A recent scientific breakthrough reveals the profound influence of human breast milk on the health of an infant. In a nutshell, our body's most natural nourishment for newborns, breast milk, is found to have a protective effect against asthma by shaping the baby's microbiome during the first year of life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mother-s-milk-natural-pacemaker-for-infants">Mother's milk: Natural pacemaker for infants</h2>



You might wonder why breast milk is a big deal. Well, the answer lies in our body's complex community of microorganisms, known as the microbiome. 



A recent study led by NYU Langone Health and the <a href="https://umanitoba.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Manitoba</a> shows that breastfeeding for more than three months supports the gradual maturation of the microbiome in the infant's digestive system and nasal cavity. 



Stopping breastfeeding before this period disrupts this development process, leading to a higher risk of preschool asthma.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breast-milk-and-the-microbiome">Breast milk and the microbiome</h2>



Human breast <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-gmo-plants-make-baby-formula-healthy-as-breast-milk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk</a> isn't just about nutrition. It is also about promoting the right microbes in the infant's gut and nasal cavity. 



Some components in breast milk, like complex sugars called human milk oligosaccharides, can only be broken down with the help of certain microbes. 



This gives a leg-up to these microbes over others, creating a specialized microbiome environment within the infant.



Early weaning from breast milk, on the other hand, leads to a different set of microbes thriving, ones that help digest formula components.



These microbes eventually colonize all babies, but their early arrival is linked to an increased risk of asthma.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breast-milk-for-asthma-prevention">Breast milk for asthma prevention</h2>



Study co-senior investigator Dr. Liat Shenhav is an assistant professor at <a href="https://med.nyu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NYU Grossman School of Medicine</a> in the Institute for Systems Genetics and the Department of Microbiology.



“Just as a pacemaker regulates the rhythm of the heart, breastfeeding and human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thc-from-cannabis-use-lingers-breast-milk-new-mothers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk</a> set the pace and sequence for microbial colonization in the infant’s gut and nasal cavity, ensuring that this process occurs in an orderly and timely manner,” said Dr. Shenhav. 



“Healthy microbiome development is not only about having the right microbes. They also need to arrive in the right order at the right time."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbiome-asthma-and-breast-milk">Microbiome, asthma, and breast milk</h2>



This is the part where science gets interesting. Breastfed children had a later appearance of a bacterial species called Ruminococcus gnavus in their guts compared to formula-fed babies. 



This bacterium is related to the production of molecules called short-chain fatty acids, and the formation and breakdown of the amino acid tryptophan.



Both of these processes have ties to immune system regulation and disruption, including an increased asthma risk.



Through tracking the changes in the infants' microbiomes and their mothers' breastfeeding habits, the researchers were able to identify breastfeeding duration as a crucial determinant of the child's microbial makeup. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-valuable-insights-through-machine-learning">Valuable insights through machine learning</h2>



The team also created a machine-learning model that predicted asthma years in advance based on these microbial patterns and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-triggers-the-release-of-breast-milk-in-mothers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk components</a>. The primary way breastfeeding reduces asthma risk, they found, is through shaping the infant's microbiome.



“The algorithms we developed provide valuable insights into microbial dynamics during an infant’s first year of life and how these microbes interacted with the infant,” said Dr. Shenhav.



These insights allowed the team to move beyond identifying associations, enhancing their ability to make predictions and explore causal relationships.



“Our research highlights the profound impact of breastfeeding on the infant microbiome and breastfeeding’s essential role in supporting respiratory health,” Shenhav explained.



By uncovering the mechanisms behind the protective effects of breast milk, as demonstrated in this study, scientists aim to inform national guidelines on breastfeeding and weaning from breast milk in a data-driven manner.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-milestone-in-infant-health-research">Milestone in infant health research</h2>



The research has been supported through a variety of grants and programs, including the National Institutes of Health and the <a href="https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canada Research Chair Program</a>.



