Have you ever paused to admire a morning glory? Just as their name suggests, these flowers open at sunrise and often close by afternoon or evening.



Despite their fragile appearance, a recent study from the University of Michigan suggests that morning glory plants are quite resilient. The team discovered that these plants can withstand the effects of weed killers and display resistance to damage from herbivorous insects.



In particular, morning glory plants were found to resist glyphosate - the active component in the herbicide RoundUp.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-resistance-to-insect-damage">Plant resistance to insect damage</h2>



Interestingly, the researchers found that plants which are susceptible to glyphosate are also susceptible to damage from insects. This implies that glyphosate can disrupt the co-evolution of plants and their insect adversaries.



Study lead author&nbsp;Grace Zhang is a U-M doctoral student working with&nbsp;Regina Baucom, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.



"When people think about herbicides and study them in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-boost-plant-evolution-in-surprising-ways/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants</a>, they think about herbicide resistance," said Zhang. 



"Resistance is a big problem, tolerance is a big problem. But beyond that, we don't really have a great idea of how herbicides impact plant evolution in general, and also how it might impact how plants interact with other things in their environment."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-insect-damage-on-plants-with-glyphosate">More insect damage on plants with glyphosate</h2>



The researchers set up the study with 1,600 morning glory plants in <a href="https://umich.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U-M</a>'s Matthaei Botanical Gardens. They sprayed half of the plants with glyphosate and recorded the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-leaf-eating-insects-have-a-huge-impact-on-forests/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants</a>' growth traits.



Noteworthy findings from the study included the fact that plants treated with glyphosate incurred more damage from insects compared to the non-treated (control) plants. However, plants resistant to glyphosate had less insect damage.



While conventional ecological theory would suggest a tradeoff between these two traits, Zhang said the team "saw the opposite."



The researchers also analyzed the fitness of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-technology-will-accelerate-the-pace-of-plant-species-discovery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants</a>, i.e., their likelihood of producing seeds. They discovered a positive selection acting on glyphosate resistance: the more resistant the plants are to glyphosate, the fitter they are and the more likely to produce seeds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-genes-and-insect-defenses">Plant genes and insect defenses</h2>



But, why are plants that are resistant to glyphosate also resistant to insect damage?



While Zhang and Baucom are yet to confirm, they hint at the role of the shikimate pathway - a metabolic process that glyphosate attacks, impacting the plant's herbivory defenses.



In contrast, the plants resistant to glyphosate seem to have multiple genes working together. These form detoxification pathways that can wade off glyphosate, thereby maintaining their insect defenses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-agricultural-practices">Implications for agricultural practices</h2>



This study has profound implications for current agricultural practices and the management of herbicide application. Understanding the dual resistance to both glyphosate and herbivory challenges the conventional approach to pest and weed management. 



For farmers, this could mean re-evaluating the use of herbicides like glyphosate to mitigate potential unintended ecological repercussions. 



The development of crops that can naturally resist both herbicides and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-the-milkweed-beetle-safely-feed-on-a-toxic-plant/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insect</a> predation could lead to more sustainable agricultural strategies, reducing the need for chemical inputs while preserving biodiversity in farmlands.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions </h2>



The findings open the door to further exploration into the genetic underpinnings of plant resistance. Future research could investigate the exact genetic pathways involved in this dual resistance, potentially leading to breakthroughs in genetic engineering for crop improvement.



Another avenue of research could focus on the long-term evolutionary consequences of glyphosate use on plant-insect interactions. 



Scientists could harness these insights for developing crops that are better suited to withstand both chemical and biological stressors, ensuring food security in an ever-changing environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-made-impacts-on-nature">Human-made impacts on nature</h2>



"Studies in the past usually look at the evolution of herbicide resistance in these plants or they'll look at how applying the herbicide directly to specific insects will affect them," Zhang said. 



"But they haven't really looked at this question from more of a community level: How does herbicide act as a disruptor on this community level?" 



