Corals act more like us humans than one might think. These aquatic structures host an array of marine life while also depending on their microenvironment to survive and grow. Just like humans take multivitamins to stay healthy, corals rely on essential nutrients to thrive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-multivitamins-for-corals">Multivitamins for corals</h2>



Enter the researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). They've been busy in the lab, testing an innovative concept: nutrient-infused tiles aimed at supercharging the immune system of corals. It's like a daily multivitamin, but for corals. 



The goal? They aim to prevent coral bleaching, and to help corals to weather the stress of shifting ocean temperatures and to bounce back from harsh climate events such as hurricanes.



"We are studying how corals react when grown on substrates that have been infused with essential metal micronutrients, like manganese, zinc, and iron," explained Colleen Hansel, a senior scientist and marine chemist at <a href="https://www.whoi.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WHOI</a>.



There's an urgency to this work, as rapidly warming waters and an active hurricane season make field trials difficult.



However, hope is not lost. Preliminary data harvested from a year’s worth of lab experiments suggests that corals which received a nutrient boost early on were more resilient and resistant to heat stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-reef-brought-to-life">A reef brought to life</h2>



Armed with this data, the team's next plan is to take these nutrient-infused tiles and embed them in an artificial reef. 



Designed by experts at the University of the Virgin Islands (<a href="https://www.uvi.edu/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UVI</a>), this 20 sq. meter (216 sq. ft.) concrete setup will offer a safe home to juvenile corals that need multivitamins.



It also doubles as a settling spot for coral larvae, while the nutrient-rich tiles ensure vitamins are dispersed into the surrounding waters. This not only promotes coral growth, but also prepares them for environmental stressors.



"The artificial reef we're building is going in next to a natural reef that has been severely impacted by marine heat waves and extreme storm events," explained Marilyn Brandt, a coral disease ecologist at the UVI.



This man-made marvel won't just fend off storm surges and erosion, it will also create a habitat for corals struggling to adapt to climate change effects. The ultimate goal of the reef's establishment is to help restore the natural reefs in the area.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monitoring-corals-and-multivitamin-tiles">Monitoring corals and multivitamin tiles</h2>



To ensure the ongoing success of this cutting-edge approach, continuous monitoring and adaptation are integral. Scientists plan to deploy advanced monitoring systems that will track <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-is-on-the-brink-of-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral health</a> metrics in real-time. 



This will include assessments of coral growth rates, color changes indicative of stress, and local water conditions. Such data will allow researchers to alter their strategies promptly, adjusting nutrient concentrations or tile placements as necessary to optimize coral resilience.



A dynamic interplay between technology and ecological understanding will ultimately support these living structures in adapting to ever-changing marine environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-community-engagement-and-education">Community engagement and education</h2>



Beyond laboratory experiments and scientific endeavors, community engagement plays a pivotal role in coral conservation. Educational initiatives aim to involve local communities and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/60-percent-global-coral-reefs-face-bleaching-rising-temperatures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">raise awareness</a> about the importance of coral ecosystems. 



Workshops, seminars, and hands-on restoration activities promote a sense of stewardship among residents and visitors alike. By incorporating traditional knowledge and local insights, these programs ensure a holistic approach to coral reef preservation.



As communities learn and participate in restoration efforts, they contribute to a sustainable model that may serve as a blueprint for similar conservation projects globally.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-the-ecosystem">Balancing the ecosystem</h2>



Of course, in the grand scheme of the ocean world, balance is key. While the "multivitamin" tiles will help corals, researchers are cautious that they don't end up favoring a specific coral type or promote the intrusion of unwanted species.



As a result, Brandt, Hansel, and their colleagues are keen to examine this while generating a diverse environment beneficial to the reef ecosystem.



"We need to be sure an artificial reef looks and sounds as similar to a natural reef as possible," said Hansel. "That doesn't consist of just coral, but also sponges, anemones, and other biogeochemical components of the reef ecosystem."



Thus, it's evident that these nutrient-infused tiles, created with dedication and an innovative spirit, could provide a vital lifeline for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-illuminates-fish-interactions-in-coral-reefs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral reefs</a> in these changing times.



