A comprehensive review study has recently investigated the vital connections between marine biodiversity conservation, human health, and well-being. According to the experts, marine protected areas (MPAs) not only support ecological balance but also provide tangible benefits for people, underscoring their dual importance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-marine-protected-areas-nbsp">Marine protected areas&nbsp;</h2>



Marine protected areas are legally designated sections of the ocean recognized for their conservation value. These areas are protected by laws that restrict human activities, aiming to allow ecosystems to thrive without significant interference. 



Depending on the specific regulations of an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-protected-areas-fall-short-on-2030-biodiversity-targets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MPA</a>, activities like fishing, building, or oil drilling may be prohibited or limited. The overarching goal is to create a space where marine life can flourish and, in turn, contribute to ecological and human welfare.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-ocean-protection">Expanding ocean protection</h2>



With global plans to extend MPAs as part of the UN's “30x30” initiative - seeking to protect 30% of the world's oceans and land by 2030 - understanding the impact of these areas on both people and nature has become increasingly important.&nbsp;



The new study, conducted by the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Wide Fund for Nature</a>, <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard University</a>’s School of Public Health, and <a href="https://duke.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Duke University</a>’s marine laboratory, led by Daniel Viana, reviewed data from over 200 scientific articles published since 1973.



The team discovered that in 234 MPAs worldwide, more than 60% reported improvements in both conservation outcomes and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-environment-day-the-critical-role-of-nature-in-human-well-being/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">human well-being</a>. This finding suggests that well-managed MPAs can simultaneously support nature and the communities that depend on marine resources.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protected-areas-and-local-communities-nbsp">Protected areas and local communities&nbsp;</h2>



The study also included MPAs that permit sustainable use through controlled <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sustainable-fishing-gets-a-boost-from-genomics-roadmap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fishing</a> practices that avoid harming delicate ecosystems. These measures, such as using hook-and-line methods or fish traps, minimize damage to coral reefs and other sensitive habitats. 



The research suggests that investing in MPAs often results in benefits for local communities, particularly in terms of fishing yields and food access.



MPAs play an essential role in small island nations like Bonaire, Palau, and the Cook Islands. These regions, where over 95% of fish catches are tied to area-based conservation, illustrate how marine protection can drive both ecological and economic gains.&nbsp;



However, the study noted that despite the evident link between MPAs and improved food access, few studies have measured the direct nutritional impact on local communities.&nbsp;



Only one research project in the Philippines established a connection between enhanced fish access and better health outcomes, finding reduced rates of childhood stunting.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nutrient-contributions-of-protected-areas-nbsp">Nutrient contributions of protected areas&nbsp;</h2>



The world’s waters - rivers, seas, lakes, and floodplains - are rich in edible plants and animals that offer essential vitamins, minerals, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-provide-essential-fatty-acids-to-other-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fatty acids</a>. These nutrients, particularly when harvested sustainably, can significantly bolster the diets of coastal populations. 



The study quantified the nutrient contributions from foods within MPAs, revealing that even with just 8% of the oceans under protection, these areas contribute 14% of the global supply of six key micronutrients from marine sources.



By fostering healthy marine environments, MPAs enhance fish populations that can spill over into adjacent areas, leading to more robust catches, increased income from fishing, and better access to nutritious food.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-and-complexities">Challenges and complexities</h2>



While MPAs offer considerable benefits, implementing them effectively is not without challenges. The study found that many MPAs lack effective management, which can limit their success.&nbsp;



Additionally, while MPAs help support marine life and nearby human communities, they do not directly address significant threats like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-protected-areas-were-not-designed-for-climate-resilience/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a> and pollution that require broader action.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aquaculture-impacts-wild-fish-much-more-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aquaculture</a>, or the farming of aquatic organisms, is growing as a supplement to wild harvests to meet the increasing demand for aquatic food. Although it provides more than half of the aquatic food consumed globally, aquaculture must continue to advance in sustainability practices. 



The study also emphasized that in many developing coastal nations, wild-harvested food remains a critical source of nutrition for millions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-marine-protected-areas-and-global-health">Marine protected areas and global health</h2>



Linking marine conservation to human health presents promising opportunities but also reveals research gaps. While MPAs can contribute to better health outcomes by boosting fish availability and nutrient intake, questions remain about the equitable distribution of these benefits.&nbsp;



For instance, in the Maldives, the majority of fish caught from reefs are consumed by tourists rather than local residents, illustrating potential disparities.



Despite these challenges, the study underscores the potential of MPAs to promote a regenerative relationship between people and the environment.&nbsp;



By managing fisheries to support nutritional health rather than merely maximizing profits, a “nutrition-sensitive” approach to marine conservation could help address global food security.



In conclusion, while MPAs cannot tackle all threats alone, their role in sustaining both marine ecosystems and human communities represents a promising path toward a balanced, health-focused future.



-----



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.



-----

How marine protected areas boost human health

A comprehensive review study has recently investigated the vital connections between marine biodiversity conservation, human health, and well-being. According to the experts, marine protected areas (MPAs) not only support ecological balance but also provide tangible benefits for people, underscoring their dual importance. Marine protected areas&nbsp; Marine protected areas are legally designated sections of the ocean recognized for their conservation value. These areas are protected by laws that restrict human activities, aiming to allow ecosystems to thrive without significant interference.  Depending on the specific regulations of an MPA, activities...