"So that's what we really wanted to focus on: how does this new disruptive agent that is human-made impact a very natural, long standing relationship between plants and their insects?"



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.20238" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Phytologist</a>.



-----



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Herbicides disrupt the co-evolution of plants and insects

Have you ever paused to admire a morning glory? Just as their name suggests, these flowers open at sunrise and often close by afternoon or evening. Despite their fragile appearance, a recent study from the University of Michigan suggests that morning glory plants are quite resilient. The team discovered that these plants can withstand the effects of weed killers and display resistance to damage from herbivorous insects. In particular, morning glory plants were found to resist glyphosate - the active component in the herbicide RoundUp. Plant resistance...

Open grasslands and the wildfires that sustain them have been greatly reduced over the last 20 years because of a massive increase in agriculture, a new study found.

The total area of Earth's surface torched by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-produce-pollution/">flames</a> fell by nearly 25 percent, or 452,000 square miles (1.2 million square kilometers) from 1998 to 2015 according to the study by <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a> and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> researchers and published in <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

The largest drops were in Central America and South America, across the Eurasian steppe and in northern Africa, according to the study that analyzed data from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites.

"A billion and a half more people have been added to the planet over the past 20 years, livestock has doubled in many places, and wide-open areas once kept open by fire are now being farmed," said James Randerson, professor at UCI. "Our fire data are a sensitive indicator of the intense pressure humans are placing on these important ecosystems."

Scientists have predicted that fire risk would soar with rising global temperatures. But the prediction tools didn't account for surging population growth or the conversion of grasslands and subsistence farming to industrial agriculture in some of the world's poorest areas, the new study said.

Without occasional blazes, trees and shrubs encroach on grassland, which covers about a fifth of the planet's terrain.

"Satellite images revealed clear relationships among the rapid disappearance of fires from grassland ecosystems across the world, human activity and changes in plant cover," said lead author Niels Andela, a NASA research scientist.

"Humans are interrupting the ancient, natural cycle of burning and recovery in these areas," Randerson said.

There are some benefits from fewer fires, such as reducing lung-damaging smoke, the authors said.

There have been more wildfires the western U.S. and across North American boreal forests, where climate change is lengthening the fire season and drying out flammable vegetation faster, the authors noted.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a>

Earth losing grasslands and seeing fewer fires due to agriculture

Open grasslands and the wildfires that sustain them have been...

The chemical hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been used in bleach and as a wound disinfectant for years, but scientists have recently discovered that it also plays an important role in plants.

Hydrogen peroxide occurs naturally as a by-product of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/use-photosynthesis-create-hydrogen-fuel/">photosynthesis</a> in the chloroplasts of plant cells. Researchers have now observed that H2O2 is actually used to control how these cells react to different levels of light.

The study was done by the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> and the <a href="http://www.essex.ac.uk/">University of Essex</a>, where researchers used a fluorescent protein that detects H2O2 in order to see how it moves from chloroplasts to cell nuclei. Since plants’ genes are located in the nuclei, this method allowed the researchers to observe how plants activate the genes they need for their leaves to adapt to potentially harmful levels of sunlight. This allows the chloroplasts and nucleus to communicate in order to control photosynthesis and properly adjust to certain light conditions.

“It’s important for plants to be able to detect how much light there is, so they can make the most of it for photosynthesis,” says Nick Smirnoff, at professor at the University of Exeter. “They also have to adjust to protect themselves, as high levels of light can damage leaves - similar in some ways to how we humans get sunburn on our skin.”

The researchers also discovered that some of the chloroplasts that produce this hydrogen peroxide signal are actually attached to the nucleus, which allows them to pass the chemical more effectively. In fact, this was the first time signals have been observed being exchanged from the chloroplast to the nucleus.

New research such as this helps us to understand the fascinating physiology of plants, a very necessary endeavor if we’re going to continue to benefit from their presence on our planet.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>

How hydrogen peroxide protects plants against sun damage

The chemical hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been used in bleach...

