Corals act more like us humans than one might think. These aquatic structures host an array of marine life while also depending on their microenvironment to survive and grow. Just like humans take multivitamins to stay healthy, corals rely on essential nutrients to thrive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-multivitamins-for-corals">Multivitamins for corals</h2>



Enter the researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). They've been busy in the lab, testing an innovative concept: nutrient-infused tiles aimed at supercharging the immune system of corals. It's like a daily multivitamin, but for corals. 



The goal? They aim to prevent coral bleaching, and to help corals to weather the stress of shifting ocean temperatures and to bounce back from harsh climate events such as hurricanes.



"We are studying how corals react when grown on substrates that have been infused with essential metal micronutrients, like manganese, zinc, and iron," explained Colleen Hansel, a senior scientist and marine chemist at <a href="https://www.whoi.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WHOI</a>.



There's an urgency to this work, as rapidly warming waters and an active hurricane season make field trials difficult.



However, hope is not lost. Preliminary data harvested from a year’s worth of lab experiments suggests that corals which received a nutrient boost early on were more resilient and resistant to heat stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-reef-brought-to-life">A reef brought to life</h2>



Armed with this data, the team's next plan is to take these nutrient-infused tiles and embed them in an artificial reef. 



Designed by experts at the University of the Virgin Islands (<a href="https://www.uvi.edu/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UVI</a>), this 20 sq. meter (216 sq. ft.) concrete setup will offer a safe home to juvenile corals that need multivitamins.



It also doubles as a settling spot for coral larvae, while the nutrient-rich tiles ensure vitamins are dispersed into the surrounding waters. This not only promotes coral growth, but also prepares them for environmental stressors.



"The artificial reef we're building is going in next to a natural reef that has been severely impacted by marine heat waves and extreme storm events," explained Marilyn Brandt, a coral disease ecologist at the UVI.



This man-made marvel won't just fend off storm surges and erosion, it will also create a habitat for corals struggling to adapt to climate change effects. The ultimate goal of the reef's establishment is to help restore the natural reefs in the area.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monitoring-corals-and-multivitamin-tiles">Monitoring corals and multivitamin tiles</h2>



To ensure the ongoing success of this cutting-edge approach, continuous monitoring and adaptation are integral. Scientists plan to deploy advanced monitoring systems that will track <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-is-on-the-brink-of-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral health</a> metrics in real-time. 



This will include assessments of coral growth rates, color changes indicative of stress, and local water conditions. Such data will allow researchers to alter their strategies promptly, adjusting nutrient concentrations or tile placements as necessary to optimize coral resilience.



A dynamic interplay between technology and ecological understanding will ultimately support these living structures in adapting to ever-changing marine environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-community-engagement-and-education">Community engagement and education</h2>



Beyond laboratory experiments and scientific endeavors, community engagement plays a pivotal role in coral conservation. Educational initiatives aim to involve local communities and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/60-percent-global-coral-reefs-face-bleaching-rising-temperatures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">raise awareness</a> about the importance of coral ecosystems. 



Workshops, seminars, and hands-on restoration activities promote a sense of stewardship among residents and visitors alike. By incorporating traditional knowledge and local insights, these programs ensure a holistic approach to coral reef preservation.



As communities learn and participate in restoration efforts, they contribute to a sustainable model that may serve as a blueprint for similar conservation projects globally.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-the-ecosystem">Balancing the ecosystem</h2>



Of course, in the grand scheme of the ocean world, balance is key. While the "multivitamin" tiles will help corals, researchers are cautious that they don't end up favoring a specific coral type or promote the intrusion of unwanted species.



As a result, Brandt, Hansel, and their colleagues are keen to examine this while generating a diverse environment beneficial to the reef ecosystem.



"We need to be sure an artificial reef looks and sounds as similar to a natural reef as possible," said Hansel. "That doesn't consist of just coral, but also sponges, anemones, and other biogeochemical components of the reef ecosystem."



