Top ocean experts have published a report that redefines the concept of sustainable fishing and proposes 11 “golden rules” that challenge the current flawed approach in fisheries management.&nbsp;



The report, released shortly before <a href="https://www.oceanweek.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brussels’ Ocean Week</a> and ahead of the <a href="https://ocean-climate.org/en/unoc2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UN Ocean Conference</a> in Nice, aims to halt the ongoing destruction of the oceans caused by fishing and ensure the restoration of abundant fish populations to sustain future generations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-guiding-principles-of-sustainable-fishing-nbsp">Guiding principles of sustainable fishing&nbsp;</h2>



The rules are introduced at a time when scientists have dramatically downgraded their assessment of the ocean's health. The guiding principles underlying the rules aim to revolutionize the way we manage the ocean's exploitation.



According to the first guiding principle, fishing must minimize impacts on marine species and habitats, adapt to climate change, and promote the regeneration of depleted <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-impacting-marine-life-more-than-we-realized/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine life</a>.



In addition, fishing must support the health, well-being, and resilience of communities, particularly the most vulnerable, rather than merely benefit corporations that funnel profits to owners and shareholders while others bear the costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-vision-of-sustainable-fishing-nbsp">A new vision of sustainable fishing&nbsp;</h2>



The researchers hope their work will serve as the foundation for a complete reform of the current mismanagement of the Earth's largest common resource - the ocean.



The scientists call on policymakers, retailers, fishers, and industry leaders to embrace this new vision and commit to implementing these reforms.



Today, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sustainable-fishing-gets-a-boost-from-genomics-roadmap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fishing</a> is widely recognized as the leading cause of ocean destruction. The authors of the report decided to collaborate after reaching a consensus that the current definition of “sustainable fishing” is dangerously outdated and contributes to the depletion of marine species, destruction of natural habitats and carbon sinks, and the decline of artisanal fishing communities worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-outdated-concept-of-sustainability-nbsp">Outdated concept of sustainability&nbsp;</h2>



“The current concept of ‘sustainable fishing,’ adopted by governments and private actors since the post-war period is scientifically obsolete,” said lead author Callum Roberts, a professor at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Exeter</a> and chief scientist at the <a href="https://convexseascapesurvey.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Convex Seascape Survey</a>.&nbsp;



“It relies on a simplistic, productivist theory which assumes that as long as global catch volumes remain below a set limit, anyone can fish just about anything, anywhere, with any method.”



“Can we truly claim that all fishing gear is environmentally and socially equal? We currently label fisheries as sustainable without considering their impact on marine ecosystems or human factors, such as crew safety and rights,” added Jennifer Jacquet, a professor at the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Miami</a>.



The scientists denounce the outdated approach to sustainability, which fails to address key environmental, human, and developmental factors.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pressing-issues-like-biodiversity-loss-nbsp">Pressing issues like biodiversity loss&nbsp;</h2>



Despite widespread acceptance by industry and consumers, current sustainability standards overlook pressing issues like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-ocean-day-a-unified-approach-to-protect-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a> loss and climate change, while supporting high-capital industrial practices that primarily benefit the Global North.&nbsp;



These practices harm ecosystems, threaten artisanal fishing and food security, and jeopardize jobs, while undermining humans' universal right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable ocean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-minimizing-environmental-harm">Minimizing environmental harm</h2>



The scientists reached another consensus: fisheries must be managed in a way that minimizes environmental harm while maximizing social benefits, particularly in the context of a rapidly warming planet and growing global hunger.



To address these challenges, a group of leading ocean researchers has developed a visionary approach to ocean exploitation.&nbsp;



This comprehensive, interdisciplinary definition of “fisheries sustainability” incorporates insights from biology, oceanography, social sciences, and economics.



The proposed rules provide a foundation for economic stakeholders and political leaders to transition to a sustainable fishing model that is viable for the long term.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-sustainable-fishing-nbsp">Rethinking sustainable fishing&nbsp;</h2>



The framework envisions a future where fishing ensures abundant fish stocks for humanity’s long-term needs.



“Our work advocates for fisheries that preserve ocean ecosystems’ vital functions, mitigate climate change, guarantee food security and respect human rights,” said Daniel Pauly, a professor at the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of British Columbia</a>.



This innovative approach recognizes the ecological, social, and ethical roles of fishing, proposing a systemic and sustainable model that involves market players, policymakers, and legal frameworks.&nbsp;



Roberts emphasized the need for a shift in perspective: “We must view fishing as a privilege rather than a right. Marine life is a public good that should both benefit society and nature, not be the object of a resource race driven by private gains.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ambitious-yet-realistic-proposals-nbsp">Ambitious yet realistic proposals&nbsp;</h2>



The proposals outlined in the report are ambitious yet realistic, with many actions rooted in proven successful practices.



