If you were to rewind the clock to the 1980s and tune your ear to the deep-sea waters off the coast of New Zealand, a peculiar sound might have caught your attention. 



This sound, reminiscent of a "quack," echoed through the South Fiji Basin's underwater soundscape in July 1982, presenting a unique mystery for researchers investigating marine acoustics at the time.



This strange, quack-like sound quickly became a topic of widespread interest, and its continuous repetition earned it the nickname "Bio-Duck."



Initially recorded during an experiment designed to characterize the marine audio environment of the region, the sound's repetitive and patterned nature left researchers astonished and intrigued at the possibility that it was biological in origin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-source-of-the-quack-still-unknown">The source of the quack still unknown</h2>



One of the pivotal contributors to this research was Ross Chapman who, at the time, was associated with the <a href="https://www.uvic.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Victoria</a>. He reflects about how the sound generated heated discussions among scientists who were perplexed about its source.



"The sound was so repeatable, we couldn't believe at first that it was biological. But in talking to other colleagues in Australia about the data, we discovered that a similar sound was heard quite often in other regions around New Zealand and Australia."



The mysterious <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baleen-whales-cannot-escape-human-noise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">underwater communications</a> became a major point of discussion at the 187th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in November, 2024, where Chapman and his team presented their findings. They have yet to identify the makers of these enigmatic sounds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unchartered-territory-of-ocean-noise-exploration">Unchartered territory of ocean noise exploration</h2>



Chapman’s journey into deciphering the mystery began in 1986 with the analysis of the data from the experiment. 



"We discovered that the data contained a gold mine of new information about many kinds of sound in the ocean, including sounds from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-mammals-in-the-us-are-highly-vulnerable-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine mammals</a>," he recalled. 



The field of marine acoustics was in its fledgling stages in the '80s, and every day was an opportunity for a new discovery. 



Despite the thrill and excitement, the source of the Bio-Duck sounds remained an enigma, with some theories suggesting that the sounds could be originating from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/whales-may-have-ultrasonic-hearing-as-a-form-of-defense/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Antarctic minke whales</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-engaging-in-a-deep-sea-dialogue">Engaging in a deep-sea dialogue</h2>



Chapman, however, had a different hypothesis. He believed these sounds were something more than just random noises - they could be a conversation. 



This hypothesis was supported by the pattern of the sounds recorded by an acoustic antenna, an array of hydrophones towed behind a ship. 



The acoustic array's unique design allowed the researchers to identify the direction the sounds were originating from and revealed that they came from different directions all around the ship.



"The most amazing thing was that when one speaker was talking, the others were quiet, as though they were listening. Then the first speaker would stop talking and listen to responses from others," Chapman noted.



This observation hinted at an organized communication pattern among the unseen marine speakers. He likened this to a conversation where one individual speaks while the others wait to respond.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-story-unfolds-in-the-deep-sea">A story unfolds in the deep sea</h2>



"Maybe they were talking about dinner, maybe it was parents talking to children, or maybe they were simply commenting on that crazy ship that kept going back and forth towing that long string behind it," said Chapman.



While the mystery of the Bio-Duck is yet to be conclusively solved, the intriguing possibility of a deep-sea dialogue continues to fascinate us. 



It offers a reminder that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monitoring-ocean-life-through-underwater-soundscapes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">underwater</a> universe is rich with life and communication, and humbles us with the realization that there is so much more left for us to understand about the world beneath the waves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-legacy-of-the-bio-duck-mystery">The legacy of the Bio-Duck mystery</h2>



The quack-like sounds of the Bio-Duck are not just a relic of past research; they’ve become a cornerstone for understanding the complexity of deep-sea ecosystems. 



These sounds have inspired decades of study into marine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/language-like-patterns-decoded-in-sperm-whale-communication/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal communication</a>, particularly among whales and other cetaceans. 



Today, advancements in acoustic technology allow scientists to revisit these historical recordings with modern tools, uncovering new layers of information that were previously inaccessible.



In recent years, the Bio-Duck has been referenced in studies seeking to map marine animal behaviors and migration patterns. 



These efforts emphasize the importance of long-term data collection, proving that even recordings from the 1980s can yield fresh insights when paired with today’s computational power.



The continued analysis of sounds like the Bio-Duck serves as a reminder of the mysteries still hidden in the deep sea. 



They highlight the need for sustainable marine exploration to protect these habitats and preserve the uncharted conversations of the underwater world.



