We all know processed food isn't the best thing on the plate. But how do we navigate the confusing language of food labeling? A remarkable tool now helps consumers and policymakers understand the processing levels of over 50,000 different items.



Researchers from Mass General Brigham created this public database to promote informed food choices and advocate for better food regulation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-processed-foods-the-basics">Understanding processed foods - the basics</h2>



Processed foods are those that have been altered from their natural state in some way, usually to make them last longer or taste better. 



This includes things like freezing vegetables, canning beans, or adding salt and sugar to bread. These changes can be pretty simple and often retain most of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-baby-food-isnt-nutritious-despite-what-the-label-says/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">original nutrients</a>. 



For example, a jar of tomato sauce or a bag of roasted nuts are considered processed foods because they've been prepared or packaged, but they still contain ingredients you’d recognize and are generally healthy when eaten in moderation.



On the other hand, ultra-processed foods go through much more extensive manufacturing and contain ingredients you wouldn’t normally find in a home kitchen. 



These foods often include artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and other additives designed to enhance taste, texture, and shelf life. 



Think of things like sugary cereals, sodas, packaged snacks, instant noodles, and frozen dinners. Ultra-processed foods are usually higher in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-fat-diets-cause-high-anxiety-through-changes-in-gut-bacteria/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unhealthy fats</a>, sugars, and salt, and they tend to be lower in essential nutrients.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-processed-foods-dominate-grocery-shelves">Processed foods dominate grocery shelves</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ultra-processed-foods-make-our-bodies-age-faster/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Highly and ultra-processed foods</a> make up a significant portion of what is available in most grocery stores.



While they may be convenient or taste appealing, research has linked diets high in these types of foods to serious health issues, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.



Despite growing awareness about the risks associated with these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-ultra-processed-foods-makes-your-muscles-weaker-and-more-fragile/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">foods</a>, many shoppers struggle to determine how processed a particular food item is. 



Ingredient labels and nutritional information can be overwhelming or unclear, making it difficult for the average consumer to make informed choices.



“There are a lot of mixed messages about what a person should eat. Our work aims to create a sort of translator to help people look at food information in a more digestible way,” said Dr. Giulia Menichetti, a lead researcher at <a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brigham and Women’s Hospital</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grocerydb-simplifies-healthy-eating">GroceryDB simplifies healthy eating</h2>



To address the challenge of understanding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/minimally-processed-foods-cost-more-offer-no-extra-nutrition/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food processing levels</a>, researchers applied machine learning to analyze detailed data from three major grocery retailers: <a href="https://www.target.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Target</a>, Whole Foods, and Walmart. 



They examined ingredient lists, nutritional information, and pricing data to create a clear picture of the processing levels of various food items.



This effort led to the development of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11177926/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GroceryDB</a>, a comprehensive database tool designed to empower consumers with easy-to-understand information about processed food ingredients.



GroceryDB provides each food item with a "processing score," which indicates the degree of processing involved in the production of the food.



The database is accessible to the public through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.truefood.tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TrueFood</a>&nbsp;website, where users can explore essential details such as processing scores, ingredient breakdowns, and complete nutritional facts. 



This innovative tool simplifies the often-confusing task of evaluating food processing, making healthier choices more attainable for everyone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-all-grocery-stores-are-the-same">Not all grocery stores are the same</h2>



The researchers employed the FPro algorithm to analyze <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/health-risks-of-ultra-processed-foods-revealed-in-30-year-study/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food processing</a> levels across products from the three major grocery retailers. Their findings revealed that the majority of items available in these stores were classified as ultra-processed.



While <a href="https://www.wholefoodsmarket.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Whole Foods</a> stood out for offering a broader selection of minimally processed foods, Walmart and Target provided fewer options in this category. 



For example, cereals at Whole Foods showed a wide range, spanning from minimally to ultra-processed. In contrast, all cereals available at <a href="https://www.walmart.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Walmart</a> and Target were categorized as highly processed.



This pattern extended beyond cereals to other product categories, including soups, milk substitutes, and cookies. Despite the apparent variety of brands and products on store shelves, the processing options remained strikingly limited. 



These findings highlight the challenge consumers face when trying to access healthier, less-processed food options, even in stores that appear to offer significant variety.



“When people hear about the dangers of ultra-processed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ultra-processed-foods-are-harmful-to-nearly-every-part-of-the-body/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">foods</a>, they ask, ‘OK, what are the rules? How can we apply this knowledge?’” said Menichetti. “We are building tools to help people implement changes to their diet.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-enters-the-fight-against-processed-foods">AI enters the fight against processed foods</h2>



This initiative demonstrates how artificial intelligence (AI) can play a transformative role in advancing public health. 



By leveraging AI and data science, the research team created a scalable system for analyzing and categorizing the processing levels of food items.



The team plans to enhance this database further by incorporating geolocation data and temporal monitoring. 



