Bacterial neighbors can be fierce rivals in their daily scuffle for resources. Some Pseudomonas species use specialized microscopic membrane devices to fight back against competing bacteria.



According to new research, these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-strain-identified-that-can-eat-forever-chemicals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cells</a> react to threats by assembling a precise injection tool inside their outer shell. 



This work comes from the lab of <a href="https://www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/about/administration/administration-a-z/overview/unit/research-group-marek-basler" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Professor Marek Basler</a> at the Biozentrum, University of Basel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-tiny-spearguns-matter">Why tiny spearguns matter</h2>



These weapon-like structures are known as the type VI secretion system (<a href="https://asm.org/articles/2023/april/type-vi-secretion-systems-weapons-of-bacterial-des" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">T6SS</a>), and they allow bacteria to inject harmful molecules into rivals. They have been studied extensively because of their importance in bacterial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-and-imprint-new-era-dna-transformation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">competition</a> and survival.



“We knew that Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses its T6SS to fire back when attacked,” said Basler. Scientists had long <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18289922/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suspected</a> that external stress might activate these devices in <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/25164-pseudomonas-infection" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pseudomonas aeruginosa</a>.&nbsp;



One survey showed that T6SS genes occur in about a quarter of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538213/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gram-negative species</a>, highlighting their prevalence as a competitive strategy.



Some bacteria also direct T6SS at eukaryotic targets, affecting plant and animal hosts. This flexibility helps them adapt to diverse situations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mechanical-force-as-a-trigger">Mechanical force as a trigger</h2>



“Using AFM, we have been able to mimic a bacterial T6SS attack,” said Yves F Dufrêne, a doctoral researcher at the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17661630/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Swiss Nanoscience Institute</a>. The team used atomic force microscopy (<a href="https://www.nanoscience.com/techniques/atomic-force-microscopy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AFM</a>) to gently push on the bacterial surface with a very fine tip. 



By applying measured force, they found that the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8934262/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outer membrane</a> damage alone could spur this injection tool into action. Once activated, the cells unleashed a burst of toxin-bearing elements to ward off intruders.



Studies from different labs have shown that surfaces with varied stiffness can influence <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/23-new-marine-bacteria-species-discovered-that-influence-global-ocean-cycles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacterial</a> attachment. However, it was less clear how direct mechanical stress might activate a defensive tool like T6SS.



Laboratories investigating <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/vibrio" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vibrio species</a> observed T6SS responses to mechanical cues in marine environments. These clues paved the way for experiments focusing on Pseudomonas under controlled force measurements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bacteria-detect-membrane-damage">Bacteria detect membrane damage</h2>



The scientists discovered that the site of membrane rupture guided the T6SS to assemble at the exact spot of assault. This high precision helps reduce wasted energy and ensures toxins only hit the intended target.



“Our work clearly shows that breaking the outer membrane is necessary and sufficient to trigger T6SS assembly,” said Basler. Researchers believe this system works thanks to a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/phosphorylation-cascade" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phosphorylation cascade</a> that springs into action upon sensing disruption. 



Pinpointing the exact trigger site allows minimal resource expenditure while maximizing impact on an aggressor. This specificity keeps the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-pass-down-memories-to-future-generations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacterial</a> cell from randomly launching costly attacks.



Scientists are interested in finding the molecular components that link physical membrane disturbance to T6SS initiation. These details could open doors for inhibitors designed to neutralize this response.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chemical-assault-on-the-membrane">Chemical assault on the membrane</h2>



Interestingly, certain antibiotics or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/peptide-derivative" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">peptide derivatives</a> also weaken the same barrier. This hints that chemical agents capable of penetrating the membrane can provoke a similar defensive strike.



The findings could be significant when considering <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/multiple-drug-resistance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multidrug resistance</a> in clinical settings. If a damaged outer membrane leads to a swift T6SS reaction, it might alter how pathogens respond to various medications.



<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/polymyxin-derivative" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Polymyxin derivatives</a>, often reserved for severe infections, disrupt the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. This disruption can unintentionally activate T6SS, giving the pathogen a countermeasure against rival organisms.



