In the midst of our busy lives, those seemingly insignificant everyday experiences - like booking a flight home for Thanksgiving or writing a thank-you note - may feel less meaningful.



But according to Erin Westgate, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Florida, these experiences carry more value than we attribute them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-purpose-behind-the-research">Purpose behind the research</h2>



Alongside her team at the <a href="https://socialcognition.psych.ufl.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Social Cognition and Emotion Lab</a>, Westgate recently secured a grant from the National Science Foundation.



The researchers intended to examine why people underestimate the significance of future life <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/facial-expressions-arent-enough-to-understand-human-emotions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experiences</a>. The spark for this exploration ignited during Westgate's school days.



“This started a long time ago when I was in grad school where I was talking to another student who asked me if we know how meaningful events will be in the future,” Westgate said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meaningful-experience-of-thanksgiving">Meaningful experience of Thanksgiving</h2>



The question prompted an interesting study involving <a href="https://www.virginia.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Virginia</a> undergraduates. The students were asked about their expectations of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday's meaningfulness and their thoughts afterward. 



“Surely people know how significant Thanksgiving will be, right? It’s the poster child for gratitude and meaning,” Westgate said.



Much to Westgate's surprise, the students extensively misjudged their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-likes-have-a-strong-emotional-effect-on-young-people/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">feelings</a> about the holiday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-missing-out-on-meaningful-experiences">Missing out on meaningful experiences </h2>



Fast forward to the pandemic-ridden 2020. Westgate revisited her initial findings, asking, “We found it once, but can we find it again?”



With a larger sample of University of Florida undergraduates, the results echoed the first study. People chronically underestimated the value of their Thanksgiving holiday.



“We want to live meaningful lives, we want to do meaningful things and so if we are not realizing that an experience is going to be meaningful, we may be less likely to do it and miss out on these potential sources of meaning in our own lives,” Westgate said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decision-factors-in-meaningful-experiences">Decision factors in meaningful experiences</h2>



The research indicated a key factor in decision-making - anticipated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-emotions-linked-to-unique-brain-activity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">feelings</a>.



Whether it's a life-altering decision like a career choice or a family start, or a minor one like attending a holiday event, our decisions lean towards promoting a sense of purpose and fulfillment.



Over the course of a three-year study, Westgate aims to condense the reasons behind our underestimation of experiences - from our career choices to the seemingly mundane task of writing thank-you notes.



The research considers both positive and negative experiences, including the acceptance or rejection of medical school applications.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-sense-of-events">Making sense of events</h2>



The study also explores personal growth experiences that entail discomfort, leading to avoiding certain decisions out of fear.



Still, these very decisions could play an instrumental role in developing resilience and yielding deep satisfaction.



“We don’t make sense of events until they actually happen. We don’t process events until we need to, when they actually happen and not before,” said Westgate. Jumping the gun might lead us to underestimate the potential meaning of certain events.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seeking-solutions-for-underestimation">Seeking solutions for underestimation</h2>



The research aims to go beyond merely identifying problems; it seeks actionable solutions. Many of us often overlook the true value of meaningful experiences. 



This oversight can lead to a less fulfilling life, as we fail to appreciate the depth and significance of our everyday moments. By delving into the reasons behind this underestimation, Westgate’s work strives to illuminate the cognitive biases and misconceptions that cloud our perception of meaning.



Understanding the root of these misconceptions is crucial. It involves exploring psychological patterns and societal influences that lead individuals to undervalue their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emotional-intelligence-may-be-secret-to-academic-success/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experiences</a>. 



By identifying these patterns, the research can offer strategies to shift our perspectives and encourage a deeper appreciation of our lives. This shift could not only enhance individual well-being but also promote a more profound connection with others and the world around us.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-harnessing-meaningful-experiences-in-daily-life">Harnessing meaningful experiences in daily life</h2>



The findings suggest that by becoming more aware of our tendency to underestimate the meaningfulness of experiences, individuals can purposefully cultivate more fulfilling daily lives.



Simple changes, such as being more present in the moment, keeping a gratitude journal, or actively reflecting on past experiences, can enhance appreciation for life's ordinary events. 



