tiny drifting animals known as ‘zooplankton.’”


However, this is not the only source of nutrition for corals. Corals acquire the energy needed to build their hard skeletons through a mutually-beneficial relationship with microalgae known as Symbiodinium.

“Symbiodinium also supplies the coral with some of the 'essential' amino acids, making them less dependent on their diet than other animals," said senior author Professor David Miller.


When <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coral-bleaching-fish-diversity/">corals bleach</a> in response to rising temperatures, their resident Symbiodinium is discharged and the corals are suddenly fully dependent on their diet for all of their nutritional needs.

“We now know that ‘robust’ corals can make at least one of the ‘essential’ amino acids without relying on Symbiodinium. This suggests that they may be more resilient, at least in the short term, to bleaching than the ‘complex’ corals such as the branching staghorns,” explained Professor Miller.

Prior to this study, scientists did not have a clear understanding of why some corals only host a specific Symbiodinium type while others are less particular.

Professor Miller explained: “Our research also suggests that 'robust' corals are less choosy about which species of microalgae can take up residence in the coral's tissue. The ability to host a broader range of Symbiodinium types could facilitate more rapid acclimation to higher temperatures.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/">Genome Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: ARC CoE for Coral Reef Studies/ Tory Chase

“Robust” corals have a genetic defense against coral bleaching

A new study focused on the DNA of corals 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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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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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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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



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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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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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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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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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 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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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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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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