The solar system, billions of years old, holds many secrets about its formation. Among its fascinating residents is Chiron, a centaur orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune. 



New findings by scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shed light on this hybrid of comet and asteroid, revealing unprecedented insights into its surface chemistry and activity.



The study was led by Dr. Noemí Pinilla-Alonso of the University of Oviedo and Dr. Charles Schambeau from the University of Central Florida (UCF). Their findings could reshape our understanding of centaurs and the solar system’s early history.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-capsules-of-the-solar-system">Time capsules of the solar system </h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-space-objects-called-centaurs-29p-continue-to-perplex-nasa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centaurs</a> are objects with dual characteristics, straddling the line between asteroids and comets. 



Chiron, discovered in 1977, is unique even among centaurs. It exhibits comet-like behavior, including a coma - a cloud of gas and dust - alongside distinct surface and interior features.



Dr. Pinilla-Alonso emphasizes that centaurs act as “time capsules,” preserving information about the solar system’s formation. "All small bodies in the solar system talk to us about how it was back in time,” she explained. 



Chiron’s activity, driven by solar heating, offers a rare opportunity to explore these preserved secrets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unprecedented-chemical-diversity-in-a-centaur">Unprecedented chemical diversity in a centaur</h2>



Using <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JWST</a>, the team discovered that Chiron's surface hosts carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide ice. Its coma contains methane and other gases, marking the first detection of such diversity in a centaur. 



“These results are like nothing we’ve seen before,” noted Dr. Schambeau from <a href="https://www.ucf.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCF</a>.



JWST’s advanced capabilities allowed the researchers to study Chiron even at its farthest point from the Sun. This distance usually limits the activity of similar objects, such as trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs).



Unlike <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/comet-will-be-visible-for-the-first-time-in-50000-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">comets</a> closer to the Sun, Chiron’s thinner coma offers clearer insights into its surface chemistry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chiron-s-ice-and-gas-dynamics">Chiron's ice and gas dynamics</h2>



Dr. Pinilla-Alonso noted that Chiron’s dual nature makes it invaluable for studying processes in both comets and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/two-large-asteroids-will-pass-near-earth-this-week/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">asteroids</a>. 



"What is unique about Chiron is that we can observe both the surface and the coma,” she said.



This dual observation provides critical information about the ice layer's thickness, porosity, and chemical properties.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2060-Chiron_coma_asteroid-comet-hybrid_credit-USF_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2060-Chiron_coma_asteroid-comet-hybrid_credit-USF_1s.webp" alt="Artist's impression of 2060 Chiron, an active centaur, surrounded by a faint disc of debris. Bright icy deposits and active areas are visible on its surface. Credtis: William D. González Sierra of the Florida Space Institute, University of Central Florida." class="wp-image-1954508"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Artist's impression of 2060 Chiron, an active centaur, surrounded by a faint disc of debris. Bright icy deposits and active areas are visible on its surface. Credtis: William D. González Sierra of the Florida Space Institute, University of Central Florida.</figcaption></figure>



JWST’s observations revealed the coexistence of primordial ices, such as methane and water, and newer compounds formed through surface processes. 



“Every active centaur we observe shows some peculiarity,” said Dr. Pinilla-Alonso. Understanding these peculiarities may uncover patterns across these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/once-in-a-lifetime-comet-will-be-easily-visible-this-month/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enigmatic objects</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-oddball-among-centaurs">An oddball among centaurs</h2>



Chiron stands out due to its unusual behavior, including comet-like activity and potential rings of debris. 



Dr. Schambeau describes it as “an oddball” with a unique thermophysical process. He analyzed methane in Chiron’s coma, linking its outflow to sun-heated regions on its surface.



These findings deepen our understanding of <a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2060-chiron_debris-disk_asteroid-comet-hybrid_credit-USF_1big.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">centaurs’ evolution and behavior</a>. 



Chiron’s dynamic environment provides clues about how solar heating influences its surface and subsurface, offering a glimpse into processes shaping similar bodies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-origins-and-future-of-chiron">Origins and future of Chiron</h2>



Chiron likely originated in the TNO region before moving into its current orbit. Gravitational interactions with giant planets alter the paths of centaurs, exposing them to varied environments.



Dr. Pinilla-Alonso explained that centaurs typically remain in the giant planets’ region for about a million years before being ejected. “They may end their lives as Jupiter Family comets or return to the TNOs region."



Chiron’s journey across the solar system exposes it to solar radiation, driving surface changes and creating its unique chemical composition. 



Understanding this evolution provides valuable insights into the early solar system.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-of-chiron-s-discovery">Broader implications of Chiron’s discovery</h2>



The study’s implications extend beyond Chiron. Identifying gases and ices on distant objects enhances our understanding of the solar system’s building blocks. 



These findings could also inform future research on centaurs and other icy bodies.



Dr. Pinilla-Alonso noted that JWST’s spectra revealed intricate details about Chiron’s ices and their interactions. "Based on our new JWST data, I’m not so sure we have a standard centaur."



Further studies may uncover shared traits among centaurs, offering a clearer picture of their origins and diversity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-more-about-centaurs">Learning more about centaurs</h2>



The researchers from <a href="https://www.uniovi.es" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oviedo</a> and UCF plan to continue observing Chiron as it approaches the Sun.



Closer proximity will enable more detailed studies of its surface and coma, potentially uncovering new chemical and physical properties.