Could this be the answer to coral resilience? As with much in science, time and rigorous testing will tell. For now, let's look forward to more revealing studies on this exciting development.



-----



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'Multivitamins' could save coral reefs from climate destruction

Corals act more like us humans than one might think. These aquatic structures host an array of marine life while also depending on their microenvironment to survive and grow. Just like humans take multivitamins to stay healthy, corals rely on essential nutrients to thrive. Multivitamins for corals Enter the researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). They've been busy in the lab, testing an innovative concept: nutrient-infused tiles aimed at supercharging the immune system of corals. It's like a daily multivitamin, but for corals. The goal?...

In a new report from <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/">NOAA Fisheries</a>, experts have evaluated the effectiveness of regulations that were issued in 2008 to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales from deadly <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/shipwrecked-ivory-sheds-new-light-on-african-forest-elephants/">ship</a> strikes. According to the assessment, vessels are ignoring both voluntary and mandatory speed zones with no regard for the safety of the whales. 

Last year, an investigation by <a href="https://oceana.org/">Oceana</a> had drawn the same conclusion, finding that ships were ignoring a voluntary speed zone in an area south of Nantucket designated specifically for the protection of the whales.  

Whitney Webber is the director of an Oceana campaign designed to reduce threats to North Atlantic right whales, including entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes.

“We’ve long known that current efforts to protect North Atlantic right whales are not enough, and today the federal government agreed. NOAA’s evaluation of its own rule on vessel speeds related to North Atlantic right whales shows that we need stronger protections for these whales from speeding ships," said Webber.   

"Heavy vessel traffic puts North Atlantic right whales at great risk of being killed by ship strikes -  one of their leading causes of death. With only about 360 whales remaining, time is running out."

"Oceana previously launched a tool called <a href="https://usa.oceana.org/illegal-fishing/ship-speed-watch">Ship Speed Watch</a> that allows anyone to monitor the slow zones established to protect North Atlantic right whales. An analysis released  in March showed vessels ignoring voluntary speed zones designed to protect this critically endangered species. This data is supported by today’s government analysis." 

The right whales were pushed to near extinction before a ban was placed on hunting them in 1935. Today, the whales are primarily threatened by collisions with commercial ships. Without slowing down, ships cannot maneuver to avoid right whales. 

Furthermore, an obstacle course of about a million fishing lines is sprawled out across right whale migration routes and feeding areas in the United States and Canada. These ropes get wrapped tight around the whales, which can lead to life-threatening infections

"These slow-moving whales, that are often found near shore, must navigate an obstacle course of speeding ships and fishing gear on their north and south migrations every year," said Webber. "Requiring vessels to slow down is the least we can do to help save this iconic species. Studies have found that slowing speeds to 10 knots or less in areas where these whales may be encountered can reduce the risk of death by 86%."

"NOAA agrees that more needs to be done to protect North Atlantic right whales from vessel strikes. Now it’s time for the federal government to act. Voluntary speed restriction zones must be made mandatory, and the current mandatory speed restriction zones must be expanded and enforced. Oceana calls on NOAA to update the shipping regulations to protect these rare whales before it’s too late.” 

To learn more about Oceana’s campaign to save North Atlantic right whales from extinction, please click <a href="https://usa.oceana.org/our-campaigns/right_whale/campaign">here</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ships are disregarding efforts to protect North Atlantic right whales

In a new report from NOAA Fisheries, experts have evaluated...

Scientists have assembled the most complete DNA sequence of mysterious parasitic plants to date. The genomic analysis of Sapria himalayana has revealed that the flowering plant steals a surprising amount of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/two-genes-are-responsible-for-the-rapid-diversification-of-warblers/">genes</a> from its host to survive. The researchers found that Sapria also experienced a large degree of gene loss as they abandoned their bodies and adapted to life as extreme parasites. 

Sapria belongs to a family of rare parasitic plants in Southeast Asia known as Rafflesiaceae. These plants are endoparasites that have no roots, stems, or leaves of their own and depend entirely on a host plant for nutrients. Sapria is invisible for most of its life, living as cells inside of a host before emerging as a large flower. 