The scientists urge policymakers, retailers, and fisheries managers to acknowledge the failures of current fishing practices and prioritize adopting the proposed golden rules.&nbsp;



Supermarkets, which are responsible for nearly two-thirds of European seafood sales, play a pivotal role in driving this transition. They can influence fishing practices through their sourcing policies, scrutinize “sustainability” labels, and respond to growing consumer concerns about the hidden impacts of their food.



“We are witnessing a growing disconnect between the widespread availability of supposedly sustainable fish products, the collapse of ocean <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-ecosystems-survive-extinctions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a> and the frequency of reported human rights’ abuses. Supermarkets must stop misleading consumers,” said Pauline Bricault, markets campaign manager at <a href="https://www.bloomassociation.org/en/about-us/the-team-at-bloom/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BLOOM</a>.



“Both the IPCC and IPBES have set 2030 as a deadline for critical changes. Industry stakeholders have no more excuses, they must act now.”



The call to action is urgent, with 2030 looming as a critical deadline for implementing necessary changes to avert further damage to ocean ecosystems and ensure a sustainable future for global fisheries.



The report, titled “Rethinking sustainability of marine fisheries for a fast-changing planet,” was published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s44183-024-00078-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">npj Ocean Sustainability</a>.&nbsp;



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-ralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

‘Sustainable fishing’ must be redefined to halt ocean destruction

Top ocean experts have published a report that redefines the concept of sustainable fishing and proposes 11 “golden rules” that challenge the current flawed approach in fisheries management.&nbsp; The report, released shortly before Brussels’ Ocean Week and ahead of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, aims to halt the ongoing destruction of the oceans caused by fishing and ensure the restoration of abundant fish populations to sustain future generations. Guiding principles of sustainable fishing&nbsp; The rules are introduced at a time when scientists have dramatically downgraded their...

Livestock is the single largest user of land resources in the world, as the land used for the production of feed represents almost 80 percent of our planet’s total agricultural land – according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Beyond just land usage, production of these crops is a major contributor to global pollution, and is often tied to significant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/palm-oil-deforestation-emissions/">deforestation</a> and biodiversity loss.

Unfortunately, as the world’s population grows – estimated to exceed 9 billion by 2050 – demand for livestock will only increase. But a possible solution to this large-scale problem may come in a small-scale form. A recent study in <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a> postulates that bacteria could be used to efficiently produce large amounts of microbial proteins, which may actually be able to replace some of the crops currently grown to feed livestock. 

Microbial proteins were first produced on an industrial scale using methane in the 1970s. But with advances in technology and a growing demand, researchers Benjamin L. Bodirsky, Ilje Pikaar, and colleagues decided to analyze the long-term effects that incorporating microbial proteins may have on land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and reactive nitrogen pollution. 

They performed this analysis using an advanced computer model to generate projected land-use and agricultural-production patterns. The researchers tested 48 different scenarios, which suggest that by 2050, microbial proteins produced using hydrogen and other gas feedstocks could replace 175 to 307 million tons of crop-based animal feed annually, or as much as 10 to 19 percent of conventional crop-based livestock feed protein demand.

In their study, the researchers state that this move to microbial proteins is capable of having a significant global impact. In replacing just 13 percent of the protein in feed with microbial proteins, their results project that worldwide cropland usage could be reduced by 6 percent, global nitrogen losses from croplands by 8 percent, and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent. Overall, it appears that pushing for microbial proteins in livestock feed would be a wise move if we want to slow down our destruction of this planet.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New solutions to feed livestock and reduce land use, pollution

Livestock is the single largest user of land resources in...

In June of 1988, a time when most experts treated global warming as a future issue, NASA’s leading climate scientist James Hansen announced on Capitol Hill that Earth's atmosphere was already warming and that it was getting worse. Hansen told the <a href="https://www.ap.org/">Associated Press</a> that he wishes that his forecast about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/developing-countries-global-warming/">global warming</a> had been wrong, but unfortunately it was right. 

Hansen's first attempt to bring Congressional attention to the issue was in the fall of 1987, but he assumes the cold weather did not help to bolster his case. Hansen then testified on a record hot day in June, a couple of months before his study was published that described just how much greenhouse gas emissions would trap heat and boost temperatures. 

Thirty years later, it seems that Hansen's warning fell on deaf ears regardless of the season, even though his predictions were remarkably accurate. 

For their investigation in 1988, Hansen and fellow NASA scientists used three different scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions, which they classified as being high, medium, and low. The team focused its study on the potential warming that would result from medium-level emissions.

Hansen projected that, by 2017, the globe's five-year mean temperature would be about 1.85 degrees higher than the average temperature from 1950 to 1980. NASA's five-year mean global temperature by the end of 2017 was 1.48 degrees above the 30-year average.

According to the AP, this discrepancy was due simply to the fact that a slight cooling of the Sun was not accounted for in the study.


Hansen also predicted extreme weather days for the current decade across four U.S. cities.

Clara Deser is the top climate analyst at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. She said that Hansen's extreme weather predictions were “astounding” in their accuracy.