Thus, it's evident that these nutrient-infused tiles, created with dedication and an innovative spirit, could provide a vital lifeline for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-illuminates-fish-interactions-in-coral-reefs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral reefs</a> in these changing times.



Could this be the answer to coral resilience? As with much in science, time and rigorous testing will tell. For now, let's look forward to more revealing studies on this exciting development.



-----



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'Multivitamins' could save coral reefs from climate destruction

Corals act more like us humans than one might think. These aquatic structures host an array of marine life while also depending on their microenvironment to survive and grow. Just like humans take multivitamins to stay healthy, corals rely on essential nutrients to thrive. Multivitamins for corals Enter the researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). They've been busy in the lab, testing an innovative concept: nutrient-infused tiles aimed at supercharging the immune system of corals. It's like a daily multivitamin, but for corals. The goal?...

The trillions of microorganisms that thrive in our gastrointestinal tract are essential to our health and immune system. Our bodies are teeming with bacteria, and a healthy gut needs these good microorganisms to help fend off harmful bacteria, break down food, and produce vitamins.

There has been a growing interest in the role gut flora play in mental health with studies suggesting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-health-depression/">depression and gut health are linked</a> through the “gut-brain axis.”

Some research has suggested that regulating gut bacteria could help improve mental disorders like anxiety, one of the most common mental illnesses in the US, but so far there has been little conclusive evidence to back these claims. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.smhc.org.cn/index_en.aspx">Shanghai Mental Health Center</a> at <a href="http://en.sjtu.edu.cn/">Shanghai Jiao Tong</a> reviewed 21 studies that assessed the impacts of probiotics and non-probiotic lifestyle changes on gut health and anxiety. 

In all, the 21 studies followed 1,5013 participants and 14 of the studies involved using probiotics while the other seven examined non-probiotic treatments like changing diet. 

Some of the studies using probiotics tried two or three kinds of probiotics while some only used one probiotic. 

Eleven out of 21 studies had positive results showing that regulating gut flora helped reduce anxiety symptoms. 

The researchers found that the 14 studies that tested probiotics were 36 percent effective in total at reducing anxiety, but 6 out of 7 of the non-probiotic studies were effective in reducing anxiety.

In all the studies reviewed, there was an overall trend of the non-probiotic dietary changes being more effective than probiotics, especially when participants in a study tried both simultaneously. 

According to the researchers, this is because changing a diet has a much more dramatic impact on improving and regulating the gut microbiota. 

The results suggest that there is an essential connection between gut health and mental health, but more research is needed to understand this link. 

Regulating gut bacteria could help reduce anxiety, but the researchers note that the study is observational with many limitations. 

The researchers detailed their findings in a study published in the journal <a href="http://gut.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/gpsych-2019-100056">General Psychiatry</a>. 

“There are two kinds of interventions (probiotic and non-probiotic interventions) to regulate intestinal microbiota, and it should be highlighted that the non-probiotic interventions were more effective than the probiotic interventions,” the researchers said. “More studies are needed to clarify this conclusion since we still cannot run meta-analysis so far.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Regulating gut bacteria could be key to alleviating anxiety

The trillions of microorganisms that thrive in our gastrointestinal tract...

Researchers from the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California San Diego</a> and <a href="https://case.edu/">Case Western Reserve University</a> have discovered that a particular plant virus, called the Tobacco mild green mosaic virus, can help deliver pesticide molecules deeper into the ground to better treat pest infestations without damaging the environment.

"It sounds counterintuitive that we can use a plant virus to treat plant health," said senior author of the study, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/nnano/">Nature Nanotechnology</a>, Nicole Steinmetz, a professor of nanoengineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. "This is an emerging field of research in nanotechnology showing that we can use plant viruses as pesticide delivery systems. It's similar to how we're using nanoparticles in medicine to target drugs towards sites of disease and reduce their side effects in patients."

The problem with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tomatoes-insect-resistant-genes/">pesticides</a> is that they are incredibly sticky molecules, and bind to organic material in the soil before getting a chance to penetrate deeper into the soil. Because of this, farmers often use more pesticides, thus harming the environment, including the groundwater.