The bright red and white flower of Sapria is small in comparison to its famous relative, Rafflesia arnoldii, which produces giant blossoms that are nearly three feet in diameter. The plants in the Rafflesiaceae family have flowers with a pungent odor similar to rotting meat. This is a strategy that has evolved to attract carrion flies for pollination and reproduction.

The genomic analysis is providing brand new insight into the elusive lives of Sapria, which have been challenging for scientists to study considering that they have no body. 

The researchers discovered that nearly half of all genes found in most flowering plants are absent in the Sapria genome. This is more than four times the degree of gene loss found in other parasitic plants. Many of the genes that are lost are those involved in photosynthesis.

Study lead author Charles Davis is a professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>.

"In many ways, it's a miracle that these plants exist today, let alone that they seem to have persisted for tens of millions of years," said Professor Davis. "They've really jettisoned many things we identify as a typical plant yet they are deeply embedded within the plant tree of life."

Despite evolving separately, Sapria and the parasitic plants they were compared to had lost many of the same types of genes. This demonstrates an underlying evolutionary convergence to becoming a parasite, explained the researchers.

"We concluded that there is a common genomic or genetic roadmap to how plant parasites evolve," said Dr. Cai Liming of UC Riverside.

The experts said putting together the genome was like assembling a puzzle that had millions of pieces. They estimate that about 40 percent of the genome has now been sequenced and believe that the remaining portions are likely replicas of what they have pieced together thus far.

The team identified dozens of genes present in the Sapria genome that had been acquired through a process called horizontal gene transfer. This essentially means that the parasitic plants steal DNA from their host instead of passing it down across generations.

When the experts reconstructed the horizontal gene transfers, they assembled a hidden history of former hosts going back millions of years.

"The project was really an illustration of how these new sequencing technologies are really opening up the possibility of addressing questions that were just not feasible to address before, particularly in plants which have a really wide diversity of these sorts of weird genomes," said study co-author Timothy Sackton.

"These are easily the most charismatic and strange of all flowering plants," said Professor Davis. "They're just so bizarre."

The research was supported by funding from the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How parasitic plants survive with no body

Scientists have assembled the most complete DNA sequence of mysterious...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a> has revealed that some fish develop larger sex organs when they are exposed to high levels of CO2. The experts report that the reproductive capacity of these fish will increase as the oceans continue to absorb carbon emissions.

The researchers said that far from the negative effects expected under the elevated CO2 levels in our oceans predicted for the end of the century, these fish capitalize on changes to the underwater ecosystems to produce more sperm and eggs.

"The warming oceans absorb about one-third of the additional CO2 being released into the atmosphere from carbon emissions, causing the oceans to acidify," said study lead author Professor Ivan Nagelkerken.

"We know that many species are negatively affected in their behavior and physiology by ocean acidification. But we found that in this species of temperate fish - the common triplefin - both males and females had larger gonads under conditions of ocean acidification. This meant increased egg and sperm production and therefore more offspring."

The experts studied the common triplefin near underwater volcanic CO2 vents to analyze how fish will respond to the ocean conditions predicted for the end of this century. The researchers found that higher levels of ocean acidification did not have negative effects on the fish. For example, developing larger gonads did not come at a physiological cost for the triplefins.

"We found males were eating more. They showed intensified foraging on more abundant prey - which was more abundant because of the increased biomass of algae that grows under the elevated CO2," said Professor Nagelkerken.

"The females, on the other hand, did not eat more. They instead reduced their activity levels to preserve energy and then invested this in larger ovaries."

"We also found there were more mature males under elevated CO2 and, in this species where it is the males that take care of the eggs, that means we have more parents nurturing the egg nests, which could increase offspring."

According to the researchers, less dominant fish species did not exhibit higher reproductive output, which was likely due to their less competitive nature.

"We think it likely that the triplefin and similar species will do very well under increased ocean acidification," said co-author Professor Sean Connell. "The study shows that some, more dominant, species will be able to capitalise on changes to ecosystems under ocean acidification, increasing their population."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some fish develop larger sex organs when CO2 levels are high

A new study from the University of Adelaide has revealed...