Monstrous El Nino is over, now comes La Nina. This year's monstrous El Nino, nicknamed Godzilla by NASA, is dead. It heated up the globe, but didn't quite end California's four-year drought.
In its <a href="http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis-monitoring/enso-advisory/ensodisc.pdf">monthly update</a> Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the El Nino has ended, 15 months after its birth in March 2015. El Nino is a natural warming of parts of the central Pacific that changes weather worldwide.
"There's nothing left," NOAA Climate Prediction Center deputy director Mike Halpert said. "Stick a fork in it, it's done." Monstrous El Nino is over, now comes La Nina
Halpert said this El Nino triggered droughts in parts of Africa and India and played a role in a record hurricane season in the Pacific. It also added to man-made warming, as Earth has had 12 straight record hot months and is likely to have its second straight record hot year.
Halpert said this will go down as one of the three strongest El Ninos on record, along with 1997-1998 and 1982-83.
In parts of the central Pacific, ocean temperatures were even hotter and caused more harm than 1997-98, leaving scars "written in the geography and appearance of global reefs for decades to come," said Georgia Tech climate scientist and coral expert <a href="http://shadow.eas.gatech.edu/~kcobb/">Kim Cobb</a> .
"This El Nino has caused some of the worst coral bleaching and death of any event we've ever seen," said <a href="http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/index.php">NOAA coral reef watch</a> coordinator Mark Eakin. "We've had enough of this."
Some in California had hoped that the drought would be busted by the El Nino, which generally brings more rain to California and the South. But even at the start, NOAA had cautioned that the rain deficit was too big for the El Nino to fix. And while it was rainy, it wasn't enough, Halpert said.
Earth is now in the neutral part of the natural cycle of El Ninos, which includes the cooler flip side, La Nina. But don't expect that to last. NOAA forecasts a 50 percent chance of La Nina by the end of the summer and 75 percent chance by the end of the fall.
La Ninas generally bring more hurricanes to the Atlantic instead of the Pacific, but doesn't have much impact on summer temperature or rain in the United States. It often features drier-than-normal conditions in the U.S. Southwest and wetter conditions in the Pacific Northwest.
In the winter, La Nina often brings lots of rain to parts of Australia and Indonesia and cooler temperatures in parts of Africa, Asia, South America and Canada.
Cobb said her work has found some evidence, not enough to be conclusive, that man-made global warming is causing bigger El Ninos more often.
Global temperatures with the El Nino that just ended have been about 0.8 degrees warmer (0.45 degrees Celsius) than the 1998 El Nino, according to NOAA.
"This has been a bellwether event," Cobb said.
---
Follow Seth Borenstein at <a href="http://twitter.com/borenbears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://twitter.com/borenbears</a> and his work can be found at <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/content/seth-borenstein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://bigstory.ap.org/content/seth-borenstein</a>
© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Monstrous El Nino is over, now comes La Nina

Monstrous El Nino is over, now comes La Nina. This...

<div>

Peer pressure drives consumers to buy sustainable products. If you purchased a Toyota Prius, you may have been driven by the desire to conserve the environment or to save yourself some money at the gas pump. But consumers may also choose to buy sustainable products to make themselves appear socially responsible to others. Before making purchases, they evaluate how their decisions will stack up against their peers', according to a new study.

The study, "Social Responsibility and Product Innovation," forthcoming in Marketing <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/the-science-of-aging/">Science</a>, examines how understanding this phenomenon, known as "conspicuous conservation," may help leading companies shape their product innovation strategies, especially in ubiquitous product categories such as cars. Peer pressure drives consumers to buy sustainable products

"The design of the Prius is easily noticed by other people on the road, and consumers care about that. The value that I get from driving a Prius may depend upon how many other people in my social circle are also driving environmentally friendly cars. The value is higher if I'm the only one," says Ganesh Iyer, a professor in the Marketing Group at <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=UC+Berkeley%27s&amp;cvid=79d673a0105447a18d551485258bc082&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">UC Berkeley's</a> Haas School of Business, and one of the study's authors. "Conversely, if an individual is the only one in his or her social circle who is driving a gas-guzzler, there will be pressure to conform."

The paper is co-authored by David Soberman of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.

Refraining from buying a product that damages the environment can generate social value for consumers. This need by consumers to measure up to their peers -- a concept called social comparison preference -- can provide marketers with valuable insights about how they can enhance the desirability of their products.

"We are trying to capture this issue of social comparison in markets, which is important for visible products like cars and clothing," says Iyer. "Making a product better on a social or environmental dimension is not the same as simply improving its quality, it is about leveraging social comparison preferences."

The researchers developed a model linking the R&amp;D decisions of firms to the interplay of consumers' social comparison preferences (their need to stack up) and how much they are willing to pay. The analysis shows that social comparison can provide incentive for a company to develop innovations in sustainability when the product category is mature and most consumers are already users of that category. In the case of the Prius, for example, most consumers already drive.

Heightened media attention also helps green products become more socially valuable, according to the research. For instance, as the media focused more and more on the effect of palm oil production on deforestation, many consumer product companies started producing palm-oil free products.

The paper also cites Levi's Water Less™ jeans and Clorox's Green Works cleaners as examples of innovative products developed to respond to consumers' social preferences. Levi's spent three years developing a process to create denim that requires less water and fewer chemicals to produce, and Clorox spent over $20M to produce eco-friendly, natural cleaning products.

The research study's findings, says Iyer, underscore the value for companies to understand their consumers' preferences with respect to social responsibility and to use that understanding in determining long-term innovation and product strategies.


</div>
<div></div>

Peer pressure drives consumers to buy sustainable products

Peer pressure drives consumers to buy sustainable products. If you...

Environmental changes put a cap on species richness. The number of species that can exist on Earth depends on how the environment changes, according to new research led by the University of Southampton.
<div>

By analyzing the fossil record of microscopic aquatic creatures called planktonic foraminifera, whose fossil remains now resemble miniaturized popcorn and date back millions of years, the research provided the first statistical evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-stars-may-be-drowning-in-their-environment/">environmental</a> changes put a cap on species richness.

Lead author of the study, published in the journal Ecology Letters, Dr Thomas Ezard, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Southampton, said: "While the idea of infinite species on a finite Earth is clearly fanciful, the relevance of upper limits to diversity is still a fractious debate amongst evolutionary biologists, ecologists and palaeontologists.Environmental changes put a cap on species richness

"We are the first to show statistically that this upper limit is environmentally dependent. It's intuitive that a changing environment alters how many species we see -- the spatial gradient of more species in the tropics than at the poles is pervasive evidence for its large-scale impact.