Understanding this dynamic may help clinicians refine how these drugs are applied in critical care. If T6SS ramps up under partial membrane stress, combination therapies might offer a more thorough strategy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bacterial-response-to-membrane-damage">Bacterial response to membrane damage</h2>



Much still needs to be clarified, such as how multiple T6SS assemblies are precisely regulated once the membrane is compromised. Different strains may also vary in how sensitive they are to mechanical or chemical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-in-lake-mendota-keep-evolving-but-never-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cues</a>.



The bigger picture could involve a network of signals that prime bacteria to respond rapidly whenever their boundary is breached. Exploring these nuances might help researchers develop ways to disrupt this mechanism without harming beneficial microbes.



Researchers suspect that different bacterial species have unique thresholds for activating T6SS when threatened. This variation might determine which organisms thrive in complex environments like soil or aquatic habitats.



Experts are also investigating the role of protein partners that reset or limit T6SS after activation. Gaining clarity on the shutdown mechanism could lead to ways of blocking these assemblies and tackling antibiotic-resistant infections in the future.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr1713" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Bacteria build tiny weapons when their membrane is damaged

Bacterial neighbors can be fierce rivals in their daily scuffle for resources. Some Pseudomonas species use specialized microscopic membrane devices to fight back against competing bacteria. According to new research, these cells react to threats by assembling a precise injection tool inside their outer shell. This work comes from the lab of Professor Marek Basler at the Biozentrum, University of Basel. Why tiny spearguns matter These weapon-like structures are known as the type VI secretion system (T6SS), and they allow bacteria to inject harmful molecules into rivals....

The results of a new study suggest that a fasting diet may be a welcome alternative to counting calories and having to avoid certain <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ultraprocessed-foods-early-death/">foods</a>. 

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uic.edu/">University of Illinois at Chicago</a> analyzed the outcome of daily fasting diets and found that they were effective for weight loss and provided other health benefits as well.

The investigation was designed to compare a 4-hour time-restricted feeding diet, a 6-hour time-restricted feeding diet, and a control group with no dietary restrictions.

Study co-author Krista Varady is a professor of Nutrition at the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences.

"This is the first human clinical trial to compare the effects of two popular forms of time-restricted feeding on body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors," said Professor Varady.

Participants in the 4-hour time-restricted feeding diet group were instructed to eat only between the hours of 1 and 5 p.m, while those in the 6-hour group were instructed to eat between the hours of 1 and 7 p.m.

In both groups, the participants could eat whatever they wanted during the established eating period. During fasting hours, they were asked to drink only water or calorie-free beverages.

Meanwhile, individuals in the control group did not change their diet or physical activity levels in any way.

Over ten weeks, the researchers regularly monitored weight, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers among the volunteers.

The study revealed that participants in both daily fasting groups reduced calorie intake by an average of 550 calories a day simply by adhering to the time-restricted eating schedule. These individuals lost about 3 percent of their body weight. 

Compared with the control group, the fasting dieters were found to have reduced levels of insulin resistance and oxidative stress.

The experts also noted that there was no significant difference in the health or weight loss outcomes between the 4-hour and 6-hour fasting groups.

"The findings of this study are promising and reinforce what we've seen in other studies - fasting diets are a viable option for people who want to lose weight, especially for people who do not want to count calories or find other diets to be fatiguing," said Professor Varady. 

"It's also telling that there was no added weight loss benefit for people who sustained a longer fast - until we have further studies that directly compare the two diets or seek to study the optimal time for fasting, these results suggest that the 6-hour fast might make sense for most people who want to pursue a daily fasting diet."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/home">Cell Metabolism</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Fasting diets are effective for weight loss

The results of a new study suggest that a fasting...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.kaust.edu.sa/en">KAUST</a> are describing the valuable role of coral reefs in the Red Sea. Using high-resolution modeling, the team set out to predict peak wave heights and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/severe-storms-triggered-a-decline-in-antarctic-sea-ice/">storm</a> surges for city planning in the King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) coastal zone.

The findings provide insightful data for infrastructural modifications, and also emphasize the economic and ecological value of coral reefs.