To make predictions about how Earth's climate will change in the future, scientists must understand environmental changes of the past. In a new study from the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii at Mānoa</a>, oceanographers developed a model to reconstruct carbon cycle trends over the past 50 million years.

The study reveals dramatic shifts in both the climate and carbon cycle, and some of these changes contradict what was expected about carbon cycle dynamics.

Less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere should result in a shallower calcite compensation depth (CCD), which is the ocean depth where the rate of carbonate material raining down equals the rate of carbonate that is dissolved. The CCD can be examined over the geological past by measuring the calcium carbonate content in seafloor sediment cores.

The current study, led by former PhD student Nemanja Komar, is the first to quantitatively account for all of the important components of the carbon cycle over the past 66 million years.

Contrary to what was expected based on previous assumptions about the carbon cycle, the carbonate records revealed that as atmospheric CO2 decreased over the past 50 million years, the global CCD became deeper instead of shallower.

"The variable position of the paleo-CCD over time carries a signal of the combined carbon cycle dynamics of the past," said Komar. 

"Tracing the CCD evolution across the Cenozoic and identifying mechanisms responsible for its fluctuations are therefore important in deconvolving past changes in atmospheric CO2, weathering, and deep-sea carbonate burial. As CO2 and temperature dropped over the Cenozoic, the CCD should have shoaled but the records show that it actually deepened."

The computer model developed for the study allowed the researchers to investigate the potential mechanisms responsible for the long-term trends they identified.

"Surprisingly, we showed that the CCD response was decoupled from changes in silicate and carbonate weathering rates, challenging the long-standing uplift hypothesis, which attributes the CCD response to an increase in weathering rates due to the formation of the Himalayas and is contrary to our findings," explained Komar.

The research indicates that the disconnect was partly caused by an increasing proportion of carbonate buried in the open ocean compared to the carbonate present on the continental shelf.

"Our work provides new insight into the fundamental processes and feedbacks of the Earth system, which is critical for informing future predictions of changes in climate and carbon cycling," said Komar.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</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 carbon cycle trends of the past 50 million years

To make predictions about how Earth's climate will change in...

In a study from <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a>, researchers have investigated how sea level rise may impact coastal airports and disrupt flight routes. The experts found that even a modest increase in global <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-linked-to-low-quality-diets-among-children/">temperatures</a> would place 100 airports below the mean sea level by the end of this century.

The team used computer modeling to analyze the location of more than 14,000 coastal airports around the world and predict their vulnerability to storm surges at both current and future sea levels. 

The study revealed that 269 airports are already at risk of coastal flooding. In addition, a temperature rise of two degrees Celsius would put 100 airports below mean sea level and 364 airports at risk of flooding. Furthermore, if global average temperature rise exceeds two degrees, as many as 572 airports will be at risk by the end of this century.

According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world is now on track for an average temperature rise of three degrees Celsius. The current study suggests that this will lead to major flight disruptions without appropriate adaptation, such as increased flood protection, raising land, or relocation.

The team ranked the coastal airports most threatened by sea level rise based on each airport's flood risk, level of flood protection, and impacts in terms of flight disruption. The airports that are most at risk are in Europe, North America, and Oceania. 

Coastal airports in East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific dominated the top 20 most threatened list, with Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok (BKK) coming in first place. 

"These coastal airports are disproportionately important to the global airline network, and by 2100 between 10 and 20% of all routes will be at risk of disruption," said study co-author Professor Richard Dawson. "Sea level rise therefore poses a serious risk to global passenger and freight movements, with considerable cost of damage and disruption."

"Moreover, some airports, for example in low-lying islands, play critical roles in providing economic, social and medical lifelines."

"The cost of adaptation will be modest in the context of global infrastructure expenditure. However, in some locations the rate of sea level rise, limited economic resources or space for alternative locations will make some airports unviable."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/climate-risk-management">Climate Risk Management</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hundreds of coastal airports are threatened by sea level rise

In a study from Newcastle University, researchers have investigated how...