This expansion would provide insights into regional differences in food availability and how these variations influence social determinants of health, such as access to nutritious options.



“Most research activities in nutrition still depend on manual curation, but our study shows that artificial intelligence and data science can be used to scale up,” Menichetti emphasized. 



The ultimate goal is to make this an internationally comparable, open-access resource to advance global nutrition security.



With the TrueFood database, consumers now have the tools to make better informed food choices and push for healthier options in their communities.



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-024-01095-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Food</a>.



-----



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



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



-----

New tool lets you check how processed and unhealthy your food is

We all know processed food isn't the best thing on the plate. But how do we navigate the confusing language of food labeling? A remarkable tool now helps consumers and policymakers understand the processing levels of over 50,000 different items. Researchers from Mass General Brigham created this public database to promote informed food choices and advocate for better food regulation. Understanding processed foods - the basics Processed foods are those that have been altered from their natural state in some way, usually to make them last longer...

While most mammals are covered in fur, some have significantly less body <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-body-parts-hair/">hair</a> - including rhinos, elephants, naked mole rats, dolphins, and humans. Until recently, the reasons for this have remained a mystery. To shed more light on this issue, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> and the <a href="https://www.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh</a> has now compared the genetic codes of 62 animal species.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that a set of genes and regulatory regions of the genome which seem to be essential for producing hair have been disabled during evolution in several mammalian species, particularly in those that evolved at faster rates.&nbsp;



“We have taken the creative approach of using biological diversity to learn about our own genetics,” said study senior author Nathan Clark, a geneticist at the University of Utah. “This is helping us to pinpoint regions of our genome that contribute to something important to us.”



According to the scientists, being hairless has its own evolutionary benefits. For instance, without dense hair, elephants cool off more easily in hotter climates and walruses glide effortlessly in water. 



However, despite these various reasons, the analysis of 19,149 genes and 343,598 regulatory regions that were conserved across dozens of mammalian species suggested that hairless mammals seem to have accumulated mutations in many of the same genes, including those that code for keratin and other elements that facilitate hair growth. In addition, regulatory regions of the genome – which rather than coding directly for structures that produce hair, influence the process indirectly, by guiding when and where specific genes are activated - appear equally important.&nbsp;



Another major finding of the study was that hairless mammals evolved at faster rates than their hairy counterparts. “As animals are under evolutionary pressure to lose hair, the genes encoding hair become less important. That’s why they speed up the rate of genetic changes that are permitted by natural selection. Some genetic changes might be responsible for loss of hair. Others could be collateral damage after hair stops growing,” Clark explained.



By answering fundamental questions about the mechanisms shaping this rather rare feature in mammals, the scientists hope to find new ways to recover hair after balding or chemotherapy, as well as in people with disorders that cause hair loss.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.76911">eLife</a>.&nbsp;



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Hairless mammals evolved at a faster pace

While most mammals are covered in fur, some have significantly...

The role of the gut <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-microbiomes-around-the-world-are-functionally-similar/">microbiome</a> in respiratory viral infections in general, and in COVID-19 patients, in particular, is only just beginning to be understood. Previous reports have shown that COVID-19 is often accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms and that persistent microbiome changes are found in people with long-term COVID-19. Furthermore, investigations have shown that all COVID-19 patients manifest differences in gut bacterial populations when compared to healthy controls, and that infected patients treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics while in hospital have an increased risk of developing multi-drug resistant secondary infections and of dying from septic shock.



Despite these earlier findings, the causal direction of the relationship between disrupted gut microbiome and infection by coronavirus has remained unclear. Does coronavirus infection result in a disrupted gut microbiome, or does an already weakened or dysfunctional gut microbiome make the body more vulnerable to infection by the virus?



A recent study, led by researchers from <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/our-community/about-us">NYU Grossman School of Medicine</a>, has now set out to elucidate this relationship. Initially, the researchers tested the changes in gut microbes found in laboratory mice that had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, and found that the diversity of different bacterial species in the gut decreased dramatically within the first few days of infection. Some families of important bacteria disappeared from the gut, while other families proliferated. These results led the researchers to suspect that the virus would also disrupt the microbiome in human patients.&nbsp;



They then investigated changes to gut microbes in 96 men and women who were hospitalized with COVID-19 in 2020, in New York City and in New Haven, Conn. The researchers analyzed the microbe communities present in stool samples taken throughout each patient’s hospital stay.&nbsp;



The results, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33395-6">Nature Communications</a>, showed that the majority of patients had low gut microbiome diversity, as was found in the experimental mice, with around a quarter of the patients showing a microbiome dominated by a single type of bacteria. At the same time, populations of several microbes known to include antibiotic-resistant species increased, possibly due to widespread antibiotic use early in the pandemic. Antibiotics kill off species that are susceptible to the drugs but leave, in their place, different species that are resistant to the drugs.&nbsp;



These antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in the gut were also observed to have migrated into the bloodstream in 20 percent of patients. In the bloodstream, they cause infections that can be life-threatening to patients. The study authors note that further research is needed to uncover why this group was at higher risk for a secondary infection while other patients remained protected.&nbsp;



“Our findings suggest that coronavirus infection directly interferes with the healthy balance of microbes in the gut, further endangering patients in the process,” says study co-senior author and microbiologist Dr. Ken Cadwell. “Now that we have uncovered the source of this bacterial imbalance, physicians can better identify those coronavirus patients most at risk of a secondary bloodstream infection."