These practices can help individuals recognize the intrinsic value in seemingly minor experiences, thereby enriching personal happiness and well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-psychological-interventions">Implications for psychological interventions</h2>



The research carries significant implications for psychological interventions aiming to promote mental well-being. Interventions could focus on enhancing awareness of meaningful experiences and encouraging individuals to engage in activities that nurture a sense of purpose.



By integrating these insights into therapy and counseling, mental health practitioners can better support clients in recognizing and capitalizing on the meaningful dimensions of their lives, potentially improving mental resilience and overall life satisfaction.



“Sometimes we go into a project, and we know what we are going to find. This is one of those projects that surprised us,” concluded Westgate.



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We often undervalue the most meaningful experiences in life

In the midst of our busy lives, those seemingly insignificant everyday experiences - like booking a flight home for Thanksgiving or writing a thank-you note - may feel less meaningful. But according to Erin Westgate, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Florida, these experiences carry more value than we attribute them. Purpose behind the research Alongside her team at the Florida Social Cognition and Emotion Lab, Westgate recently secured a grant from the National Science Foundation. The researchers intended to examine why people underestimate the...

A study from <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> describes behavioral and physiological changes that occur among some ants after the death of their queen. A species of jumping ants found in India, Harpegnathos saltator, engages in dueling tournaments to establish new leadership.

The ants strike each other with their antennae in a series of battles that can drag out for weeks. But the new study found that even if the sparring matches stretch out for months, the winner can be determined in a matter of just three days based on changes in behavior and gene expression.

"Despite prolonged social upheaval in ant colonies following the loss of the queen, the winners of these dueling tournaments are rapidly determined," said study co-author Professor Claude Desplan. 

"Our findings may provide clues on adaptability in reproduction and aging, given that the workers who win the duel, or 'pseudoqueens,' gain the ability to lay eggs and live much longer than the average worker ant. This suggests that changes in the environment are able to dramatically affect the structure of a society."

Ant societies have a division of labor in which the queen is in charge of reproduction and workers are responsible for maintaining the colony. The workers take on daily tasks like cleaning, caring for the young, hunting for food, and defending the nest.

In many cases, the entire ant colony collapses and dies after the queen due to a lack of reproduction. However, Indian jumping ants go through a period of social unrest and "caste switching" after queen loss. 

While the queen is still alive, she secretes pheromones that prevent female workers from laying eggs. When the queen dies, the workers sense the lack of pheromones and begin fighting each other for social dominance.

"Most workers quickly abandon the tournament while a few workers continue the dueling for months and become gamergates (pseudo queens)," explained the researchers.

The ants that stick it out in battle and become pseudo queens acquire new behaviors, and their life expectancy dramatically increases from seven months to four years. The pseudo queens begin laying eggs, which allows the colony to survive.

The NYU team analyzed changes in social behavior and accompanying changes in gene expression during the early stages of the transition from worker bee to pseudo queen.

The study revealed that, as early as three days after Indian jumping ants begin dueling, the winners can be accurately predicted solely based on their behavior. 

The workers who ultimately became pseudo queens were found to engage in about twice as much dueling activity within the first five days. Meanwhile, the bees who dueled less gradually went back to cleaning, hunting, and other worker bee tasks.

According to study co-author Professor Danny Reinberg, both behavioral and molecular data - especially changes in gene expression in the brain - show that new pseudo queens are quickly determined after a colony's social structure has been disrupted by the loss of the queen.

"Despite the fact that dueling tournaments last for several weeks, we were able to anticipate which ants would become pseudo queens in only three days," said study co-lead author Comzit Opachaloemphan.

The experts found that the first genes to respond to the loss of the queen were in the brain, and that the absence of the queen pheromones triggers a series of behavioral and physiological changes. Ultimately, the brain is the driving force behind the dueling and early caste determination in the ants, with other tissues taking cues from the brain.