Hansen is now an adjunct professor who directs the Program on Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions at <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a>. He is also an environmental activist, and wants to see more action taken to save the planet for future generations, including his grandchildren.

Hansen told the AP that what he really wants now is for “the warning be heeded and actions be taken.” 

“All we’ve done is agree there’s a problem,” Hansen told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk">The Guardian</a>. “We haven’t acknowledged what is required to solve it. Promises like Paris don’t mean much, it’s wishful thinking. It’s a hoax that governments have played on us since the 1990s.”

To his colleagues that find fault with his “anti-government job” of environmental advocacy, the professor is unapologetic. 

“If scientists are not allowed to talk about the policy implications of the science, who is going to do that? People with financial interests?” 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

First expert to warn about global warming wishes he’d been wrong

In June of 1988, a time when most experts treated...

Biodiversity is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/biodiversity-key-measure-success/">crucial</a>, not only for the health and success of an ecosystems’ food chain, but also for our understanding of how species interact and what factors drive population declines. 

The term “biodiversity” refers to the number of different species in an ecosystem or environment. But habitat degradation from cities, infrastructure and agriculture have had a significant hand in reducing biodiversity in many areas. 

Now, a new study shows that climate change will have an even greater impact on biodiversity than habitat degradation, and reptiles will be the hardest hit, more so than birds and mammals. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University of College London</a> conducted the study which was published in the journal Royal Society Proceedings B. 

Already, land use from agricultural operations and development has reduced biodiversity by over 10 percent. When species loss is more than 20 percent, it can significantly weaken an ecosystem and this is already estimated to have occurred in many areas across the globe. 

The new study takes into account both land use and the projected impacts of climate change to see how biodiversity will be affected in the future. 

The researchers found that by 2070, climate change could exceed land use in regards to its impact on vertebrates. 

Climate change alone is predicted to cause one-tenth of all vertebrate communities to go extinct, but combined with land use, vertebrate biodiversity could decrease as much as 40 percent. 

Future studies that examine biodiversity need to consider both land use and climate change in order to best predict species loss. 

“This is the first piece of research looking at the combined effects of future climate and land use change on local vertebrate biodiversity across the whole of the land surface, which is essential when considering how to minimise human impact on the local environment at a global scale,” said Tim Newbold, an author of the study. “The results show how big a role climate change is set to play in decreasing levels of biodiversity in the next few decades and how certain animal groups and regions will be most affected.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change will soon impact biodiversity more than land use

Biodiversity is crucial, not only for the health and success...

Sea levels are projected to rise sharply by the end of the century unless more is done to combat climate change and reduce emissions. 

For coastal communities, sea level rise is hitting particularly close to home, and soon hundreds of thousands of properties could deal with flooding on a regular basis if greenhouse gases continue to increase. 

<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/17/sea-level-rise-impact-us-coastal-homes-study-climate-change">The Guardian</a> recently reported that sea level rise in areas like Miami Beach and Atlantic City could cost billions in damages and impact half a million Americans who will have to face higher insurance costs or relocate. 

Even though cities like Miami are tackling sea level rise, regular flooding will likely hit low-income communities the hardest and make living conditions impossible for those at or below the poverty line. 

“My flood insurance bill just went up by $100 this year, it went up $100 the year before,” Philip Stoddard, the mayor of South Miami told The Guardian. “People on the waterfront won’t be able to stay unless they are very wealthy. This isn’t a risk, it’s inevitable.

<a href="https://ucsusa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=cf07ebe0a4c9439ab2e7e346656cb239">The Union of Concerned Scientists </a>(UCS) conducted an analysis estimating the risk of sea-level rise on a state by state basis. 

UCS researchers combined data from the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic Administration's</a> (NOAA) projected high sea level rise scenario with property information from <a href="https://www.zillow.com/">Zillow</a>.

The NOAA predicts that sea levels could rise by six and a half feet by the end of the century if nothing is done to reduce emissions, and the UCS analysis found that under this scenario 311,000 homes in coastal communities would deal with chronic flooding. 

By the end of the century, that number could increase to 2.4 million homes, with Florida, New Jersey and New York being the most affected by chronic flooding. 

According to The Guardian, property damage and flooding on this scale would “rattle the housing market” and cause waterfront homes to drop in value while flood insurance premiums increase. 

Although rising sea levels and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-glacial-meltwater-sea-level/">rapid ice melt in the poles</a> are affecting ocean temperatures, climate, and marine ecosystems around the globe, the United States does not have a national sea level rise plan. 