"The original task was to model the maximum wave heights to set the minimum safe floor elevation for structures and roadway design in the city," explained study co-author Sabique Langodan. "Yet with the wealth of wave and water-level observations and accurate bathymetry (water depth) near the coastline, combined with the advanced modeling and supercomputing capabilities available to us at KAUST, we extended the study to investigate the role of coral reefs in modulating the wave climate of this reef-sheltered region."

In order to predict extreme wave heights, the scientists used computer modeling to analyze how waves evolve as they pass across the shallow sea floor based on long-term data. 

"We configured a high-resolution model using an unstructured grid, which allows us to vary the resolution of the model over the domain, from 60 kilometer cells out to sea, to cells as small as 60 meters near the coastline," said Langodan.

The computer model also accounted for other relevant information, such as atmospheric forcing and sea circulation.

"Our high-resolution study allowed the minimum safe elevation in KAEC to be revised lower, from 4.0 meters to 2.3 meters," said study co-author Ibrahim Hoteit. "Although a relatively small drop, this leads to a saving of about 90 million cubic meters of fill material equating to about 500 million USD."

However, the lowered safe elevation height was dependent on the presence of coral reefs located off the Red Sea coast, which act as a natural breakwater, providing protection from hazards such as flooding and erosion.

"The reefs reduce wave heights by half at the coastline," said study co-author Omar Knio. "Reef protected coastlines could still be at risk of larger waves if the coastal protection offered by reefs is reduced by coral degradation or sea level rise."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/ocean-engineering">Ocean Engineering</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Study reveals the value of coral reefs in the Red Sea

Researchers at KAUST are describing the valuable role of coral...

Sea turtles have the remarkable ability to make long annual <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bewicks-swans-shorten-migrations-as-climate-warms/">migrations</a> over thousands of miles. A new study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a> reveals that sea turtles navigate over long distances with nothing more than a "crude map" that is often very misleading.

"By satellite tracking turtles traveling to small, isolated oceanic islands, we show that turtles do not arrive at their targets with pinpoint accuracy," said study lead author Graeme Hays. 

"While their navigation is not perfect, we showed that turtles can make course corrections in the open ocean when they are heading off-route. These findings support the suggestion, from previous laboratory work, that turtles use a crude true navigation system in the open ocean, possibly using the Earth's geomagnetic field."

Even though sea turtle navigation has been studied extensively, the researchers recognized that many important details were lacking. 

To investigate, the team used satellite tags to track the movements of nesting green turtles on the island of Diego Garcia to their foraging grounds across the western Indian Ocean.

Using models that incorporated ocean currents, the experts analyzed the individual migration tracks of 33 turtles. 

The analysis showed that 28 of the 33 turtles did not re-orient themselves daily. As a result, the turtles sometimes wandered up to several hundred kilometers off of the direct paths to their destination before re-routing themselves.

According to the researchers, the turtles frequently failed to reach their small island destinations with pinpoint accuracy. They often went too far or continued to search during the final stages of migration.

"We were surprised that turtles had such difficulties in finding their way to small targets," said Hays. "Often they swam well off course and sometimes they spent many weeks searching for isolated islands."

"We were also surprised at the distance that some turtles migrated. Six tracked turtles traveled more than 4,000 kilometers to the east African coast, from Mozambique in the south, to as far north as Somalia. So, these turtles complete round-trip migrations of more than 8,000 kilometers to and from their nesting beaches in the Chagos Archipelago."

The findings support the theory that migrating sea turtles use a true navigation system in the open ocean. The fact that they can re-orient themselves in deep waters implies that they have an instinctive map, but it lacks fine details. By using this crude map, the sea turtles use up a lot of extra energy and often do not arrive at their precise targets.

Considering that sea turtles travel broadly across the open ocean after nesting season, Hays said that "conservation measures need to apply across these spatial scales and across many countries."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Sea turtles travel far off track due to faulty navigation

Sea turtles have the remarkable ability to make long annual...

A team of ecologists at <a href="https://www.usu.edu/">Utah State University</a> has found that the current extent of protected areas in the United States is not enough to prevent the loss of many endangered species. One major obstacle is the limited availability of public land, and the researchers suggest that the support of private land owners is key for protecting the country's endangered wildlife.

Based on computer models, the team determined that out of 159 endangered mammal, bird, reptile and, amphibian species, only 21 are sufficiently supported by existing protected areas in the U.S.