To test the efficiency of Tobacco mild green mosaic virus, the team attached a model insecticide to different types of nanoparticles. They watered each one through columns of soil. Tobacco mild green mosaic virus performed the best, having carried the pesticide down to 30 centimeters below the soil surface while other nanoparticles were only able to penetrate 8 to 12 centimeters, or carry less than the Tobacco mild green mosaic could.

Tobacco mild green mosaic’s efficiency can most likely be explained by its nanoparticle geometry and surface chemistry — it has a tubular structure and has a surface chemistry of synthetic particles like PLGA and silica, making it interact differently with the soil in comparison to other nanoparticles.

[caption id="attachment_1872883" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/plant-virus.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872883" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/plant-virus.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" /></a> Researchers test how far Tobacco mild green mosaic virus travels through a soil column. Image Credit: David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering[/caption]

"We're taking concepts we've learned from nanomedicine, where we're developing nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery, and applying them to agriculture," Steinmetz explained. "In the medical setting, we also see that nanocarriers with skinny, tubular shapes and diverse surface chemistries can navigate the body better. It makes sense that a plant virus can more easily penetrate and move through the soil — probably because that's where it naturally resides."

Furthermore, Tobacco mild green mosaic is benign to plants other than those in the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, etc.), and can only be transmitted by mechanical contact between plants rather than air. Therefore it can be used to treat fields without fear of it infecting other nearby crops.

Steinmetz and her team also developed a computer model that can be used to predict how pesticide nanocarriers will behave in soil. "Researchers working with a different plant virus or nanomaterial could use our model to determine how well their particle would work as a pesticide delivery agent," said first author Paul Chariou, a bioengineering PhD student in Steinmetz's lab at UC San Diego.

"It also cuts down on experimental workload," Chariou continued. "[Testing just one nanoparticle] takes at least one month. But with the model, it only took us about 10 soil columns and 4 days to test a new nanoparticle.”

The goal for Steinmetz and her team is to introduce Tobacco mild green mosaic virus into actual crops. But they will test it with various pesticide loads first before applying.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering

This plant virus can actually help keep plants healthy and pest-free

Researchers from the University of California San Diego and Case...

There could be a liquid ocean sitting beneath a layer of insulating gas on the dwarf planet Pluto, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-horizons-ultima-thule/">New Horizons</a> recently made waves as it passed Ultima Thule, a rocky formation dating back to the beginnings of the solar system situated a billion miles from Pluto. 

However, just a few years before New Horizons struck out across the farthest reaches of the solar system, the space probe passed by Pluto, sending back stunning images of the frozen dwarf planet and even <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/pluto/2015/">video footage</a>. 

The images revealed a close look at Pluto and its moon as well as some unusual topography on the dwarf planet. A white colored basin called Sputnik Planitia, which measures around the size of Texas, is perplexing because of its location and rugged topography.

[caption id="attachment_1872880" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Sputnik-Planitia.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872880" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Sputnik-Planitia.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="370" /></a> The bright 'heart' on Pluto is located near the equator. Its left half is a large basin called Sputnik Planitia. Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute[/caption]

This has lead researchers to hypothesize that beneath this bumpy frozen shell sits a subsurface ocean, a hypothesis impossible to reconcile due to the age of Pluto. 

In a new study, researchers from several institutes and universities in Japan along with the <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">University of California, Santa Cruz</a> used computer simulations to make sense of the mystifying topography. 

Given Pluto’s age, any water on the planet would have frozen long ago leaving behind a slick and flat shell, not the bumpy ridges found on Sputnik Planitia. 

The researchers hypothesized that beneath Pluto’s icy surface is an insulating layer of methane gas hydrates, crystalline ice-like solids that could potentially keep a liquid ocean hydrated and warm enough not to freeze. 

Computer simulations were used starting at the beginning of the solar system 4.6 billion years to model the formation of Pluto. One scenario included an insulating layer of gas and another left out the gas layer in the planet. 