"We show that molecular changes in the brain serve as earliest caste predictors compared with other tissues," wrote the researchers. "Thus, behavioral and molecular data indicate that despite the prolonged social upheaval, the gamergate fate is rapidly established, suggesting a robust re-establishment of social structure."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://genesdev.cshlp.org/">Genes &amp; Development</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Jumping ants fight for dominance after their queen dies

A study from New York University describes behavioral and physiological...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/north-americas-largest-mammals-were-a-casualty-of-climate-change/">climate</a> change transforms the planet, some areas will get hotter and drier, while others will get wetter. In a new study from <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a>, experts have discovered that yellow warblers can track down their preferred climate over thousands of miles. 

The research revealed that the songbirds have the same climate from one side of their migration range to the other.

"What's amazing is that the birds track similar climates despite the fact that they have migrated thousands of miles," said study co-author Rachael Bay, an assistant professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology, College of Biological Sciences. "It seems that individual birds may be adapted to particular climate regimes."

Yellow warblers have breeding grounds throughout North America and fly south to spend their winters in Central and South America. 

In a previous study, Professor Bay and her team linked genetic variations among warblers with precipitation patterns across North America. This indicated that certain individuals are adapted to dry conditions, while others thrive in wet conditions. Based on their genetics, the researchers were able to predict where birds would breed.

Professor Bay collected data for the current study during her postdoctoral research, in collaboration with banding stations and collecting sites in North and South America. 

When the experts compared climate patterns in their winter and summer areas, they found that individual birds showed preferences for drier or wetter areas, but not for warmer or cooler areas. 

Yellow warblers that bred in relatively dry parts of North America, such as California's Central Valley, had overwintering grounds in dry parts of South or Central America.

"This is the first demonstration of using individual genetic tracking to link climates across the migratory cycle within a bird species," said Professor Bay.

The specialized ranges could have consequences for how the birds respond to climate change. Professor Bay speculates that the variation she and her colleagues found might provide the raw material for the species to adapt to changing climate conditions. 

For example, bird populations that are adapted to dry conditions could ultimately displace those adapted to wetter ones. This transition may have already begun, as the researchers found that population sizes of yellow warblers have changed with precipitation patterns over time. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14610248">Ecology Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Yellow warblers find their preferred climate over thousands of miles

As climate change transforms the planet, some areas will get...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">AAAS</a>, experts report that when Earth's magnetic fields reversed nearly 42,000 years ago, major environmental changes were triggered. The geomagnetic reversal also led to extinction events and long-term changes in human behavior.

The research was made possible by a new radiocarbon record obtained from ancient kauri trees in New Zealand. The findings raise important questions about the evolutionary impacts of geomagnetic reversals and excursions throughout the deeper geological record, said the researchers. 

"Before this work, we knew there were a lot of things happening around the world at 42,000 years ago, but we didn't know precisely how," explained study co-author Chris Turney.  "For the first time, we've been able to precisely date what happened when Earth's magnetic fields last flipped." 

According to the geological record, the planet's magnetic poles have flipped multiple times. This event would be particularly disruptive today with modern electronic and satellite technologies. At the same time, the potential environmental consequences of these events are not yet known. 

The most recent major magnetic inversion was a relatively short-lived geomagnetic event known as the Laschamps excursion. This event gave experts the chance to study the potential impacts of extreme changes to Earth's magnetic field. 

Despite compelling evidence from several paleoenvironmental records that suggest the Laschamps excursion coincided with significant environmental changes, however, the ability to understand these changes was limited by an uncertain radiocarbon calibration for the period.

For the current investigation, the researchers took a new approach based on a radiocarbon record derived from the tree rings of ancient kauri trees that have been preserved for millennia in New Zealand wetlands. This new, precisely dated record allowed the team to compare Laschamps with other global radiocarbon and ice core records. 

The study revealed that the reversal of the poles was preceded by a significant increase in atmospheric radiocarbon during the period of weakening magnetic field strength. When they modeled the consequences of the increase in radiocarbon, the experts found that the geomagnetic field minimum triggered substantial changes in atmospheric ozone concentration. 

These shifts may explain simultaneous global environmental changes that have been recognized in other climate records dating back to 42,000 years ago.

According to the study authors, the discovery that geomagnetic field fluctuations can affect atmospheric temperature and circulation on a global scale provides a model for understanding anomalous and sudden paleoenvironmental shifts.