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Unknown origin: 'Quack-like' sounds heard in the deep ocean remain a mystery

If you were to rewind the clock to the 1980s and tune your ear to the deep-sea waters off the coast of New Zealand, a peculiar sound might have caught your attention. This sound, reminiscent of a "quack," echoed through the South Fiji Basin's underwater soundscape in July 1982, presenting a unique mystery for researchers investigating marine acoustics at the time. This strange, quack-like sound quickly became a topic of widespread interest, and its continuous repetition earned it the nickname "Bio-Duck." Initially recorded during an experiment designed...

In the first study of its kind, an international team of scientists led by the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading </a> has investigated insect pollinator stability over multiple years and sites worldwide. The experts found that crop pollination services are more stable in fields and farms with a greater variety of insect pollinators. 

The investigation showed that diverse communities of insect pollinators, and areas with stable populations of dominant species, can reduce year-to-year fluctuations in crop pollination.

The results suggest that supporting pollinator diversity could provide long-term benefits to food production.

"Most previous research into pollinator stability has focused on space, not time. However, year-to-year variations in pollination services cause boom and bust cycles in crop harvests, which can have a damaging impact on agriculture and livelihoods globally," explained study lead author Dr. Deepa Senapathi.

"Stable and consistent pollination services are therefore important in underpinning businesses and livelihoods, as well as providing a reliable supply of food for retailers and consumers."

"This study has revealed that the secret to consistent crop harvests could be to encourage pollinator diversity on or near farmland. If we want pollinators to help us, first we need to help them, through land management decisions that preserve and increase the number of insect pollinator species."

Insect pollinators support reproduction in at least 78 percent of wild plants, while contributing to the pollination of 75 percent of major crops. At the same time, wild insect pollinator populations are declining in areas of northwest Europe and North America, where crop production is widespread. 

It is becoming increasingly important to understand how plant pollinator populations change over time, as well as the associated impacts with their fluctuations.

For the current study, the researchers collected wild pollinator data from hundreds of field sites in 12 different countries across six continents over multiple years. The team studied populations of pollinating insects - including bees, hoverflies, butterflies, and beetles - in the vicinity of 21 different crop species.

The research confirmed that high pollinator diversity increases crop production. In intensive farming systems where there may be a reduced diversity of pollinators, the experts found that protecting the dominant species was also effective in providing long-term stability in pollination.

Further research is needed to determine which types of land management techniques are most effective for boosting insect diversity.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Diverse insect pollinator communities boost crop production

In the first study of its kind, an international team...

The regrowth of deforested areas in the Amazon is greatly limited by <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/greenland-ice-is-more-sensitive-to-climate-change-than-expected/">climate</a> and human disturbances, according to a new study from the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>. Secondary forests regrow naturally on land that was previously cleared for agriculture and is now abandoned. 

The secondary forests, which help absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, develop at different rates. The researchers have identified a link between slower tree-growth and land previously scorched by fire. 

The findings suggest that there is a need for a better protection of these forests if they are to help mitigate the effects of climate change.

"Our results show the strong effects of key climate and human factors on regrowth, stressing the need to safeguard and expand secondary forest areas if they are to have any significant role in the fight against climate change," said study lead author 

Viola Heinrich.

Tropical secondary forests can absorb carbon up to 11 times faster than old-growth forests At the same time, however, many factors can influence the spatial patterns of regrowth.

The investigation was focused on a combination of satellite-derived images that can be used to detect changes in forest cover over time. This allowed the experts to identify secondary forest areas and their ages. 

The team also analyzed satellite data that can monitor important factors that influence regrowth, including aboveground carbon levels, environmental conditions, and human activities.

The study revealed that the impact of human disturbances in the past, such as fire and repeated deforestations, reduced the regrowth rate by 20 to 55 percent across different areas of the Amazon.

"Across the tropics several areas could be used to regrow forests to remove CO2 from the atmosphere," said study co-author Dr. Luiz Aragão.

"Brazil is likely to be the tropical country with the largest potential for this kind of nature-based solution, which can generate income to landowners, re-establish ecosystems services, and place the country again as a global leader in the fight against climate change."

The researchers will now focus on applying their methods to estimate the regrowth of secondary forest across the tropics.

"The findings in our study highlight the carbon benefits of forest regrowth and the negative impact of human action if these forests are not protected," concluded study co-author Dr. Jo House.

"In the run up to the 26th Conference of the Parties, this is a time when countries should be raising their climate ambitions for protecting and restoring forest ecosystems, not lowering them as Brazil seems to have done."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Secondary forests in the Amazon are limited by human activities

The regrowth of deforested areas in the Amazon is greatly...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>, researchers have demonstrated that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parasites-influence-mate-selection-and-evolution-of-barn-swallows/">parasite</a> Leishmania infantum can alter the scent of its host. The experts report that dogs infected with the parasite smell more attractive to female sand flies than males.