The only way an ocean could still exist beneath Pluto is with the help of an insulation layer, the simulations showed. 

If the researchers’ simulations are correct, it could point to the existence of other subsurface oceans on distant frozen objects besides Pluto. 

“This could mean there are more oceans in the universe than previously thought, making the existence of extraterrestrial life more plausible,” said Shunichi Kamata, the leader of the research. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Alex Parker

Pluto could contain an ocean trapped beneath an insulating layer of gas

There could be a liquid ocean sitting beneath a layer...

New research led by Sarah Lambart, assistant professor of geology at the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a>, has found that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/upwelling-earths-mantle-volcanoes/">Earth’s mantle</a> is less of a gradient of orange-and-yellow lavas and instead is more of a mosaic of colors that looks similar to a Jackson Pollock painting. Lambart and her team also discovered that a copy of this mosaic resides within the Earth’s crust.

"If you look at a painting from Jackson Pollock, you have a lot of different colors," Lambart said. "Those colors represent different mantle components and the lines are magmas produced by these components and transported to the surface. You look at the yellow line, it's not going to mix much with the red or black."

Before Lambart embarked on her study, published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0368-9">Nature Geoscience</a>, experts had previously noted that lava, which erupts from the mantle from mid-ocean ridges, is chemically similar to most lava found elsewhere on the planet. However, there should be chemical differences at the tail end of the crust’s lifecycle — after old ocean crust melts and spreads outward from the mid-ocean ridges before sinking back into the mantle. The melting should cause chemical variation.

Lambart and her team wanted to discover what the mantle looks like before it rises as lava. They first drilled through the ocean crust to examine primitive minerals — the first to crystalize when magma enters the crust. 

"We looked at the most primitive part of these minerals," Lambart said. She noted that she and her team only analyzed the chemical composition of the earliest of minerals to form. "If you are not actually looking at the most primitive part you might lose the signal of this first melt that has been delivered to the crust. That is the originality of our work."

She and her team then looked at the samples in depth, examining the variations in isotopes of neodymium and strontium, which can signify different chemistries of mantle materials that could potentially come from different rock types. 

"If you have isotopic variability in your cumulates, that means that you have to have isotopic variability in the mantle too," Lambart explained. And that’s what the team happened upon.

The team discovered that the amount of isotope variability in the sample cumulates was seven times greater than that in the mid-ocean ridge lavas, which means that the mantle not at all mixed.

Lambart notes that rocks melt at different temperatures, thus the first rock to melt will create channels that magma can be transported up to the crust. The more melting that occurs, the more channels are created and eventually converge toward the mid-ocean ridge — channels that never mix, despite their contents mixing within the crust to create the lava.

The next step is to model the discovery. "The problem is we need to find a way to model the geodynamic earth, including plate tectonics, to actually reproduce what is recorded in the rock today," Lambart concludes. "So far this link is missing."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Sarah Lambart/University of Utah

Research shows that Earth’s mantle looks ‘like a Jackson Pollock painting’

New research led by Sarah Lambart, assistant professor of geology...

Environmental pollutants don’t just affect living people who encounter them. They can also affect the fertility of future generations, according to new research.

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.uliege.be/cms/c_8699436/en/uliege-portal">University of Liege</a> studies how endocrine-disrupting chemicals – common pollutants already in our environment from plastic, pesticides and medications – affected pregnant rats and their offspring. 

When the pregnant rats were given doses equivalent to those many human communities are exposed to, they showed impairments in their maternal behavior that were passed down to future generations. Their offspring and later generations also showed impaired sexual development.

"Our results raise real concerns about the effects of these pollutants in our environment,” said Dr. Anne-Simone Parent, who worked with graduate student David Lopez Rodriguez on the study. “We found effects of EDCs in generations of animals that had not been directly exposed to the chemicals. We exposed the parent generation only and found long-term effects on fertility.”

Other studies have already linked environmental pollutants to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/home-chemical-pollutants-harm-fertility/">infertility</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bpa-exposure-premature-birth/">premature birth</a> in humans and other animals.