For the third consecutive year, gray whales have been turning up in poor condition or dead along their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-migrations-to-the-ryukyu-islands-were-led-by-explorers-not-drifters/">migration</a> route on the Pacific coast of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. 

Researchers at <a href="https://www.au.dk/">Aarhus University</a> have found evidence that starvation is contributing to the unusual mortality event, which has killed at least 378 gray whales since January of 2019.

Each January, the whales set out on an annual southward journey from their feeding grounds in the Bering, Chukchi, and Arctic Seas to their breeding grounds off the coast of Southern California and Mexico.

During the feeding season in the summer, the whales build up enough energy - mainly in the form of blubber - to sustain them throughout the breeding season. These energy reserves are critical for reproduction because the whales do not feed during the breeding season.

Study co-authors Mary Lou Jones and Steven Swartz conducted the first research and monitoring of gray whales from 1977 to 1982 in Laguna San Ignacio (LSI) in Baja California Sur, Mexico. In 2006, they established the Laguna San Ignacio Ecosystem Science Program (LSIESP), a project of the Ocean Foundation, in collaboration with Dr. Jorge Urban.

In 2017, Dr. Fredrik Christiansen joined LSIESP to study the body condition of gray whales with drones. The team used a technique known as photogrammetry, which involves measuring the body length and width of animals from drone images, to assess their body condition. 

The researchers noted a marked decline in the body condition of both juvenile and adult gray whales visiting Laguna San Ignacio early on in the drone experiment.

According to the study authors, the decline in body condition coincided with a drop in the number of mother-calf pairs sighted in Laguna San Ignacio. 

While the researchers believe that starvation is to blame for the lower survival and reproductive rates of gray whales, the underlying factors are not yet clear. Since the whales were already in bad shape when they arrived in Mexico, the decline must be tied to the previous breeding season. 

"It appears that a large number of gray whales are leaving their feeding grounds already in a poor nutritional state and by the time they have completed the breeding season in Mexico they have depleted their energy reserves and starve to death," said Dr. Christiansen.

The gray whales are most likely struggling with a lack of prey availability on the main feeding grounds. Since the late 1980s, there has been a decline in the abundance of amphipods, the main prey for gray whales, in their main feeding area in the Bering Sea. This food shortage is thought to be tied to climate change, which means that gray whales could continue to suffer from mortality events in the coming decades. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.jstor.org/journal/mariecolprogseri">Marine Ecology Progress Series</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Gray whales are dying in alarming numbers

For the third consecutive year, gray whales have been turning...

Chimpanzees are more likely to fight neighboring groups when their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/otters-can-count-on-their-friends-to-gain-access-to-food/">friends</a> are involved, even though they are risking serious injury and even death. A study from the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/index.html">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a> has shown that strong social bonds increase the willingness to join others in battle.

The experts analyzed long-term observations of chimpanzee communities in the Tai National Park, documenting social relationships, territory range, and intergroup encounters. The observations were conducted as part of the Tai Chimpanzee Project in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa.

"We have been able to analyze almost 500 vocal and physical battles from the last 25 years with participation of at least one of the three habituated communities, some of which have caused severe injury or death," explained study first author Liran Samuni.

The researchers found that both males and females participate in the battles. The experts pinpointed the factors that increased the likelihood of participation in an intergroup encounter, including when maternal kin and non-related social partners were present. 

"It seems chimpanzees not only consider the sheer number in their sub-group when moving into battle, but they consider the presence of a trusted group member, who will support them in case of an attack," said study senior author Catherine Crockford. 

According to Samuni, the results suggest that the link between strong social relationships and costly collective acts is not uniquely human, but is shared with one of our closest living relatives - the chimpanzee.

"This study is part of a series of several investigations linking in-group cooperation with out-group competition," said study co-author Roman Wittig, who is the director of the Tai Chimpanzee Project. 

"We were able to show that out-group competition reduces chimpanzees' reproduction and their territory size. On the other hand, out-group competition increases in-group cohesion and, likely facilitated by the neurohormone oxytocin, reduces the likelihood of defection in battle."

Experts with the Tai Chimpanzee Project monitor four neighboring chimpanzee communities on a daily basis. These observations will provide new insight into group-level cooperation. 