Remote sensing technologies could make huge improvements in the sustainable management of palm oil plantations. The new monitoring methods may be able to transform the oil palm industry into a more environmentally-friendly practice while optimizing the production of palm oil. 

Unfortunately, progress on the development of these geoinformation technologies is moving slowly. Environmental experts are expressing the need for a sense of urgency in the creation and implementation of remote oil palm plantation monitoring methods.

The oil palm industry is responsible for the destruction of large areas of tropical forest and ecosystems with high conservation value. The global demand for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/palm-oil-done-right/">palm oil</a> has also resulted in habitat degradation, climate change, and indigenous land rights abuse.

At the same time, global demand for oil palm production is rapidly increasing as palm oil has grown to become the most consumed oil in the world. Oil palms produce vegetable oil more cheaply than any other oil crop. More plantations are being developed, while existing plantations are being expanded.

Palm oil plantations are currently monitored using time-consuming, expensive land assessments. The high-resolution satellite imagery used for remote sensing will provide the same information more quickly and accurately. 

The computerized geographic information will also meet the monitoring standards of palm oil industry certification agencies such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, or <a href="http://www.rspo.org/about">RSPO</a>.

Use of remote sensing technologies will tackle the challenge of increasing oil palm production while reducing the negative impact on tropical forests and climate change. Illegal deforestation could be detected and disease and pest control problems could be identified sooner. 

The authors of a report published in the journal <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tgsi20">Geo-spatial Information Science</a> say the potential benefits are extensive. They say use of remote sensing imagery will improve the accuracy of yield prediction, and identify suitable land for plantation expansion while protecting forests with high carbon stocks or high conservation value.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tgsi20">Geo-spatial Information Science</a>

Remote sensing could revolutionize the oil palm industry

Remote sensing technologies could make huge improvements in the sustainable...

Scientists in China have developed an engineering tool capable of transforming rice into a powerful source of antioxidants. The rice has a deep purple color which is produced by compounds known as anthocyanins. These flavonoids act as antioxidants in the body that can inhibit or reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

Some varieties of black and red rice are naturally enhanced with anthocyanins. However, polished rice grains have been stripped of the husk, bran, and germ, and are left only with a tissue produced inside of the seed known as endosperm. 

While rice has been successfully modified to contain beta-carotene and folate, efforts to develop anthocyanin production in rice have failed. Scientists were unsuccessful because the underlying biosynthesis pathway is highly complex, making it difficult to effectively transfer many genes into plants.

Researchers in China teamed up to find a new approach to anthocyanin production in rice. They analyzed sequences of anthocyanin pathway genes in different rice varieties. The team was able to identify the defective genes in Japonica rice and Indica rice that do not produce anthocyanins.

Next, the team developed a transgene stacking strategy capable of expressing eight anthocyanin pathway genes in the endosperm of Japonica and Indica rice. This produced purple rice that contained high anthocyanin levels in the endosperm. 

"We have developed a highly efficient, easy-to-use transgene stacking system called TransGene Stacking II that enables the assembly of a large number of genes in single vectors for plant transformation," said Yao-Guang Liu, senior author of the study.

The engineering tool created by the team may lead to rapid progress in the production of healthy nutrients in other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/corn-valuable-food-fuel/">foods</a>. 

"This is the first demonstration of engineering such a complex metabolic pathway in plants," said Liu.

The team will now assess the safety of purple endosperm rice as a biofortified food and explore ways to produce purple endosperm cereal. The study is published today in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/molecular-plant/home">Molecular Plant</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.cell.com/molecular-plant/home">Molecular Plant</a>

Image Credit: Qinlong Zhu of the South China Agricultural University

New tool transforms rice into superfood full of antioxidants

Scientists in China have developed an engineering tool capable of...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-bleaching-havoc-hawaiian/">we’ve reported</a> here at <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>, coral bleaching events triggered by global warming have been wreaking havoc on reefs worldwide. When the water temperature rises, it causes coral to release algae from their inner tissue as a response to the environmental stress. But without the algae, the corals starve and die off. Coral bleaching has already <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-coral-loss-worse/">killed</a> 28% of shallow water coral in the Great Barrier Reef and now targets a new victim: the Florida Keys. 