The study was a part of the CHILD Cohort Study, which has been studying the same 3,500 Canadian children at different life stages, starting from the womb and stretching into adolescence.



The tireless efforts of a large, dedicated group of investigators from various institutions have made this research possible. 



The experts have provided valuable insights into the complex dynamics of the microbiome in an infant's first year of life, showing us how important mother's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nutrition-for-neurons-the-role-of-breast-milk-in-shaping-our-brains/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk</a> are for respiratory health and asthma prevention.



This is a reminder that sometimes, the most natural solutions are the most effective ones.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00782-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



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Breast milk is crucial for microbiome development in babies

A recent scientific breakthrough reveals the profound influence of human breast milk on the health of an infant. In a nutshell, our body's most natural nourishment for newborns, breast milk, is found to have a protective effect against asthma by shaping the baby's microbiome during the first year of life. Mother's milk: Natural pacemaker for infants You might wonder why breast milk is a big deal. Well, the answer lies in our body's complex community of microorganisms, known as the microbiome. A recent study led by NYU...

The iconic and saddening image of a suffering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seabirds-are-damaging-their-health-by-eating-plastic/">seabird</a> with a plastic ring stuck around its neck has often been used as a call to action, but plastic pollution brings even subtler dangers in the form of microplastics - tiny pieces of plastic smaller than five centimeters. 



Now, a new study from researchers at the Department of Environmental Sciences at the <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html">University of Basel</a> has taken aim at measuring the amount of microplastics that have found their way to the Weddell Sea in Antarctica, and where exactly these pollutants are sourced from.&nbsp;



"Microplastics (MP) have been found to be ubiquitous around the globe in different marine compartments and are considered as an emerging threat to marine biota possibly interfering with feeding, reproductive performance, and survival," wrote the study authors.



"Even the most remote places were found to be polluted by MP, including the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica, one of the most isolated places on earth with relatively low human activity."



Over the course of two years (2018 and 2019), the researchers took 34 surface water samples and 79 subsurface water samples from the isolated Weddell region of Antarctica, filtering over eight million liters of seawater in the process.&nbsp;



“This is the first time a study of this scope has been conducted in Antarctica,” said study lead author Clara Leistenschneider.



Considering its remote location, the scientists were curious to investigate how much microplastic had managed to make its way into the Weddell Sea.&nbsp;



"Being difficult to access due to its year-round sea ice coverage, the Weddell Sea is one of the most remote regions in Antarctica, with particularly low levels of human activity. It plays an important ecological role for endemic species, migrating seabirds, and marine mammals," wrote the researchers.



The study revealed that microplastic concentrations were generally lower in the Weddell Sea compared to neighboring regions.&nbsp;



“It's also important to know which plastics appear, in order to identify their possible origin and in the best case to reduce microplastic emissions from these sources," said Leistenschneider.



The analysis showed that the majority of microplastics were sourced from paint and varnish. In fact, 47 percent were found to be plastics often used as binding agents in marine paint.&nbsp;



The Weddell Sea has seen increased tourism and an increase in scientific expeditions, and both are probable sources of an increase in microplastic contamination.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Developing alternative marine paint that is more durable and environmentally friendly would make it possible to reduce this source of microplastics and the harmful substances they contain," concluded Leistenschneider.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.



---



By <a href="http://mailto:rugerpaleo@gmail.com">Alex Ruger</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Looking for microplastics in the remote Weddell Sea

The iconic and saddening image of a suffering seabird with...

New research shows that wolves living in Norway and Sweden today are actually Finnish wolves. The research confirms that humans killed off the last of the original Norwegian wolves in the 1970s.&nbsp;



“The original Norwegian-Swedish wolves probably didn’t share their genetics with the wolves in Norway and Sweden today,” explained Hans Stenøien, director of the <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/">Norwegian University of Science and Technology</a> (NTNU) University Museum.