Under normal circumstances, microbes are not able to migrate between the gut and the bloodstream unless the intestinal barrier is damaged. In fact, the researchers found gut epithelial cell alterations in the mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, implying that the virus in some way also changes the permeability of the intestine lining.&nbsp; In previous research, the influenza virus was also shown to disrupt the intestinal barrier in mice by damaging the gut microbiota.&nbsp;



In the current study, the patients who were shown to have a microbiome dominated by one type of bacteria often suffered the migration of this drug-resistant species from the gut into the blood, indicating some compromise to the intestinal barrier. This caused a secondary infection in these patients that proved fatal, in some instances.&nbsp;



“Our results highlight how the gut microbiome and different parts of the body’s immune system are closely interconnected,” says study senior author Dr. Jonas Schluter. “An infection in one can lead to major disruptions in the other.” Schluter cautions that since the patients received different kinds of treatments for their illness, the investigation could not entirely account for all factors that may have contributed to the disruption of their microbiome and worsen their disease.&nbsp;



Taken together, these research findings support a scenario in which gut-to-blood migration of microorganisms occurs in COVID-19 patients due to the virus causing disruption to the normal gut microbiome. This migration leads to bloodstream infections that can be dangerous complications of the disease. According to Schluter, the study team next plans to examine why certain microbial species are more likely to escape the gut during COVID-19. The researchers say they also intend to explore how different microbes interact, which may contribute to this migration into the bloodstream. &nbsp;



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

COVID disrupts gut health, increasing risk of other infections

The role of the gut microbiome in respiratory viral infections...

Drying soils will likely host an increasing number of pathogenic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-shed-their-flowers-quickly-for-protection-from-microbes/">microbes</a> which pose a threat to public health, according to a new study. The research will be presented at the 107th Annual Meeting of the <a href="https://www.esa.org/">Ecological Society of America</a>.



Previous studies have shown that soil microbes are vulnerable to environmental degradation and climate change. Soil bacterial communities are crucial for fertile soils and plant growth, and the expected loss of microbial diversity in drying soils could have severe consequences when it comes to global food security.



The new research reveals that soil-borne pathogens are resilient to stressful environmental conditions. This means that disease-causing bacteria are more likely than non-pathogenic microbes to survive the persistent droughts that are expected to coincide with climate change and global warming.&nbsp;



A team of researchers at New Mexico State University led by Professor Adriana Romero-Olivares investigated the complex relationships between global change and soil fungi. The study was focused on soil fungal communities in the southwestern United States.



In collaboration with experts at ETH Zürich and the U.S. Geological Survey, the researchers extracted fungal DNA from soils to compare the effects of local environmental conditions on microbial communities.



The results suggest that spore-producing fungi will thrive and become more prevalent in increasingly dry soils. Pathogenic fungi release spores that spread easily through airborne dispersal, and these species may be able to endure dust storms and droughts that non-pathogenic species are unable to tolerate, explained the study authors.



“It’s not only about the fungi that we know are pathogenic, but also about the fungi that have the potential to become pathogenic. We have no idea if global climate change may trigger pathogenicity and we really need to start looking into that to prevent future pandemics,” said Romero-Olivares.



The research will be used to inform policy makers on the public health threat potential that climate change has on soil fungal communities.



---



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.

Drying soils pose a major threat to public health

Drying soils will likely host an increasing number of pathogenic...

As glaciers melt and lose mass, they will contribute to sea-level rise. It is already estimated that meltwater from all glacial land ice (excluding the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets) has contributed 21 percent of the sea-level rise recorded between 2000 and 2019. In addition, melting glaciers will change available water resources for around 1.9 billion people, altering annual and seasonal runoff for personal use and agriculture, and contributing to water insecurity.&nbsp;



Melting glaciers will also increase the frequency and magnitude of glacier-related hazards, such as landslides and outburst floods, over the next century. For all these reasons, it is critical to predict and understand the magnitude, spatial pattern, and timing of glacier mass loss.



In a new study that represents “a substantial step forward in predictive modeling”&nbsp;of glacier response to climate change, a team of international researchers has developed a model predicting the fate of all 215,547 of the world’s mountain glaciers (excluding those on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets) under various different warming scenarios. Their findings emphasize that, even if warming is limited to the target 1.5oC, all glaciers will be under threat by the end of 2100.