According to a new report from the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/business/environment/florida-reef/?utm_term=.c80502b95ea1&amp;wpisrc=nl_heads-draw6&amp;wpmm=1">Washington Post</a>, coral decay caused by global warming poses a direct threat to the economy of the Florida Keys. This is because the local economy is based on tourism, diving, and fishing that require healthy and diverse coral reefs.

The Florida Keys themselves actually developed from an ancient coral archipelago and contain numerous marinas and seafood restaurants. Tourism, a key pillar in the local economy, is driven by diving and snorkelling activities based around the natural beauty of the surrounding coral reefs.

According to the report, 3.5 million tourists visit the Florida Keys each year. Tourism accounts for 54% of all jobs and contributes $2.7 billion to the local economy, according to Monroe County.

Damaged and decaying reefs are not only less of an attraction of divers, but also negatively impact marine life and biodiversity. The increase of algae in the water drives away fish populations, which in turn, negatively impacts the fishing industry and seafood restaurants. 

Coral reefs in the area suffered traumatic bleaching events in 2014 and 2015, and scientists expect that by 2020, yearly bleaching events will be a regular occurrence.

Although the Keys have spent millions of dollars to protect the waters from pollution and human waste, the Washington Post feature points out that coral bleaching caused by global warming cannot be battled on a local level. 

-

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/business/environment/florida-reef/?utm_term=.c80502b95ea1&amp;wpisrc=nl_heads-draw6&amp;wpmm=1">Washington Post</a>

How global warming could devastate the Florida Keys economy

As we’ve reported here at Earth.com, coral bleaching events triggered...

Growing plants in vinegar or spraying them with vinegar can help them survive droughts, according to a new study.

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.riken.jp/en/research/labs/csrs/">IKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science</a> set out to explain why  mutant versions of the plant Arabidopsis have strong drought tolerance.

These plants have a mutation to an enzyme called HDA6 (histone deacetylase6). The first goal of the study was to determine exactly how the mutation allows the plants to grow normally in severe and extended conditions without water.

Initial testing in normal Arabidopsis under stress during drought conditions showed that genomic-wide expression of hda6 was linked to activation of the biological pathway that produces acetate, the main component of vinegar.

The mutated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-plants-can-hear-running-water/">plants</a> produced larger amounts of acetate under the same conditions, the researchers found.

The results predicted that increasing the amount of acetate in plants could help them survive drought. The team tested this hypothesis by comparing plants sprayed with acetic acid compared to those grown normally. They found that after 14 days more than 7 percent of the plants treated with acetic acid had survived, while virtually all other plants had died.

They also found that drought tolerance also increased in rice, wheat, and maize when the plants were grown in optimal acetic acid concentrations.

“Although transgenic technologies can be used to create plants that are more tolerant to drought, we must also develop simple and less expensive technologies because genetically modified plants are not available in all countries,” said Jong-Myong Kim, one of the leaders of the study. “ We expect that external application of acetate to plants will be a useful, simple, and less expensive way to enhance drought tolerance in a variety of plants."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nplants/">Nature Plants</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.riken.jp/en/research/labs/csrs/">IKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science </a>

Image Credit: Riken

How vinegar can help plants survive droughts

Growing plants in vinegar or spraying them with vinegar can...

There’s no way to allow deep-sea mining without at least some loss of biodiversity in the ocean depths, according to a group of 15 scientists, economists and legal scholars from around the world.