In Brazil, the parasite Leishmania infantum is transmitted by the bite of infected female Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies. There are up to 300,000 new cases of leishmaniasis every year. 

Leishmania parasites are transmitted from infected dogs to people by sand flies when they bite. Visceral leishmaniasis affects the internal organs and can be fatal. In Brazil alone, approximately 4,500 people die each year from the visceral form of the disease.

"In this study we showed that infected dog odor is much more attractive than uninfected dog odor to the female sand flies. Only the females can transmit the pathogen and male sand flies, which do not transmit the parasite, are not affected by the changed odor," said study lead author Professor Gordon Hamilton. 

"This clear-cut difference in attraction of female and male sand flies suggests that the females are preferentially attracted by parasite infected hosts and this could lead to enhanced infection and transmission opportunities for the parasite."

The Lancaster team had previously determined that dogs infected with Leishmania parasites smelled different than uninfected dogs.

"Domestic dogs are the reservoir of infection, therefore understanding how the infection affects the attractiveness of dogs to the insect vector is important in understanding the epidemiology of the disease and offers opportunities for new control and diagnostic methodologies," explained Professor Hamilton.

The researchers collected odors from infected and uninfected dogs in a Brazilian city. The study revealed that female sand flies were more attracted to the odor of infected dogs compared to uninfected dogs. 

According to the study authors, the findings provide strong evidence that parasites manipulate the odor of their hosts, potentially enhancing infection and transmission opportunities for the pathogen.

"This demonstration of the parasite's manipulation of its host's odor, to potentially improve its transmission opportunity, will help us to understand the epidemiology of the disease, improve existing control strategies as well as develop new methodologies for control and diagnosis," wrote the researchers.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/">PLOS Pathogens</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Parasites make dogs smell enticing to infectious sand flies

In a new study from Lancaster University, researchers have demonstrated...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChcSEwjDlYrDrLrvAhUXb4YKHVzfCtEYABAAGgJ2dQ&amp;agsac=jmmSWxBvXXU&amp;cit=CkUKCQjw9MuCBhDLARI0AESdglgunhBUDP9rjl09M5HJ02TvErUujUuEc5YX1umMHgLw_-HObcgngjudP5WJP_ZYwxoCYU7w_wcB&amp;ei=TotTYJq1BO6UwbkP9ce4gAc&amp;ohost=www.google.com&amp;cid=CAESQeD2QPPUM5PyrR361OHjIqP_lYIJ6KyJYm2CT_Bd2A2UnlGF1uYb2sKnmJ-cS_K0oPi6gwlb-woge3vf15dOzWww&amp;sig=AOD64_36M2vuDoh23sFOYIyNLASvC8fMgA&amp;q&amp;sqi=2&amp;adurl&amp;ved=2ahUKEwialIDDrLrvAhVuSjABHfUjDnAQ0Qx6BAgDEAE&amp;ms=CoACLWc_QSpjxUjAPTHvVluPAKxkq3-Vl2EqV809Kwk-QbAmVdJgQ_pkVELeaCXe8uqTAmCVFsh8Vi_zzSTTrheDrdiurouJZmvgNHfUEPzhhlAAFPu6hNKfLCUZafdYvUj_1A3roWIzCaEJ3ETwpvuGH5HpEym0bcFKWyVVewtlkx98CWgdITEn4dvnUbFRuT6gOFOx5fWhYMRRltmeKgsGlHh1FHoA1aqTRdyzcHgqAmg8nW9zubPoBTQCFFxfIUoVUAVAuwMiPrjEgEbSt7QXY2azInHxZnbzZNDpU_9HWh60kRMB07Oi8kps-PwFEhIRg6Mr0pIUVUGTBhThZoXHGgqAAtkQHUa5CNVI3kIhD9wn79jBQymF2qJSyueu990T3f2YB40Vi9zotyj_j_c8mrEuxicFOStN8v_MlQQDW4_46DVfZDHZ6Q1rP2-XHwr1BIO56plDAgplLP0K9-nR_OBOLnSbWHaHjfyKgWav9EzH1mJVUUErJdYg_EDXRr5rNI1dIty8KYz4JEWDgHo1Iuk1AwUo3-pD4qkO2QFduaWa-GSAzrVfp8rbIaOVuVIyEgzcv12phol7wYjPSXbgicjTmibhS0PLT16Es2M-bpKhpzcMeGNF3AvSKgdhU3VAoMOvG9frFpDlsfvrslnOURlKvvMH6VPv8F-KRDl0Wjxl3_sSEO0CH1jwNwtD_Zso96YZgWQ">Weizmann Institute of Science</a> have revealed that Australian bushfire smoke traveled around the world. The experts report that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/mapping-the-recovery-of-vegetation-after-fires/">fires</a> injected vast amounts of smoke into the stratosphere, which led to high levels of atmospheric aerosols over the Southern Hemisphere in 2020. 