"We are not suggesting that protected areas are doing a bad job, what we are suggesting is that there are many opportunities to increase protection," said study co-author Professor Edward Hammill.

Converting public land to protected areas comes along with many challenges, including unfavorable political climates.

"There has been a huge political push in the USA to reduce protected areas such as National Monuments," said study co-author Professor Trisha Atwood. "However, our results suggest that we not only need to increase the spatial coverage of protected areas in the USA, but we also need to ensure that we are protecting the places that contain critical habitat for endangered species."

According to the study, even if all public lands became protected areas, more than half of the at-risk species in the country would still be in danger of extinction. In Texas, for example, 95 percent of the land is privately owned.

The researchers see great opportunity in the creation of conservation easements on private land. Conservation easements are voluntary, legal agreements that restrict future development on private land. The land owners retain their property rights and receive tax credits in exchange for conservation assistance. 

The study revealed that with the help of private land owners, the United States has the capacity to protect 100 percent of endangered species.

"It is unlikely that adequate conservation of endangered species will be achieved by increasing federal protected areas," said Professor Hammill. "Our research highlights that private land owners represent an alternative route to achieving conservation goals."

"These findings give me hope that we can still make a change for the better," said Professor Atwood. "But, if we are going to win the fight against extinction we are going to need the help of private land owners."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Support from land owners needed to protect wildlife

A team of ecologists at Utah State University has found...

Pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture are speeding up the spread of schistosomiasis, a debilitating <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/experts-find-a-gut-bacteria-that-reduces-the-risk-of-heart-disease/">disease</a> caused by parasitic worms. Researchers at <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">UC Berkeley</a> report that agrochemicals disrupt the balance of aquatic ecosystems in ways that expose more animals and people to infection.

Schistosomiasis develops when parasitic worms multiply inside of freshwater snails. The infection, also known as snail fever, is transmitted through contaminated water. 

This disease affects hundreds of millions of people each year, potentially causing lifelong liver and kidney damage. Among parasitic diseases, the global impact of schistosomiasis on human health is second only to malaria.

The study authors report that agrochemicals can facilitate the transmission of the disease in different ways. 

First, the chemicals promote the survival of the schistosome worms by killing aquatic predators that feed on infected snails. In addition, pesticides and fertilizers alter the composition of algae in the water, providing an abundance of food for the snails.

"We know that dam construction and irrigation expansion increase schistosomiasis transmission in low-income settings by disrupting freshwater ecosystems," said study lead author Christopher Hoover.

"We were shocked by the strength of evidence we found also linking agrochemical pollution to the amplification of schistosomiasis transmission."

The findings come at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is shining a spotlight on the need to better understand the connections between environment and infectious diseases.

"Environmental pollutants can increase our exposure and susceptibility to infectious diseases," said study senior author Justin Remais. 

"From dioxins decreasing resistance to influenza virus, to air pollutants increasing COVID-19 mortality, to arsenic impacting lower respiratory tract and enteric infections - research has shown that reducing pollution is an important way to protect populations from infectious diseases."

The research team identified 144 studies that have scientifically linked agrochemical concentrations to schistosomiasis. The experts analyzed this data using a mathematical model that accounted for the transmission dynamics of the parasite. 

The model also simulated the concentrations of common agrochemicals in surrounding agricultural fields and estimated the resulting impacts on the nearby human population.

The study revealed that even low concentrations of common pesticides, including atrazine, glyphosate, and chlorpyrifos, increase rates of transmission and interfere with efforts to control schistosomiasis. 

In communities along the Senegal River Basin in West Africa, the extent of schistosomiasis infection tied to agrochemical pollution was found to be comparable to the disease burden of lead exposure, high sodium diets, and low physical activity.

"We need to develop policies that protect public health by limiting the amplification of schistosomiasis transmission by agrochemical pollution," said Hoover. 

"More than 90% of schistosomiasis cases occur in areas of sub-Saharan Africa, where agrochemical use is expanding. If we can devise ways to maintain the agricultural benefits of these chemicals, while limiting their overuse in schistosomiasis-endemic areas, we could prevent additional harm to public health within communities that already experience a high and unacceptable burden of disease."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/planetary-health">Lancet Planetary Health</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Pesticides promote the spread of parasitic disease

Pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture are speeding up...