"However, analyses of how species numbers have changed over time have assumed that any limit has always been the same, even through periods of massive climate upheaval. Our data reject this idea of fixed rules for competition among species and instead show that the limit to the number of species that can co-exist on Earth is much more dynamic. Climate and geology are always changing, and the limit changes with them."

[ooyala code="IwN3gyNDE6_CVaS-9BLjC8QfXzVTTSEF" player_id="ce75157bc770441eaf5e849ae4d1d21f" width="900" height="500"]

While previous research typically focused individually on either biological, climate change or geological explanations, this new research examined the co-dependence of these factors on how species interact.

Looking at the fossil history of 210 evolutionary species of macroperforate planktonic foraminifera in the Cenozoic Era from 65 million years ago to the present, the study found that the number of species was almost certainly controlled by competition among themselves and probably kept within a finite upper limit.

Dr Ezard added: "We used mathematical models to reveal how environmental changes influence both the rate of diversification among species and how many species can co-exist at once. Our results suggest that the world is full of species, but that the precise fullness varies through time as environmental changes alter the outcome of competition among species."

The study also involved Professor Andy Purvis from the Natural History Museum. He said: "Scientists have long argued that environmental changes are likely to impact the number of species that can co-exist on Earth, but the fossil record is usually too incomplete for powerful statistical testing. Microfossils -- especially planktonic foraminifera -- give us a record with almost no gaps. It's this complete evolutionary history that lets us decide between these different hypotheses of how species interacted millions of years ago."


</div>
<div></div>

Environmental changes put a cap on species richness

Environmental changes put a cap on species richness. The number...

<div>

Average 'dead zone' predicted for Gulf of Mexico. Scientists forecast that this year's Gulf of Mexico dead zone -- an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and marine life - will be approximately 5,898 square miles or about the size of Connecticut, the same range as it has averaged over the last several years.

The dead zone in the Gulf of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-track-the-flow-of-nutrients-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/">Mexico</a> affects nationally important commercial and recreational fisheries. Hypoxic zones or "dead zones" are caused by high levels of nutrients, primarily from activities such as industrialized agriculture and inadequate wastewater treatment. Average 'dead zone' predicted for Gulf of Mexico

The low oxygen levels cannot support most marine life and habitats in near-bottom waters. Organisms that can flee the dead zones leave the area, while others which cannot leave are stressed or die of suffocation. Reducing nutrients flowing to the Gulf would help the situation since, under normal conditions, this area contains a diversity of marine life, critical habitats, and a number of key fisheries.

"Dead zones are a real threat to Gulf fisheries and the communities that rely on them," said Russell Callender, Ph.D., assistant NOAA administrator for the National Ocean Service. "We'll continue to work with our partners to advance the science to reduce that threat. One way we're doing that is by using new tools and resources, like better predictive models, to provide better information to communities and businesses."

The NOAA-sponsored Gulf of Mexico hypoxia forecast is improving due to advancements of individual models and an increase in the number of models used for the forecast. Forecasts based on multiple models are called ensemble forecasts and are commonly used in hurricane and other weather forecasts.

This year marks the second year that a four-model forecast has been used. The four individual model predictions ranged from 5,204 to 6,823 square miles, and had a collective predictive interval of 3,200 to 8,597 square miles. The forecast assumes typical weather conditions, and the actual dead zone could be disrupted by hurricanes or tropical storms. Data from these four models are used to determine and meet the nutrient reduction targets set by the interagency Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force.

The ensemble of models was developed by NOAA-sponsored modeling teams and researchers at the University of Michigan, Louisiana State University, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences/College of William and Mary, Texas A&amp;M University, North Carolina State University, and the United States Geological Survey. The hypoxia forecast is part of a larger NOAA effort to deliver ecological forecasts that support human health and well-being, coastal economies, and coastal and marine stewardship.

The Gulf of Mexico hypoxia forecast is based on nutrient runoff and river and stream data from USGS. USGS estimates that 146,000 metric tons of nitrate and 20,800 metric tons of phosphorus flowed down the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers into the Gulf of Mexico in May 2016. This is about 12 percent above the long-term (1980-2015) average for nitrogen, and 25 percent above the long-term average for phosphorus.

USGS operates more than 2,700 real-time stream gauges, 60 real-time nitrate sensors, and collects water quality data at long-term stations throughout the Mississippi River basin to track how nutrient loads are changing over time.

"By expanding the real-time nitrate monitoring network with partners throughout the basin, USGS is improving our understanding of where, when, and how much nitrate is pulsing out of small streams and large rivers and ultimately emptying to the Gulf of Mexico," said Sarah J. Ryker, Ph.D., acting deputy assistant secretary for water and science at the Department of the Interior. "The forecast puts these data to additional use by showing how nutrient loading fuels the hypoxic zone size."

The confirmed size of the 2016 Gulf dead zone will be released in early August, following a monitoring survey from July 24 to August 1, conducted on a NOAA vessel and funded through a partnership between NOAA, Northern Gulf Institute, and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.
###
USGS provides science for a changing world. Visit <a href="http://www.usgs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USGS.gov</a>, and follow us on Twitter @USGS and our other social media channels. Subscribe to our news releases via email, RSS or Twitter.

NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and our other social media channels.

</div>

Average 'dead zone' predicted for Gulf of Mexico

Average 'dead zone' predicted for Gulf of Mexico. Scientists forecast...