The researchers were especially concerned because in their study, only the pregnant rats were exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. In real life, humans and other animals are exposed to EDCs and other environmental pollutants on a regular basis for generations.

"These findings raise questions about the legacy we are leaving future generations,” Rodriguez said. “Current European legislation on EDCs does not consider how mixtures of low dose pollutants in our environment could be causing harm and affecting our children and wildlife in future generations, our data suggest an urgent need to follow the precautionary principle."

The team will present their findings at the <a href="https://www.ese-hormones.org/">European Society of Endocrinology</a> annual meeting, <a href="https://www.ese-hormones.org/events-deadlines/european-congress-of-endocrinology/ece-2019/">ECE 2019</a>.

They plan to continue studying the rats, to determine whether the impaired maternal behavior linked to environmental pollutants or the pollutant exposure itself contributes to future generations’ difficulties. 

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Environmental pollutants affect sexual development for generations

Environmental pollutants don’t just affect living people who encounter them....

For 20 years, life expectancy at birth has been growing rapidly in Australia. Now, the country’s rate of growth is falling behind most other high-income countries around the world, mainly due to slowing declines in deaths linked to cancer and heart disease.

"Together with the high prevalence of obesity, this suggests that future life expectancy increases will be smaller than in other high-income countries," Dr. Alan Lopez of the <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a> said in a press release.

Australia has also fallen behind in the battle against tobacco use, his co-author Dr. Tim Adair said. 

While life expectancy is still on the rise in Australia, gains have slowed compared to most of western Europe. 

Lopez and Adair found that between 1981 and 2003, lifespans increased rapidly, both in general and in comparison to other high-income nations. The main contributor was lower rates of heart disease caused by narrowing arteries.

"Compared with the United States, mortality from ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and transport-related injuries was lower," Lopez said.

Since 2003, increases in life expectancy have slowed. 

"Life expectancy in Australia is among the highest in the world, a testament to boldly progressive public health interventions over several decades," Adair said. "However, there are several major barriers to marked increases, including the notably higher mortality of more recent birth cohorts and the comparative failure of efforts to reduce levels of overweight and obesity.”

In recent years, researchers have uncovered a number of hints about what behaviors and habits affect life expectancy. Receiving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/education-impact-expectancy/">an education</a>, regular exercise and even just <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-walkers-live-longer/">walking quickly</a> can lengthen lifespans; <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-years-life/">alcohol</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthy-habits-life-expectancy/">tobacco use</a> can shorten them.

"Other high-income countries have greater scope for reducing the prevalence of smoking,” Adair said. “As a result, our high global ranking with regard to life expectancy at birth is unlikely to be maintained unless new strategies for reducing mortality associated with specific behaviors are developed and deployed effectively."

The study has been published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.5694/mja2.50144">The Medical Journal of Australia</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Life expectancy in Australia still rising, but slower

For 20 years, life expectancy at birth has been growing...

It may not be as dramatic as cracking, melting glaciers, but it could be more dangerous – Earth’s permafrost is thawing out.

Permafrost is sub-surface ground that has been frozen for at least two years. In the Arctic and Antarctic, most permafrost has been frozen for thousands of years, and it can be hundreds or even thousands of feet thick.

And if it is thawing out, that can mean bad news, because Earth’s permafrost is not just made up of frozen soil. It also holds the remains dead vegetation and animals that froze before they could decompose. It could hold almost twice the carbon that is currently in the atmosphere – carbon that could be released as methane and carbon dioxide as the ground warms.

Scientists with the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> and <a href="http://www.bgeos.at/">b.geos</a>, an Earth observation firm, have teamed up on a project called Glob Permafrost. They’re using satellites to monitor Earth’s permafrost.

“We can’t monitor permafrost as such from space,” b.geos founder Annett Bartsch said in a press release. “Although it’s a bit complicated, we can, however, use a lot of different types of satellite data along with in situ measurements and modelling to put together a picture of what is happening.”