The Trump administration has veered far away from climate concerns, but given the threat facing coastal communities and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate3271.epdf?referrer_access_token=T4ZCzVSAJHcjgxjPZyjbtNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0NFv3_2_MZIRrCavou7VputsPph4gflYchFotitHpzEQgJS8ExQHaX7C0WLZ54-eNqxt9GpAOEyUZuX6ANNz4l0reobVvago66lj4HXdw6_fIdZsMMtt0KA8wFuNhsxyTHVlj-eRwY12i6DbRe3UBvEtDw7pK2hvXyI2w7caZmD7H9o0P2k5qOKli0oOT62GggJKMuStQ1g81aKWqEMZOe9vPIy8OgbuNvMh3YbomXw7gxmX9cGyBFNsFP5t9Tg6Mg%3D&amp;tracking_referrer=www.theguardian.com">the predicted mass relocation</a> of millions of people to inland states, some course of action be critical in the next few years. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sea level rise to impact hundreds of thousands of homes in the US

Sea levels are projected to rise sharply by the end...

Thousands of hectares of rainforest are cleared each year to meet the growing global demand for palm oil. Indonesia and Malaysia collectively produce nearly 85 percent of the world's palm oil, and one study reports that Indonesia had the highest rate of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deforestation-amazon-fish-yields/">deforestation</a> in 2012.

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.epfl.ch/">École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne</a> (EPFL) have analyzed the carbon costs and benefits of converting rainforests into oil palm plantations. 

The study was based on over two years of data on the soil and vegetation in central Sumatra, which was collected by the University of Göttingen. The team compared the impact of oil palm monoculture with that of both intensive and extensive rubber cultivation practices.


The experts report that converting rainforest into oil palm plantations leads to the largest carbon emissions, finding that one hectare of converted land corresponds with a loss of 174 tons of carbon. According to the researchers, most of this carbon will find its way into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. 

“The quantity of carbon released when just one hectare of forest is cleared to grow oil palms is roughly equivalent to the amount of carbon produced by 530 people flying from Geneva to New York in economy class,” said study lead author Thomas Guillaume.

The amount of carbon loss identified in this study is significantly higher than the estimate published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This figure is also higher than that which is reported by sustainable palm oil certification bodies. 

In addition, the team found that intensive rubber farming is associated with a loss of 159 tons of carbon per hectare, while extensive rubber production is associated with 116 tons. 

“The quantity of biomass that humans take away in order to produce palm oil compared to the quantity left for the ecosystem sheds real doubt on the sustainability of this form of farming,” said Guillaume.

The study authors have made some recommendations to reduce the short-term environmental impact of both rubber tree and oil palm monocultures. They say that deforestation should be permitted only if the wood can be re-used without being burned. The experts also suggest that a more abundant layer of vegetation should be left on the ground as a natural fertilizer. Furthermore, the waste from palm oil mills should be put back into the soil as another form of fertilizer.

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

Growing demand for palm oil means deforestation, carbon emissions

Thousands of hectares of rainforest are cleared each year to...

Over a decade ago, I was a mountain biking director at a summer camp in South Dakota right out of high school.  By that time, I’d ridden the Kokopelli Trail in Moab piece by piece. The Kokopelli Trail is 139 miles long; 15% of which is single track, much of the rest of which is shared with off road Jeeps and ATVs.  I’d also done a handful of rides both on and off roads in Colorado. I’d been biking enough to enjoy it, but I wasn’t then and am not now an expert at mountain biking, just good enough to take a few kids on rides and teach the basics.  

I learned early on that there was a strange conundrum involved in mountain biking unlike few other sports.  I went on a field trip in a high school environmental science class to a controversial wilderness study area.  The sandstone on trails in the area was clearly scored by hundreds or thousands of mountain bike tires, to the point of being rutted into the exact size of a bike tire track.  If the area became a wilderness area, it would mean banning bikers forever. That’s the heart of the strange conflict of interest involved in mountain biking, the Wilderness Act of 1964 is clear about banning bikes in Section 4 C, “there shall be…no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment”…and “no other form of mechanical transport…”

On a mountain bike, I generally feel much more comfortable sharing the trail with hikers or horses than with jeeps or ATVs.  As a hiker, I’ve shared trails with mountain bikers many times and mostly they’re considerate and polite. I’d much rather share a walking trail with bikers than with cars or other motorized traffic.  I also feel solitude is important. I feel a slower more contemplative pace is important.

A bill introduced to congress by Republican senator Mike Lee would change how wilderness designation is viewed.  In the early days after the Wilderness Act was passed, it was debated whether bicycles should be allowed in wilderness areas. It wasn’t until 1984, 20 years after the initial bill was passed, that the Forest Service permanently banned bikes.  There are some biking advocates who feel that the intention of the law was never to ban mountain bikes, which have only grown in popularity by leaps and bounds since the law was written. The same logic could be applied to drones, as I read on <a href="http://jmpeltier.com">jmpeltier.com</a>, a photography blog, 

“So some people say, “well, that motorized thing was intended for manned aircraft and ground vehicles.  They couldn’t have envisioned personal drones in 1964. I can certainly fly a small camera around.””

As the blog goes on to say though, the point isn’t the technology available when the law was written, but the timeless concept of connecting to a wilder, rawer nature.  The law was intended to protect solitude and freedom in ways few other laws have ever attempted. I personally would find hitting a drone with a load of bird shot completely justified if buzzed by one in the backcountry, especially a designated wilderness area.  