The study uses new and more detailed data sets on glacier mass balance and rates of ablation, and represents glacier dynamics with a flowline model. The researchers also consider important physical processes that have not been incorporated in previous models, and provide model predictions for global warming at 1.5oC, 2oC, 3oC and 4oC above pre-industrial levels, all the way to the year 2100. In a related perspective of the research, a commentator referred to this model as the “most comprehensive so far.”



The findings, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abo1324">Science</a>, predict that, globally, glaciers will lose between 26 percent (+1.5°C) and 41 percent (+4°C) of their mass by 2100, relative to a 2015 baseline. This mass loss would increase mean sea level by between 90 (+1.5°C) and 154 (+4°C) mm SLE, representing a 71 percent increase between the +1.5°C and +4°C scenarios.



The researchers report that, even in the most optimistic scenario of limiting global warming to 1.5 oC above pre-industrial levels, their model predicts that nearly 60 percent of the world’s glaciers will be lost by 2100. Within 2°C, the agreed warming limit of the Paris Agreement, about 70 percent of the smaller glaciers and 20 percent of the larger ones will melt completely. Considering that estimates from COP26 predict a global mean temperature increase of around 2.7°C by 2100, even the very largest glaciers in the Polar Regions will be under threat.&nbsp;



And the consequences do not stop at 2100. Even if temperature is stabilized at any level, the glaciers that remain will continue to lose mass beyond the model’s 2100 end point. These dire predictions highlight the need to act now in order to prevent substantial glacier loss.



“Every increase in temperature has significant consequences with respect to glacier contribution to sea level rise, the loss of glaciers around the world, and changes to hydrology, ecology, and natural hazards," wrote the study authors, led by David Rounce of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.



In&nbsp;a related Perspective (also published in Science), Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir and Timothy James say it is important to frame these findings in a positive light in order to motivate the public to support climate change policies. They say the authors of this study, “. . . while issuing a stark warning about the consequences of insufficient action, achieve this framing with an important message: Although it is too late to avoid losing many glaciers, any effort to limit global mean temperature rise will have a direct effect on reducing how many glaciers will be lost.”



The new model reveals a strong linear relationship between global mean temperature increase and glacier mass loss, meaning that, no matter how small the increase in global mean temperature, it will lead to increased glacier loss and added sea-level rise. And if temperatures were to increase by +2.7°C, as predicted at COP26, Earth will likely experience a near-complete deglaciation of entire mid-latitude regions by 2100, including Central Europe, Western Canada and United States, and New Zealand, which will add more to sea-level rise than is currently estimated.



In conclusion, the researchers stress the urgency of establishing more ambitious climate pledges to preserve the glaciers in the mountainous regions of the world. It may be too late to prevent the loss of many glaciers, but because of the linear relationship between temperature rise and ice mass loss, any action that is taken to limit warming will have a direct effect on reducing the number of glaciers lost.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Half of the world’s glaciers will melt by 2100

As glaciers melt and lose mass, they will contribute to...

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health has identified two specific air pollutants that cause asthma attacks in urban <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-connect-with-the-environment-through-story-writing/">children</a>. The experts report that moderate levels of ozone and fine particulate matter are linked to asthma attacks among adolescents who live in low-income urban areas.



The research was focused on non-viral asthma attacks that are not caused by respiratory viruses. The team examined the relationship between air pollutant levels and non-viral asthma attacks among more than 200 children who lived in low-income neighborhoods in one of nine U.S. cities.&nbsp;



The researchers found that asthma attacks had a non-viral cause in nearly 30 percent of the urban children. This rate is two to three times higher than that of children who do not live in a city, according to previous evidence.&nbsp;



“The strong association this study demonstrates between specific air pollutants among children in impoverished urban communities and non-viral asthma attacks further augments the evidence that reducing air pollution would improve human health,” said Dr. Hugh Auchincloss, director of the <a href="https://www.niaid.nih.gov/">National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases</a> (NIAID).&nbsp;



The study also revealed that exposure to ozone and fine particulate matter is associated with molecular changes in the children’s airways during non-viral asthma attacks. These molecular changes could possibly be the underlying cause of the exacerbations.



"We identified that increased air quality index values, driven predominantly by increased PM2·5 and O3 concentrations, were significantly associated with asthma exacerbations and decreases in pulmonary function that occurred in the absence of a provoking viral infection," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"Moreover, individual pollutants were significantly associated with altered gene expression in coordinated inflammatory pathways, including PM2·5 with increased epithelial induction of tissue kallikreins, mucus hypersecretion, and barrier functions and O3 with increased type-2 inflammation."