Future research may also explore seasonal variations and illumination effects on Chiron’s ice reservoir. Such studies could refine our understanding of how centaurs interact with their environments and evolve over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unveiling-the-mysteries-of-the-solar-system">Unveiling the mysteries of the solar system</h2>



The JWST, an international collaboration led by NASA, has revolutionized space science. 



Its ability to observe distant objects like Chiron is solving long-standing mysteries about the solar system and beyond. These discoveries highlight the telescope’s transformative impact on planetary science.



“JWST has made these detections accessible. These results enhance our understanding of Chiron’s interior composition and its unique behaviors,” concluded Dr. Schambeau.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-chapter-in-solar-system-exploration">New chapter in solar system exploration</h2>



Chiron’s unique chemistry and activity mark a significant milestone in understanding the solar system’s origins. 



The ongoing research, powered by JWST’s capabilities, promises to unravel more secrets about this enigmatic centaur and its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/its-official-earth-now-has-two-moons-captured-asteroid-2024-pt5/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">counterparts</a>.



Through Chiron, scientists are not just uncovering the past - they are laying the groundwork for future exploration of icy bodies across the solar system.



“The analysis of Chiron’s gases and ices opens new frontiers and opportunities for exciting research,” said Dr. Pinilla-Alonso.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2024/12/aa50124-24/aa50124-24.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics</a>.



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Rare asteroid-comet hybrid is unlike anything ever seen before

The solar system, billions of years old, holds many secrets about its formation. Among its fascinating residents is Chiron, a centaur orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune. New findings by scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shed light on this hybrid of comet and asteroid, revealing unprecedented insights into its surface chemistry and activity. The study was led by Dr. Noemí Pinilla-Alonso of the University of Oviedo and Dr. Charles Schambeau from the University of Central Florida (UCF). Their findings could reshape our understanding of centaurs...

A humble shrimp is raising an alarm about climate change. A study published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.960881/full?&amp;utm_source=Email_to_authors_&amp;utm_medium=Email&amp;utm_content=T1_11.5e1_author&amp;utm_campaign=Email_publication&amp;field=&amp;journalName=Frontiers_in_Marine_Science&amp;id=960881">Frontiers in Marine Science</a> has verified <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/press-room/news-release/warming-oceans-are-getting-louder/">previous observations</a> that two species of snapping shrimp snap louder and more frequently in warmer water.&nbsp;



Scientists from <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> (WHOI), Ashlee Lillis and T. Aran Mooney, were able to draw a clear connection between warming and snapping by analyzing shrimp off the coast of North Carolina.&nbsp;



The researchers observed that for every one degree (C) increase in water temperature, the shrimp snapped one to two decibels higher and increased in frequency by 15 to 60 percent. The researchers also discovered that the frequency of snaps more than doubled when the water was between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit.



This behavior change is important because these tiny shrimp have a tremendous influence on the environment. Whales and dolphins use their sounds to navigate coastal areas, and the snapping attracts fish, shellfish, and coral larvae to good settling areas.



"These shrimp are the most ubiquitous sound producer in the ocean, and now we have evidence that temperature has a huge impact on their behavior and the overall soundscape," said Lillis, principal scientist at Sound Ocean Science. "That's relevant to everything from migrating whales to larvae trying to use the soundscape, or humans who use the sea for extractive or military purposes."



Mooney points out that although it's crucial for functioning ocean systems, crustacean behavior - as it affects the larger ecosystem - is often ignored when considering the consequences of climate change.&nbsp;



The research was conducted during a short-term heatwave, and the study authors stress that there are still many unanswered questions.&nbsp;



"Climate change is impacting the marine soundscape in fundamental ways," Mooney said. "Warming waters can influence how animals are physically able to communicate and use sound to reproduce and attract mates. We don't yet know what happens to the ecosystem when background noise levels are higher, but there are far-reaching implications."



---



By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Snapping shrimp are getting louder as the ocean warms

A humble shrimp is raising an alarm about climate change....

Nightclub,Dj,Rave,Party,With,Crowd,Of,People,Hands,Up

Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), researchers at the Columbia University <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/">Mailman School of Public Health</a> have determined that over 5.5 million American adults have used hallucinogens since 2002. While hallucinogen use has increased among adults aged 26 and older, fewer adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 seem to be consuming these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-use-reduces-demand-for-prescription-drugs/">drugs</a>. 



The study also showed that while the use of LSD increased for all age groups between 2002 and 2019, the use of PCP and ecstasy has decreased. Although hallucinogens may be beneficial in some cases, the researchers stress that these drugs present risks such as high blood pressure, decreased appetite, and seizures.



"While new findings suggesting benefits from use of certain hallucinogens among a range of cognitive areas are being published at a rapid rate, there are still gaps in knowledge concerning safe hallucinogen use, and evidence for potential adverse effects even with professionally supervised use that warrant attention." said study first author Dr. Ofir Livne.&nbsp;



The researchers are particularly concerned about the increased use of LSD and the perception that it's not dangerous.&nbsp;



"Our finding of an upward trend in 12-month LSD use, overall and by age, matches our finding of a downward trend in perception of LSD as risky," said senior author Dr. Deborah Hasin. "Factors such as changes in risk perception, in the specific types of drugs available and in expectations of beneficial effects of 'microdosing' may all have led to increased use of certain hallucinogens in recent years."