According to the study, the impact of the atmospheric aerosols was comparable to what would be produced by a volcanic eruption, and caused marked cooling over cloud-free ocean regions. 

From 2019 to 2020, the Australian bushfires released millions of tons of smoke particles into the atmosphere. Most of those particles settled to the ground in a matter of days. However, the researchers found that particles from fires in one corner of the country managed to blanket the entire Southern hemisphere for months. The persistent effects of these particles is similar to what is observed following explosive volcanic eruptions, which blast aerosols high into the upper atmosphere.

In early 2020, scientists observed record-breaking levels of aerosols over the Southern Hemisphere. The aerosol concentration even  exceeded what was measured after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, the second-largest eruption of the 20th century. 

Using data from two satellite missions, study co-authors Eitan Hirsch and Ilan Koren traced the aerosols to particularly intense bushfires in southeast Australia.

The experts report that the enormous levels of wildfire smoke in the stratosphere were made possible by the intensity of the fires combined with their location within the mid-latitude cyclone belt. Here, energetic convection lifted the bushfire smoke into the stratosphere.

Once the particles were in the stratosphere, a strong current moved them eastward over the ocean to South America and back over the Indian Ocean toward Australia, explained the researchers. The particles ultimately settled around the entire hemisphere. 

"People in Chile were breathing particles from the Australian fires," said Hirsch. "By sailing on an endless air current, these particles remained airborne for much longer than lower atmosphere smoke particles."

Koren noted that for people on the ground, the air may have just seemed a bit hazier or the sunsets a bit redder. "But such a high aerosol optical depth - much, much higher than normal - means sunlight was getting blocked, just as it does after volcanic eruptions." 

"So the ultimate effect of that smoke on the atmosphere was cooling, though we still do not know how much influence that cooling and dimming may have had on the marine environment or weather patterns."

"There are always fires burning in California, in Australia and in the tropics. We might not be able to stop all of the burning, but we do need an understanding that the precise locations of those fires may grant them very different effects on our atmosphere."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Australian bushfire smoke made its way around the globe

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have revealed that...

A new study from <a href="https://www.dur.ac.uk/">Durham University</a> reveals evidence that two infant bonobos may have been adopted by adult <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blue-orchard-bees-respond-to-fires-by-producing-more-females/">females</a> belonging to different social groups. This is the first time that bonobos, or any type of wild apes, have been known to adopt infants who were born outside of their social group.

According to the researchers, their findings give us greater insight into the parental instincts of one of humans' closest relatives and could help to explain the emotional reason behind why people readily adopt children who they have had no previous connection with.

Study lead author Dr. Nahoko Tokuyama of Kyoto University has spent more than ten years studying bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She said that bonobos never cease to amaze.

"Although cases of adoption were observed in non-human primates, the adoptive mother and adoptees almost exclusively belonged to the same social group," said Dr. Tokuyama.

"This may be because adoption is very costly behavior and because non-human primates form stable groups and have a good ability to recognize other group members.

"It's well known that groups of bonobos sometimes encounter and associate with each other, and that those belonging to different groups can interact tolerantly."

"However, I had never imagined that bonobos could adopt infants from outside of their groups, so these cases were quite surprising."

The experts observed four groups of wild bonobos between April 2019 and March 2020 in the Luo Scientific Reserve. The researchers identified two infants that appeared to have been adopted by female bonobos from separate social groups.

The adults, 18-year-old Marie and 52-57-year-old Chio, were seen providing maternal care to 2.6-year-old Flora and three-year-old Ruby. The adults were observed carrying, grooming, nursing,  and nesting with the young bonobos for periods longer than 12 months.

There was no aggression between members of Marie and Chio's social groups toward the young children. Furthermore, mitochondrial DNA samples revealed that the caregivers were not maternally related to the infants.

The researchers said this caring nature is evidence of bonobos' strong attraction to infants and high tolerance of individuals, including immature youngsters, from outside of their normal group.

"Usually in wild animals adoptive mothers are related to orphaned infants or sometimes young females will adopt orphans to improve their own care-giving behaviours, which increases the future survival chances of their own offspring," explained study co-author Marie-Laure Poiret.

"This means that adoption in non-human animals can usually be explained by the adoptive mother's own self-interest or pre-existing social relationships."