A new study from <a href="https://www.swansea.ac.uk/">Swansea University</a> has demonstrated how trauma leaves its mark on the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/guppies-use-black-eyes-and-quick-reflexes-to-escape-predators/">eyes</a>. The researchers found that a patient's pupils reveal whether a person has suffered a traumatic life experience.

A traumatic event such as a physical assault, involvement in a car crash, or abuse can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. Individuals with PTSD are left with a hypersensitivity to everyday events and often have a difficult time letting down their guard to relax.

Led by Dr. Aimee McKinnon, the researchers looked for evidence of traumatic events in the eyes of patients with PTSD as they were presented with threatening images such as vicious animals or weapons, as well as other images that showed neutral events or pleasant images.

The study revealed that the response of participants with PTSD was different than that of other individuals, including people who had been traumatized but did not have PTSD.

At first, the pupil failed to show the normal sharp constriction that is caused by changes in light. But after a delay, the pupils of individuals with PTSD grew substantially larger to the emotional stimuli compared to the other participants.

The researchers observed that pupils of PTSD patients also showed an exaggerated response to positive imagery, such as an exciting sports scene. This is an important finding, said study co-author Professor Nicola Gray.

"This shows that the hyper-response of the pupil is in response to any arousing stimulus, and not just threatening ones. This may allow us to use these positive pictures in therapy, rather than relying upon negative images, that can be quite upsetting to the patient, and therefore make therapy more acceptable and bearable. This idea now needs testing empirically before it is put into clinical practice," said Professor Gray.

Dr. McKinnon said the findings allow us to understand that people with PTSD are automatically primed for threat and fear responses in any uncertain emotional context, and to consider what a burden this must be to them in everyday life.

"It also suggests that it is important for us to recognise that, in therapy, it is not just the fear-based stimuli that need deliberately re-appraising," said Dr. McKinnon.

"If someone with PTSD is faced with any high-level of emotional stimulation, even if this is positive emotion, it can immediately trigger the threat system. Clinicians need to understand this impact of positive stimuli in order to support their service-users overcome the significant challenges they face."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biological-psychology">Biological Psychology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Traumatic experiences can be detected in the eyes

A new study from Swansea University has demonstrated how trauma...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/index.html">University of Alberta</a> are describing a new sea sponge that is abundant off the coast of British Columbia. The newly discovered sponge makes up nearly 20 percent of the glass sponge reefs in this region, yet is a non-reef forming sponge.

Off the coast of British Columbia, hundreds of kilometers of ocean floor is covered with rare glass sponge reefs. The intricate silica skeletons of the sea sponges are stacked on top of each other to form multi-level habitats for creatures such as rockfish, halibut, and shrimp.

Live glass sponge reefs are unique to Pacific coastal waters, and first appeared during the Jurassic period. According to NOAA, the reefs were thought to have gone extinct about 40 million years ago. The only remains were assumed to be giant fossil cliffs across parts of Spain, France, Germany, and Romania. 

But in 1987, Canadian scientists discovered living glass sponge reefs on the northern coast of British Columbia that were thousands of years old. 

Containing the only known glass sea sponges, this region - including Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound - was designated as a marine protected area in 2017. 

To effectively preserve the rare, delicate reefs, scientists must develop a better understanding of them.

Graduate student Lauren Law conducted the current study with Professor Sally Leys, a researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. Law is now a biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

"One of the most important reasons for studying the diversity of sea sponges in our oceans is for conservation management," said Law. "Many studies in the protected area have focused on describing the crustaceans and fish living in the reefs, but non-reef forming sponges remain overlooked."

The new species, Desmacella hyalina, was discovered using an underwater robot that was deployed on the ocean floor to survey reefs and collect samples.

"Our findings show Desmacella comprise a surprisingly large amount of live sponge cover in the reefs and can have potential major influence on reef function, recruitment, and overall ecosystem health," said Law. "While we have discovered a new species, we have yet to determine its relationship with glass sponges in the area."

The study authors said that further research is needed to better understand the role of Desmacella in the ecosystem, as well as more ecological assessment of glass sponge habitat focused on surveying non-reef forming sponges.