"Our findings suggest that air pollution is an important independent risk factor for asthma exacerbations in children living in urban areas and is potentially linked to exacerbations through specific inflammatory pathways in the airway. Further investigation of these potential mechanistic pathways could inform asthma prevention and management approaches."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00302-3/fulltext">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>.



Image Credit: UN Photo/Kibae Park



---



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.

Specific air pollutants linked to asthma attacks in urban children

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health has...

Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus)&nbsp;is a species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-breaking-macroalgae-blooms/">macroalgae</a> common to the Baltic Sea that is known to act as an important carbon sink, sequestering a major amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, by measuring the fluxes of greenhouse gases between surface waters and the atmosphere over several seasons, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.su.se/stockholm-university-baltic-sea-centre/infrastructure/ask%C3%B6-laboratory">Askö Laboratory</a> in Sweden has found that these algae also emit significant amounts of methane – a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2 - and thus potentially offset the uptake of atmospheric CO2.&nbsp;



“It was a bit surprising that methane was emitted from the bladderwrack, since this algae grows on hard substrates and not on soft sediments, where methane is produced normally,” said study co-author Christoph Humborg, the scientific director of the <a href="https://www.su.se/stockholm-university-baltic-sea-centre/infrastructure/ask%C3%B6-laboratory">Stockholm University Baltic Sea Center</a>. “But what we found was that these algae form pockets of sediment where methane forming microorganisms, archaea, could be detected. We found these archaea also on floating filamentous algae and organic matter debris associated with dense stands of bladderwrack.”



By&nbsp;continuously measuring greenhouse gas fluxes between the water surface and atmosphere outside the Askö Laboratory in Trosa during an entire year, the scientists confirmed that mixed vegetation and bladderwrack forests in coastal areas do take up significant amounts of atmospheric CO2. However, this uptake was offset by methane fluxes from the water to the atmosphere.



“Caring for and restoring macroalgae habitats could still be important from a climate perspective. Our study shows that these environments are net carbon sinks, just not as large as has sometimes been suggested,” Humborg explained.



According to the researchers, it is important to clarify whether methane production in the macroalgae habitats is influenced by their health status. “Our measurements were done in situ in the Baltic Sea, which is affected by eutrophication. A less eutrophic ecosystem with less organic matter accumulation and less filamentous algae growth could likely produce less methane. If so, taking measures to help the Baltic Sea recover from eutrophication would substantially improve the blue carbon potential of these habitats and contribute to mitigating climate change,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35673-9">Nature Communications</a>.



Image Credit: Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Methane emissions offset carbon uptake by macroalgae

Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus)&nbsp;is a species of macroalgae common to the...

Rats have been introduced to many offshore islands in the past, mostly arriving by accident aboard visiting ships. They can cause devastation to the indigenous wildlife of these islands, particularly if the native species include ground-nesting birds. This has led to a call for rat eradication programs on many islands, in order to save wildlife from the deleterious impacts of these introduced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-rodent-borne-diseases-spill-over-into-humans/">rodents</a>.&nbsp;



A study led by researchers at <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a> has now identified an unexpected way in which invasive rats on tropical islands have affected the lives of fish inhabiting the reefs around the islands. This is an unusual instance where the presence of terrestrial rats leads to a change in the behavior of species in an entirely different biome. It reveals how species in different biomes are linked, despite the fact that they will never meet one another.



The study, which also involved researchers from Lakehead University in Canada,&nbsp;compared the territorial behavior of jewel damselfish (Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus) on reefs around five rat-infested and five rat-free islands in a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean. These small reef fish are highly territorial and readily chase away other fish that enter their territory. They “cultivate” patches of algae between the branches of corals within a territory, and mostly direct their aggression towards intruders that are also herbivorous and in search of algal turf for food.&nbsp;



Previous research has shown that the damselfish around rat-free islands benefit from the nutrients that leach from the guano of seabirds breeding and roosting on the islands. These seabirds, including mostly terns and noddies, forage at sea and return to their nests on the islands. They produce nutrient-rich guano that enters the waters surrounding the islands and provides a sort of fertilizer. Around the rat-free islands, algal productivity and damselfish growth and body sizes are higher than they are in the waters around rat-infested islands.&nbsp;



The black rats (Rattus rattus) are thought to have been introduced to the archipelago in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but are not present on all the islands. This provided the researchers with a natural experiment in which they could assess the impacts of the rats by comparing the behavior of damselfish around rat-infested and rat-free islands.&nbsp;



The rats feed on the eggs and chicks of the resident seabirds, causing significant decreases in bird population numbers. The researchers recorded an average of 1,243 birds per ha on rat-free islands, and 1.6 birds per ha on rat-infested islands, which equates to a seabird density that is 720 times smaller where rats are present. As a result, there is less guano on rat-infested islands, and less nutrient-enrichment in the surrounding waters.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The findings of the current study, published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01931-8">Nature Ecology and Evolution</a>, show that damselfish on reefs around rat-infested islands defend larger territories (average 0.62m² compared with 0.48m² around rat-free islands), presumably because the algae receives less nutrient-enrichment and is less productive where the seabird populations have been decimated; the damselfish therefore need a larger “farm” area to fulfil their needs.