"The cross-group adoption we have seen in the cases of both Chio and Ruby, and Marie and Flora, is as surprising as it is wonderful and perhaps helps us explain adoption among humans, which cannot be explained purely by the benefits received by adoptive mothers."

"Instead it is fair to say from the examples we have seen in bonobos that adoption in humans can be explained by a selfless concern for others and an emotional desire to offer care to someone who we have no previous connection with."

The researchers suggest that the potential adoptions may have been driven by bonobos' altruism, strong attraction to infants, and high tolerance towards individuals outside of their own social group.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wild bonobos adopt infants outside of their social group

A new study from Durham University reveals evidence that two...

Prior to the development of sophisticated tracking devices, the movements of animals in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crystals-from-earths-magma-ocean-found-in-greenland-rocks/">ocean</a> were largely unknown. According to a new study from <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, tracking technology has revealed some unexpected circling behavior among marine mammals. 

The experts report that all types of marine mammals, ranging from green sharks to penguins, apparently swim in circles. At this point, the researchers do not have an explanation for this mysterious behavior.

"We've found that a wide variety of marine megafauna showed similar circling behavior, in which animals circled consecutively at a relatively constant speed more than twice," said study lead author Tomoko Narazaki of the University of Tokyo.

The experts first discovered the circling movements in homing green turtles during a displacement experiment. The tracking study was designed to test the navigational skills of the animals, and nesting green turtles had been transferred from one location to another.

"To be honest, I doubted my eyes when I first saw the data because the turtle circles so constantly, just like a machine!" said Narazaki. "When I got back in my lab, I reported this interesting discovery to my colleagues who use the same 3D data loggers to study a wide range of marine megafauna taxa."

The study authors were stunned when they realized that various species of marine animals showed more or less the same circling behavior. The discovery is surprising, considering that swimming in a straight line is the most efficient way to travel. This indicates there must be some strategy involved in circling. 

The researchers observed some circling events at foraging areas, which suggests that the movements are somehow helpful in finding food. The team tracked a total of 272 circling events among four tiger sharks tagged off Hawaii. On the other hand, fur seals were found to use circling behaviors during the day, yet they feed mostly at night. 

There were also other circling events that appeared to be unrelated to foraging. For example, a male tiger shark circled around a female that he was approaching for courtship. Meanwhile, the evidence from the sea turtle study suggests that circling plays a role in navigation.

"What surprised me most was that homing turtles undertake circling behavior at seemingly navigationally important locations, such as just before the final approach to their goal," said Narazaki.

According to the researchers, it is possible the circling helps the animals to detect the magnetic field to navigate, just as submarines circle during geomagnetic observations. It is also quite possible that the circling serves more than one purpose.

The researchers noted that studies of such fine-scale movements, including circling, in more marine species might reveal important behaviors that have otherwise been overlooked. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mysterious circling behavior discovered among marine mammals

Prior to the development of sophisticated tracking devices, the movements...

Bottlenose dolphins adjust their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/irregular-sleep-linked-to-depression-and-mood-issues/">behavior</a> to cope with coastal development, according to a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>. The researchers found that dolphins adapted to the construction of a bridge by establishing feeding locations outside of the construction zone, and by shifting their activities to a time of day when construction was minimal.

Overall, 47 percent of coastal marine mammal species and 51 percent of their core habitats are exposed to human disturbances. Coastal development and other human activities can cause cumulative harm to wildlife through consequences such as pollution, vessel strikes, entanglement, and debris ingestion.&nbsp;

Two of the most harmful activities to marine life are dredging and pile driving. The removal of sediment and debris from bodies of water, or dredging, is lethal to fish eggs and larvae. Pile driving causes severe noise pollution, which disrupts animals that depend on sound to navigate, forage, dodge predators, and communicate.

Due to unprecedented levels of construction, coastal zones are becoming the noisiest and most endangered ecosystems on the planet, according to the study. Bottlenose dolphins are particularly vulnerable to the cumulative effects of human activities because they are strongly tied to their coastal habitats.

Dr. Ann Weaver set out to investigate how bottlenose dolphins were impacted by a bridge replacement project in John's Pass, St Petersburg in west central Florida. The bridge replacement project occurred in two phases over a five-year period.

The construction involved dredging and pile driving and caused both light and noise pollution. The study revealed two ways in which dolphins appeared to adapt to these human activities.&nbsp;

First, the dolphins stopped using John's Pass as a feeding ground, and shifted to areas outside of the construction zone. This led to a decrease in social interactions between dolphins in that region. The behavioral changes persisted five years after construction was finalized, and never recovered.