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

Geomagnetic reversal triggered global environmental changes

In a new study from AAAS, experts report that when...

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico had a lasting impact on the immune function of bottlenose dolphins, according to a new study published by <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us">Wiley</a>.

For health assessments, bottlenose dolphins were captured, sampled, and released from an area that was heavily impacted by the oil spill. The experts compared the dolphins to those living in an unaffected area. 

The study revealed that immunological alterations in bottlenose dolphins tested up to a ten years following the oil spill were similar in nature to the effects documented immediately following the spill. The health impacts were seen detected in dolphins born after the spill. 

The findings suggest that there are long-term consequences of oil exposure on the immune systems of mammals, with possible multigenerational effects.

"The parallel between findings in dolphins exposed following the Deepwater Horizon spill and laboratory mice experimentally exposed to oil was impressive and really helped build the weight of evidence between oil exposure and specific effects on the immune system," said study co-author Dr. Sylvain De Guise.

"However, the long-term effects and potential for multigenerational effects raise significant concerns for the recovery of dolphin populations following the spill."

The Deepwater Horizon disaster released more than 205 million gallons of oil into the Gulf, and only about 25 percent of the oil was recovered. This left over 150 gallons of oil, along with nearly two million gallons of toxic dispersants, in the water. 

The oil dispersants, which were used in unprecedented quantities, did not reduce the oil in the ocean. Instead, the chemicals broke the oil down into smaller particles that may have actually been more toxic to marine life. 

According to previous estimates from the Center for Biological Diversity, the oil spill harmed or killed about 82,000 birds, 6,000 sea turtles, 25,900 marine mammals, and a vast number of fish. More than a thousand miles of coastal habitats were also affected, with cascading impacts on seagrass, shorebirds, and other species. 

The current study is published in the journal <a href="https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15528618">Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry</a>

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bottlenose dolphins are suffering from oil spill ten years later

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the northern Gulf...

Irregular sleep patterns are linked to a higher chance of mood swings and depression, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.uofmhealth.org/">Michigan Medicine</a>. 

The researchers found that over the long term, variation in sleep and wake cycles increase the risk of depression just as much as sleep deprivation or staying up late most nights.

The experts report that even in short term, people who have an irregular sleep schedule from day to day can experience just as bad of a mood as those who stayed up extra late the night before.

The study was focused on data from direct measurements of the sleep and mood of more than 2,100 first-year medical residents over the course of one year.

The interns all experienced long, intense work days with work schedules that changed from day to day. These irregular schedules altered their ability to have regular sleep patterns.

The study participants wore activity trackers, self-reported on their daily mood on a smartphone app, and were assessed using quarterly tests for depressive symptoms.

The study revealed that individuals with variable sleep schedules were more likely to score higher on standardized depression symptom questionnaires and to have lower daily mood ratings. 

"The advanced wearable technology allows us to study the behavioral and physiological factors of mental health, including sleep, at a much larger scale and more accurately than before, opening up an exciting field for us to explore," said study lead author Dr. Yu Fang, a research specialist at the Michigan Neuroscience Institute. 

"Our findings aim not only to guide self-management on sleep habits but also to inform institutional scheduling structures."

Dr. Cathy Goldstein pointed out that wearable devices that estimate sleep are now being used by millions of people, including the Fitbit devices used in the study.

"These devices, for the first time, allow us to record sleep over extensive time periods without effort on behalf of the user," said Dr. Goldstein. "We still have questions surrounding the accuracy of the sleep predictions consumer trackers make, though initial work suggests similar performance to clinical and research grade actigraphy devices which are cleared by the FDA."

According to Dr. Srijan Sen, the new findings build on what his team's work has already shown about high risk of depression among new physicians, and other underlying factors that as associated with a heightened risk.

"These findings highlight sleep consistency as an underappreciated factor to target in depression and wellness. The work also underscores the potential of wearable devices in understanding important constructs relevant to health that we previously could not study at scale."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/npjdigitalmed/">npj Digital Medicine</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Irregular sleep linked to depression and mood issues

Irregular sleep patterns are linked to a higher chance of...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-poop-up-to-66-percent-less-when-they-eat-human-grade-foods/">Dogs</a> were the first animal to be domesticated by humans, evolving from a group of wolves thousands of years ago. But when it comes to Australian dingoes, exactly where they fit into the family is still up for debate, according to retired <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a> anthropologist Pat Shipman.