Given the increasing popularity and positive media coverage, the authors are concerned about public safety and believe that the use of hallucinogens should be continually monitored.&nbsp;



"In light of popular media reports of a forthcoming 'psychedelic revolution' with commercialization and marketing that may further reduce public perception of any risk, researchers, clinicians and policymakers should increase their attention to the rising rates of unsupervised hallucinogen use among the general public," said Dr. Hasin.



"Our results highlight such use as a growing public health concern and suggest that the increasing risk of potentially unsupervised hallucinogen use warrants preventive strategies."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.15987">Addiction</a>.&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

More than 5.5 million American adults have used hallucinogens

Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and...

Top,View,Aged,Woman,Lying,On,Bed,Woke,Up,At

According to new research led by the <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a> (UCLA), global warming is reducing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/poor-sleep-quality-is-associated-with-mental-illness/">sleep quality</a> – a feature that makes it harder for the body to fend off infections or to produce sufficient quantities of antibodies after vaccinations. These findings regarding the deep connection between high temperatures, poor sleep, and reduced immune responses could contribute to our understanding and fight against current health hazards such as Covid-19, the recent monkeypox outbreak, or the resurgence of polio in places such as London or New York.



“No one has previously put together this notion that the ongoing climate crisis is contributing to sleep disturbance and that it’s possibly contributing to the altered risk of infectious disease we’re seeing,”&nbsp;said study author Michael Irwin, a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UCLA.



According to Professor Irwin, there is a strong correlation between sleep and thermoregulation. Experimental studies have provided evidence that reducing air temperature improve sleep quality by maintaining a normal body temperature without expanding excess energy, while increases in air temperature result in increased wakefulness.&nbsp;



High-quality sleep helps prepare the body’s responses to possible injuries or infections which may occur the following day, while disrupted sleep contributes to increases in inflammation and dampens the body’s ability to fend off infections. In addition, sleep duration is also strongly associated with infectious disease risks. Longer sleep duration decreases viral or bacterial load, and improves survival rates in a variety of infectious disease models.



Moreover, previous studies have shown that poor sleep could also result in decreased responses to vaccination. For instance, people who had four consecutive nights of low-quality sleep before receiving a trivalent influenza vaccine had a 50 percent reduction in antibody levels. Finally, recent studies on Covid-19 outcomes have found that significant sleep disturbances are associated with an over two-fold increase in the mortality risks for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. 



Future research is needed to evaluate how altering ambient temperatures affects sleep and, consequently, immune responses. Moreover, studies assessing how rising temperatures may be affecting diverse and disadvantaged communities – such as low-income people without access to air conditioning – should be urgently conducted.



“Just like the pandemic is impacting socioeconomically disadvantaged and ethnic groups disproportionately with more morbid outcomes, it might be that the increases in ambient temperature we’re seeing are further exaggerating those risk profiles,” Professor Irwin concluded.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2022.2109932">Temperature</a>.



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

Global warming reduces sleep quality, elevates disease risk

According to new research led by the University of California,...

A new climate modelling study led by the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a> has found that climate change and extreme weather events will significantly impact <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forced-labor-is-a-big-part-of-the-food-supply-chain/">food supply chains</a> across different sectors and regions in Australia, which will likely cause cascading repercussions on income, food, and nutrient availability.&nbsp;



According to the experts, while more affluent communities would be better safeguarded against such supply shocks, rural communities would be the most severely affected. Moreover, climatic events such as floods, cyclones, bushfires, or heatwaves could affect surrounding areas by limiting food availability and employment, with effects felt in distant regions too, due to the complex interconnectivity of modern supply chains.



“Climate change can directly impact our economy, livelihoods, and health. Disruptions caused by extreme weather events can cascade across regions and sectors, resulting in job and income losses and impacts on food availability,” said study lead author Arunima Malik, a senior lecturer in Sustainability at the University of Sydney. “Our study has sought to model the indirect supply-chain repercussions of these events to bolster our understanding of interconnected supply chain networks and to promote climate preparedness.”



Previous studies have found that localized disasters – such as a cyclone in Queensland – can impact all the other Australian states, resulting in significant losses across primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors.&nbsp;



“What plays out globally seems to play out locally as well. Everyone is affected by climate change, even if they’re not in areas directly hit by extreme weather, and the vulnerable are affected most,” explained study co-author Manfred Lenzen, a professor of Sustainability Research at the University of Sydney.



Such impacts could lead to localized food price increases and diminished food quality, with poor people faring worse than their more affluent counterparts.&nbsp;



“Disruptions to food supply can negatively impact diet quality, through reducing the variety that contributes to a balanced diet, diverting diets to unhealthy processed foods that have a longer shelf life. This disproportionately impacts vulnerable groups, who do not have the means to pay escalating prices for scarce fresh foods,” said study co-author David Raubenheimer, a professor of Nutritional Ecology at the same university.



Impacts on food production would most likely affect employment and cause income losses too, not only in the supply food chains, but also in the transportation and service sectors.&nbsp;



“The cascading effects, generated by continuing climate variability and more frequent extreme weather events, not only disrupt supply chains, but may also trigger zoonotic diseases, foodborne epidemics, and broad socio-demographic stresses, including inter-regional migration and social unrest. It’s vital that we understand these impacts so we can build a more resilient society,” Dr. Malik concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022-00570-3">Nature Foods</a>.&nbsp;



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

Climate-related disasters will disrupt food supply chains

A new climate modelling study led by the University of...