A team of scientists led by Stenøien carried out an extensive genetic study on Norwegian-Swedish wolves. “We’ve carried out the largest genetic study of wolves in the world,” said Stenøien.



The research is part of a report commissioned by the Norwegian parliament on wolves in 2016. After the Norwegian wolf initially disappeared, there were rumors that wolves were released from zoos to re-establish the population but this appears to be false.



“Admittedly, some original Norwegian-Swedish wolves can still be found in zoos outside Norway. But our wolves today aren’t closely related to them,” explained Stenøien.



Instead, it appears that wolves simply repopulated Norway in the 1980s by moving in from Finland. Today, there are more than 400 wolves living in the border region of Sweden and Norway as a shared population.&nbsp;



“The wolves in Norway and Sweden today most likely come from wolves that migrated from Finland."



According to Stenøien, it’s uncertain where exactly in Finland the wolves come from but genetically they appear Finnish as well as disturbingly lacking in genetic diversity.&nbsp;



“We haven’t found any indications of special or unique genetic adaptations in Norwegian-Swedish wolves. This lack of variation makes wolves vulnerable to various diseases and hereditary conditions."



The new Norwegian-Swedish wolves no longer face persecution from humans as their biggest danger. Instead, genetic vulnerability from inbreeding is the main threat facing the wolf population. Interestingly, the wolves contain very little dog genetics, possibly the least amount of dog genetics of any wolf population in the world.&nbsp;



As for how this research should be used, Stenøien leaves it up to others. “It’s not our task to comment on anything other than the facts from this study."



---



By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

It's official: Humans killed off the Norwegian wolf

New research shows that wolves living in Norway and Sweden...

The extinct Haast’s eagle or harpagornis (Hieraaetus moorei) is the largest known eagle, having a ten-foot wingspan and four-inch talons. It roamed New Zealand’s skies around 800 years ago and was formally described for the first time by Julius von Haast in 1872. 



Since then, scientists have debated whether the extinct bird was a predator that killed other animals for food, or a scavenger that fed upon already dead <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-perform-a-spinning-dive-to-catch-deep-prey/">prey</a>.



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.une.edu.au/">University of New England</a>, Australia, and the <a href="https://www.canterburymuseum.com/">Canterbury Museum</a>, has found that, in fact, Haast’s eagle exhibited behaviors similar to both predators and scavengers. 



The scientists compared the skull, beak, and talons of Haast’s eagle with those of five living meat-eating birds - the whistling kite, the little eagle, the wedge-tailed eagle, the Cinereous vulture, and the Andean Condor.



While its beak and talons appeared similar to living eagles, the shape of its neurocranium was most similar to the Andean Condor, a South American vulture which is known to feed upon the soft internal organs of carcasses. These findings suggests that Haast’s eagle may have also eaten this way.



“Most eagles hunt prey that is smaller than them, but Haast's Eagle was going after moa that could weigh up to 200kg – more than 13 times their own body weight. Condors also often eat animals that are much larger than them, so it makes sense that they'd have similar feeding habits,” explained study co-author Paul Scofield, a paleontologist and senior curator of Natural History at the Canterbury Museum.



“When we picture a Haast's Eagle feeding we can imagine them swooping down on a moa, grabbing on with those huge talons and using its powerful beak to deliver the killing blow. Once the moa was down, the eagle would go straight for the back of the skull and for the guts and other soft organs.”



This new study, published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2021.1913">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>, paints a more complex picture of this fascinating creature, showing that it shared traits with both predators and scavengers.



Image Credit: Katrina Kenny



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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

Extinct raptor killed like an eagle, ate like a vulture

The extinct Haast’s eagle or harpagornis (Hieraaetus moorei) is the...

Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) is a species of large brown algae that is vital to legions of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-hunting-for-food-fulmars-follow-the-fishing-vessels/">fish</a>, invertebrates, mammals, and birds which rely on it for food and shelter in the temperate, shallow, nearshore waters where it grows. So far, giant kelp has proven very resilient to stressors brought on by climate change, such as severe storms and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/95-percent-of-ocean-could-become-inhospitable-this-century/">ocean heatwaves</a>.