Study: Global economic network is now more vulnerable to climate change. The susceptibility of the global economic network to workers' heat-stress has doubled in the last decade, a new study published in the journal Science Advances finds. The analysis by the Potsdam Institute for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/peatlands-become-fuel-for-wildfires-in-a-warming-climate/">Climate</a> Impact Research and Columbia University shows for the first time how enhanced connectivity of the global network of supply can amplify production losses, as these losses can be spread more easily across countries.
<div>

"Climate damages do not only depend on the warming of our planet, but also on the resilience of our societies and economies," says lead author Leonie Wenz. "Our study shows that since the beginning of the 21st century the structure of our economic system has changed in a way that production losses in one place can more easily cause further losses elsewhere." The study examines the example of local heat-stress-related productivity reductions causing <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=global&amp;form=EDGEAR&amp;qs=PF&amp;cvid=436aa0696ef24f96a9dbf2d771ce7f9d&amp;cc=US&amp;setlang=en-US&amp;elv=AXK1c4IvZoNqPoPnS%21QRLOMAjS%21RFp6jzZWJ7AkCsIYKd95Jin04lMgpzUvBVjEIqWCQYUs5pEFKMIFDqlAQjz%21ynGqNUDWpYA%21049irc568&amp;plvar=0&amp;PC=HCTS">global</a> effects. Across the world, production is interlinked. "What is self-evident for us today is really a phenomenon of the last two decades," Wenz explains.Study: Global economic network is now more vulnerable to climate change

From typhoons to heat-stress on workers: local events, global effects

Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines destroyed more than half the world's production of coconut oil which is one of the two most commonly used vegetable fats in food production worldwide. The 2011 flood in Queensland stopped production in the fourth biggest coal exploration site on Earth for weeks, with economic repercussions well beyond Australia. While single major shocks to economic networks like these illustrate how economic activity is globally linked, the researchers focused on the effects of small daily perturbations due to extreme temperatures leading to heat-stress among workers in construction, agriculture and other economic sectors. Previous research shows that increasing temperatures decrease productivity, because, for instance, workers get exhausted more rapidly.

The study covers economic flows between 26 industry sectors from mining and quarrying to textiles and wearing apparel and to post and telecommunications as well as final demand in 186 countries. Combining data on temperature, population and the global economic network from 1991-2011 and based on existing research on temperature effects on workers, the scientists run computer simulations of heat-stress consequences in order to find out more about the network's vulnerability to the propagation of production losses in each year.

"This is the basis for implementing appropriate adaptation measures"

"With unabated climate change, the effects of increasing weather extremes, like most recently seen in Paris, will have severe impacts on natural and societal systems," says co-author Anders Levermann. "To estimate the costs of future climate change we need to assess global economic impacts of more frequent heat extremes and meteorological impacts, such as floods and tropical storms, and understand their relation to the economic network's structure. This is the basis for implementing appropriate adaptation measures - in a warming world with more intense weather extremes it is likely that society needs to become more resilient and more flexible."
###
Article: Wenz, L., Levermann, A. (2016): Enhanced economic connectivity to foster heat stress-related losses. Science Advances [doi:10.1126/sciadv.1501026]

Weblink to the article once it is published: <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/6/e1501026" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://advances. sciencemag. org/ content/ 2/ 6/ e1501026</a>

Grafic: zeean.net
Legend: Shown are the 1000 largest trade flows between 26 industry sectors and final demand in 186 countries for the year 2011 (based on data from the Eora World MRIO, by M. Lenzen at U Sydney). The study analyzes the susceptibility of the global economic network to heat-stress for the years 1991-2011. Source: zeean.net

Further reading

Levermann, A. (2014): Climate Economics: Make supply chains climate smart. Nature: <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/climate-economics-make-supply-chains-climate-smart-1.14636?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140206" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www. nature. com/ news/ climate-economics-make-supply-chains-climate-smart-1. 14636?WT. ec_id= NATURE-20140206</a>

Linkov, I., et al. (2014): Changing the Resilience Paradigm. Nature Climate Change: <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v4/n6/full/nclimate2227.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www. nature. com/ nclimate/ journal/ v4/ n6/ full/ nclimate2227. html</a>

For further information please contact:
PIK press office
Phone: +49 331 288 25 07
E-Mail: <a href="mailto:press@pik-potsdam.de">press@pik-potsdam.de</a>
Twitter: @PIK_Climate

</div>

Study: Global economic network is now more vulnerable to climate change

Study: Global economic network is now more vulnerable to climate...

<div>

Olympia oysters more resilient to ocean acidification. Native Olympia oysters, which once thrived along the Pacific Northwest coast until over-harvesting and habitat loss all but wiped them out, have a built-in resistance to ocean acidification during a key shell-building phase after spawning, according to a newly published study.

Unlike the commercially raised Pacific oysters, Olympia oysters don't begin making their shells until 2-3 days after fertilization and make them far more slowly, which helps protect them from corrosive water during this critical development phase, said <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=oregon&amp;cvid=ea1c7ae2bccd403eb3e6510c07846161&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Oregon</a> State University's George Waldbusser, principal investigator on the project.

Pacific oysters, on the other hand, only have a six-hour window to develop their calcium carbonate shell, and when exposed to acidified water, their energy stores become depleted. The larval oysters may get through the shell-building stage, Waldbusser said, but they often will not have enough energy to survive.

Results of the study are being published this week in the Journal of Limnology and Oceanography. Olympia oysters more resilient to ocean acidification

"This is a unique trait that allows native oysters to survive surprisingly high levels of acidification," said Waldbusser, a marine ecologist in OSU's College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. "But they didn't develop that trait in response to rising acidification. It has been there for some time. It does make you wonder if there may be traits in other organisms that we're unaware of that may be beneficial."

In their study, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, the OSU researchers measured the calcification rates of both Olympia and Pacific oysters for five days after spawning, taking measurements every three hours. Although other studies have looked at the effects of acidified water on adult oysters, this is the first time researchers have been able to pinpoint its effect on larval oysters in the shell-building stage.

What they found was a seven-fold difference in the calcification rate. Pacific oysters put all of their energy into rapidly developing a shell, but the price of that investment is huge.