Women in their 20s, 30s and 40s tend to develop risk of cardiovascular-disease much faster than men do. <a href="https://www.wvu.edu/">West Virginia University</a> epidemiologist Bethany Barone Gibbs is exploring what role adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, play in that disparity and whether <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/physical-activity-preserves-thinking-skills-among-women/">physical activity </a>can reduce or eliminate it.



“People always think that men have more cardiovascular disease than women,” said Gibbs. “But what happens is that women typically have lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease before their childbearing years. Then, between their 20s and 40s, they have this accelerated risk development."&nbsp;



"The incidence of hypertension and other risk factors increases in women compared to men, so they sort of catch up. We think that might be at least in part because of pregnancy exposures.”&nbsp;



For the study, more than 3,000 women will wear a special accelerometer that measures how much time they spend lying down, sitting, standing, stepping or cycling. The activity tracker will be worn for 24 hours a day over the course of one week to measure cardiovascular-disease risk factors such as BMI, cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose.



Gibbs and her team will investigate any associations that emerge among the participants’ pregnancy history, cardiovascular health, cardiovascular-disease risk factors and sedentary behavior.



“We’re thinking about patterns. How healthy are the people who sit a lot but also exercise a lot? Are they OK? What about people who don’t exercise but don’t sit very much? Are they OK? We will have the data to be able to look at all of these relationships very carefully.” she said.



Study participants will be chosen from a larger pregnancy study called NuMoM2b, or Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study Monitoring Mothers-to-Be. The women who enrolled in NuMoM2b were all pregnant for the first time.&nbsp;



Gibbs and her team will be able to paint a more complete portrait of how sedentary behavior and adverse pregnancy outcomes influence women’s risk of cardiovascular disease. This could help health care providers estimate cardiovascular-disease risk more accurately, and inform women with a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes to use physical activity.



“We’re in the business of trying to understand if therapeutic lifestyle interventions that reduce sitting, increase physical activity or both can help reduce risk in women overall, but specifically in women that have an elevated risk because of their pregnancy history,” said Gibbs.



Sedentary behavior is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease that’s distinct from not getting enough exercise. If you spend 12 of your waking hours sitting at a desk, on a couch or in a car, you can’t “run off” those long, sedentary blocks of time by taking a half-hour jog.



“In people who sit for a long time, there’s this negative cardiovascular cascade that happens, even healthy people. Blood pools in the lower legs, blood pressure increases, and your body doesn’t metabolize blood sugar as well.”&nbsp;



With this in mind, Gibbs recommends standing for at least 15 minutes each hour, taking a two-minute walk here and there, and doing your best to live a less sedentary lifestyle.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pregnancy may influence cardiovascular disease risk in women

Women in their 20s, 30s and 40s tend to develop...

The mountains of the Philippines are a biodiversity hotspot - home to more unique species of mammals than anywhere else on Earth. Filipino biologist Danilo Balete has spent most of his adult life doing fieldwork and recording the fascinating diversity of living creatures in these mountains. One of the mice he discovered has recently been revealed to belong not only to a new species, but to a whole new genus of rodents.&nbsp;



Larry Heaney, curator of mammals at Chicago’s <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a> is the senior author of a paper describing the new mouse.in the&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/jmammal">Journal of Mammalogy</a>. “In the past several decades, we’ve learned just how incredibly important the Philippines are in terms of being home to mammals that are found nowhere else," said Heaney, "and a lot of that knowledge can be traced back to fieldwork led by Danny Balete."



Before his untimely death in 2017, Danny Balete’s research overturned previously held notions that biodiversity decreases in mountainous regions because of their harsh environmental conditions. Instead, he proposed that mountainous environments could generate, rather than suppress, species diversity. The mountains of the Philippines are cooler and much wetter than surrounding lowlands, so they become like islands, isolated within the lowland environment below.&nbsp;



Fauna and flora on these “sky islands” tend to evolve separately from each other, meaning that each mountain or mountain range may end up with new and unique species. “The taller and the bigger the mountain range, the more species of mammals will be living there that don't live anywhere else in the world,” said Heaney, who has been studying the mammals of the Philippines for 40 years. He first met Danny Balete in the late 1980s, shortly after Danny completed his Bachelor’s degree at the University of the Philippines.



"I was establishing a research program, and asked around, ‘Who would be a really good, enthusiastic young person to take into the field?’ And several people immediately said, ‘Danny Balete.’ So I invited him to do some field work with me, and he did fantastically well,” recalls Heaney. “He was just a superb field biologist. Danny could identify every plant, every frog, every bug, everything that you encountered, it was just astounding.”



“Danny contributed hugely to scientific knowledge about biological diversity in the Philippines. His enjoyment of biodiversity was really infectious, making him a mentor and inspiration to a generation of researchers and conservationists,” said study co-author Professor Mariano Roy Duya.."By the time of his death, at far too young an age, he was already one of the most prominent biodiversity scientists working in the Philippines.”



In 2007 and 2010, Balete went on expeditions to Mount Kampalili on the island of Mindanao as part of a Field Museum collaboration with the Philippine Eagle Foundation. They wanted to know what mammals lived alongside one of the largest and most critically endangered birds, the Philippine Eagle, and Danny was the perfect person to take along. While on Mount Kampalili, he and the team made a startling discovery: a dark brown mouse with small eyes and a long, tapering nose like a shrew. The creature was different from anything he’d ever seen on that island and looked more like mice he’d seen before, hundreds of miles away, on the island of Luzon.