The images and radar data captured via satellite show how the land surface sinks and rises as Earth’s permafrost warms. Thermal sensors offer information about surface temperatures. 

“And, we can use information on snow conditions and land cover as a proxy for soil properties. Both snow and soil regulate heat transfer, so they determine the actual impact of increasing air temperature on the frozen soil beneath,” Bartsch said.

The researchers have collected their findings, from data gathered between 2000 and 2016, to create a permafrost map. They’ve also shared their data in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825218305907">Earth-Science Reviews</a>.

As melting permafrost causes <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/melting-permafrost-is-causing-landslides-across-the-arctic/">landslides in the Arctic</a> and even the coldest areas are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cold-permafrost-threatened-warming/">threatened by warming</a>, the Glob Permafrost team’s research becomes vital. The project is currenting building a Permafrost Information System that will help other researchers monitor the changing situation.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Unfrozen ground: Earth's permafrost is thawing

It may not be as dramatic as cracking, melting glaciers,...

If you want to improve your diet but you have your doubts about the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neanderthal-tooth-ancient-diet/">paleo trend</a>, a new option could be on the table: the peasant diet.

According to new research, medieval English peasants ate a lot of meat stews, leafy greens and cheese – and their diet was healthier than the modern one.

“The medieval peasant had a healthy diet and wasn't lacking in anything major!” Dr. Julie Dunne of the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html">Daily Mail</a>. “It is certainly much healthier than the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/processed-food-weight-gain/">diet of processed foods</a> many of us eat today.”

Dunne and her team analyzed the residue in medieval cooking pots near Raunds to find out what people in the inland East Midlands region were eating in medieval times. By looking at the residues of fats, oils, waxes and lipids in the cooking equipment, archaeologists and chemists can piece together an idea of what people in a specific time and place ate regularly.

They discovered that the peasant diet was pretty well-rounded: they found evidence of stews made with beef and mutton, leafy vegetables including cabbage, spinach and leeks, bread and cereals such as oats and barley, butter, and green cheeses. 

Foods such as fish were a luxury item in the inland region, though peasants along the coast may have eaten more seafood.

The butter and cheeses were especially important to the peasant diet. Sometimes called the “white meat” of the poor, it would have provided protein, fat and important nutrients, the researchers told the Mail.

“There was also a bakehouse on the site [at Raunds] and we also found plant remains of oats and barley – these would have provided carbohydrate,” Dunne said. “The barley was probably used to make bread and oats may have been added to stews to make ‘pottages’ and ‘bulk’ them out.”

Historical documents, when they’ve mentioned the peasant diet at all, indicated that working families in medieval England ate meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and dairy products, but this is the first study to confirm that. Most historical records focus on the diet of wealthy members of society or royals.

All too often in history the detail, for example food and clothing, of the everyday life of ordinary people is unknown.

“Traditionally, we focus on the important historical figures as these are the people discussed in ancient documents,” Dunne said. “Much is known of the medieval dietary practices of the nobility and ecclesiastical institutions, but less about what foods the medieval peasantry consumed.”

Cracking the peasant diet offers important insight into how everyday people lived in the past, not just the elite.

The study has been published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440319300342#!">Journal of Archaeological Science</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Forget paleo – give the peasant diet a try

If you want to improve your diet but you have...

Deep in the ocean below Bermuda, geoscientists have found the first direct evidence that material from deep within Earth's mantle can gradually seep up through the surface to form <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/volcanoes-earths-largest-mass-extinction/">volcanoes</a>. This material is located in a part of the mantle known as the transition zone, which is a layer rich in water, crystals, and melted rock.

Volcanoes are known to form when tectonic plates collide. However, the finding that material percolating 250 to 400 miles beneath the planet's crust can produce volcanoes is a new discovery. 

Study senior author Esteban Gazel is an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a>. 

“We found a new way to make volcanoes. This is the first time we found a clear indication from the transition zone deep in the Earth's mantle that volcanoes can form this way,” said Professor Gazel. “We were expecting our data to show the volcano was a mantle plume formation - an upwelling from the deeper mantle - just like it is in Hawaii.” 