For most animals, hybridization does not occur between closely related species. When there is an exception, the offspring are usually infertile, such as when female horses and male donkeys produce mules.

On the other hand, many canid species - including wolves, dingoes, and dogs - can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. This makes it challenging to define species boundaries in canids.

"Indigenous Australians understood that there was something different about the dingoes and the colonial dogs," said Shipman. "They really are, I think, different animals. They react differently to humans. A lot of genetic and behavioral work has been done with wolves, dogs and dingoes. Dingoes come out somewhere in between."

Domestic dogs made their Australian debut in in 1788 with the first 11 ships of convicts. At this time, dingoes were already present on the continent, along with aboriginal Australians who arrived about 65,000 years ago. Today, many dingoes have domestic dogs in their ancestry. 

According to fossil evidence, dingoes came to Australia at least 4,000 years ago, and Shipman believes that this date may be actually turn out to be even earlier.

"Part of the reason I'm so fascinated with dingoes is that if you see a dingo through American eyes you say, 'that's a dog,'" said Shipman. "In evolutionary terms, dingoes give us a glimpse of what started the domestication process."

Dingoes have a "basic doggy look" even though they are not dogs, explained Shipman. They differ from dogs in both behavior and genetics, and are more like wolves in their relationships with humans.

Domestic doggs were evolving at a time when humans began growing food and moved to a diet containing large amounts of starch from maize, rice, potatoes, or wheat. While wolves and dingoes have very few of the genes for starch digestion, the dog's genome adapted to tolerate it. 

Indigenous Australians stole dingo puppies from their dens and raised them, yet these puppies generally left human homes at maturity and went off to breed and raise offspring. This demonstrates that their ability to closely bond with humans is limited.

"Aboriginal Australians were not well-regarded as holders of knowledge or special skill when Europeans came to the continent," said Shipman. "So, no one thought to ask them about dingoes. Even recently, asking aboriginals for their scientific or behavioral knowledge really was not common."

Regardless, aboriginal Australians have a long history of living with dingoes in their lives. Many people argue that dingoes are just dogs - strange dogs, but just dogs, said Shipman. However, aboriginals would disagree.

Since dingoes exhibit behaviors that fall somewhere between wolves and dogs, and possess a slight ability to tolerate living in captivity, Shipman concluded that a dingo is simply a wolf on its way to becoming a dog, that never got there.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/loi/19328494">Anatomical Record</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Are dingoes actually just strange dogs?

Dogs were the first animal to be domesticated by humans,...

In a new study published by <a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS</a>, scientists have observed some unexpected breeding behavior among Brazilian treefrogs. 

The researchers found that Paranapiacaba treefrogs lay spawn in small pools of water inside the leaves of bromeliad <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/plants-cannot-keep-up-with-rising-co2-levels/">plants</a> that are located on the banks of a stream. The tadpoles hatch from the aquatic eggs in the leaf tanks, and then make their way into the nearby stream to complete development.

The study is the first to report this unusual reproductive strategy among frogs, which are also known as anurans. 

Led by Leo Ramos Malagoli from the Universidade Estadual Paulista in Brazil, the researchers spent 11 years collecting data on the courtship behaviors, mating, spawning, and tadpole development of Paranapiacaba treefrogs. This little-known species is native to the Atlantic Forests of Brazil. 

The experts observed the males calling out from bromeliad ponds located on or over streams. Next, the females mated with the males inside of the leaf tanks and layed spawn there. 

However, the researchers found that the tadpoles did not complete their entire development in the tanks. By at least the 26th stage of development, the tadpoles had managed to enter the neighboring stream. 

The study authors theorize that the tadpoles must fall, jump, or get washed out of the tank to complete their development in a large body of water.

It is not uncommon for frogs to mate in leaf tanks, which offer a refuge out of the sights of predators and competitors. With other species, however, the frogs usually relocate to lay their eggs in larger water bodies or the tadpoles remain in the leaf tanks until adulthood. 