However, new research led by the <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">University of California, Santa Barbara</a>, has found that giant kelp’s ability to withstand rises in temperatures may come at the cost of its nutritional value.&nbsp;



“Giant kelp&nbsp;Macrocystis pyrifera&nbsp;forms extensive forests on temperate reefs, providing habitat and food for a diversity of marine life. Kelp biomass varies in response to changing ocean temperatures, but physiological responses as reflected in the nutritional quality of kelp tissue are poorly understood,” wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



According to study co-author Kyle Emery, a graduate student at UC Santa Barbara, “one of the most hidden effects of ocean warming” seems to be giant kelp’s increasing loss in nutrient content. By analyzing data collected over two decades about several kelp forests from the Santa Barbara Chanell, Emery and his colleagues have managed to identify significant trends in patterns of nutrient content charactering giant kelp populations.



“The temperature of the seawater and nutrient availability are really closely coupled in the Santa Barbara Channel, and we’ve known that for some time,” said study lead author Heili Lowman, a biogeochemist at the <a href="https://www.unr.edu/">University of Nevada</a>, Reno. 



While lower temperatures bring nutrient-rich waters from the deep, in warmer seasons nutrients in the upper layers of the ocean – particularly nitrogen – become scarcer.



“Physiologically, kelp plants can’t store nitrogen for longer than a couple weeks, so whatever’s happening around them in the water they’re going to respond to very quickly because they need a constant supply of nitrogen to grow, and to continue to reproduce,” Lowman explained.



Since ocean temperatures have continued to rise due to global warming, nitrogen content of the giant kelp declined by 18 percent, with a proportional increase in carbon content. This decline in kelp’s nutritional content is negatively affecting a vast array of marine animals that consume these algae, such as sea urchins, abalone, intertidal beach hoppers, or other invertebrates. 



Moreover, the effects could ripple out to the rest of the food web, affecting also those that fed upon kelp’s primary consumers, including, ultimately, humans.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/oik.08619">Oikos</a>.



---



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

Rising ocean temperatures lower giant kelp’s nutritional value

Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) is a species of large brown...

Food availability for ocean predators, in general, is rather low. In fact, captive marine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-good-at-vocal-learning-can-fake-their-size/">animals</a> fed the average food concentrations, measured in the oceans using nets and pumps, do not survive. Since this phenomenon was originally investigated and described by Reuben Lasker in the 1970s, it is referred to as the Lasker food paradox.&nbsp;



In new research, a team led by Kelly Benoit-Bird of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute made use of sonar, or active acoustics, to get a better understanding of the distribution patterns of food in the ocean. The researchers attached acoustic sensors to a variety of platforms, including ships, profilers, moorings and autonomous vehicles, to send out and receive sound pulses about the distribution of ocean species.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"We're using systems much like those used to find the depth of the ocean, but instead of interpreting echoes from the seafloor, we're using more sensitive systems that allow us to map layers of life in the water," said Benoit-Bird. "What we've found is that animals of all different sizes, from millimeter-long plankton to large predators, are unevenly distributed, and this variation is really important to how life in the ocean functions."



The results show that ocean organisms are often aggregated in hotspot areas, that are missed by traditional sampling methods and tools. Such aggregations are found in all ocean habitats, from surface to very deep waters, and from the tropics to the poles. Organisms as diverse as plankton, fish, squid and whales all collect in patches rather than being evenly distributed throughout oceans.&nbsp;



This leads us to understand that ocean food and biota have a 3D distribution that varies with depth and location. Animals must find and exploit these small-scale aggregations of resources if they are to survive.&nbsp;



Benoit-Bird’s results explain the apparent paradox described by Lasker, who found that laboratory animals fed the average concentration of ocean food did not survive, but ocean-dwelling animals in the wild did. Oceanic animals do not survive on average food concentrations but are well-adapted to locating and capitalizing on patches of resources, thereby reducing their total energy expenditure in the process.&nbsp;



"For example, if a bucket's worth of popcorn was spread out evenly throughout the volume of a room, and you had to fly around to capture each kernel, you would spend a lot of energy searching and it would be hard to get enough to be full," Benoit-Bird said. "If instead, the popcorn was all grouped together, the popcorn would be a much more satisfying snack. The amount of popcorn is the same but changing how it is grouped determines whether you end up with a full belly.”