“High up in the mountains, Danny was able to get cell phone service, so he sent me a text message right away, saying, ‘We just caught this animal that looks a lot like the ones from Luzon and it shouldn’t be here,’” recalls Heaney. “So he immediately recognized that this was something really cool.”



DNA analysis was conducted on three specimens of the new mouse by Dakota Rowsey, the study’s first author, vertebrate collections manager at Arizona State University, and research associate at the Field Museum. The results confirmed that the rodent was different from any known to science, to the extent that it represents a brand new genus of mice. The researchers decided to name the new species Baletemys kampalili, in honor of their departed colleague.&nbsp;



“That DNA study demonstrated that the new mouse was not related to the species up in the northern Philippines, but instead was related to species from Mindanao.&nbsp; It appears to be a remarkable case of what biologists call convergence – distantly related species that have independently evolved to resemble each other in ways that allow them to use habitats and resources in similar ways,” said Rowsey.



“Naming a new species after anyone is a big deal, a major honor given to people who make long-term, high-impact contributions to biodiversity science. Naming a new genus after someone is one of the highest honors biologists can bestow.”



It is not uncommon to discover new species, but a whole new genus is something special. “New species of mammals are being discovered globally at a considerable clip, maybe 50 to 100 new species per year,” said Heaney. “Finding a brand-new genus, previously unknown to science like this one, that only happens at most a couple of times per year. In our 40 years of intensive study of Philippine mammals, this is one of nearly 50 new species, but just the fourth new genus we discovered.”



The new genus’s scientific name means “Balete’s mouse,” in honor of Balete’s work in discovering it and so many other creatures. “As we began picking up the pieces after his death, it became obvious to us that we had to name this new mouse after him; he deserves this,” said Professor Duya.



In addition to honoring Balete, the researchers say the new genus is important because it’s another puzzle piece in understanding the diversity of life in the Philippines. Demonstrating that Mount Kampalili is home to a mouse found nowhere else on Earth may bolster conservation efforts by Indigenous communities which would help the mouse’s neighbors, including the critically endangered Philippine Eagles.



“It’s really important to show that when we protect one species, like the magnificent Philippine Eagle, we protect not only our unique biological wealth but our cultural heritage as well,” said study co-author Jayson Ibanez of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.



The Philippine eagle and the new “Balete’s mouse” are neighbors to the Indigenous Mandaya group&nbsp;of Mount Kampalili. “Indigenous peoples get very excited whenever they learn that they share their homeland with a totally unique lifeform. And in this case, when we help protect Mount Kampalili, we also protect the primary watershed, airsheds, and biocultural sanctuaries for much of southeastern Mindanao, giving huge benefits to all the people who live here,” said Ibanez. “With all of the threats from watershed destruction and climate change, we need all the help we can get.”



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

Shrew-like mouse will help protect Phillipine eagles

The mountains of the Philippines are a biodiversity hotspot -...

Disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, floods and droughts, are set to increase in frequency in future as the world’s climate changes. Such events are devastating to the communities they strike, bringing both financial and health-related impacts that can have long-term consequences for people. Today, most U.S. jurisdictions have a local emergency management team to develop suitable responses to natural disasters, which may include evacuation, shelters, financial and food aid and relocation efforts for affected individuals and their families.&nbsp;



Strikingly, however, very few of these response plans take into account the needs of companion animals, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-may-not-understand-humans-generosity/">dogs</a> and cats that are also victims of environmental disasters. Most households in the U.S. own pets in the form of dogs or cats and yet very little accommodation is made for the needs of these animals in the event of disasters. Although animal shelters and rescues are involved in disaster preparedness in most counties, and provide harm-reduction services such as microchipping and vaccine clinics, there is still a disconnect between animal and human disaster planning.



Janice Baldwin Rowitt and Heidi Brown are experts in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a>. The researchers investigated changes in cat and dog populations at U.S. animal care facilities during and after disaster events between 2013 and 2018. They limited their analysis to the effects of fires and hurricanes during those years, and considered the numbers of dogs and cats present at facilities at the end of the month in which the disaster occurred, as well as at the end of the month following the disaster and also at the end of the month a year after the disaster took place.&nbsp;



Data for the study was obtained from the Shelter Animals Count (SAC), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which documents 272 fires, and 72 hurricanes between 2013 and 2018. The final, combined data set included 83,910 observations for dogs and 70, 538 observations for cats. In addition to data on shelter occupancy at rescue facilities, the researchers also considered the numbers of animals euthanized at these facilities after environmental disasters.&nbsp;



The results of the analysis, published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000066">PLOS Climate</a>, show that the demand for shelter services varied depending on the type of disaster event (fire or hurricane) and on the species of pet.&nbsp;



“We found significant changes in the demand for animal care services in both the immediate and long-term aftermath of the disaster events we evaluated. These changes vary based across cats and dogs, hurricanes and fires, and the type of animal care facility," said the study authors.



In the case of dogs, there was an increased demand for housing within animal care facilities in the time periods following hurricanes, even after a year had elapsed since the disaster. However, this was not the case after fires, indicating that fires and hurricanes may affect dog interaction with animal care facilities differently. The experts hypothesize that the increase in dog intakes observed in the month and year following a hurricane may be due to the large influx of stray animals that typically occurs after the disaster, as residents move away from the area. The analysis did not indicate that fires and hurricanes result in more dogs having to be euthanized.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Cats appear to need housing in animal shelters particularly in the month of a disaster event. More animal shelter organizations reported higher numbers of cats the month of a fire compared with the month after. More organizations also reported higher cat euthanasia rates the month and year after a fire, though this action is only taken as a last resort, if facilities feel that no owner is searching for the pet. Cats may become burned or injured during a fire and this may lead to the increased need for euthanasia.