The developmental strategy used by Paranapiacaba treefrogs allows their tadpoles to grow in a safe location while escaping before limited food and space runs out in the small leaf tank.

According to the study authors, high summer rainfall in the Atlantic forests of southeast Brazil likely drove the evolution of this unique breeding strategy.

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

Brazilian treefrogs have adopted an unusual breeding strategy

In a new study published by PLOS, scientists have observed...

Children have a highly effective immune response that protects them from severe COVID-19, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.mcri.edu.au/">Murdoch Children's Research Institute</a> (MCRI). The experts have discovered that specialized cells in a child's innate immune system rapidly attack the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-compounds-in-muscadine-grapes-block-coronavirus-replication/">coronavirus</a> and prevent it from spreading. 

Prior to this study, it was not yet known why children have mild COVID-19 infections compared to adults, said Dr. Melanie Neeland. The research has identified, for the first time, the immune mechanisms that provide children with protection from the disease.

"Children are less likely to become infected with the virus and up to a third are asymptomatic, which is strikingly different to the higher prevalence and severity observed in children for most other respiratory viruses," said Dr. Neeland.

"Understanding the underlying age-related differences in the severity of COVID-19 will provide important insights and opportunities for prevention and treatment, both for COVID-19 and possible future pandemics."

The researchers analyzed blood samples from 48 children and 70 adults across 28 Melbourne households exposed to COVID-19. The immune responses of the household members were monitored during the acute phase of infection and up to two months later.

In one specific case, four family members all tested positive for COVID-19. While the parents exhibited major symptoms of extreme fatigue, headaches, muscle pain,  and loss of appetite, their two children had only a mild runny nose. 

Dr. Neeland said the study showed that children with COVID-19 have a more robust innate immune response to the virus compared to adults.

"Coronavirus infection in children was characterized by activation of neutrophils, the specialized white blood cell that helps heal damaged tissues and resolves infections, and a reduction in first-responder immune cells such as monocytes, dendritic cells and natural killer cells from the blood."

"This suggests these infection-fighting immune cells are migrating to infection sites, quickly clearing the virus before it has a chance to really take hold."

"This shows that the innate immune system, our first line of defense against germs, is crucial to prevent severe COVID-19 in children. Importantly, this immune reaction was not replicated among adults in the study."

According to Dr. Neeland, children and adults who were exposed to COVID-19 but tested negative for it were also found to have altered immune responses. "Both kids and adults had increased neutrophil numbers, out to seven weeks after exposure to the virus, which could have provided a level of protection from disease."

The findings confirm a previous MCRI study which found that three children in a Melbourne family developed a similar immune response after prolonged exposure to the coronavirus from their parents.

The researchers stated that although the children had been infected with the coronavirus, they were able to mount an immune response which was so highly effective in stopping the virus from replicating that they never returned a positive test.

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

Study reveals how children are protected from severe COVID-19

Children have a highly effective immune response that protects them...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a> has pinpointed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-than-one-third-of-the-corn-belt-impacted-by-farmland-erosion/">farmland</a> in the United States that could be targeted to reduce nitrogen pollution. The researchers have determined that more than 60 percent of the total surplus nitrogen balance is tied to only 24 percent of cropland area throughout the country.

"This study provides a new perspective on where to focus efforts to tackle America's nitrogen problems," said lead author Eric Roy. "The U.S. has so many nitrogen trouble zones, and making progress will be easier in some locations than others. That's why this research is important. It reveals where programs aiming to increase the efficiency of farm nitrogen use are most likely to be successful."

The investigation into nitrogen pollution in U.S. agriculture has identified 20 "hotspots of opportunity" in 759 counties across more than 30 states. According to the researchers, it is in these places where farmers, government, and citizens should target nitrogen reduction efforts.

Nitrogen is a critical component of crop growth and food production, but its excessive use is tied to major environmental issues. For example, high levels of nitrogen contributes to freshwater pollution, poor air quality, biodiversity loss, and coastal "dead zones."