It’s also worth noting that Mike Lee, the Republican senator of Utah who sponsored the bill to allow mountain bikes in wilderness areas, has a measly 8% lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters.  

Mike Lee’s bill, HR 1349 is summed up in part on <a href="https://www.congress.gov/">congress.gov</a> this way,

 “This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (with respect to National Forest System land) and the Department of the Interior (with respect to public land) to authorize relevant local officials to determine all permissible forms of recreational use by nonmotorized transportation methods over any permitted routes within their jurisdictions.”

It’s not hard to imagine that the real goal behind the bill is to undermine wilderness ethics and capitalize on fractures already forming in the environmental movement, creating even more divisions and weakening it.  Indeed, as reported in <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2009216/mountain-biker-and-wilderness-relationship-its-complicated">outsideonline.com</a> the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) was working with PEW, the Wilderness Society and the Idaho Conservation League to ask for a 500,000 acre National Monument in Idaho.  

Idaho Republican Congressman Mike Simpson went further, working through congress to create a wilderness area that was signed into law by president Obama in August 2015.  The law created a 275,000 acre wilderness area, and shut mountain bikers out of trails they’d long ridden. Mike Simpson has a 7% lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters; it seems likely he had ulterior motives in supporting wilderness designation, beyond conservation.  Republicans by in large hate executive powers used to create National Monuments and this was a way to undermine executive authority in a way while seeming to champion conservation. Creating a wilderness also disenfranchised mountain bikers who were working with conservation groups to protect an area they were already enjoying.         

Mountain bikes in wilderness areas are part of the bigger question of how bikes and mountain bikers fit into the environment and the environmental community.  Hiking and hikers have long been sacrosanct as part of a greater land ethic, the same is true for canoes, rafts, kayaks and even to some degree surf boards, and sail boats. 

It’s worth noting though that rock climbing was at one point quite destructive, using placed pitons that permanently marred many climbing routes.  It was inventions like modern cams that made climbing compatible with modern outdoor leave no trace ethics. I think it’s reasonable to consider the impact of permanently placed bolts on sport climbing routes too; those permanently alter the landscape for everyone and only benefit a minority of outdoor users.  Mountain bikes usually don’t change the landscape in such an obvious way as climbing bolts. Mountain bikes do bring in more people though. If a trail is only for hikers, there are unquestionably less users on it than if it’s a mixed use trail. There are some mountain biking trails too though that make them unsuitable for hiking. 

I remember visiting a trail near Palisade Colorado with my fiancé Erin. We were unaware to the degree it was used by mountain bikers but we decided we’d never hike it again.  It’s not a good hiking experience to move off trail every minute or so for bikers. The bikers were happy to accommodate us as the only hikers and were quite friendly, it was simply too crowded. 

At the same time, mountain bikers can like hikers, climbers, skiers and other outdoor people be rallied to protect land from traditional environment enemies like extraction companies.  Adventure Projects, a company now owned by REI, creates maps that can be used through GPS function on smartphones. The company purposefully sent employees to the contentious Bear’s Ears National Monument to create maps, including mountain biking maps.  The maps were to support outdoor recreation in the area in opposition of extraction leases. 

According to an article on <a href="http://www.takepart.com/feature/2016/12/02/bears-ears-national-monument">TakePart</a>, the company has so far mapped 24,546 bike rides in 30 countries.  With places like Bear’s Ears, it’s argued that more users who care about the area, the more allies are available to fight for protection.  The problem becomes more complicated when solitude, desolation and even cultural landscapes are part of what is trying to be protected.

In the midst of all of this  is the documentary Shift, a film I saw at an outdoor film fest a couple years back.  The film focuses on a Native community in the Yukon, where traditional trails on Montana Mountain were converted into a world class mountain biking trail system.  The film shows all the positives of creating mountain biking trails, economic development for local communities, personal development for young locals building trails.  The trails themselves are maintained and the landscape around them is preserved. 

There are some locals who feel biking trails used to draw tourists are inappropriate though.  I feel a bit squeamish when economics is used as a large benefit to developing a ‘natural’ environment in a certain way, it’s the same argument used for opening mines, or logging.  It’s also interesting that the area in the film is one important to Native Americans, just as Bear’s Ears is. It may be that to a certain degree Native Americans and mountain bikers are finding allies with each other in ways that neither group is able to ally with traditional conservationists.  Mountain biking isn’t as destructive as mineral extraction or logging but it also isn’t hiking. How far environmentalists and Native Americans are willing to work with mountain bikers and what priorities bikers set for the land will be a big part of how land <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/conservation-goals-protect-ecosystems/">conservation</a> will look in the future?

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Should mountain biking be included in wilderness areas?

Over a decade ago, I was a mountain biking director...

The world’s coral reefs are in jeopardy, but a new study examining “reef oases” offers hope for potential reef recovery and sustainability. 