"The Tai chimpanzees can teach us what social tools enable human's unique capacity for large-scale cooperation with non-kin," said Wittig.

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

Chimpanzees risk their lives to fight alongside friends

Chimpanzees are more likely to fight neighboring groups when their...

Predatory insects are very beneficial to farmers because they help control damaging garden pests and reduce the need for chemical pesticides. In a new study from the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/">University of Copenhagen</a>, researchers have found that predatory insects live longer when they have access to pollen and nectar in flowers.

The experts analyzed data from studies conducted worldwide and discovered that most predatory insects benefit greatly from flowers, and can even survive for extended periods of time on nectar and pollen alone. This means that farmers can promote the presence of predators and control pests naturally by incorporating flowering strips and margins in their fields.

"By planting flowering margins and strips alongside fields, one can ensure an ever-abundant supply of predatory insects such as hoverflies, lacewings, minute pirate bugs, phytoseiid mites and two-spot ladybugs," explained Professor Lene Sigsgaard.

"Pollen and nectar are supplements that beneficial insects can survive on when pests aren't around. And, the plants in margins and strips provide many other types of insects for to prey on as well. By planting a wide variety of flowers that bloom both early and late in the season, one can ensure for an optimal effect that ensures the survival of predators throughout the growing season."

"This is good news for the green transition, as effective pest control can help reduce the use of agricultural pesticides. On top of the that, the presence of more flowers imroves pollination and biodiversity, as they attract more insects and pollinators into fields."

The researchers pointed out that predatory insects need open flowers like dandelions that provide easy access to nectar, as they are not equipped with the long feeding tubes that bees have. 

The study revealed that among all predatory insects, females survive an average of 2.2 times longer with access to flowers, while males survive 1.7 times longer.

Some flowers were found to provide far more energy than others. For example, insects with access to buckwheat lived an average of 8.6 times longer than insects with access to water only. 

According to the researchers, mallow, yarrow, and ox eye daisy are also highly valuable flowers for predatory insects.

"It's quite an elixir of life. Wisely planted flowers can contribute to robust crop production because predatory insects will live longer and better," said Professor Sigsgaard.

"It pays to design tomorrow's agriculture so as to accommodate wild flowering plants alongside fields. For the greatest impact, this needs to be done on an informed basis, which is why we are looking at how to design mixed flowering strips and flowering margins that benefit both predatory insects and pollinators. This will reduce the need for other forms of pest control while supporting biodiversity."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biological-control">Biological Control</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Farmers can use flowers to attract predatory insects

Predatory insects are very beneficial to farmers because they help...

In a new study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, experts report that a quarter of all known bee species have not appeared in public records since the 1990s, even though the number of available records has increased. 

A lack of recorded data does not necessarily mean that the bees have all gone extinct, but it does suggest that the bees have become so rare that no one is observing them in nature. 

Study first author Eduardo Zattara is a biologist at the <a href="https://www.conicet.gov.ar/?lan=en">National Scientific and Technical Research Council</a> (CONICET) in Argentina.

"With citizen science and the ability to share data, records are going up exponentially, but the number of species reported in these records is going down," said Zattara. "It's not a bee cataclysm yet, but what we can say is that wild bees are not exactly thriving."

Most previous studies focused on declining bee populations have investigated a specific region or a single bee species. For the current study, the researchers set out to identify more general, global trends in bee diversity.

"Figuring out which species are living where and how each population is doing using complex aggregated datasets can be very messy," said Zattara. "We wanted to ask a simpler question: what species have been recorded, anywhere in the world, in a given period?"

The experts turned to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), an international network of databases that contains over 300 years of records from museums, universities, and private citizens. Overall, the data includes over 20,000 known bee species from around the world.

The analysis revealed that a quarter of all bees are missing from the records, and that these absences are not evenly distributed among bee families. For example, records of halictid bees have declined by 17 percent since the 1990s, while records of the rare bee family Melittidae have declined by as much as 41 percent.