The study revealed that the top-ranked area to target for nitrogen reduction is a 61-county area across Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Wisconsin. This region is followed by a 55-county stretch of Kansas and Nebraska.

Some places with the high nitrogen loads per acre surprised the researchers, particularly in the West where they identified a 32-county hotspot in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah.

The study shows that nitrogen inputs are so high in many of these areas that farmers can most likely reduce nitrogen use without hurting crop yields, explained the experts. 

"This is a crucial finding because farmers naturally worry about lower crop yields when reducing nitrogen inputs," said study co-author Meredith Niles. "And we don't want to compromise food security goals."

The investigation is the first of its kind to provide a national analysis of underlying social, economic, and agronomic factors linked to nitrogen balances on croplands at the county-level. Some of these underlying factors include climate change beliefs, precipitation, soil productivity, crop mix, and farm operating expenses.

Based on these predictors, the researchers pinpointed cropland area where reductions in excess nitrogen are most achievable. In these regions, excessive nitrogen use was higher than expected when accounting for the underlying factors, which indicates there would be less barriers to achieving nitrogen reduction.

"This suggests that nitrogen reduction programs--including those that offer farmers' financial incentives--have the highest potential for success in these 20 regions," said study co-author Courtney Hammond Wagner.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</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

Experts identify "hotspots of opportunity" to reduce nitrogen pollution

A new study from the University of Vermont has pinpointed...

Socialization makes a big difference in the life expectancy of adult female giraffes, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a>. The experts have found that female giraffes who spend more time with other females have a higher chance of survival than those who are less sociable.

For over five years, a research team led by Monica Bond has been conducting the largest study to date of a giraffe population. The site of the investigation, which is in the Tarangire region of Tanzania, spans more than 1,000 square kilometers and includes multiple social communities with hundreds of adult female members.

The researchers determined that the benefits of socializing outweigh the effects of environmental factors or human presence on the survival of female giraffes.

While group formations change throughout the day, adult females were found to maintain many special friendships over the long term.

"Grouping with more females, called gregariousness, is correlated with better survival of female giraffes, even as group membership is frequently changing," said Bond. "This aspect of giraffe sociability is even more important than attributes of their non-social environment such as vegetation and nearness to human settlements."

Beyond the threats of poaching and wildlife trafficking, adult female giraffe mortality is primarily caused by disease, stress, and malnutrition. 

"Social relationships can improve foraging efficiency, and help manage intraspecific competition, predation, disease risk and psychosocial stress," said study senior author Professor Barbara König. 

For example, female giraffes may team up with other females to obtain information about the best places to find food. Socializing in larger groups may also lower stress levels, reduce harassment from males, and provide help in caring for young.

The team analyzed the social behaviors of the wild giraffes using network algorithms. The analysis showed that giraffes are surprisingly similar to humans and other primates in their social habits.

"It seems to be beneficial for female giraffes to connect with a greater number of others and develop a sense of larger community, but without a strong sense of exclusive subgroup affiliation," said Bond.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</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

Female giraffes live longer when they stick together

Socialization makes a big difference in the life expectancy of...

Tourists may be carelessly spreading COVID-19 to wild mountain gorillas by taking selfies with them. A team of researchers at <a href="https://www.brookes.ac.uk/">Oxford Brookes University</a> analyzed nearly 1,000 Instagram posts containing photos taken with mountain gorillas in East <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shipwrecked-ivory-sheds-new-light-on-african-forest-elephants/">Africa</a>.

The study revealed that most of the tourists were close enough to the animals to transmit a virus or infection, and they were not wearing face masks. 

"The risk of disease transmission between visitors and gorillas is very concerning. It is vital that we strengthen and enforce tour regulations to ensure gorilla trekking practices do not further threaten these already imperiled great apes," said study lead author Gaspard Van Hamme.

In January 2021, captive gorillas at San Diego Zoo tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, providing new evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic can affect great apes. 

"In the photos we analyzed, we found that face masks were rarely worn by tourists visiting gorillas and that brings potential for disease transmission between people and the gorillas they visit," said study co-author Dr. Magdalena Svensson. "With people all over the world getting more used to wearing face masks we have hope that in the future wearing face masks will become common practice in gorilla trekking."