"Acoustic tools provide the high spatial resolution and long duration sampling to explore the processes that drive organismal interactions in the ocean. We must understand not only how many animals are in the ocean, but how they are distributed, if we are to effectively manage our living marine resources."



Benoit-Bird will be presenting the findings this week, at the 181st Meeting of the <a href="https://acousticalsociety.org/">Acoustical Society of America</a>.



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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

Patches of plenty explain the ocean food paradox

Food availability for ocean predators, in general, is rather low....

Killer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humpback-whale-songs-are-used-to-locate-not-attract-other-whales/">whales</a> are opportunistic predators that hunt a variety of prey. They are intelligent and will often team up and work together to take down large prey successfully. In recent years, their hunting grounds in the Alaskan Arctic have changed due to the melting and receding ice, and this has given killer whales increased opportunities to utilize these areas, with the potential consequence of changing the ecological balance.



Brynn Kimber from the University of Washington, along with a team of scientists, used acoustic tools to monitor killer whale movements in areas of the Arctic Ocean over a period of eight years. They found that killer whales are spending more time in the Alaskan Arctic than previously recorded, despite risking being entrapped in the ice there. This change in behavior has been recorded directly following the decrease in sea ice in the area.



"It's not necessarily that killer whales haven't been reported in these areas before, but that they appear to be remaining in the area for longer periods of time," said Kimber. "This is likely in response to a longer open-water season."



Killer whale presence in the area may be related to the fact that, with less ice around, prey species that usually use ice to hide themselves, can no longer avoid detection or capture in this way.



"Although there is high spatial and interannual variability, the September Arctic sea ice minimum is declining at an average rate of 13% per decade, when compared to values from 1981 to 2010," said Kimber. "Killer whales are being observed in the Chukchi Sea (in the Arctic Ocean) in months that were historically ice covered and more consistently throughout the summer."



The earlier arrival and later departure of killer whales may have consequences for the ecology of this sensitive habitat. For example, populations of prey such as seals, bowhead whales and narwhals will be more exposed to predation and may experience increased mortality and decreased breeding success. This would have impacts at other levels of the food chain as well.



The findings of this research will be presented at the 181st Meeting of the <a href="https://acousticalsociety.org/">Acoustical Society of America</a>.



---



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

Melting Arctic ice gives killer whales new opportunities

Killer whales are opportunistic predators that hunt a variety of...

According to a research team led by the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a>, two intense periods of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-are-volcanoes-in-indonesia-so-dangerous/">volcanism</a> triggered a period of global cooling and decrease in oxygen levels in the oceans that led to one of the most severe mass extinctions in Earth history around 450 million years ago.



This period initiated intense planetary cooling, culminating in a glaciation causing the major “<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/109/18/6829">Late Ordovician Mass Extinction</a>” that led to the loss of over 85 percent of the species dwelling in the oceans.



“It’s been suggested that global cooling was driven by an increase in phosphorus input to the oceans,” said study lead author Dr. Jack Longman, a researcher at the <a href="https://uol.de/en/">University of Oldenburg</a>. “Phosphorus is one of the key elements of life, determining the pace at which tiny aquatic organisms like algae can use photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into organic matter”.&nbsp;



However, according to study co-author Tom Gernon, an associate professor at the University of Southampton, the unresolved puzzle is why glaciation and extinction occurred in two distinct phases at this time, separated by about 10 million years. "That requires some mechanism to pulse the supply of phosphorus, which is hard to explain.”