According to the researchers, the “findings suggest companion animals and the facilities that house them are greatly affected by the impacts of climate change, as evidenced by the shifts in demand on animal housing and euthanasia in the periods following a disaster.”



In response to these demands, Rowitt and Brown emphasize that the needs of companion animals should be fully integrated into human disaster management plans. The most effective way for this to happen is via collaboration between local governments, emergency management, animal shelter and rescue organizations, veterinarians, and pet owners themselves, say the researchers. Integrating animal welfare into human disaster planning is important as it has been shown that pet owners are likely to be more resistant to evacuation because of the stress of leaving their animals behind.&nbsp;



For many survivors of disasters, the presence of a beloved pet is integral to their emotional and psychological recovery, making integrated planning for animal and human victims even more important. One survey found that over 63 percent of respondents considered their pet to be an important coping mechanism during stressful situations, so losing a companion animal during a disaster event could lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety.



Although the current study indicates the need for increased housing for dogs in the time period after hurricanes, further research may show that different disaster events have different effects on populations of companion animals. The researchers suggest applying a One Health approach to disaster management strategies, whereby the welfare of companion animals is considered alongside the welfare of humans as we prepare to face the consequences of climate change.



"Given the importance of integrating human and animal disaster plans, combined with the fact that communities are currently experiencing adverse consequences associated with climate change, including extreme temperatures, more frequent and severe storms, drought, and rising sea levels, an organized," wrote the study authors. "One Health disaster response that addresses human and animal needs is essential for the continued welfare of companion animals and their owners.”&nbsp;



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

Pets are unrecognized victims of climate-related disasters

Disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, floods and droughts, are set...

Frogs have evolved a wide variety of strategies to evade <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-bats-buzz-like-hornets-to-deter-predators/">predators</a>. Some of the defense mechanisms used by frogs are quite bizarre, such as playing dead, screaming, urinating, or puffing up their bodies.&nbsp;



In a new study led by evolutionary biologist Stefan Lüpold at the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a>, researchers set out to investigate how frogs choose between two specific antipredator strategies: fleeing the scene versus avoiding detection through camouflage. The results suggest that frogs evolved to have either small or large brains depending on which of these defense strategies they use.&nbsp;



Despite their effectiveness, both fleeing and camouflaging come with potential costs. For example, it takes a lot of energy to physically escape a predator. But while camouflage may save energy, it can be detrimental to mating success and greatly limits where animals can safely live.&nbsp;



The study was focused on antipredator adaptations in 102 Chinese frog species. The analysis revealed that frogs with fewer predators had adapted bodies for escaping, including large brains and muscular hind legs.&nbsp;



On the other hand, when frogs are faced with many predators, fleeing is no longer the best option. “Under these unfavorable conditions, the cognitive costs needed for this strategy outweigh its benefits,” explained Lüpold. “Here, evolution has led to a gradual shift from cognitive predator evasion to camouflage – and thus smaller brains.”



According to the researchers, the study is the first to establish a direct link between brain evolution and different strategies for evading predators.



“Our study highlights that research on brain evolution has to consider metabolic costs as much as it focuses on cognitive benefits,” said Lüpold.&nbsp;



"Specifically, our phylogenetic path analysis reveals an indirect relationship between predation risk and crypsis that is mediated by brain size," wrote the study authors. "This result suggests that at a low predation risk, frogs can afford to be conspicuous and use their large brain for cognitive predator evasion. This strategy may become less efficient or energetically costlier under higher predation pressure, favoring smaller brains and instead increasing crypsis."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



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

Conspicuous frogs have big brains to evade predators

Frogs have evolved a wide variety of strategies to evade...

According to the World Health Organization, mosquitos are the deadliest animals on Earth. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-heightens-risk-of-most-infectious-diseases/">diseases</a> they pass on to humans, including malaria, Zika, West Nile, Chikungunya and dengue, are responsible for around 725,000 deaths each year. The insects use olfactory cues to locate humans with an unerring accuracy, preferring to bloodfeed on humans over other animals, and so the means by which they detect human presence has become the object of scientific investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;



More than a decade ago, Leslie Vosshall, a <a href="https://www.hhmi.org/">Howard Hughes Medical Institute</a> (HHMI) Investigator, turned her attention to understanding the mosquito olfactory system in a quest to find ways to blunt the insect’s uncanny ability to locate human prey. “I wanted to do something the public could be excited about,” she says. And her new work would indeed prove to have a major impact – just not what she’d anticipated. Vosshall describes the results as “a huge, staggering surprise."



Mosquitos detect chemical signals using odor receptors that are located on nerve cells (neurons) found on the antennae and some of the mouth parts. The accepted understanding, based on the Nobel Prize-winning research on mice by Linda Buck (now at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center) and Richard Axel at Columbia, was that the smell sensing systems in animals are exquisitely specialized and organized. Each olfactory neuron has just one type of receptor, which detects a specific odor and then connects to just one structure (called a glomerulus) in the olfactory bulb of the brain.&nbsp;



According to this paradigm, a mosquito would be expected to have separate neurons that detect the smell of human body odor, and the presence of exhaled carbon dioxide (CO2), and it might be a straightforward process to disable these particular neurons and render mosquitos insensitive to human cues. Or that’s what the researchers thought. “We as a field were so influenced by Buck and Axel,” says Vosshall (who was a postdoc student in Axel’s lab). “Those were the rules.”