In addition, while damselfish aggressively defended their small territories and algal turf patches around rat-free islands, the fish on reefs around rat-infested islands were far less likely to behave aggressively towards other fish that entered their territory. The researchers hypothesize that the algal food in waters around rat-infested islands was simply not nutritious or productive enough to make it worth defending.&nbsp;



Dr. Rachel Gunn conducted the research as part of her PhD studies at Lancaster University and is now at Tuebingen University, Germany.&nbsp;



"Jewel damselfish around rat-free islands aggressively defend their turf because the higher enriched nutrient content means they get ‘more for their money,’ and this makes it worth the energy cost needed to defend," said Dr. Gunn. "Conversely, the fish around rat-infested islands behave less aggressively. We believe that the presence of rats is lowering the nutritional benefit of the turf to the extent that it is almost not worth fighting for, which is what we are observing with these behavior changes.”&nbsp;



Seabirds are drivers of nutrient cycling in numerous locations around the world, as they forage out in the oceans and return to land to roost and breed. The results of this study reveal that the reduction in nutrient availability, due to the effects of invasive rats on the seabird populations, can also affect the behavior of fish in the shallow waters around tropical islands. It is possible that the reduced nutrient levels could also affect other reef species, and influence the spread of corals, the distribution of reef fish and the genetic traits of damselfish.&nbsp;



“The algal farming of damselfish affects the balance of corals and algae on the reef. Their aggression towards other fish can influence the way those fish move around and use the reef. We do not yet know what the consequence of this behavioral change will be but ecosystems evolve a delicate balance over long time-scales, so any disruption could have knock-on consequences for the wider ecosystem,” said Dr. Gunn.



“Changes in behavior are often the first response of animals to environmental change, and can scale up to affect if, how and when species can live alongside one another," explained Dr. Sally Keith, the principal investigator of the study. "Our research is the first to show that these broader impacts can even be felt across biomes, from terrestrial invaders to marine farmers. It also shows the power of leveraging real-world environmental variation across multiple locations as an approach to understand animal behavior.”



The findings also add evidence in support of rat eradication programs on tropical islands. Rats have been removed successfully from more than 580 islands worldwide, and in many instances resident seabird populations have benefitted. It is clear from this study that the return of seabirds and their guano would be advantageous, not only for the islands’ ecosystems, but also for the nearshore marine ecosystems that receive nutrient enrichment as a consequence of seabird presence. Rat eradication should be conservation priority for these tropical islands.&nbsp;



“We have provided more evidence that invasive rats have a large impact on both terrestrial and marine ecosystems," said Dr. Gunn. "Rat eradication has the potential to have multiple, cross-ecosystem benefits. The removal of invasive rats could restore the territorial behavior of farming damselfish, which could scale up to benefit coral reef community composition and resilience.”



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Rats on tropical islands change reef fish behavior

Rats have been introduced to many offshore islands in the...

Wildlife bridges and tunnels not only protect animals from vehicle collisions but also assist in preventing inbreeding among small and fragile populations that are hemmed in by roadways or other human development by helping connect them with a wider pool of potential mates. However, whether the animals themselves feel safe while using such <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildlife-crossings-save-lives-and-money-in-washington-state/">wildlife crossings</a> is not yet well understood.



Now, by reviewing a set of nearly 600 animal-activated videos, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a> (UCLA) has investigated reactions of deer and elk around a wildlife tunnel beneath a four-lane highway in Alberta, Canada. The analysis revealed that the animals were less likely to use the undercrossing after they had displayed a vigilant or fearful response to passing vehicles. These findings suggest that wildlife managers should focus more on animals’ perceptions of their environments when designing wildlife crossing structures, in order to signal that a crossing area is safe.



“It’s only through studies like this that focus on how animals perceive and react to the stimuli in their environment — which can either attract them or repel them — that we’ll gain the necessary insights to develop effective wildlife crossings,” said study co-author Daniel Blumstein, a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA. “Importantly, different species are likely to respond differently, and other external contextual cues might also influence how a given species responds.”&nbsp;



The video recordings showed that elk and deer on the roadside near the tunnel often shifted from foraging for food to becoming vigilant or even fleeing when vehicles passed on the highway above. Surprisingly, the animals appeared to react more strongly when vehicles passed infrequently than when the traffic flowed steadily.



“We are not certain why animals are more responsive to fewer vehicles,” said study senior author Erik Abelson, a research scientist at the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a>, who conducted this research during a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA. “It is possible that when there are many cars barreling down the road, they can be heard from farther away and don’t surprise the animals as much.”