"Properly knowing the components of an environment and the linkages between them here-  this new species Desmacella hyalina and the reef sponges it lives on - is a major step forward in understanding the ecosystem services and function of the sponge reefs," said Leys. "This is the information we need for concrete management strategies."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/12526">Marine Biodiversity</a>.

 ---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

New species of sea sponge discovered in British Columbia

Experts at the University of Alberta are describing a new...

In a groundbreaking new study, experts have found evidence that eating fish can help protect from brain damage associated with air <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mercury-pollution-has-reached-the-deepest-ocean-trenches/">pollution</a>.

The research suggests that older women who eat more than two servings of fish per week maintain  levels of omega-3 fatty acids that counteract the effects of air pollution on the brain.

The findings are published by the <a href="https://www.aan.com/">American Academy of Neurology</a>. Study co-author Dr. Ka He of Columbia University noted that fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and easy to add to the diet.

"Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to fight inflammation and maintain brain structure in aging brains. They have also been found to reduce brain damage caused by neurotoxins like lead and mercury," said Dr. He. 

"So we explored if omega-3 fatty acids have a protective effect against another neurotoxin, the fine particulate matter found in air pollution."

The research was focused on more than 1,300 women with an average age of 70 who did not have dementia at the start of the study. The participants reported on their diet, physical activity, and medical history.

The team calculated the average weekly amount of fish consumed by each participant, including tuna, shellfish, broiled, and baked fish. Previous research has shown omega-3 fatty acids are damaged by the process of frying, so fried fish intake was disregarded.

The experts examined omega-3 fatty acid levels in red blood cells, and analyzed exposure to air pollution based on the home addresses of the study participants.

Brain scans revealed that women who had the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood had greater volumes of white matter in the brain. On the other hand, those who had the lowest blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had more brain shrinkage.

The study revealed that for each quartile increase in air pollution, the average brain white matter volume was 11.52 cm3 smaller among people with lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids, yet only 0.12 cm3 smaller among women with higher levels of omega-3.

"Our findings suggest that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood from fish consumption may preserve brain volume as women age and possibly protect against the potential toxic effects of air pollution," said Dr. He. 

"It's important to note that our study only found an association between brain volume and eating fish. It does not prove that eating fish preserves brain volume. And since separate studies have found some species of fish may contain environmental toxins, it's important to talk to a doctor about what types of fish to eat before adding more fish to your diet."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://n.neurology.org/">Neurology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Eating fish may protect the brain from air pollution

In a groundbreaking new study, experts have found evidence that...

Too much or too little sleep among people with type 2 <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-triggers-the-onset-of-diabetes-in-some-patients/">diabetes</a> (T2D) can be deadly, according to a new study published by the <a href="https://www.easd.org/">European Association for the Study of Diabetes</a>. The researchers found that for T2D patients, extreme sleep duration drastically increases the risk of death.

While previous studies have established a link between extreme sleep duration and increased mortality, the new study was designed to investigate the potential role of diabetes in this relationship.

Led by Dr. Chuanhua Yu and Dr. Xiong Chen, the research was focused on data from the U.S. National Health Interview Survey, which followed up with 273,029 adults for more than a decade. Among the survey participants,  24,212 had type 2 diabetes.

As expected, death rates were higher in people with T2D than those without, regardless of sleep duration.

The mortality rate for T2D patients with the "ideal" seven hours of sleep was 138 per 10,000 person years, compared to 215 for less than five hours sleep and 364 for those with 10 hours of sleep or more. 

The reference group used for the analysis was participants without diabetes who slept seven hours per night. Compared to this group, people with T2D who slept for seven hours had a 42 percent increased risk of death. This risk was elevated to 63 percent among sleep-deprived T2D patients, and was more than doubled for T2D patients who slept 10 or more hours.

The researchers also identified links between sleep duration and cause-specific mortality. For example, diabetics with excessive sleep patterns had a 59 percent greater risk of death from cancer. This group was also found to have a 74 percent increased risk of fatal cardiovascular disease, three times higher risk of fatal stroke, and 2.6 times greater risk of death from Alzheimer's.

The mortality risk of extreme sleep duration was generally higher in individuals who had been diagnosed with diabetes more than ten years earlier. The link was also stronger in those who had been diagnosed with T2D before the age of 45.