“Coral reefs are in rapid, global decline but the severity of degradation is not uniform across the board and what we have identified are coral reefs that are doing better than their neighbors against the worst effects of climate change and local impacts,” said James Guest, the lead author of the study from <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a>. 

Guest, along with a team of researchers, developed a framework to identify reefs that are still thriving while others are dying out. 

The study was published in the Journal of Applied Ecology and the researchers hope that the results will shed light on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hurricanes-damage-coral-reefs/">pockets of recovery and resilience</a>, not just in reefs but also in other important ecosystems. 

Data was collected from reef sites in the Pacific and Caribbean that have been monitored for the past few decades. The researchers found small pockets of coral oases that were categorized as either escaping, resisting, or rebounding. 

Escape oases are coral communities that avoided coral bleaching, impacts from storms, and coral-eating sea star invasions. 

Resist oases are just as their name suggests, coral reefs that have been unaffected by threats to their environment and are hardier in the face of climate change. 

Rebounding corals are oases of coral communities that have successfully recovered after experiencing significant damage. 

One example of a rebound oasis was found among reefs in Moorea, French Polynesia that were nearly decimated in the early 2000s but soon recovered nearly 80 percent of lost corals. 

“We started working there in 2005, and almost immediately encountered hordes of coral-eating sea stars that quickly consumed the tissue of the corals,” said Peter Edmunds, the principal investigator for the study. “By 2010, there was as close to zero coral on the outer reefs as I have seen in my entire career. And yet, within eight years, that coral has regrown. In places, about 80 percent of the seafloor is now covered by live coral. It is a remarkable example of an oasis.”

Guest and his team offered several possibilities to why these pockets were better suited to recovery than others. 

“It could be that the location is simply better for survival - deeper water that is outside the storm tracks, for example,” said Guest. “The coral communities could possess biological or ecological characteristics that make them more resilient and able to resist damage. Or there may be ecological processes at play which means that the reef community is able to rebound more quickly after a disturbance.”

The researchers note that reef oases do not offset reef loss around the world or put reefs in any less peril, but it does show that reef recovery and resilience is possible.  

"However, there are kernels of hope in places where corals are doing better, or where they are doing less badly than elsewhere and these places provide us with a focus of attention that might be used to enhance coral conservation efforts,” said Edmunds. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pockets of thriving reefs called oases offer hope for corals

The world’s coral reefs are in jeopardy, but a new...

At least 30 giant hogweed plants have been found in Virginia for the first time, prompting officials to warn that the weed can cause severe burns.

Giant hogweed is an invasive plant from the <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=458">Caucasus area in West Asia</a>, and although it was first planted for its aesthetic look, it’s sap can cause serious burns and blindness. 

Virginia is now one of the few states in the US where the plant has been found, and it can grow over 14 feet tall with large white flower clusters that can reach 2 and a half feet in diameter. 

The plant, also known as Heracleum mantegazzianum, has a watery sap that makes the skin extremely sensitive to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/california-sunny-fire-danger/">sun</a>. Chemical compounds called <a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/72556.html">photosensitizing furanocoumarins in the sap can cause phytophotodermatitis</a> resulting in third-degree blisters and burns when the sap comes in contact with skin. 

It’s advised to immediately wash the affected area and limit sun exposure for 48 hours after coming in contact with the plant because of how sensitive the skin is due to the sap. 

It can also cause blindness as well, and healing from the burns can take years according to environmental officials in Virginia. 

“Giant hogweed makes poison ivy look like a walk in the park,” said an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/iwcva/posts/1889433494410724">official Facebook post </a>from the Isle of Wight County where the plants were recently discovered. 

The plant’s sap is so hazardous that it can only be handled with protective clothing and gloves. Mowing or cutting the plant only increases the risk of it spreading or growing back.

It has been listed as a noxious weed by the <a href="https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=hema17">United States Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation resources</a> and has been found along West and East Coast states. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Invasive plant that causes third-degree burns found in Virginia

At least 30 giant hogweed plants have been found in...

Marine reserves can only do so much to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-recovery-florida-reef-tract/">protect struggling reefs</a> as climate change and human activities like fishing degrade reefs worldwide, but a new study has found that even some protection is better than no protection at all. 

Researchers led by the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a> at<a href="https://www.jcu.edu.au/"> James Cook University</a> conducted a worldwide reef survey to assess the effectiveness of marine reserves in protecting biodiversity. 

The results show that reefs near highly populated areas with no protections have few fish and predators, while marine reserves that with high-human pressure still had higher fish populations. 

“Fish stocks were extremely depleted on reefs that were accessible to large human populations,” said Josh Cinner, leader of the research. “Compared to marine reserves far from these human pressures, reserves near high human pressure had only a quarter of the fish and were a hundred times less likely to have top predators such as sharks.” 

1,800 coral reefs around the world were surveyed for the study which was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

The researchers compared reef management strategies and examined differences in ecological conditions between marine reserves where fishing is not allowed and open fishing areas. 