Native Olympia oysters developed their shells much more slowly, but seemingly at a lower cost.

"Pacific oysters churn out tens of millions of eggs, and those eggs are much smaller than those of native oysters even though they eventually become much larger as adults," Waldbusser said. "Pacific oysters have less energy invested in each offspring. Olympia oysters have more of an initial energy investment from Mom, and can spend more time developing their shells and dealing with acidified water."

The OSU researchers found that relative energy stores of young Pacific oysters declined by 38.6 percent an hour, and only 0.9 percent in Olympia oysters.

The study noted other interesting differences between Pacific and Olympia oysters. Native Olympia oyster larvae develop in a brood chamber, where the embryos take longer to develop. However, these brood chambers don't necessarily protect the young oysters from acidified water, since water is continually pumped through the chamber.

To test how the oysters would do when raised like Pacific oysters -- outside the chamber -- the researchers conducted an experiment raising the larval Olympia oysters outside their brood chamber and exposing them to acidified water.

"Brooding was thought to provide several advantages to developing young, but we found it does not provide any physiological advantage to the larvae," said Matthew Gray, a former doctoral student in OSU's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and now a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Maine. "They did just as well outside the brood chamber as inside.

"Brooding does help guard the larvae from predators and some adverse environmental changes -- such as low-salinity events -- but it plays no role in protecting native oysters against acidification."

The research highlights this robust response to ocean acidification at this critical life-history stage of Olympia oyster larvae, a period which has not previously been studied. Past studies conducted by Annaliese Hettinger, a post-doctoral researcher in Waldbusser's lab, found that the Olympia oyster larvae are sensitive to acidification in the later swimming stage, and those effects can carry over to adult stages.

The current research may, however, have implications for the future of the commercial oyster industry, given that many of the problems seem to originate at this very early developmental stage. Cultivation of native oysters could help guard against catastrophic Pacific oyster losses due to acidification, the researchers say, or it may be possible to breed some of the Olympia oysters' beneficial traits into Pacific oysters - either slowing the calcification rate of early larvae or producing fewer and bigger eggs.

The Olympia oyster, which is smaller than the commercially grown Pacific oyster, is prized for its distinctive flavor. Originally, Olympia oysters grew from Baja California to Vancouver Island, and are found sparingly in three Oregon bays -- Yaquina, Netarts and Coos Bay. During the height of these harvests in the 1890s, some 130,000 bushels of oysters were annually shipped from the Pacific Northwest to California and within 20 years, 90 percent of these native oysters had disappeared.

Researchers speculate that the remaining Olympia oyster populations may have succumbed to increased silt generated by 20th-century logging and mill operations, which either killed them outright or covered their beds and destroyed their habitat. They have not returned in discernible numbers to Oregon estuaries.
###
Editor's note: The study this story is based on is available online: <a href="http://bit.ly/1UjsaD8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://bit. ly/ 1UjsaD8</a>

</div>

Olympia oysters more resilient to ocean acidification

Olympia oysters more resilient to ocean acidification. Native Olympia oysters,...

Coal ash ponds found to leak toxic materials. A Duke University study of coal ash ponds near 21 power plants in five Southeastern U.S. states has found evidence that nearby surface waters and groundwater are consistently and lastingly contaminated by the unlined ponds.
<div>

High levels of toxic heavy metals including arsenic and selenium were found in surface waters or groundwater at all of the sites tested. Concentrations of trace elements in 29 percent of the surface water samples exceeded <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/bepicolombo-prepares-to-fly-by-venus/">EPA</a> standards for drinking water and aquatic life.

"In all the investigated sites, we saw evidence of leaking," said Avner Vengosh, a professor of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geochemistry">geochemistry</a> and water quality in Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. "Some of the impacted water had high levels of contaminants."

The study, which appears June 10 in the journal Environmental Science &amp; Technology, did not test drinking water wells, but that will be the next phase of the research, Vengosh said.

During the summer and fall of 2015, the team sampled 39 surface water and seep samples from coal ash ponds at seven sites. They also analyzed water chemistry data from 156 shallow groundwater monitoring wells near coal ash ponds at 14 North Carolina power plants that had been compiled by the state's Department of Environmental Quality.

Shallow wells -- typically 30- to 50-feet deep -- are not as deep as a drinking water well, which might be 100 to 300 feet. But there's a potential the shallower contamination could flow deeper and affect drinking wells, Vengosh said.

Not only was the evidence of contamination widespread, it also appears to be persistent in the environment. Some of the sites studied have been retired and no new coal ash is being deposited there, but nearby surface waters, and in one case groundwater, were still being contaminated.

"The degree to which leakage affects the concentration of toxins in nearby waters varies because of several factors, including the nature of the coal ash, processes in the pond and the flow through the local soil," said Jennie Harkness, a Ph.D. student at the Nicholas School and the lead author of this study.

While it is legally permitted for some coal ash ponds to release liquid effluents to nearby surface waters through regulated outfalls, the new data show that these ponds are also leaking in unpermitted ways. "Coal ash ponds pose risks to the environment and water resources," Vengosh said.

The highest concentrations of dissolved metals and metalloids (manganese, vanadium, selenium, arsenic and molybdenum) were found in shallow wells near a retired ash-disposal site in Tennessee. The contaminated groundwater there had concentrations exceeding drinking water and aquatic life standards for cadmium, iron, nickel, lead, selenium and zinc.

Vengosh said it is reasonable to conclude from these findings that physically removing the coal ash ponds would leave "a legacy of contamination. You would still have a major issue to address the subsurface groundwater contamination. After decades of leaking, the impact has already happened."
###
Funding for this study was provided by the Southern Environmental Law Center.

CITATION: "Evidence for Coal Ash Ponds Leaking in Southeastern United States," Jennifer Harkness, Barry Sulkin and Avner Vengosh. Environmental Science and Technology, online June 10, 2016. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01727

</div>

Coal ash ponds found to leak toxic materials

Coal ash ponds found to leak toxic materials. A Duke...