"The extraction of nonrenewable resources always includes tradeoffs," said Dr. Linwood Pendleton of the <a href="https://www-iuem.univ-brest.fr/en/home">European Institute of Marine Studies</a>. "A serious trade-off for deep-sea mining will be an unavoidable loss of biodiversity, including many species that have yet to be discovered."

Pendleton, who also teaches at <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University</a>, and 14 others co-wrote a letter describing their concerns that will be published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a> today. 

In the letter, they call on the International Seabed Authority to recognized the risks posed by deep-sea mining. They also ask the ISA to create a guide of standards and safeguards and use it to educate countries on the effects deep-sea mining has on ocean ecosystems.

They also urged for more extensive study of ocean ecosystems so that scientists can gain a better understanding of life under the sea before it is further altered by human activity.

"There is tremendous uncertainty about ecological responses to deep-sea mining," said oceanographer Dr. Cindy L. Van Dover of Duke University, another of the letter’s authors. "Responsible mining needs to rely on environmental management actions that will protect deep-sea biodiversity and not on actions that are unproven or unreasonable."

It’s important to take steps now, before deep-sea mining becomes an extensive industry, the scientists said. While there were only six major contracts for deep-sea mineral exploration in 2001, a full 27 projects will be underway by the end of this year, the scientists wrote.

Plans should be in place to mitigate any losses or disturbances to undersea ecosystems, they said.

Mining supporters have suggested that companies can help to restore coastal ecosystems to offset loss, but the scientists are concerned about deep-sea ecosystems, not coastal ones.

"The argument that you can compensate for the loss of biological diversity in the deep sea with gains in diversity elsewhere is so ambiguous as to be scientifically meaningless," said oceanographer Dr. Craig Smith of the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawai'i, Manoa</a>.

The authors of the correspondence include experts from the United States, France, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia and Poland.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image Source: <a href="http://explore.noaa.gov/">NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research</a>

Deep-sea mining will bring inevitable loss of biodiversity, experts say

There’s no way to allow deep-sea mining without at least...

You already know vegetables are good for you. Now, there’s another reason to eat them: vegetable protein can help to protect against early menopause, according to a new study.

Epidemiologists from the <a href="http://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts, Amherst</a> and the <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a> at Harvard University found that a high uptake of vegetable protein from foods such as enriched pasta, whole grain bread, soy and tofu over a long period of time can boost the function of the female reproductive system. Eating plenty of veggies can also help prevent early menopause, the scientists said.

"A better understanding of how dietary vegetable protein intake is associated with ovarian aging may identify ways for women to modify their risk of early onset menopause and associated health conditions," wrote Maegan Boutot, the study’s lead author and a graduate student at UMass Amherst at the time of the study.

The researchers used data collected by the <a href="http://www.nurseshealthstudy.org/">Nurses’ Health Study II</a> to see if there was a link between dietary intake of vegetable protein and reproductive health among women.

They found that between 5 and 10 percent of women in the western world begin menopause before the age of 45. While women who undergo early menopause are at lower risk for breast and ovarian cancer, according to previous studies, they’re also at a higher risk for other types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and lower bone density.

Earlier research had pointed to a possible correlation between diet and early menopause, the researchers said. They were curious to find out if there was evidence for a link.

“We evaluated the relation of long-term intake of vegetable protein, animal protein, and specific protein-rich foods with incidence of early natural menopause in the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort,” they wrote in the study.

After correcting for other factors like medical history, weight and smoking, they found that women who consumed less vegetable protein tended to start menopause earlier. On the other hand, women who ate plenty of veggies had a much lower risk of early menopause.

“Intakes of specific foods including pasta, dark bread and cold cereal were also associated with lower risk,” they wrote.

Animal protein consumption didn’t seem to affect the age of onset for menopause.

The study has been published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/doi/10.1093/aje/kwx256/3886033/Dietary-Protein-Intake-and-Early-Menopause-in-the?redirectedFrom=fulltext">American Journal of Epidemiology</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Want to avoid early menopause? Eat more vegetable protein

You already know vegetables are good for you. Now, there’s...