Even in highly populated areas, if fishing was prohibited it had a substantial impact on the reef biodiversity and fish biomass. There were five times more fish in marine reserves compared to openly fished reefs. 

Predators like sharks were still few and far between along reefs where human pressure was high, and instead top predators were more abundant in reefs far away from human interaction. 

The findings indicate that management strategies that ban fishing could have a major impact in restoring vital reefs worldwide. However, some coastal areas depend on reef fishing and so preventing all fishing isn’t an option. 

The researchers found that limiting fishing or fishing gear could also help with fish populations if fishing is a must. 

“So, we also looked at how effective other forms of reef conservation were, such as restricting the types of fishing gear that people use,” said Michele Barnes, a member of the research team “Our results were promising - these restrictions certainly had better outcomes than doing nothing, but not as good as marine reserves. They were a sort of compromise.” 

The research shows how even minimal protection and conservation can improve reef biodiversity which is crucial for reef health and recovery. 

“Our research shows where managers will be able to maximize certain goals, such as sustaining top predators or improving the biomass of key fisheries species, and likewise, where they will be wasting their time,” said Cinner. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

For coral reefs, some protection is better than nothing

Marine reserves can only do so much to protect struggling...

A study published in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2684596?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social_jama&amp;utm_term=1585129396&amp;utm_content=followers-article_engagement-image_stock&amp;utm_campaign=article_alert&amp;linkId=52856999">The Journal of the American Medical Association</a> this week examined the health effects of President Donald Trump’s environmental policies. The Trump administration’s attacks on environmental protections have been made clear, but this new research provides a glimpse of the human costs of these policies.

According to the authors, the administration has already reversed or proposed to reverse more than 60 environmental rules. With such a large scale overhaul of environmental protections it is sadly not surprising that there will be negative consequences.

The study found that the largest health consequence will be a result of changes to air quality policies. <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt has issued a proposed repeal to a rule limiting greenhouse-gas emissions from existing power plans under the Clean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan was a signature policy in Obama’s work to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The study estimated that the proposed rule would lead to “an estimated 36 000 deaths each decade and nearly 630 000 cases of respiratory infection in children alone.”

The Trump administration’s disapproval of policies controlling air pollution from motor vehicles could also have huge ramifications. 

According to the study, “Nothing formal has been proposed, but Trump has spoken about rolling back new rules put in place by the Obama administration. Based on the regulatory impact analysis performed when those rules were proposed, it was estimated that they would lead to a reduction of 5500 deaths and 140 000 cases of respiratory ailments in children over a decade—benefits that would be lost if the rules are rolled back.”

The planned repeal of emission requirements for glider vehicles would also result in negative impacts. The EPA describes glider vehicles as “cab assembly that is generally produced by a vehicle manufacturer without a new engine, transmission, or rear axle.” 

Most of these vehicles use engines from 2001 or older which do not meet current environmental standards. This repeal could cost as many as 41,000 premature deaths per decade and 900,000 cases of respiratory tract symptoms.

While the study was able to quantify the costs of many policies, the authors point out areas where it is still difficult to assess the human impacts.

Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement will likely cause deaths across the United States from increased and<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hurricanes-stronger-climate-change/"> stronger natural disasters</a>, rising sea levels and heat-related illnesses, among other reasons.

The authors conclude, “Overall, an extremely conservative estimate is that the Trump environmental agenda is likely to cost the lives of over 80 000 US residents per decade and lead to respiratory problems for many more than 1 million people. This sobering statistic captures only a small fraction of the cumulative public health damages associated with the full range of rollbacks and systemic actions proposed by the Trump administration.”

The Trump administration’s attack on environmental policy will also affect other areas such as clean jobs, consumer savings and wildlife protection.

While the results of this study are grave, it can also serve as a reminder for us to work to ensure harmful environmental policies are not approved.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a> <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Trump environmental policies could cost 80,000 deaths per decade

A study published in The Journal of the American Medical...

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0026.JPG

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-commercial-fish-industry/">climate change</a> threatens the world’s ecosystems and biodiversity, environmental conservation planning is more crucial than ever.

Conservation targets like the <a href="https://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/rationale/target-11/">Aichi Target 11</a>, established by the Convention on Biological Diversity, were created as a means to fill the gaps between protected spaces and those open areas that are not necessarily safeguarded but are still provide critical resources. 

Target 11 states that 17 percent of terrestrial land and 10 percent of coastal and ocean areas will be effectively managed and protected by 2020. 

However, researchers from the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland </a>and the <a href="https://www.wcs.org/">Wildlife Conservation Society</a> argue that these current conservation goals do not go far enough, and that the world needs a large scale ambitious conservation plan if the world’s resources are to be truly sustained and protected. 

The Aichi Target 11, for example, could still leave 83 percent of land and 90 percent of the world’s oceans unprotected. 