"This is a potentially major revision to the fundamental idea of plate tectonics," earth scientist Philip Heron said.

Scars from ancient geologic events can influence modern earthquakes. Most inquiries into the nature of earthquakes look at interactions between tectonic plates. But new research shows the scars of ancient geologic events can influence modern geologic processes, including earthquakes.

Computer models designed by a team of scientists from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada">Canada</a> and Scotland suggests there is life after death for ancient fault lines. Researchers say these ancient plate boundaries can come back to life, so to speak, and trigger changes in the structure and behavior of the earth's crust and upper-mantle in the interiors of continental plates.

"This is a potentially major revision to the fundamental idea of plate tectonics," Philip Heron, an <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/protecting-earth-from-space-hazards/">earth</a> scientist and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, said in a news release.

[caption id="attachment_2395008" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2395008" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2016/06/11103330/wilson-cycle-150x150.jpg" alt="The Wilson Cycle" width="150" height="150" /> The Wilson Cycle[/caption]

Heron is the lead author of a new paper on the research, published <a class="tpstyle" href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160610/ncomms11834/full/ncomms11834.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in the journal Nature Communications</a>. The study features a map detailing geologic sites across the globe that may continue to be influenced by ancient geologic events.

"It's based on the familiar global tectonic map that is taught starting in elementary school," explained Russell Pysklywec, chairman of Toronto's earth sciences department. "What our models redefine and show on the map are dormant, hidden, ancient plate boundaries that could also be enduring or 'perennial' sites of past and active plate tectonic activity."

Though the pressure and forces exerted on the Earth's mantle and crust are strongest near the plate boundaries, the crust within the interior of each plate also flows, breaks and folds in response to geologic forces.

"Most of the really big plate tectonic activity happens on the plate boundaries, like when India rammed into Asia to create the Himalayas or how the Atlantic opened to split North America from Europe," says Heron. "But there are lots of things we couldn't explain, like seismic activity and mountain-building away from plate boundaries in continent interiors."

Researchers designed a computer model to analyze these smaller-scale stresses and strains. They found deeper-lying structures in the mantle have an outsized influence on the patterns and behaviors exhibited by the interior crust.

Scientists say these deeper formations have been mostly ignored by scientists in favor of shallower crustal structures. But Heron and Pysklywec believe their latest findings will change that.

"Future exploration of what lies in the mantle beneath the crust may lead to further such discoveries on how our planet works, generating a greater understanding of how the past may affect our geologic future," concluded Heron.

--

Credit: UPI

Scars from ancient geologic events can influence modern earthquakes

"This is a potentially major revision to the fundamental idea...

Herring spawn after removal of Wynants Kill dam. A few days after a long-abandoned industrial dam was removed from the mouth of a Hudson River tributary this spring, hundreds of river herring swarmed up into the shallow waters to spawn for the first time in 85 years.
The removal of the rusted steel dam on the Wynants Kill near Albany was the first of what ecologists hope will be many barriers removed in Hudson tributaries to restore spawning habitat for herring and other ocean-going species that have been devastated by habitat loss, <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=pollution&amp;cvid=2ebb3bdadbbf4a6c9e5bb098789c38f0&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">pollution</a> and overfishing.
The project is part of a larger movement that has dismantled almost 250 dams across the country since 2012, according to the conservation group American Rivers. Herring spawn after removal of Wynants Kill dam
"There are more than 1,500 dams in the Hudson estuary watershed, most of them no longer in use," said Frances Dunwell, coordinator of the state Department of Environmental Conservation's Hudson River Estuary Program. "One of the key items on our to-do list by 2020 is to remove as many of these barriers as possible."
The estuary, which extends 150 miles north from the Atlantic Ocean, is an important breeding ground for several species of herring including American shad and alewife. In Colonial times, Hudson tributary streams flashed silver with herring during spring spawning runs. Dams built during the Industrial Revolution caused herring populations to crash along the Atlantic coast from South Carolina to Maine, and pollution and overfishing in more recent years made things worse.
Herring, especially American shad, are not only highly valued commercial and sport fish, but also are an integral part of the aquatic food chain. In the Atlantic, many species of fish, bird and mammal rely on herring as their primary food source. Striped bass recreational fishing, a major business in the Hudson estuary, uses river herring as baitfish.
In 2013, when the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission required the 15 states it covers to submit plans for restoring historical spawning and nursery habitat, dams and climate change were cited as the largest threats.
"Every dam should have an existential crisis," said John Waldman, a biology professor at Queens College and long-time proponent of dam removal. "These are artifacts of the Industrial Revolution that are persisting and doing harm. We should decide which dams still serve a purpose and which should be removed."
A precedent for restoring a major river by dismantling a hydropower dam was set recently on Maine's Penobscot River, where the removal of two dams and construction of a fish bypass at a third opened 1,000 miles of habitat used by 11 species of sea-run fish. The dams' owner was able to increase total generation through enhancements at other dams in the watershed.
Most dam-removal projects are small dams that have far outlived their purposes. Last spring, shad swam up White Clay Creek in Delaware for the first time since a mill owner built a dam there in 1777. The timber-and-stone obstruction on the Delaware River tributary was removed in 2014 with $200,000 in federal and conservation group funding.
In the Hudson estuary, Dunwell said at least six privately owned unused dams have been targeted as good candidates for removal. The Department of Environmental Conservation will offer the owners grants and technical support for restoration projects.
The City of Troy removed the dam on the Wynants Kill tributary last month with a $12,500 grant from the state Environmental Protection Fund.
The dam, long hidden by the ruins of an old iron works, was discovered three years ago by John Lipscomb, who patrols the Hudson by boat for the Riverkeeper environmental group looking for polluters and testing water quality. On a recent tour of the former dam site, Lipscomb said decades of cleanup work have made the river much cleaner, but that's not enough.
"Success is not just a fishable or swimmable river," Lipscomb said beside the concrete-lined channel at the mouth of the Wynants Kill. "Now we want to restore the biological integrity to make it a living river again. That's the last step."
© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Herring spawn after removal of Wynants Kill dam

Herring spawn after removal of Wynants Kill dam. A few...