Initially, the researchers analyzed the DNA in the complete genome of a blood-sucking mosquito, something that had not yet been undertaken. “No one had done genome editing before in part because the genome was so fragmented,” Vosshall explains. Then, Meg Younger a former postdoc in the lab set out to try to answer a puzzling question. Mosquitoes are attracted to both the CO2 that people breathe out and to human body odor.&nbsp;



“But there’s something magical about adding those two ingredients together, where one plus one equals twenty,” she says. When both olfactory cues are present together, the insects become very excited and focused, and they start to hunt for humans ferociously. It is as though the two stimuli become amplified somehow in the olfactory system.&nbsp;



In order to understand what was happening, Younger tried to identify which olfactory neurons responded to CO2 and which to body odor, and then to trace the pathways of the signals to the brain. She used the gene editing tool CRISPR to slip a fluorescent marker protein into the neurons that had receptors for CO2 and another marker into those that could sense chemicals from body odor. That’s when the research took an unexpected turn. “It was like Alice in Wonderland – where nothing makes sense,” Vosshall says.



The results, published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0092867422009278">Cell</a>, show something altogether new in the world of olfactory systems. The fluorescent receptor genes indicated that individual neurons did not only carry receptors for one chemical cue, as was previously thought. Instead, the neurons were chock full of multiple different types of receptors. We found that “all the Buck and Axel rules were thrown in the garbage can by mosquitos,” says Vosshall.&nbsp;



The results were so startling that Vosshall’s lab has spent years painstakingly proving that they were actually real, using several additional lines of evidence. For instance, Olivia Goldman, a PhD student in the lab, harnessed a relatively new and revolutionary technique called single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to probe which genes are turned on in individual neurons. The approach confirmed that each neuronal cell does indeed use many different kinds of receptors.&nbsp;



In addition, the researchers teamed up with scientists at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, who had done ground-breaking research using electrodes inserted into individual olfactory neurons in mosquitos. That method also confirmed that a single mosquito neuron can detect different smells – even two different ‘flavors’ of body odor, a perfumy smell and a stinky foot odor, which require two entirely different classes of receptors.&nbsp;



Those results “were a huge relief,” Vosshall says. She anticipated widespread skepticism to her conclusions, “so the number of levels of evidence that we used to prove it was intense,” she says. In fact, many scientists did challenge these new findings at first. But not only was the supporting evidence overwhelming, similar findings were also emerging from neuroscientist Christopher Potter’s lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.&nbsp;



Working with both the fruit fly and a mosquito species, Potter’s team published a paper in eLife in April suggesting that “co-expression of chemosensory receptors is common in insect olfactory neurons.” In the past, the conventional wisdom of one receptor per smell and one receptor per neuron was so strong that there was no reason to probe for multiple receptors, says Potter. “Now we know to look for it.”



The findings of Vosshall and her team have overturned the conventional model of the neural circuity animals use to detect, and distinguish between, thousands of distinct smells. “This is a big deal,” says Potter. “It really changes the way we think the insect olfactory system is working.”&nbsp;



The added complexity of the insect olfactory system makes perfect sense in evolutionary terms, as mosquitos must find food in order to survive. The presence of different types of odor receptors on each neuron enhances the insects’ ability to detect exhaled CO2 along with a whole array of body smells. If some receptors were to be blocked, a mosquito would simply use others that remained intact.&nbsp;



“It is a really good trick,” explains Vosshall. “Mosquitoes have Plan B after Plan B after Plan B. To me the system is unbreakable.” That’s obviously not good news for the effort to reduce the toll from mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, and dengue, by trying to block receptors. But perhaps an alternative strategy might be to overwhelm the whole system with alternative smells, adds Potter. At least now “we have a more realistic view of what we are up against,” he says.



In the meantime, Vosshall aims to compare the olfactory neurons of blood-dining mosquitoes with those from purely vegetarian mosquito relatives to see if the more extreme receptor complexity is a unique adaptation for those species that only hunt humans. And as for the puzzle Vosshall first started to probe – how the combined sensing of both CO2 and body odor greatly amplifies the message to the brain? One of her former postdocs, Meg Younger, is now tackling the question in her new lab at Boston University.



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

Mosquitos use unbreakable system to track human blood

According to the World Health Organization, mosquitos are the deadliest...

Australian snubfin (Orcaella heinsohni) and humpback (Sousa sahulensis) <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-have-accents-that-vary-by-region/">dolphins</a> co-exist peacefully throughout most of their range, primarily in shallow tropical and subtropical coastal waters from southern New Guinea to northern Australia. A team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a> has now set out to investigate why these two species are able to co-exist within this range.&nbsp;



“A major challenge in ecology and conservation is to understand the means by which species coexist as this is the basis of biodiversity,”&nbsp;explained study lead author Guido Parra Vergara, an associate professor of Behavioral Ecology at Flinders. “If we are to understand the effects of global change on marine mammal biodiversity, and how we can maintain assemblages of coexisting species, we need to understand their patterns of co-occurrence; the biological significance of their interactions, and the mechanisms underlying their coexistence.”



According to the “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/ecological-niche">ecological niche theory</a>,” the coexistence of closely related species is promoted by resource partitioning in space and time. However, understanding how these two specific dolphin species co-exist is rather challenging, due to their size, high mobility, longevity, and the fact that they spent most of their time underwater.