In recent years, medical marijuana has become a booming industry that has also paved the way for the legalization of recreational marijuana in a number of states. Legalized medical and recreational marijuana has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry for humans, but is there a market for animals as well?

Despite cannabis still being illegal on the federal level, there is a legal gray area that allows pet owners to feed medicinal forms of marijuana to their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-domesticated-10000-years/">pets</a>. In many cases, it’s being used to treat ailments such as anxiety, cancer, ear infections, and arthritis.

“We are seeing about 20 percent growth every single month,' Alison Ettel, the founder of Treat Well, a company in California that makes non-psychoactive medical marijuana products for animals and humans, told <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4620230/Medical-marijuana-woos-four-legged-fans.html">Daily Mail</a>. “We probably get at least one to five cancer patients a day and the results we're seeing are just blowing my mind.”

Medical cannabis is currently legal in 29 states – plus Washington D.C., which has led to a sharp uptick in not only the number of humans using it as medicine, but animals as well. Ettel estimates that Treat Well is now treating thousands of animals.

Veterinarians are not allowed to prescribe marijuana for pets, so many owners will get a marijuana card for themselves in order to access medicine for their pets.

Supporters of medical cannabis for animas say that it provides a distinct advantage over other traditional drugs and painkillers, and it has no known side effects. Furthermore, medical cannabis can often be less expensive than other traditional medications.

However, some veterinarians are wary of the use of cannabis as a drug. “There are no studies on dogs or cats, much less guinea pigs or other species, so I don't know what the potential benefits could be, if any,” Ken Pawlowski, veterinarian and head of the California Veterinary Medical Association, told <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4620230/Medical-marijuana-woos-four-legged-fans.html">Daily Mail</a>.

Nevertheless, while certain loopholes still exist, owners are finding it beneficial to treat their pets with medical marijuana for certain ailments – and if it works, why wouldn’t they?

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4620230/Medical-marijuana-woos-four-legged-fans.html">Daily Mail</a>

Pet owners turning to medical marijuana to treat their animals

In recent years, medical marijuana has become a booming industry...

Rotating crops, controlling insects, and using virus-free purchased seed are the most effective tools in combating plant diseases that threaten global food security, a new study concludes.

A team of researchers at the <a href="http://www.nimbios.org/">National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis</a> used mathematical modeling to better understand the dynamics of a disease called maize lethal necrosis, which is ravaging one of the sub-Saharan Africa’s region's preferred crops for food, feed, and income.

The study focuses on Kenya where plant diseases cause corn plants to die prematurely, drastically reducing the yield. Most of the nation's maize supply comes from small to medium-size farms, which are less able to withstand threats to their food production than large resource-rich farms.

For both types of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/maryland-farmers-cover-crops/">farmers</a>, synchronized management over large areas would be needed to provide long-term, sustainable control, the study found.

However, this management strategy is usually only available to large commercial maize farms with sufficient resources to afford agrochemicals and purchased seed.

The results emphasize the value of mathematical modeling in informing management of an emerging disease especially when epidemiological information is sparse, the authors said.

"Mathematical modeling can play an important role in integrating what biological information is available with reasonable assumptions on what is missing to give at least a first indication of the potential effectiveness of disease control options,” the authors wrote. “Modeling can also indicate and help prioritize some key research questions that need to be addressed in seeking long-term sustainable control options." 

The research was a result of efforts of the <a href="http://www.nimbios.org/workinggroups/WG_plantviruses">NIMBioS Working Group on Multiscale Vectored Plant Viruses</a>, which included mathematicians, ecologists, plant pathologists, and evolutionary biologists who met over several years to develop novel mathematical methods for the study of plant pathology. The Working Group was established following the NIMBioS Investigative Workshop on Vectored Plant Viruses, held in March 2014.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.nimbios.org/">National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis</a>

Researchers use mathematical modeling to fight plant diseases

Rotating crops, controlling insects, and using virus-free purchased seed are...