<div>

Multitasking is key to utilizing abandoned mountain rainforests. How must a landscape be utilized in order to fulfill both ecological and socio-economical requirements? This question has been answered by an international research team with the participation of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), using abandoned pasturage in the Ecuadorean mountain rainforests. By means of simulations, the scientists ascertained that the key to this is multitasking, which is to say the most diverse utilization possible. The results have now been published in Nature Communications.

"We wanted to find out how a landscape has to be composed in order to render many ecosystem services at the same time and as safely as possible", explains the lead author of the study Prof. Thomas Knoke of the Institute of Forest Management at the TUM. Experts use the term ecosystem services to refer to the effects of an ecosystem that are important for human well-being, such as protection against erosion, soil formation or provision of energy sources.

In their study, Knoke and his colleagues simulated various land use concepts. The results have now been published in the magazine "Nature Communications". The simulations are based on data that had been gathered by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers in the tropical rainforest of Ecuador over a period of 15 years. There, the scientists had investigated the reintegration of abandoned agricultural areas into forestry or agricultural production.

Compensating for uncertainties

The aim of the simulations carried out on the basis of these investigations was to take 22 indicators into account in a land use plan on as equal a footing as possible. Sixteen of the indicators are criteria from the field of ecology such as e.g. carbon storage, protection against erosion, reduction of the runoff of surface water and climate regulation. Eight criteria are from the field of socio-economics, including the question of how profitable the use is and what kind of cultivation the local farmers would prefer.

Uncertainties were also incorporated into the simulations. Reasons for these uncertainties include, for example, fluctuations in the production of foodstuffs and wood as well as price changes. A good mixture of different land use forms has a balancing effect in this context, because not all land use forms are affected by the uncertainties to an equal degree. "It works like a share portfolio in which the risk is of course spread over many investments", explains Knoke.

Area mosaic of five concepts

The scientists had already worked out the following five usage concepts for the abandoned agricultural areas in a preceding study and were able to use the results for the simulation of multifunctional land use:
<ul>
 	<li>no cultivation - abandoned pasture areas are left alone,</li>
 	<li>forestry utilization - planting with an indigenous species of alder,</li>
 	<li>forestry utilization - planting with an introduced species of pine,</li>
 	<li>extensive pasture utilization - mechanical weed control, then utilization after initial fertilization,</li>
 	<li>intensive pasture utilization - chemical weed control, then utilization with regular fertilization.</li>
</ul>
The optimum result provided by the simulations was a kind of area mosaic: 46 percent of forestry utilization, with 21 percent indigenous alders and 25 percent of exotic pines, 10 percent extensive pasture utilization, 20 percent intensive pasture utilization. 24 percent of the landscape is not to be used at all, but instead rather left to natural succession. The concept of combining different land use options provides a buffer in the event of under-average ecosystem services from an individual land use component, because the other land use alternatives can balance this out.

Few indicators will not lead to optimal multitasking

If, instead of 22 indicators, only individual ecosystem services are optimized, such as only socio-economic ones for example, very uniform landscapes can arise. Although a land-use mosaic is the best concept for balancing out uncertainties, the influence of the uncertainties is not great enough in all scenarios. It depends on precisely which ecosystem services are optimized and how great their uncertainties are. If, for example, only biomass production, hydrological indicators or climate regulation are defined as the sole aim of the land use then this will result in uniform landscapes which are either solely characterized by agriculture or by forestry.

Protection for the rainforest

On 385 to 472 million hectares of land around the world, the previous <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-smart-agricultural-practices-will-boost-global-food-security/">agricultural</a> or forestry use of the land has been abandoned. If these area resources could be transformed into productive, multifunctional landscapes, this would contribute to the protection of the endangered tropical forest. "At the moment there is the tendency to afforest such areas solely with exotic types of trees", says forest scientist Knoke. "This is, however, to be critically regarded against the background of the now clearly proven major advantages of diversified land use." He says, on the other hand, that incentives are necessary - especially financial support of the farmers - in order to be able to implement the concept of diversified land use.

The researchers now want to apply their planning approach to other types of landscapes around the world as well. In this application, the existing forms of land use, such as e.g. natural forest, active agricultural land use and plantations, are also to be incorporated. Another important point is the explicit spatial distribution of the types of land use and structural elements of the landscape - such as hedges.
###
Publication: Knoke T., et al. (2016): Compositional diversity of rehabilitated tropical lands supports multiple ecosystem services and buffers uncertainties, Nature Communications DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11877

The study was funded by the German Research Foundation (research group FOR 402 and 816, transfer projects PAK 823-825, <a href="http://www.tropicalmountainforest.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www. tropicalmountainforest. org/ </a>). Scientists from the following institutes were involved in the study: Technical University of Munich; University of Bayreuth; University of Marburg; University of Münster; Justus Liebig University Gießen; Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Ecuador; Memorial University, St. John's, Canada; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Thomas Knoke
Technical University of Munich
Institute of Forestry Management
Tel.: +49 8161 71-4700
<a href="mailto:knoke@tum.de">knoke@tum.de</a>
<a href="http://waldinventur.wzw.tum.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://waldinventur. wzw. tum. de</a>

</div>

Multitasking is key to utilizing abandoned mountain rainforests

Multitasking is key to utilizing abandoned mountain rainforests. How must...

<div>

A model that predicts outbreaks of zoonotic diseases -- those originating in livestock or wildlife such as Ebola and Zika -- based on environmental changes in climate, population growth and land use has been developed by a UCL-led team of researchers.