These findings show that animals respond dynamically to human activities in ways which can affect if and how they use wildlife crossings. While some animals, such as racoons, are so accustomed to human activities that they don’t respond negatively at all, others may be much more cautious.&nbsp;



“If we can figure out ways to leverage wildlife behaviors, we may be able to make wildlife crossings more effective. For example, walls to dampen sound or to reduce the visual effects of passing headlights may encourage use of crossing structures. We hope that this study is just one of many that will examine different wildlife species and levels of traffic to better develop tools that increase the use of crossing structures by wildlife and, ultimately, protect the lives of humans and wildlife,” Abelson concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269587">PLoS ONE</a>.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Do animals feel safe using wildlife crossings?

Wildlife bridges and tunnels not only protect animals from vehicle...

A team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> and <a href="https://saveourseas.com/">Save Our Seas Foundation</a> has recently sequenced the entire genomes of two species of endangered <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sharks-important-deserve-protections/">sharks</a> – the great hammerheads and the shortfin mako. The experts discovered that while low genetic diversity and signs of inbreeding ring alarm bells for the former, there may still be hope for the latter, which showed higher genetic diversity and limited interbreeding.



“With their whole genomes deciphered at high resolution we have a much better window into the evolutionary history of these endangered species,” said study senior author Mahmood Shivji, an expert in Conservation Biology at Save Our Seas.



“Technical advances in the study of genomes mean that DNA sequencing approaches are much more powerful and efficient now,” added lead author Michael Stanhope, a professor of Public and Ecosystem Health at Cornell. “We can apply these new technologies to gain insights about the organism, information that we hope can be leveraged to protect sharks and rays.”



By sequencing to chromosome level the genomes of great hammerhead and shortfin mako sharks, the scientists discovered that their populations have declined substantially over the past 250,000 years. Moreover, the DNA analysis revealed that great hammerheads have low genetic variety, which makes them less resilient to adapting to the rapidly changing world in which they live. In addition, this species also showed significant signs of interbreeding, a feature that can lower the ability of their populations to survive. By contrast, the shortfin mako shark exhibited higher genetic diversity and limited interbreeding, which could make them less threatened by environmental changes.&nbsp;



However, as revolutionary and effective as it is, genetic sequencing performed in order to improve conservation efforts poses its own problems. “Genetics has advanced such that chromosomal level genomes are the expectation for a reference quality genome for species. However, conservation research presents its own challenges to achieving this consistently and at the resolution expected in other fields,” Shivji explained.



“Obtaining tissue samples from endangered marine vertebrates is a major hurdle. You can assemble the genome with a single tissue sample from a single shark, but the ideal circumstance would be to sequence genomes from multiple individuals from different parts of their ocean range, an ethically difficult and costly endeavor.”



Thus, conservation geneticists should balance the latest technological advances with respect for the vulnerable populations that they study. Nonetheless, as new possibilities arise, insights into the genetic blueprint of sharks will help strengthen our understanding of these ecologically important species and help conserving their fragile populations.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105815">iScience</a>.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Genetic analyses help shark conservation efforts

A team of researchers led by Cornell University and Save...

Some species of reef <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-can-lost-fish-get-back-on-track/">fish</a> struggle to recognize their competitors after coral bleaching events, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>.&nbsp;



The research was focused on reefs across five Indo-Pacific regions. The experts analyzed the behavior of 38 species of butterflyfish before and after a coral bleaching event, based on more than 3,700 observations.



The researchers discovered that after the widespread loss of coral, butterflyfish were less capable of identifying threats and responding appropriately. This led the fish to make poor decisions and to engage in unnecessary fights.&nbsp;



“By recognizing a competitor, individual fish can make decisions about whether to escalate, or retreat from, a contest - conserving valuable energy and avoiding injuries," explained study lead author Dr. Sally Keith.



“These rules of engagement evolved for a particular playing field, but that field is changing. Repeated disturbances, such as bleaching events, alter the abundance and identity of corals - the food source of butterflyfish. It’s not yet clear whether these fish have the capacity to update their rule book fast enough to recalibrate their decisions.”



The experts report that after widespread coral losses, signaling between fish of different species was less common. Encounters led to chases 90 percent of the time after bleaching, and the distance of the chases increased substantially. This caused butterflyfish to spend much more energy chasing potential competitors than they would have done previously, noted the researchers.



“By looking at how behavior responds to real-life changes in the environment, and by seeing that those changes are the same regardless of location, we can start to predict how ecological communities might change into the future. These relatively small miscalculations in where to best invest energy could ultimately push them over the edge," said Dr. Keith.&nbsp;



According to the study authors, the findings may have implications for species survival as global warming increases the likelihood of coral loss.



The research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Australian Research Council, and the Villum Foundation.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.2158">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: Dr. Sally Keith



---



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.

Reef fish struggle to recognize competitors after coral bleaching

Some species of reef fish struggle to recognize their competitors...