The researchers discovered that two extremely large pulses of volcanic activity, occurring in parts of today’s North America and South China, coincided very closely with the peaks in glaciation and mass extinction. However, intense bursts of volcanism are typically linked to massive CO2&nbsp;releases, which would cause global warming rather than cooling.



This prompted the scientists to assess whether a secondary process might have provided the surge in phosphorous that caused the glaciation and subsequent extinction.&nbsp;



“When volcanic material is deposited in the oceans it undergoes rapid and profound chemical alteration, including release of phosphorus, effectively fertilizing the oceans,” explained study co-author Martin Palmer, a professor of Geochemistry from the University of Southampton.



The findings suggest that widespread deposits of volcanic material laid down on the ocean floor would have released sufficient phosphorus to drive climatic cooling, glaciation, severe reduction in ocean oxygen levels, and mass extinction. Thus, while on short timescales, large volcanic eruptions can cause global warming via CO2&nbsp;emissions, they can also drive global cooling on multimillion-year timescales.



It may seem like a good idea to consider seeding our oceans with phosphorus today to help solve the current climate crisis, but scientists warn that this could have even more dangerous consequences.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00855">Nature Geoscience</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

Volcanic fertilization of the ocean led to severe mass extinction event

According to a research team led by the University of...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uc.edu/">University of Cincinnati</a> has found that during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/latest-coronavirus-variant-may-be-500-more-infectious-than-delta/">COVID-19</a> pandemic, media use increased among tweens (children between 9 and 13 years of age). Although most parents agree that children’s use of technological devices should be controlled, these concerns appeared to take a backseat in 2020, when the pandemic forced parents to make accommodations for children spending more time at home than in physical social settings.



“Family life was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as members adjusted to living, working, and learning at home. Media and technology became a central tool to manage these activities simultaneously for different family members,” wrote the study authors.



In order to examine screen time among tweens, the researchers used a survey in which parents were asked to provide details about their children’s daily routine.&nbsp;



The majority of the parents (87 percent) reported that their tweens were using media more during the pandemic than before, 19.5 percent said that they created a social media account for the child (such as TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram), and one in five parents (21.2 percent) indicated that they have purchased a household tech device, such as a laptop or a Chromebook.



According to the results of the survey, parents who were more worried about the pandemic reported that their tweens used media more. The study also showed that established gender patterns were maintained, with boys generally playing video games, and girls watching videos.



“With more tweens using media during the pandemic than before, it is more important than ever to reconsider our notions of ‘how much’ is ‘too much’ and really focus on what they are getting out of this use,” said study lead author Nancy Jennings, an expert in children media use at the University of Cincinnati.



“For years, many media scholars have begged adults to look beyond just the amount of time children use media and look at what they are doing with it and how it was impacting their lives,” she explained.



For instance, media often helped tweens connect with their peers during the times when they were isolated in their homes, and offered distraction from the fear and uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Thus, according to Jennings, researchers “need to take a deeper look at our kids’ media use and move beyond the sheer quantity of time spent with media.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-03797-001">Psychology of Popular Media</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

Tweens used media more during the pandemic

A new study led by the University of Cincinnati has...

Tasmanian,Devil,Sitting,On,Branch,At,Cradle,Mountain,Breeding,And

Tasmanian devils are the largest carnivorous marsupial left in the world. While they are already living isolated in low population numbers, these unique animals are further threatened by a contagious cancer.&nbsp;



In an effort to monitor the rare marsupial without disrupting its behavior, scientists have developed a novel technique. The experts report that the whiskers of Tasmanian devils provide a glimpse into their individual life histories.&nbsp;



“We're using the devils’ whiskers to trace back through time," said study senior author Tracey Rogers. "Once dissected, the whiskers can act like the rings of a tree trunk, painting a picture of what the animals ate and how they lived up to a year ago.”