The researchers used a 2,600-foot core sample that had been drilled in 1972 to examine isotopes, trace elements, and evidence of volatile material. The assessment provided the team with a volcanic history of Bermuda.

The study revealed that a disturbance in the transition zone 30 million years ago caused an upwelling of magma material that formed a now-dormant volcano under the Atlantic Ocean and then formed Bermuda.

“I first suspected that Bermuda's volcanic past was special as I sampled the core and noticed the diverse textures and mineralogy preserved in the different lava flows,” said study co-author Sarah Mazza of the University of Münster. “We quickly confirmed extreme enrichments in trace element compositions. It was exciting going over our first results ... the mysteries of Bermuda started to unfold.”

Even though isotopes of oceanic lavas have been analyzed for more than five decades, the extreme isotopes measured in the Bermuda lava core had not been seen before. It was these unusual isotopic compositions that allowed the scientists to identify the unique source of the lava.

“If we start to look more carefully, I believe we're going to find these geochemical signatures in more places,” said co-author Professor Michael Bizimis.

According to Professor Gazel, the research provides a new connection between the transition zone layer and volcanoes on the surface of Earth. 

“With this work we can demonstrate that the Earth's transition zone is an extreme chemical reservoir. We are now just now beginning to recognize its importance in terms of global geodynamics and even volcanism,” said Professor Gazel.

“Our next step is to examine more locations to determine the difference between geological processes that can result in intraplate volcanoes and determine the role of the mantle's transition zone in the evolution of our planet.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The upwelling of material deep in Earth’s mantle can produce volcanoes

Deep in the ocean below Bermuda, geoscientists have found the...

A team of engineers at the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California San Diego</a> has designed wearable technology that will provide personalized heating and cooling. A flexible patch adjusts the skin to a desirable temperature that can be maintained regardless of ambient temperature changes.

The device is powered by a stretchable battery pack and was designed to be easily integrated into clothing and comfortable to wear. According to the researchers, the patches would reduce the need for heating and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-conditioning-emissions-deaths/">air conditioning</a> and could lower energy usage. 

Study lead author Renkun Chen is a professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

“This type of device can improve your personal thermal comfort whether you are commuting on a hot day or feeling too cold in your office,” said Professor Chen. “If wearing this device can make you feel comfortable within a wider temperature range, you won't need to turn down the thermostat as much in the summer or crank up the heat as much in the winter.”

[caption id="attachment_1872811" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/patch.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872811" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/patch.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" /></a> Armband embedded with flexible battery pack (left), stretchable circuit (center), and cooling/heating patch (right). Image Credit: David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering[/caption]

Professor Chen noted, for example, that keeping a building's set temperature 12 degrees higher during the summer could cut cooling costs by about 70 percent.

The patch is made of thermoelectric alloys positioned between stretchy elastomer sheets. It physically cools or heats the skin to a specific temperature selected by the user. 

“You could place this on spots that tend to warm up or cool down faster than the rest of the body, such as the back, neck, feet or arms, in order to stay comfortable when it gets too hot or cold,” said study first author Sahngki Hong.

Using a mesh armband on a male volunteer, the researchers tested a prototype in a temperature-controlled environment. The patch cooled the tester's skin to a set temperature of 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit in just two minutes. The device also maintained this temperature as the ambient temperature shifted between 71.6 and 96.8 degrees.

“We've solved the fundamental problems, now we're tackling the big engineering issues - the electronics, hardware, and developing a mobile app to control the temperature,” said Professor Chen.

The ultimate goal is to combine multiple patches together to create smart clothing for personalized cooling and heating. The researchers are now working to construct a prototype cooling and heating vest, and they hope to get the technology on the market in a few years.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

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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

Main Image Credit: David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering

Wearable smart clothing patch can provide personal heating and cooling

A team of engineers at the University of California San...