"It's important to remember that 'bee' doesn't just mean honeybees, even though honeybees are the most cultivated species," said Zattara. "Our society's footprint impacts wild bees as well, which provide ecosystem services we depend on."

"It's not really about how certain the numbers are here. It's more about the trend. It's about confirming what's been shown to happen locally is going on globally. And also, about the fact that much better certainty will be achieved as more data are shared with public databases."

Still yet, the researchers warn that this type of certainty may not come until it is too late to reverse the decline, which may not be possible in the first place. 

"Something is happening to the bees, and something needs to be done. We cannot wait until we have absolute certainty because we rarely get there in natural sciences," said Zattara. "The next step is prodding policymakers into action while we still have time. The bees cannot wait."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/home">One Earth</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A quarter of all bees no longer appear in public records

In a new study published by Cell Press, experts report...

Growing up in a bilingual home has been linked to cognitive benefits later in life, according to a new study from <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a>. For the first time, researchers have demonstrated for that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/many-young-adults-do-not-know-common-stroke-symptoms/">adults</a> who acquired their second language as young children are faster at detecting visual changes and attention-shifting compared to bilinguals who learned a second language later in life. 

In a previous study, the researchers had found that infants raised in bilingual homes adapt to their more varied language environment by shifting their visual attention faster and more frequently.

"Experiences such as musical instrument and video game training are known to modify cognitive control processes. So, claims that practicing more than one language increases cognitive demands, and thus cognitive control, come as no surprise," wrote the study authors.

"Because words in both lexicons are activated during language use, it is possible that bilinguals rely on domain-general cognitive control processes to monitor and inhibit the activation of words in the non-target language when speaking. This ‘bilingual advantage’ in cognitive control has even been reported in children as young as 7 months."

"But rather than label it as a ‘bilingual advantage’ as convention dictates, we suggested it was an adaptation to a particular set of constraints - i.e. to a more varied and unpredictable environment."

The experts wanted to know whether the adaptations found in early development persist through to adulthood. To investigate, they tested 127 bilingual adults in two separate trials. 

In the first experiment, the volunteers watched side-by-side images on a screen as one gradually changed and the other stayed the same. Early bilinguals, or individuals who learned a second language as children, picked up on the changes much faster than late bilinguals.

The second experiment confirmed that early bilinguals were better at controlling their attention. In particular, they were faster at disengaging from one picture to focus on another.

"This study is an exciting extension of our previous research, which suggested that infants raised in bilingual homes adapt to their more complex language environments by switching attention faster and more frequently," said study lead author Dr. Dean D'Souza.

"This adaptation may help them to take advantage of multiple sources of visual information, such as mouth movements, facial expressions, and subtle gestures, ultimately helping them to learn multiple languages."

"The findings from our new research with bilingual adults suggest that some of these adaptations, including being quicker at shifting attention, are maintained into adulthood."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/?gclid=CjwKCAiA6aSABhApEiwA6Cbm_9Mu69fXRJQfOKxDEGfpXrV_4iG_xrF_X_qEl02QNc89jAytqGzkjBoC3woQAvD_BwE">Scientific Reports</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

Bilingual children have lasting cognitive benefits

Growing up in a bilingual home has been linked to...

Researchers have discovered that giant sandworms, previously known only in fiction, actually roamed the seafloor near Taiwan millions of years ago. The predatory creatures were identified based on the reconstruction of an ancient trace <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fish-fossils-provide-new-insight-into-the-origins-of-teeth/">fossil</a> that turned out to be a burrow used by the worms. 

Study lead author Yu-Yen Pan is a PhD student in Earth Sciences at <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/">Simon Fraser University</a>. She explained that the trace fossil was found in a rocky area near coastal Taiwan. These types of fossils are part of a research field known as ichnology. 

"I was fascinated by this monster burrow at first glance," said Pan. "Compared to other trace fossils which are usually only a few tens of centimeters long, this one was huge; two meters long and two to three centimeters in diameter. The distinctive, feather-like structures around the upper burrow were also unique and no previously studied trace fossil has shown similar features."

An international team of researchers, including SFU Professor Shahin Dashtgard, has named the giant sandworm burrow Pennichnus formosae. 