The study authors explained that sleep deprivation in people with T2DM is likely to increase complications and affect the control and management of blood glucose, which drive excess mortality risk. They also pointed out that longer sleep duration is often a reflection of poorer health status and complications that require more rest.

Another possible explanation of the findings is that longer sleep duration has been associated with detrimental chronic inflammatory responses.

"For people with T2DM, as per the general population, 6 to 8 hours of sleep is recommended on account of reducing mortality risk. Sleep interventions as an addition to standard diabetes treatment may warrant further attention," wrote the researchers.

"This study provides preliminary evidence that the associations between sleep duration and mortality are different between people with and without diabetes. Patients with diabetes sleeping for less than or in excess of 7 hours had an increased risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality, while too much or too little sleep also increased absolute death rates in people without diabetes, but to a lesser extent." 

"The association was more prominent in those with younger age at disease onset. These patients may require greater medical attention that targets sleep and lifestyle to reduce the risks of adverse health outcomes."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://diabetologia-journal.org/">Diabetologia</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

&nbsp;

Extreme sleep patterns can be deadly for diabetics 

Too much or too little sleep among people with type...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/index.html">University of Alberta</a> describes the different strategies used by female pine beetles to colonize <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/resistance-genes-could-save-billions-of-ash-trees-from-beetles/">trees</a>, and their success comes along with major consequences for pine forests.

Over the last three decades, an outbreak of mountain pine beetles has affected more than 18 million hectares of forest in Western Canada. 

Led by graduate student Kelsey Jones, a team of biologists investigated the ability of mountain pine beetles to become established based on the distance they travel to new host trees.

The study revealed that the female beetles were successful whether they traveled to pine trees just a few meters or tens of kilometers away.

Some beetles stay close to home, traveling no more than a couple of meters, while others target trees more than 30 kilometers away. The experts found that the beetles have developed different invasive strategies based on the distance of their flights.

"Both long and short-distance flight strategies are beneficial to mountain pine beetle host colonization in different ways," said Jones. "As short- and long-distance flyers successfully colonize host trees for reproduction, both strategies will remain in the population, maintaining genetic variability."

The study showed that female pine beetles who travel long distances usually lose weight, but are able to produce the most pheromone. This strengthens their ability to attract other distant beetles and launch a massive attack.

Meanwhile, beetles who stick close to home produce the smallest amounts of pheromone. However, these beetles do not lose much weight and save their energy to focus on colonization.

According to the researchers, understanding the behavior of pine beetles is critical for developing management strategies to prevent further damage to Alberta's boreal forest.

"It is hard to predict the continued invasion by the mountain pine beetle using information from this study alone," said Jones. "However, our work does indicate that beetles which fly for long distances can still call in many fellow beetles to mass attack trees. This indicates that, as beetles move further eastward and forest stands become thinner, they will likely still have the capacity to colonize hosts."

The study is published in the <a href="https://jeb.biologists.org/">Journal of Experimental Biology</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

&nbsp;

Pine beetles use different strategies to attack trees

A new study from the University of Alberta describes the different...

Rising temperatures associated with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/expect-more-extreme-wet-and-dry-seasons-with-climate-change/">climate</a> change are placing an enormous amount of strain on coral reefs and pushing them past the limits of what they can endure. Since 2016, half of the Great Barrier reef has been lost to mass bleaching.

A team of scientists at <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> is showing how genetic sequencing can help to identify the types of reefs that can adapt to warmer waters and resist coral bleaching. 

The research provides new insight into the genetic processes that allow some corals to resist dramatic climate shifts, which could greatly improve conservation efforts.

"We need to use as many tools as possible to intervene or we will continue to see coral reefs vanish," said study first author Zachary Fuller. "Using genomics can help identify which corals have the capacity to live at higher temperatures and reveal genetic variants associated with climate resilience."

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. In the late 1990s, reefs experienced the first mass bleaching event, which occurs when unusually hot water temperatures cause the corals to expel the colorful algae they depend on for nutrients and survival.

While bleaching events are not always fatal, it takes years for the coral reefs to recover, and temperatures are still rising. The new study will help experts recognize which coral strains may be able to withstand future warming.