If your family is from a <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/corinth-canal-connects-mediterranean/">Mediterranean</a> country – especially Italy or Greece – you know the importance of olive oil when it comes to cooking. But did you know that there may be potential health benefits as well? 

In a recent study published in the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2328-9503">Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology</a>, researchers from the <a href="http://medicine.temple.edu/">Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM) at Temple University</a> have found a possible link between extra-virgin olive oil consumption and protection against cognitive decline.

The study involved using a well-established Alzheimer’s disease mouse model known as a triple transgenic model – as the mice develop three characteristics of the disease. These characteristics are memory impairment, amyloid plagues, and neurofibrillary tangles.

By testing two groups of mice – one that consumed food enriched with olive oil and one that didn’t – the researchers could see the effects of this substance on the brain. They discovered that at age 9 months and 12 months, the group of olive oil mice performed significantly better on tests designed to evaluate working memory, spatial memory, and learning abilities. Furthermore, through analysis of the animals’ brain tissue, they found that there were major differences in nerve cell appearance and function, including reduced inflammation.

“One thing that stood out immediately was synaptic integrity,” says Dr. Domenico Praticò, professor at LKSOM. Synapses are the connections between the neurons, which appeared to be better preserved in mice that had olive oil enhanced diets. The brain cells of the mice in this group also had a significant increase in nerve cell autophagy activity, which helps reduce amyloid plagues and phosphorylated tau – both of which are major factors in the development of Alzheimer’s.

Prior studies have linked consumption of extra-virgin olive oil with many health benefits. “The thinking is that extra-virgin olive oil is better than fruits and vegetables alone, and as a monounsaturated vegetable fat it is healthier than saturated animal fats,” explains Praticò.

The researchers are excited by these findings, and plan on performing further studies into the healing abilities of extra-virgin olive oil. Their next step is to see if olive oil reduces the Alzheimer’s symptoms of mice that have already developed plaques and tangles. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.templehealth.org/content/default.htm">Temple University Health System</a>

Extra-virgin olive oil protects brain from Alzheimer’s in mice

If your family is from a Mediterranean country – especially...

A team of scientists in Japan have identified multiple active compounds in a traditional plant medicine that both strengthen memory and reduce Alzheimer’s disease characteristics in mice. 

The discovery was made possible by a new technique innovated by the researchers that allowed them to isolate and identify active compounds in plant medicines that, in turn, account for drug behavior in the body.

The plant medicine, known as Drynaria Rhizome, has been used by humans for many years to help cope with a variety of ailments. 

While many plant compounds have little to no effect on the body, others can have an important, therapeutic effect. If those compounds can be isolated, they can be used in new medicines. 

Still, once these compounds enter the body, enzymes can reduce their effectiveness. Additionally, certain parts of the body like the brain can be very difficult for the drugs to access.

"The candidate compounds identified in traditional benchtop drug screens of plant medicines are not always true active compounds, because these assays ignore bio-metabolism and tissue distribution," said Chihiro Tohda, senior author of the study. "So, we aimed to develop more efficient methods to identify authentic active compounds that take these factors into account."

To test the active compounds in Drynaria Rhizome, the scientists used mice who possessed a genetic mutation as a model for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lack-sleep-eat-brain/">Alzheimer's disease</a>. After treating the mice with the compounds orally and examining their brain tissue several hours later, they found that three compounds had made to to the brain. As a result, the plant treatment reduced both memory impairment and levels of amyloid and tau proteins, which build up and block memory. 

The researchers are hopeful that the breakthrough technique can be used to identify further Alzheimer’s disease treatments.

"We are applying this method to discover <a href="https://medicalxpress.com/tags/new+drugs/">new drugs</a> for other diseases such as spinal cord injury, depression and sarcopenia," explains Tohda.

--

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>

Breakthrough plant compounds could help treat Alzheimer’s disease

A team of scientists in Japan have identified multiple active...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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