Furthermore, during the first phase of construction, the dolphins shifted certain activities to a time in the day when construction was minimal. By the second phase of construction, the dolphins appeared to have learned to cope with human disturbance, and their behavior returned back to normal.&nbsp;

"Adaptation may also have been related in part to the way construction was managed," said Dr. Weaver. "This two-phase exposure to construction may have allowed the dolphins to become familiar with construction in the first phase and perhaps enabled them to adapt a 'new normal' during the second phase."

"These results provide a two-sided key to managing future coastal construction projects by mandating the following conservation policies. First, study the wildlife before construction begins to learn their habits. Second, apply that knowledge: Plan coastal construction activities accordingly to give them a chance to adapt and help the dolphins maintain their historic habits as much as possible."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.

---

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

Dolphins change their behavior to adapt to coastal development

Bottlenose dolphins adjust their behavior to cope with coastal development,...

Seaweed supplements can reduce livestock <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-moon-controls-methane-emissions-from-the-arctic-ocean/">methane</a> emissions without affecting meat quality, according to a new study published by <a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS</a>. The researchers found that feeding red algae to beef cattle lowered methane emissions by more than 50 percent. 

Sheep and cattle produce methane as a byproduct of digestion, which makes livestock farming a major source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

A team led by Breanna Roque at the <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/">University of California</a> set out to investigate whether red seaweed supplements could potentially reduce methane emissions produced by beef cattle.

The study was focused on 21 Angus-Hereford beef bullocks, who were fed their usual diet of hay, grains, and corn. The diets were supplemented with either zero, low, or high concentrations of red seaweed. 

The experts periodically measured the levels of methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide released by the young bulls for 21 weeks. The study revealed that the supplements reduced methane emissions by between 45 percent and 68 percent. 

The greatest reductions were associated with a high seaweed-supplemented, low-forage diet. This diet was found to reduce methane production by as much as 80 percent.

Testing showed that the seaweed supplements had no effect on the quality or flavor of the meat. In addition, the bulls sustained normal growth rates while consuming less food. This indicates that red seaweed supplemented diets could help farmers improve efficiency, reduce costs, and reduce methane emissions simultaneously, explained the researchers.

"There is more work to be done, but we are very encouraged by these results," said Roque. "We now have a clear answer to the question of whether seaweed supplements can sustainably reduce livestock methane emissions and its long-term effectiveness."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Seaweed supplements reduce livestock methane emissions

Seaweed supplements can reduce livestock methane emissions without affecting meat...

Elephant seals take more risks when their body <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/women-who-are-physically-fit-burn-fat-faster/">fat</a> is lowest, and strategically change their behavior as their body condition improves, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">UC Santa Cruz</a>. The research shows that when they have more fat stored up, the seals prioritize safety over feeding.

The investigation is the first of its kind to continuously measure changes in behavior relative to body fat, and provides new insight into how wild animals balance risks and rewards.

"Theory predicts that fat animals take fewer risks, but it's very difficult to measure body condition continuously in wild animals," said study first author Professor Roxanne Beltran. "Our results show that fat seals prioritize safety, and skinny seals prioritize feeding."

Each year in May, female elephant seals leave the beaches in California where they gove birth and nurse their young to set out on a seven-month foraging trip across the Pacific Ocean. As they hunt for fish and squid, the seals must avoid becoming prey themselves.

The researchers used satellite tags and time-depth recorders to track the movements and diving patterns of 71 adult female northern elephant seals. Their intense migration covers about 6,000 miles, and invloves an uninterrupted series of dives. The seals average 23 minutes per dive with just two minutes at the surface between dives.

The elephant seals minimize their time at the surface to avoid attacks by sharks and killer whales. Because these are visual predators, the seals are safer in water depths that light does not penetrate. The researchers refer to this phenomenon as "lightscapes of fear" that shape animal behavior in the open ocean.

"We don't know a lot about predator-prey dynamics in the open ocean because there are so few sightings of attacks, but we regularly observe elephant seals on the beach with shark bites," said Professor Beltran.

The tracking data revealed several different types of dives, including foraging dives, when the seals pursue prey; transit dives with no feeding activity; and rest dives, when the seals drift passively at the bottom of the dive and are presumably sleeping.

During the drift dives, the researchers can calculate how much body fat the seals have based on their buoyancy in the water.

"It gives us a nearly continuous record of how fat they are, which is unparalleled for any wild animal other than elephant seals," said Professor Beltran. "At the beginning of the migration, they are really skinny and they sink through the water column. As the feeding migration progresses, they slowly gain weight and their buoyancy becomes less negative until, at some point, they switch to positive buoyancy and stay positive for the rest of the trip."