In a new paper published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, the researchers say that bolder targets are necessary even with the understanding that most of the ecosystems that humans rely on can’t be feasibly protected given their expansive size. 

However, focusing on those areas, the 80-90 percent of unprotected eco-systems will determine the success of the Aichi Targets and the <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/">United Nations Sustainable Development Goals </a>according to the researchers. 

“Humanity asks a lot of the natural world. We need it to purify our water and air, to maintain our soils, and to regulate our climate,” said Maron, the study’s lead author. “Yet even as we increase the extent of protected areas, they don't necessarily prevent the loss of natural systems. They're often located in areas that might not have been lost anyway - and the current target of protecting 17 percent of terrestrial systems will never be enough to protect species as well as provide the benefits humanity needs.”

As it stands, there aren’t any effective conservation policies and area-based targets that can protect enough of the world’s resources to sustain humanity. 

Given the impact climate change, infrastructure, population increases, and human activities have had on the world’s resources so far, the researchers call for urgent reforms that look at just what needs to be protected and where. 

Even optimistic ideas like the “half-Earth” plan, where goals include the protection of half the planet may still not be enough to ensure a stable climate. 

“There is no doubt that when we add up the different environmental goals to halt biodiversity loss, stabilize run-away climate change and to ensure other critical ecosystems services such as pollination and clean water are maintained, we will need far more than 50 percent of the earth's natural systems to remain intact,” said James Watson, a senior author of the research.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: JB Deffontaines

Current conservation goals are not enough protect ecosystems

As climate change threatens the world’s ecosystems and biodiversity, environmental...

A new study led by scientists at the <a href="http://www.iiasa.ac.at/">International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)</a> has found that investment into low carbon solutions will have to increase dramatically for the world to have a chance at limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius, the target established at the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paris-agreement-climate-goals/">Paris Agreement</a>.

According to the researchers, the transformation of the global energy system will only require a modest increase in overall investments, but a major shift away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy is mandatory. 

At the Paris Agreement in 2015, many countries defined Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), or plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The study finds that current incentives, including the NDCs, will not be sufficient to produce the “pronounced change” that is needed to successfully reshape the energy system.

Investments in low carbon energy and energy efficiency will need to exceed investments in fossil fuels as early as 2025 and then grow far higher to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius. The researchers identified shocking “investment gaps” between what is now spent on carbon alternatives and what must be invested in order to meet the world’s climate target.

To meet the NDCs alone, an additional US$130 billion of investment will be needed by 2030. To achieve the 2°C target, the investment gap is US$320 billion, and for 1.5°C it is US$480 billion.

IIASA researcher David McCollum is the study’s lead author.

“We know that limiting global temperatures to well below 2°C demands that renewables and efficiency scale up rapidly, but few studies have calculated the energy investment needs for a fundamental system transformation, at least not with an eye toward 1.5°C and using multiple scientific modelling frameworks running side-by-side,” explained McCollum.

The six tools used by the researchers to model different scenarios, which are known as integrated assessment models, are often used by experts to evaluate the costs, potential, and consequences of different energy, climate, and human development conditions in the future.

“This is the first scientific study to conduct a systematic and detailed analysis of the energy investment needs for futures including the very ambitious target of 1.5°C,” said IIASA Energy Program Director Keywan Riahi. “We find that a 1.5C investment strategy will be quite different from one to reach 2°C. Particularly investments into energy transmission and storage as well as for renewables and efficiency would need to be scaled up more rapidly for reaching 1.5°C.”

“On the other hand, both targets (1.5°C and 2°C) will mean that upstream investments into coal extraction and unabated fossil power generation without carbon capture and storage will need to scale down rapidly to avoid further lock-in of the system into fossil fuel infrastructure.”

The researchers are hopeful that their findings will be used worldwide by analysts and policymakers working in the areas of energy, climate change, and sustainability.

Study co-author Elmar Kriegler is the vice chair of the research domain “Sustainable Solutions” at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).

"It's important for  professionals in the finance sector to be aware how much more investment in low carbon solutions is needed if the world is to meet the Paris targets,” said Kriegler. “The NDC pledges are a step in the right direction, though much deeper changes in the energy investment portfolio are clearly necessary.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nenergy">Nature Energy</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Major shift in energy investment needed to meet climate goals

A new study led by scientists at the International Institute...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



---



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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.

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="gRpsplpwpe-2251464-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="gRpsplpwpe-2251464-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="eAVLRk51oJ-1826888-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="eAVLRk51oJ-1826888-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="sFFhiK9OOn-1720418-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="sFFhiK9OOn-1720418-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="yPSXGZek1I-2312529-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="yPSXGZek1I-2312529-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EPdZexVR30-1731237-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="EPdZexVR30-1731237-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uwirCufwYv-2012371-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="uwirCufwYv-2012371-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JrMLDXHmjl-1911953-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="JrMLDXHmjl-1911953-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="u0TYxxqfF7-2186404-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="u0TYxxqfF7-2186404-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA’s...