Previously, scientists were able to use whiskers to look at chemical signatures - but without a clear timeline. To construct a timeline for whisker chemical signatures, the researchers fed captive devils food with added heavy stable isotopes at different times over three months.&nbsp;



Using the isotopes as markers, the scientists were able to correlate them with whisker chemical signatures.&nbsp;



The experiment revealed that the whiskers grow quickly at first, but growth slowed over time before stopping. The researchers discovered that the whiskers can hold at least nine months of data in them. Using this information, the scientists can monitor the health of wild Tasmanian devils to help make sure that their populations are healthy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



It’s not just about devils, but also the health of entire ecosystems in Tasmania. “As Tasmania’s apex predator, devils play an essential role in maintaining ecosystem health,” explained Dr. Attard.



Furthermore, the devils play a unique role in the health of the island itself, which has many endemic plant and animal species.



Fortunately, Tasmanian devils are slowly recovering from devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), a contagious cancer, and the scientists hope to keep it that way.&nbsp;



“Tasmanian devil numbers are currently in recovery after the devastating effects of a highly transmissible cancer called the devil facial tumour disease, or DFTD," said study lead author Dr. Marie Attard, who worked on the research as part of her PhD.



"Since the discovery of this disease in 1990s, many healthy individuals have been translocated to disease-free areas or are part of captive breeding programs to help boost their numbers. This whisker analysis tool will significantly enhance their management in pre-existing and translocated wild populations.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21508925">Ecosphere</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Whiskers reveal what Tasmanian devils ate months ago

Tasmanian devils are the largest carnivorous marsupial left in the...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">University of California Riverside</a>, led by biomedical scientist Changcheng Zhou, have found evidence that plastics contribute to high cholesterol and cardiovascular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-coffee-protects-against-alzheimers-disease/">disease</a>.&nbsp;



Scientists already knew that exposure to some plastic chemicals, such as bisphenol A and phthalate plasticizers, may increase risk of heart disease in humans. To understand the cause of this potential link, Zhou and his team used a mouse model.&nbsp;



After exposing mice to dangerous chemicals, it was found that phthalate - a chemical used to make plastics stronger - is associated with higher levels of plasma cholesterol levels.&nbsp;



“We found dicyclohexyl phthalate, or DCHP, strongly binds to a receptor called pregnane X receptor, or PXR," said Zhou. "DCHP ‘turns on’ PXR in the gut, inducing the expression of key proteins required for cholesterol absorption and transport. Our experiments show that DCHP elicits high cholesterol by targeting intestinal PXR signaling.”



The study is the first to identify the link between exposure to DCHP, high cholesterol levels, and heart disease.&nbsp;



“To our knowledge, our study is the first to show the effects of DCHP exposure on high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk in mouse models," said Zhou.



"Our results provide insights and new understandings of the impact of plastic-associated chemicals on high cholesterol - or dyslipidemia - and cardiovascular disease risk.”



Beyond simple high cholesterol, the scientists discovered that the mice exposed to DCHP also had higher levels of ceramides - waxy lipid molecules that are also associated with elevated risk of heart disease.&nbsp;



“This, too, points to the potentially important role of PXR in contributing to the harmful effects of plastic-associated chemicals on cardiovascular health in humans," said Zhou.



The study highlights yet another serious threat associated with plastics, adding to a rapidly growing collection of environmental and health issues.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/rsh">Public Health Perspectives</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study confirms: plastics contribute to heart disease

Researchers at the University of California Riverside, led by biomedical...

A new study has found that Risso’s dolphins perform a rapid sprint coupled with a spin when starting a dive, although this highly energetic movement makes them consume much more energy than normal, slower dives. According to the scientists, the dolphins use this spin dive in order to find prey that resides deeper than 300 meters under the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/explosion-in-ocean-life-triggered-mountain-formation/">ocean</a> surface.