Mountain gorillas are native to East Africa, and can currently be found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda. After decades of threats from human activities, gorilla numbers have started to bounce back in recent years. There are now an estimated 1,063 individuals.

"This research provides a valuable perspective on how much tourists are willing to share their too close encounters with mountain gorillas through Instagram, which creates expectations for future tourists," explained Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka.

"It highlights a great need for responsible tourism to provide adequate protection while minimizing disease transmission, especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Trekking is a valuable way to generate income to support mountain gorilla conservation. At the same time, large numbers of visitors can negatively impact the wildlife and their environment.

One of the main guidelines for visitors is to maintain a minimum distance of seven meters away from the gorillas, but the new research shows that such guidelines are not adequately followed or enforced.

Russell A. Mittermeier is the Chair of the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group, who was not involved in the study.

"It has become apparent in the past few years that studies of anthroponotic and zoonotic disease spread are crucial to the field of primate conservation. With that in mind, it is very exciting to see the new research on this topic coming out of the Primate Conservation Group at Oxford Brookes University," said Mittermeier.

"While this study focused on one species, the mountain gorilla, the lessons learned are also applicable to many other primate species that are increasingly coming into contact with people. This line of research will certainly become more important in the future."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/25758314">People and Nature</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

Tourists taking selfies with mountain gorillas put them at risk of disease

Tourists may be carelessly spreading COVID-19 to wild mountain gorillas...

Potato beans have the potential to support healthier, more sustainable diets in the UK, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.abdn.ac.uk/rowett/">University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute</a>. The American plant contains about three times as much <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/proteins-identified-that-allowed-vertebrates-to-evolve/">protein</a> as a normal potato, along with fiber, calcium, zinc and potassium.

"We studied the Apios American, or potato bean, as part of our research into novel and sustainable sources of protein and fiber in a bid to find alternatives and to diversify our dietary choices," said study lead author Dr. Madalina Neacsu.

"The majority of people's protein intake in the UK currently comes from animal sources, however if we could diversify our recommended dietary intake of protein from plant-based sources, such as the potato bean, this could contribute towards meeting climate targets as well as improving health."

"The potato bean has shown previously that it can adapt to a wide geographical range and has a high tolerance to a wide range of conditions, so it is able to grow in environments away from America."

The potato bean, also known as cinnamon vine and American groundnut, is commonly found in Florida, Texas, and Colorado. The wild plant is a perennial vine that bears edible beans and large edible tubers. Previous studies have shown that rats fed potato beans exhibited a decrease in blood pressure, as well as a reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides

The researchers analyzed samples of the potato bean grown in two sites in the northern and southern regions of the UK. The analysis revealed the legume crops could become a valuable component of healthier diets. 

"Going forward, there seems to be definite potential in the implementation of new crops and foods being grown here in the UK that could help people maintain a more balanced diet," said Dr. Robin Walker.  

"Further trials are now needed to gain more insight into the best way to grow and utilize Apios on a broader scale, taking into account its perennial growth habit and the potential to use its foliage and seeds as well as the tubers."

Beyond the potential benefits to human health, high-protein plant alternatives can help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with meat sources of protein.

"The potato bean is one example of the potential of wild plants to diversify our diet and build resilience in agriculture," said Dr. Max Coleman. "There are an estimated 30,000 edible plants available to us and yet widespread consumption only involves about 150 of them. Just 12 crops provide 80% of our calories, meaning we rely on less than 1% of the food plants available to us. There is considerable exciting work ahead."

Dr. Neacsu said the potential benefits of the potato bean are promising. "It is a rich source of protein and fiber, representing a good way to boost fiber consumption with can be a struggle for many people."

"We also found in Apios samples that it contained all the essential amino acids that we need to make proteins in the body. The peel and leaves are also a rich source of the bioactives which are normally found in superfruits such as berries."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-food-composition-and-analysis">Journal of Food Composition and Analysis</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

Potato beans could become the next big superfood in the UK

Potato beans have the potential to support healthier, more sustainable...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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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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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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How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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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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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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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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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



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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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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

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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...