The timing of the resting dives were found to change as the seals' body condition improves. Seals in poor condition started their drift dives just after sunrise, while seals in good condition started their drift dives just before sunrise. As a result, the amount of time the seals rested during the dangerous daylight hours decreased from 80 to 30 percent.

The drift dives occurred progressively earlier with respect to sunrise as the seals' body condition improved throughout the migration. This indicates a shift in their priorities from feeding to safety. 

"Light is a fundamental environmental constraint that these animals are using strategically to maximize rewards and minimize risks," said Professor Beltran. "In the ocean, light is an interesting way to look at risk-reward tradeoffs because it integrates time and space, especially for a migratory species that travels across time zones and latitudes with constantly changing day lengths."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Elephant seals take more risks when they are low on body fat

Elephant seals take more risks when their body fat is...

A groundbreaking new study has identified areas of the ocean that could be protected to help solve the biggest global challenges of this century- the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/greenland-ice-is-more-sensitive-to-climate-change-than-expected/">climate</a>, food, and biodiversity crises. The pinpointed regions could contribute to a more abundant supply of healthy seafood; provide a cheap, natural solution to address climate change; and protect valuable habitats and wildlife.

The research, which was conducted by an international team of 26 experts, identified specific areas that have the potential to protect over 80 percent of the habitats for endangered marine species, while increasing fishing catches by more than eight million metric tons. 

"Ocean life has been declining worldwide because of overfishing, habitat destruction and climate change. Yet only 7% of the ocean is currently under some kind of protection," said study lead author Dr. Enric Sala, explorer in residence at the <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/">National Geographic Society</a>.

"In this study, we've pioneered a new way to identify the places that - if strongly protected - will boost food production and safeguard marine life, all while reducing carbon emissions. It's clear that humanity and the economy will benefit from a healthier ocean. And we can realize those benefits quickly if countries work together to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030."

For their investigation, the multidisciplinary team of experts analyzed the world's unprotected ocean waters, focusing on the extent to which they are threatened by human activities like overfishing that could be reduced through protective measures.

Next, the researchers developed an algorithm to identify those areas where protections would deliver the greatest benefits for biodiversity protection, seafood production,  and climate mitigation. The team mapped these locations to create a "blueprint" that can be used by governments as they implement their commitments to protect nature.

"There is no single best solution to save marine life and obtain these other benefits. The solution depends on what society - or a given country - cares about, and our study provides a new way to integrate these preferences and find effective conservation strategies," said study co-author Dr. Juan S. Mayorga, a marine data scientist with the Environmental Market Solutions Lab at UC Santa Barbara and <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/pristine-seas/">Pristine Seas</a> at National Geographic Society.

The study precedes the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which is expected to take place in Kunming, China in 2021. The meeting will bring together representatives of 190 countries to finalize an agreement to end the world's biodiversity crisis. 

The treaty is expected to center around the primary goal of protecting 30 percent of the planet's land and ocean by 2030. Countries including Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom have already made commitments to help achieve this target on a national and global scale.

The report identifies highly diverse marine areas that face the greatest threats from human activities. These regions urgently need to become established as marine protected areas (MPAs). The priority locations are distributed throughout the ocean, but the majority are contained within the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones of coastal nations.

"Perhaps the most impressive and encouraging result is the enormous gain we can obtain for biodiversity conservation - if we carefully chose the location of strictly protected marine areas," said study co-author Dr. David Mouillot, who is a professor at the Université de Montpellier in France. 

"One notable priority for conservation is Antarctica, which currently has little protection, but is projected to host many vulnerable species in a near future due to climate change."

"The ocean covers 70% of the earth - yet, until now, its importance for solving the challenges of our time has been overlooked," said study co-author Dr. Boris Worm, who is a professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

"Smart ocean protection will help to provide cheap natural climate solutions, make seafood more abundant and safeguard imperiled marine species - all at the same time. The benefits are clear. If we want to solve the three most pressing challenges of our century - biodiversity loss, climate change and food shortages - we must protect our ocean."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Protecting the ocean can solve the three greatest challenges on Earth

A groundbreaking new study has identified areas of the ocean...

Artificial light is known to disrupt ecological processes such as the nighttime pollination of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-found-beneath-greenland-ice-represent-a-troubling-reality/">plants</a> by nocturnal insects, which could be detrimental to plant reproduction and agricultural crop yields. In a new study from the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a>, experts have demonstrated that artificial light at night also interferes with insects' pollination behavior during the daytime.

"A 'luminous fog' of artificial light at night is enveloping the locations inhabited by humans, with about 18.7% of the world’s terrestrial surfaces (excluding Antartica) currently being exposed to it," wrote the researchers. "Furthermore, the area experiencing direct emissions from artificial light sources is estimated to expand at about 2–6% per year while already illuminated areas become brighter at a similar rate." 