The research team analyzed data of over 250 dives recorded on biologging devices that they temporarily attached to seven dolphins, using suction-cups. “Our expectation was that these dives were foraging dives, to hunt squids,” said study lead author Fleur Visser, a researcher at the <a href="https://ibed.uva.nl/">Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics</a> at the University of Amsterdam, and the <a href="https://www.nioz.nl/en">NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research</a>.



“But at first we did not understand the purpose and why Risso’s dolphins would spend so much sprinting energy at the start of a dive.”



According to Visser and her colleagues, the sprint-and-spin movements before a dive make it possible for the dolphins to reach a great depth in a short period of time. Since they are air-breathing predators and have a limited time that they can spend at the depth, such movements are essential, enabling them to reach deep prey much faster and find more prey once they reached their desired depth.&nbsp;



The deep scattering layer in which the Risso dolphins hunt migrates up and down through the water column during each day, with prey hiding in layers over 300 meters deep during daytime, and emerging closer to the surface at dusk. The dolphins have adapted different hunting strategies depending upon the location of their prey.&nbsp;



“We were amazed by the stark contrast between when a spin and non-spin foraging dive is used. It is like flicking a switch,” said Visser. “And related to that, the really clear tracing of a prey layer, and having multiple strategies to hunt in it, depending on its depth.&nbsp;



“The Risso’s dolphins have adapted to be able to effectively hunt deep, next to shallow, circumventing the predator-avoidance strategy of their squid prey.”



Further studies are needed to better understand which types of prey the dolphins are hunting in deeper and shallower waters.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.202320">Royal Society Open Science</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

Dolphins perform a spinning dive to catch deep prey

A new study has found that Risso’s dolphins perform a...

Previous studies on humans and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soft-food-diet-weakens-skull-strength-in-captive-animals/">animals</a> have shown that exposure to cannabis&nbsp;can impede male reproductive function. Most of those studies have, however, involved the administration of cannabis in the form of injections of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active component of the drug. This is not the form of cannabis that most humans consume, making the findings less applicable to humans in general.&nbsp;



In a study by Washington State University scientists, mice were exposed to vaporized, whole cannabis, which is the form more commonly used by humans. The mice were kept in highly controlled conditions, with 15 of them being exposed to cannabis vapor three times a day for ten days. This represents an intense exposure, but one that mimics the cannabis intake of frequent users. The sperm counts and sperm motility of the exposed mice were then compared to those of the unexposed control group.&nbsp;



The study revealed that, immediately after exposure to cannabis, the mice’s sperm motility decreased. After one month, their sperm counts were lower. These unexpected results confirm the findings of previous studies.



When the researchers bred several of the exposed male mice to unexposed female mice, they found that the male offspring also exhibited lower sperm counts and reduced sperm motility. The cannabis-exposed sons also showed evidence of DNA damage and disruption related to sperm cell development.



“We were not expecting that the sperm would be completely gone or that motility would be completely offset, but the reduction in sperm count and motility of the offspring, the sons, is probably a direct effect of the cannabis exposure to father,” said Kanako Hayashi, an associate professor in WSU’s School of Molecular Biosciences, and the paper’s corresponding author.



Human sperm counts have&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/23/6/646/4035689">declined by as much as 59%</a>&nbsp;in recent decades, according to some estimates. There are certainly many reasons for this decline, Hayashi said, but this study adds to the evidence that cannabis use may be detrimental to male reproductive function.



“This is a warning flag. You may take cannabis for some kind of momentary stress, but it could affect your offspring,” said Hayashi.



Hayashi and her colleagues are currently testing the theory that cannabis exposure to mice while in utero would have even more profound generational effects, as the drug would affect the formation of the mice’s reproductive systems, and that could be passed down to future generations.



This research represents the first known reproductive study to use vaporized whole cannabis in mice,&nbsp;and the results are published today in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/toxsci">Toxicological Sciences</a>.



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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

Cannabis use may reduce male fertility across generations

Previous studies on humans and animals have shown that exposure...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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