"Genomics allows us to examine the genetic differences that could influence survival and bleaching tolerance, helping us work out how we might support coral health," said study senior author Professor Molly Przeworski.

In collaboration with experts at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the researchers analyzed 237 coral samples from 12 sites along the Great Barrier Reef. The study represents the highest quality genetic sample of corals to date.

The analysis allowed the researchers to pinpoint genomic signatures that showed where adaptations had taken place in response to rising temperatures. Genetic sequencing also enabled the team to identify genetically distinct variations of corals with a higher bleaching tolerance.

"What we discovered is that no single gene was responsible for differences in a coral's response to bleaching, but instead many genetic variants influence the trait," said Fuller. "On their own, each has a very small effect, but when taken together we can use all these variants to predict which corals may be able to survive in the face of hotter seas."

The researchers said the findings offer a pathway for coral biologists to further search for strains that can better cope with ocean warming and enables similar approaches that can be used in other species most at risk from climate change.

"The best chance we have to save what's left of the Earth's coral reefs is to mitigate the effects of climate change by rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Fuller. "In the meantime, genetic approaches may be able to buy us time."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</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

&nbsp;

Genetics will show which corals can resist bleaching

Rising temperatures associated with climate change are placing an enormous...

In a new study led by the <a href="http://naturalhistory.si.edu/">Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History</a>, scientists have discovered fish deep in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/unknown-ocean-currents-discovered-with-the-help-of-seals/">ocean</a> with skin so black that it is one of the darkest materials in existence. The ultra-black fish absorb more than 99.5% of light, which means that even in the brightest light, they can disappear from view.  

The fish aborb light with so much efficiency that in the bioluminescent light produced by deep-sea creatures, they appear to be silhouettes with no discernible features.

Study co-authors Karen Osborn and Sönke Johnsen report that it is a unique arrangement of pigment-packed granules that enables some black fish to absorb light, and as little as 0.05% of the light is reflected back. 

When the remarkable fish first caught her attention, Osborn was attempting to photograph them in trawl nets used to sample the deep sea. Even using sophisticated equipment, she said, she could not capture any detail in the images. "It didn't matter how you set up the camera or lighting - they just sucked up all the light."

Lab experiments revealed that many of the black fish pulled up from the deep sea could absorb more than 99.5 percent of the light that hit their surfaces. This ultra-black appearance greatly improves their chance of survival. 

Most animals in the deep sea create their own light called bioluminescence, which is used to attract mates and lure prey. These biochemical emissions of light can also be used to expose lurking predators - unless those animals have the right camouflage. 

"If you want to blend in with the infinite blackness of your surroundings, sucking up every photon that hits you is a great way to go," said Osborn.

The researchers found that the light absorption capabilities of the ultra-black fish skin rely on melanin, which is the same pigment that protects human skin from sunlight. The pigment is contained in cellular compartments, or melanosomes, that are densely packed into pigment cells.  

The pigment cells are arranged very close to the surface of the skin in a continuous layer. The melanosomes direct any light they do not absorb to neighboring melanosomes that take up the slack.

"Effectively what they've done is make a super-efficient, super-thin light trap," said Osborn. "Light doesn't bounce back; light doesn't go through. It just goes into this layer, and it's gone."

"These pigment-containing structures are packed into the skin cells like a tiny gumball machine, where all of the gumballs are of just the right size and shape to trap light within the machine," said study co-author Alexander Davis.

The team found the same distinct pigment patterns in 16 species of distantly related fish.

"This is the only system that we know of that's using the pigment itself to control any initially unabsorbed light," said Osborn. 

She explained that mimicking this strategy could help engineers develop less expensive, flexible, and more durable ultra-black materials for use in optical technology, such as telescopes and cameras, and for camouflage.

"Instead of building some kind of structure that traps the light, if you were to make the absorbing pigment the right size and shape, you could achieve the same absorption potentially a lot cheaper and (make the material) a lot less fragile."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</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

&nbsp;

Scientists discover fish so black they vanish in light

In a new study led by the Smithsonian National Museum...

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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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" 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.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.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

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" 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.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



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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



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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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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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



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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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" 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.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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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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

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

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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

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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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"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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...

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