Although the seafloor is considered the final sink for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-confirms-microplastics-have-entered-our-food-chain/">microplastics</a> floating on the sea surface, the historical evolution of this major source of pollution in the sediment compartment – and especially the sequestration and burial rate of smaller microplastics on the ocean floor – has been unknown until recently. Now, a new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c04264">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a> has found that the total amount of microplastics deposited on the seafloor has tripled over the past two decades, mimicking the progression of the global plastic production from 1965 to 2016.



“Specifically, the results show that, since 2000, the amount of plastic particles deposited on the seafloor has tripled and that, far from decreasing, the accumulation has not stopped growing mimicking the production and global use of these materials,” said study lead author Laura Simon-Sánchez, a researcher at the <a href="https://portalrecerca.uab.cat/en/organisations/institute-of-environmental-science-and-technology-icta-uab">Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona</a> (ICTA-UAB).



The analysis of sediments obtained in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea has revealed that the microplastics that reached the seafloor have remained unaltered since they were deposited decades ago, most likely due to lack of erosion, oxygen, and light. “The process of fragmentation takes place mostly in the beach sediments, on the sea surface or in the water column. Once deposited, degradation is minimal, so plastics from the 1960s remain on the seabed, leaving the signature of human pollution there,” explained study senior author Patrizia Ziveri, a marine biologist at ICTA-UAB.



“Since the 1980s, but especially in the past two decades, the accumulation of polyethylene and polypropylene particles from packaging, bottles, and food films has increased, as well as polyester from synthetic fibers in clothing fabrics,” added study co-author Michael Grelaud, an oceanographer at the same institute.



According to the scientists, the amount of these three types of particles reached a critical level of 1.5mg per kilogram of sediment collected, with polypropylene being the most abundant, followed by polyethylene and polyester.&nbsp;



Regardless of the increasing number of awareness campaigns on the necessity of reducing single-use plastic, data from annual marine sediment analyses show that we are very far from achieving this goal. To solve this major problem, policies at the global level addressing this issue are urgently needed in order to protect the health and functioning of a vast number of currently endangered ecosystems.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Microplastics have tripled on the seafloor in the past 20 years

Although the seafloor is considered the final sink for microplastics...

A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.vt.edu/">Virginia Tech</a> has recently received a $340,000 grant from the <a href="https://www.erdc.usace.army.mil/">U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center</a> (ERDC) to create new tools using sound waves to control the movements of invasive species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asian-carp-lake-michigan/">Asian carp</a>. The ERDC is an organization which aims, among other things, to manage United States’ commercial waterway infrastructure, including locks and dams.



Asian carps were introduced into targeted waterways in the 1970s to control harmful agents on aquatic farms. However, over the past half a century, these invasive fish have moved beyond aquatic farms and currently threaten the balance of aquatic life in many lakes and rivers across the U.S, gobbling up food and resources needed by other animals, and thus threatening the fishing industry too. Moreover, one type of carp can leap out of the water at a distance of several feet, often endangering boaters.



According to the scientists, the continuous spread of the species is mostly related to human activities. For instance, transported young carp may accidentally be dumped into water from travelling boats, and then mature and breed in areas where they do not belong. In addition, carps take advantage of the movement of boats and water where lakes and rivers meet – intersections that are usually controlled by dams and locks.&nbsp;



In the case of locks, engineers construct small waterways between two larger waterways. When a boat enters, both sides of the lock are closed, and, when one waterway is higher than the other, the lock will either be flooded so the boat can travel “uphill,” or drained so the boat can move “downhill.” During that water movement, nearby carps can enter the lock and create a new habitat in the waterway. Thus, since the carp move most easily through the lock transition, the idea behind Virginia Tech’s new project is to keep them away from those areas.



While many previous technologies – such as combinations of nonlethal barriers at locks and dams to deter the fish, including electrical barriers or columns of bubbles – already exist, they are not focused specifically on carps, but affect instead a large variety of fish species. Now, the research team led by John Palmore (an expert in Computational Fluid Dynamics at Virginia Tech) aims to use sound to deter carp.



“Out of all those technologies, acoustic deterrents are potentially the best in the sense that they are the most customizable,” Palmore explained. “All fish are affected by bubble currents. Electric fences contain fish based on size but not species. For acoustic deterrents, each species hears within a different range. You have a selective mechanism to annoy specific species of fish.”&nbsp;



To keep carp at bay with sound, the researchers will combine different noises, such as predatorial sounds, boat noises, and other irritants. “The goal is to generate a model that can be applied widely to rivers and dams. Information such as the shape of the riverbed and the lock, how often barges enter, and how long it takes to fill the lock are important to our study,” Palmore concluded.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Controlling invasive carp with sound waves

A team of researchers from Virginia Tech has recently received...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



---



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



---



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



---



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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