Each of the species is characterized by small populations (usually fewer than 150 individuals) which overlap spatially, have similar patterns of habitat use and behavioral activities, and are often found in mixed species groups. Thus, segregation into exclusive spatial and temporal ranges, and differences in habitat use and behavioral patterns are insufficient to explain their co-existence.



By comparing stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in their skin – the former providing a quantifiable estimate of habitat and resource use, while the latter offering cues regarding their position in the trophic chain – the scientists found that, although both species feed at similar trophic levels, rely on similar basal food resources, and have substantial dietary overlaps, they are nevertheless characterized by subtle differences in habitat use and prey selection, which may promote their co-existence. More specifically, snubfin dolphins forage on a wider diversity of prey, while humpback dolphins forage in a larger variety of habitats.



“Food diversity and abundance and habitat heterogeneity are key factors promoting the coexistence of these two dolphin species, and pressure from overfishing and pollution that could reduce prey abundance and diversity or deteriorate their habitat quality could affect the future of such dolphin co-existence,”&nbsp;said Professor Parra Vergara.



“Because dolphins play important roles in maintaining the structure and function of marine communities and ecosystems, any pressures on their food and habitat resources need to be considered when planning future multi-species conservation,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.8937">Ecology and Evolution</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;



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

How two species of dolphins coexist in Australia

Australian snubfin (Orcaella heinsohni) and humpback (Sousa sahulensis) dolphins co-exist...

In recent years, bumblebees and other important insect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/orchids-evolved-fringed-petals-to-support-pollinators/">pollinators</a> have faced significant population declines. By analyzing a wide range of museum collections, two new studies led by the <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> and the <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/">Natural History Museum</a> have examined how climate change has affected bumblebees over more than a century.&nbsp;



An analysis of bumblebee wings showed signs of stress associated with increasingly hotter and wetter conditions, while a genomic sequencing study of over one hundred bumblebee museum specimens dating back more than 130 years ago has highlighted how environmental stress may lead to genetic diversity loss in these insects.



The first study – published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.13788">Journal of Animal Ecology</a> – has investigated the morphology of bee specimens dating back to 1900. By using digital image, the experts examined the asymmetry in bumblebee wings as an indicator of climatic stress which affected their normal growth. An analysis of four UK bumblebee species has revealed increased markers of stress (higher wing asymmetry) as the 20th century progressed from its lowest point around 1925.&nbsp;



Further investigations showed that all the species displayed a consistently higher proxy of stress in the second half of the century. Moreover, the researchers found that, in hotter and wetter years, bees showed higher wing asymmetry.



“With hotter and wetter conditions predicted to place bumblebees under higher stress, the fact that these conditions will become more frequent under climate change means bumblebees may be in for a rough time over the 21st&nbsp;century,” said study senior author Richard Gill, an expert in the impact of environmental stress on insect populations at the Imperial College London.



In a second parallel study, published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/2041-210X.13945">Methods in Ecology and Evolution</a>, scientists sequenced the genomes of over a hundred bumblebee museum specimens, and found evidence of a relatively consistent rate of DNA degradation – a feature confirming the major role of environmental stress in the loss of bumblebees’ genetic diversity over the past 130 years.



&nbsp;“These studies showcase the value of leveraging museums specimens to go back in time and unlock the past’s secrets. But what we have done is just the beginning, and by continuing our work with these vital public collections and collaborating with curators we can only discover more,” Dr. Gill concluded.



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

Bumblebees increasingly stressed over the past century

In recent years, bumblebees and other important insect pollinators have...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.nus.edu.sg/">National University of Singapore</a> has revealed the choices that male spiders make to maximize their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-explain-spiders-complex-mating-choreography/">mating</a> success. The males have evolved mating strategies to improve their reproductive chances, despite the risk of being cannibalized by their mates.



The researchers explored whether male spiders use cannibalism countering strategies by focusing on two mating tactics. One tactic is based on the “better charged palp” hypothesis. This theory predicts that male spiders selectively make use of their paired sexual organs, known as pedipalps or palps, which contain more sperm for their first copulation.&nbsp;



The other tactic, referred to as the “fast sperm transfer” hypothesis, predicts accelerated insemination when the risk of female cannibalism is high.



The researchers performed comparative tests on five species of orb-web spiders with varying levels of female sexual cannibalism and sexual size dimorphism.&nbsp;



The experts found that male spiders choose one of the paired sexual organs with more sperm for the first copulation with a cannibalistic female. Also, a male transfers significantly more sperm if a female is cannibalistic or when the female is of a much larger physical size. These results support both predictions, providing credibility for the male mating syndrome.



“This study sheds light on how male mating syndrome relates to the levels of sexual cannibalism and suggests that evolutionary arms races do take place, and that animal biology and diversity are importantly shaped by sexual conflict," said Professor Daiqin Li, who led the research.



The experts are planning future studies to better understand the rationale behind male palp choice.&nbsp;



“The large diversity of extant spiders globally indicates that these findings may not apply to all sexually dimorphic and cannibalistic spiders," said Professor Li. "Due to sexual selection, the palpal anatomy can undergo rapid changes, such that mechanisms behind sperm transfer of various species may differ."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio/">Communications Biology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, Earth.com Staff Writer

Male spiders transfer more sperm when mating with cannibals

A new study from the National University of Singapore has...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[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

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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

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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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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 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

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

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



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...

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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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