"This model is a major improvement in our understanding of the spread of diseases from animals to people. We hope it can be used to help communities prepare and respond to disease outbreaks, as well as to make decisions about environmental change factors that may be within their control," said lead author Professor Kate Jones, UCL Genetics, Evolution &amp; Environment and ZSL.

More than 60% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic and although Ebola and Zika are well-known, there are many other diseases including Rift Valley fever and Lassa fever which affect thousands already and are predicted to spread with changing environmental factors.

"Our model can help decision-makers assess the likely impact of any interventions or change in national or international government policies, such as the conversion of grasslands to agricultural lands, on zoonotic transmission. Importantly, the model also has the potential to look at the impact of global change on many diseases at once, to understand any trade-offs that decision-makers may have to be make," Professor Jones added.

The study published today in Methods in Ecology and Evolution tested the new model with Lassa fever. It was carried out by partners in the Dynamic Drivers of Disease in Africa Consortium, which was funded under the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation programme.

Lassa fever is endemic across <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=west+africa&amp;form=EDGEAR&amp;qs=PF&amp;cvid=0e615f01aad945ebb97f8a0d0206bf77&amp;cc=US&amp;setlang=en-US&amp;elv=AXK1c4IvZoNqPoPnS%21QRLOMAjS%21RFp6jzZWJ7AkCsIYKMKeHuVK65tMSID4Q9i5W56xXw8WWX6APf03AW%21YzHlZ1gV*E7yh1vq1RY*BVkB4V&amp;plvar=0&amp;PC=HCTS">West Africa</a> and is caused by Lassa virus passing to people from rats. The model predicts the number of people with the disease will double from 195,125 to 406,725 by 2070 due to climate change and a growing human population.

Like Ebola virus, Lassa virus causes haemorrhagic fever and can be fatal. How many people are affected by Lassa fever each year is unclear as many don't have severe symptoms and those that do are often misdiagnosed with malaria; current estimates range from 100,000 to one million.

"Our new approach successfully predicts outbreaks of individual diseases by pairing the changes in the host's distribution as the environment changes with the mechanics of how that disease spreads from animals to people, which hasn't been done before. It allows us to calculate how often people are likely to come into contact with disease-carrying animals and their risk of the virus spilling over. Alongside population increases, the expected future changes to climatic patterns will drive an expansion of the areas of West Africa considered high risk, especially the western most regions around Senegal and Guinea, the coastline of Cote d'ivoire and Ghana, and in Central <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nigerian-music-drums-ripe-watermelon/">Nigeria</a>," added first author, Dr David Redding, UCL Genetics, Evolution &amp; Environment.

The team used the locations of 408 known Lassa fever outbreaks in West Africa between 1967-2012 and the changes in land use and crop yields, temperature and rainfall, behaviour and access to healthcare. They also identified the sub-species of the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) which transmits Lassa virus to humans to map its location against ecological factors.

The model was then developed using this information along with forecasts of climate change, future population density and land-use change.

The approach has already proved successful by predicting the current disease patterns of Lassa fever. The researchers say the model could be refined to consider zoonotic disease transmission within human populations by including the impact of travel infrastructure, human-to-human contact rates and poverty -- something that would have been of enormous use in the recent Ebola and Zika outbreaks.


</div>
<div></div>

Predicting disease outbreaks using environmental changes

A model that predicts outbreaks of zoonotic diseases -- those...

The secrets of subglacial lakes in North America. Researchers at the University of Sheffield have provided a unique glimpse into one of the least understood environments on <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/remarkably-detailed-view-of-earth-at-night/">Earth</a> by revealing for the first time former subglacial lakes and their drainage routes beneath the North American ice sheets.

By investigating a very strange flat spot and associated channel in Alberta, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada">Canada</a>, which had no water in it, academics discovered the former existence of a lake trapped beneath an ice sheet during the last glaciation.

As this relict lake is no longer covered by many kilometres of ice, they were able to reconstruct what the lake would have looked like and how it drained from the landforms and sediments.

Their observations, published in the journal Nature Communications today (Monday 13 June 2016), suggest the lake existed as a shallow lens of water which repeatedly drained through channels cut into the bed.

The team's results provide constraints for the modelling of similar subglacial lake drainages beneath the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. These are a crucial component of the subglacial hydrological system, able to store and rapidly drain large volumes of meltwater, but we do not know enough about the drainage process to fully understand their influence on ice flow.The secrets of subglacial lakes in North America

Dr Stephen Livingstone, from the University's Department of Geography and lead author of the paper, said: "We've seen these flat spots connected to relict channels in Canada, and are inferring these as former subglacial lakes and their drainage imprint. As ice no longer covers these relict lakes, our discovery has allowed us to reconstruct how the subglacial lakes would have looked and how they drained from the landforms and sediments. Our results provide key constraints for the investigation of modern subglacial lakes beneath the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets."
###
<a href="http://www.shef.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The University of Sheffield</a>

With almost 27,000 of the brightest students from over 140 countries, learning alongside over 1,200 of the best academics from across the globe, the University of Sheffield is one of the world's leading universities.

A member of the UK's prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.

Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the university are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in.

Sheffield is the only university to feature in The Sunday Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For 2016 and was voted number one university in the UK for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education in 2014. In the last decade it has won four Queen's Anniversary Prizes in recognition of the outstanding contribution to the United Kingdom's intellectual, economic, cultural and social life.

Sheffield has five Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields.

Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Glaxo SmithKline, Siemens and Airbus, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.

For further information, please visit <a href="http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.sheffield.ac.uk</a>

For further information please contact: Hannah Postles, Media Relations Officer on 0114 222 1046 or email <a href="mailto:h.postles@sheffield.ac.uk">h.postles@sheffield.ac.uk</a>

The secrets of subglacial lakes in North America

The secrets of subglacial lakes in North America. Researchers at...

<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...