Chewed up lumps of birch bark pitch from 10,000 years ago contain DNA from the first humans who settled in Scandinavia. The analysis of the ancient chewing gum, which was conducted at <a href="https://www.su.se/english/">Stockholm University</a>, has produced the oldest human <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dna-rna-earth/">DNA</a> sequenced from this area so far.

There are not many human bones available from Scandinavia that date back 10,000 years, and few of them have enough DNA preserved for archaeogenetics. The chewing gum has provided experts with DNA from two females and one male.

The pieces of gum were collected from Huseby-Klev, an early Mesolithic hunter-fisher site on the Swedish west coast. The site was excavated in the early 1990's, before human DNA analysis was possible. 

“When Per Persson and Mikael Maininen proposed to look for hunter-gatherer DNA in these chewing gums from Huseby Klev we were hesitant but really impressed that archaeologists took care during the excavations and preserved such fragile material,” said study co-author Natalija Kashuba.

“It took some work before the results overwhelmed us, as we understood that we stumbled into this almost 'forensic research,’ sequencing DNA from these mastic lumps, which were spat out at the site some 10,000 years ago!”

The study revealed that the three individuals shared close genetic affinity to other hunter-gatherers in Sweden and to early Mesolithic populations from Ice Age Europe. However, the tools recovered from the site had been made using lithic technology that was brought to Scandinavia from modern-day Russia. 

Earlier studies suggested that there was a cultural and genetic influx into Scandinavia from two routes, and the ancient chewing gum helps to confirm this theory. 

“Demography analysis suggests that the genetic composition of Huseby Klev individuals show more similarity to western hunter-gatherer populations than eastern hunter-gatherers,” said Emrah Kirdök, who conducted the computational analyses of the DNA. 

“DNA from these ancient chewing gums have an enormous potential not only for tracing the origin and movement of peoples long time ago, but also for providing insights in their social relations, diseases and food,” added study co-author Per Persson.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio/">Communications Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Natalija Kashuba/Stockholm University

Ancient chewing gum offers new clues about the first humans in Scandinavia

Chewed up lumps of birch bark pitch from 10,000 years...

Lizards, starfish, flatworms, and tadpoles are all equipped with the ability to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetic-control-switch-regeneration/">regenerate a lost limb</a>. 

Regeneration in the animal kingdom has been documented as far back as the 4th century, but scientists are still unsure exactly what mechanisms are responsible for this remarkable ability. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> are one step closer to solving the regeneration puzzle after the discovery of a new type of skin cell specifically responsible for tail regrowth in tadpoles. 

Single cell genomics, a new advancement in gene sequencing that allows researchers to track gene expression at the level of individual cells, provided an up-close look at tadpole skin cells and how these cells jump to attention when it’s time to regenerate. 

The researchers analyzed cell types involved in regeneration in African clawed frog tadpoles and focused on a two-day period where regeneration is inhibited. 

“Tadpoles can regenerate their tails throughout their life; but there is a two-day period at a precise stage in development where they lose this ability,” said Dr. Tom Hiscock, a member of the research team that helped sequence the skin cells. “We exploited this natural phenomenon to compare the cell types present in tadpoles capable of regeneration and those no longer capable.”

Hiscock and his colleagues found that regeneration is jumpstarted by a subpopulation of epidermal cells called Regeneration-Organizing Cells (ROCs). The ROCs direct the entire process. 

“It’s an astonishing process to watch unfold. After tail amputation, ROCs migrate from the body to the wound and secrete a cocktail of growth factors that coordinate the response of tissue precursor cells,” said Can Aztekin, a co-researcher for the project. “These cells then work together to regenerate a tail of the right size, pattern and cell composition.”

Having a better understanding of the driving mechanisms that make regeneration possible in reptiles and amphibians could help open the door to new pathways for studying potential regeneration in mammals. 

The researchers published their findings in the journal Science. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tadpoles can regenerate their tails thanks to a newly discovered type of cell

Lizards, starfish, flatworms, and tadpoles are all equipped with the...

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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



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.

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from 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...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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.

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

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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



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.

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



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

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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



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...