"In addition to effects on the physiology and behavior of organisms with consequences for mortality, reproduction, species abundance, and community composition, artificial light at night affects species interactions and ecosystem functioning."

For the investigation, the experts used commercial street lamps to illuminate natural plant-pollinator communities overnight on six natural meadows, while six other natural meadows were left dark. The research analyzed the interactions of 21 naturally occurring plant species and their pollinators.

"Our findings indicate that artificial light during the nighttime alters the number of plant-pollinator interactions during the daytime, depending on the plant species," explained study co-author Eva Knop.

For example, three plant species received significantly fewer pollinator visits during the daytime after LED illumination. By contrast, one plant species received substantially more pollinator visits.

Nocturnal pollinator activity was also found to vary in the presence of artificial light. For example, woodland geraniums received the same number of pollinator visits in illuminated and dark meadows, but not by the same insects. Dipterous insects reduced their visits to plants that were lit up during the night, and beetles tended to visit more frequently. 

"Since insects play a vital role in pollinating crops and wild plants and are already endangered by habitat destruction and climate change regardless of artificial light, it is important to study and clarify these indirect mechanisms," said Knop.

The study authors are calling for the ecological impact of light pollution to be researched more thoroughly and for actions to be devised to prevent adverse effects on the environment. 

"We conclude that the effect of artificial light at night on plant-pollinator interactions is not limited to the night, but can also propagate to the daytime with so far unknown consequences for the pollinator community and the diurnal pollination function and services they provide," wrote the researchers.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Artificial light disrupts plant pollination, even during the day

Artificial light is known to disrupt ecological processes such as...

A new study reveals how climate change is affecting plant growth beyond the effects of rising <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-permafrost-is-releasing-even-more-co2-than-expected/">CO2</a> levels. The researchers found that rising temperatures are impacting photosynthesis and plant viability.

The experts report that excessive heat reduces the efficiency of enzymes that drive photosynthesis and can hinder plants' ability to regulate CO2 uptake and water loss. They explain that certain aspects of a plant's structure can make it more or less susceptible to heat stress.

Features of the ecosystem, such as the density of plants or local atmospheric conditions, also influence how crop yields will respond to heat.

Study co-lead author Caitlin Moore is a research fellow at the University of Western Australia and an affiliate research fellow at the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment at the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign</a>. 

"It's important to have an understanding of these issues across scales - from the biochemistry of individual leaves to ecosystem-level influences - in order to really tackle these problems in an informed way," said Moore.

According to study co-author Professor Carl Bernacchi, there has been a lot of focus on rising CO2 and the impact that it has on plants. "And it is an important factor, because we are changing that carbon dioxide concentration enormously. But it's a small part of the bigger story." 

"Once you throw changing temperatures into the mix, it completely messes up our understanding of how plants are going to respond."

"Take Rubisco, the key enzyme that fixes carbon dioxide into sugars, making life on Earth possible," said study co-lead author Amanda Cavanagh. "Rubisco speeds up as the temperature increases, but it's also prone to making mistakes."

Instead of binding CO2 to sugars, Rubisco sometimes fixes oxygen, initiating a different pathway that wastes a plant's resources. Higher temperatures make this more likely, said Cavanagh. The enzyme will begin to lose its structural integrity and become increasingly ineffective. Heat can also compromise a plant's reproductive capacity. 

When temperatures are too warm, plants open up pores on their leaves called stomata to cool themselves. The stomata also allow plants to absorb CO2, but when they are fully open, the leaves can lose too much moisture.

"Temperature affects the atmosphere above the plant," said Moore. "As the atmosphere heats up, it can hold additional water, so it's pulling more water from the plants."

Cavanagh, who studies the molecular biology of plants, said some plants are more heat tolerant than others, and scientists are searching their genomes for clues to their success.

"For example, you can look at wild Australian relatives of rice that are growing in much harsher climates than most paddy rices. And you see that their enzymes are primed to work more efficiently at hotter temperatures."

One goal is to transfer heat-tolerant genes to rice varieties that are more susceptible to heat stress.

"The world is getting hotter at a shocking rate," said Cavanagh. "And we know from global models that each increase in gross temperature degree Celsius can cause 3% to 7% losses in yield of our four main crops. So, it's not something we can ignore."

"What makes me optimistic is the realization that so much work is going into globally solving this problem."

The study is published in the <a href="https://jeb.biologists.org/">Journal of Experimental Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rising temperatures alter photosynthesis and plant growth

A new study reveals how climate change is affecting plant...

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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

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

[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



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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

[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

[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



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...