Before reconstructing the morphological model of the trace fossil, the experts analyzed 319 specimens preserved in early Miocene strata in northeast Taiwan that dated back at least 20 million years.

"Shahin encouraged us to reach out to marine biologists, marine photographers and aquarium keepers to compare the burrows to biological analogs, which enabled us to reach the conclusion that this trace fossil was produced by giant, ambush-predatory worms," said Pan.

By comparison, the modern-day Bobbit worm is also large and predatory. It is sometimes called the "sand striker" because it uses its antennae to detect prey, grabs them with its jaws, and retreats into its burrow. When the Bobbit burrows, its body occupies the entire space. This explains the two-meter-long burrow observed in Pennichnus.

The researchers found a high concentration of iron around the upper burrow. This indicates that the giant sandworms secreted mucus to reinforce and rebuild their burrow walls after each feeding.

Marine predatory worms have existed since at least 400 million years ago, but their body tissues are soft - when they decay, there is no evidence left behind. Pennichnus formosae is believed to be the first known trace fossil produced by an underwater ambush predator.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/?gclid=CjwKCAiA6aSABhApEiwA6Cbm_9Mu69fXRJQfOKxDEGfpXrV_4iG_xrF_X_qEl02QNc89jAytqGzkjBoC3woQAvD_BwE">Scientific Reports</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

Giant sandworms existed in Taiwan 20 million years ago

Researchers have discovered that giant sandworms, previously known only in...

An "attitude of gratitude" keeps older adults in Japan hopeful despite the challenge of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/self-control-in-childhood-linked-to-slower-aging/">aging</a>, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. Dr. Iza Kavedzija observed individuals in their 80s and 90s in a merchant neighborhood in the city of Osaka. 

"This attitude of gratitude binds together both reflection on the past and attention to the present moment in its fullness. It also, I suggest, opens up space for a particular kind of hope, grounded in the moment," wrote Dr. Kavedzija.

"Thus, the sense of the good and meaningful life that my older friends conveyed encapsulates an attitude of gratitude as a way of inhabiting the present, rather than dwelling in the past or leaping towards the future." 

"Some of my interlocutors and friends in the field spoke about the approaching end of their life. When speaking about the time remaining, many expressed their sense that the future ‘will somehow turn out alright’ (nantonaku)."

Dr. Kavedzija found that feeling grateful for the care and support they have had during their life helps pensioners in the country to be more optimistic, even when they experienced difficulties and were anxious about getting older.

Some of the individuals expressed fears going forward, such as getting dementia or becoming a burden to their children. Despite their concerns, however, many older Japanese adults cultivated a "quiet hope." They accepted the uncertainty ahead, but remained actively engaged in their community, which gave them a sense of security.

"As people move through life, through their later years, many experience a sense of loss. But this time for them also offers opportunities to reflect more on life, with a heightened realization of their interconnections with others," said Dr. Kavedzija. 

"If one habitually invokes the involvement of others and their role in one's life, one is reminded how much other people have helped them, in countless small and more substantive ways. The same events seem different when one focuses on how others have helped."

"An attitude of gratitude was embedded in older peoples' recollections of the past, but also allowed them to think about the present in a hopeful way. A world in which one has received much good will from others is a different place than one in which one has experienced loss, even if the facts of life are the same."

"Gratitude in Japan can be seen to a large extent as a recognition of how much one relies on others as one moves through life. Gratitude highlights feelings of interdependence in the social world."

Many people said they would not be the person they were without others who played various roles in their life. They often used the phrase arigatai, "I am grateful," and also kansha, "gratitude."

"While people in Japan might hesitate to say they are happy, gratitude is mentioned frequently," said Dr. Kavedzija. "Through appreciation, dependence on others is not seen as simply a burden or a potential source of embarrassment, but also as moving and deeply meaningful. Meaningful relationships and encounters with others comprise a valuable foundation for what Japanese people call ikigai, or that which makes life worth living."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://anthro-age.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/anthro-age">Anthropology and Aging</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

Gratitude makes life more meaningful

An "attitude of gratitude" keeps older adults in Japan hopeful...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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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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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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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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...