Spaghetti, a word that evokes thoughts of delicious Italian cuisine and hearty meals, has taken on an entirely new meaning in the realm of science.



Imagine strands so impossibly thin they are 200 times slimmer than a human hair -- not destined for marinara sauce but poised to revolutionize fields as diverse as medicine and advanced materials science.



Recently, a team of scientists from University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>) has crafted the world’s thinnest strands of material, daintily dubbed "spaghetti" in an attempt to blend the familiar with the extraordinary.



Beatrice Britton, the study's lead author, carried out the work as part of her master’s degree in chemistry at UCL.



“To make spaghetti, you push a mixture of water and flour through metal holes. In our study, we did the same except we pulled our flour mixture through with an electrical charge. It’s literally spaghetti but much smaller,” explained co-author Dr. Adam Clancy from the UCL Department of Chemistry.



However, this remarkable creation isn’t for your dinner plate. Its potential lies in novel applications for wound healing, tissue <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-killifish-regeneration-may-help-us-heal-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regeneration</a>, and drug delivery, thereby setting a new benchmark in nanotechnology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-healing-power-of-spaghetti-nanopasta">Healing power of "spaghetti" nanopasta</h2>



The secret lies in its base material - starch. This <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-refined-carbs-can-make-you-less-attractive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbohydrate</a>, accumulated in abundance by green plants, provides us with fascinating prospects for creating nanofibers.



The microscopic mats of nanofibers are permeable enough to permit the passage of water and moisture, while acting as a protective barrier against harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-form-memories-and-pass-them-on-to-future-generations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a>. 



“Nanofibers, such as those made of starch, show potential for use in wound dressings as they are very porous,” said Professor Gareth Williams from UCL School of Pharmacy. 



“In addition, nanofibers are being explored for use as a scaffold to regrow tissue, as they mimic the extra-cellular matrix – a network of proteins and other molecules that cells build to support themselves.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-spaghetti-nanopasta">Making spaghetti nanopasta</h2>



Nanofibers made from starch offer remarkable potential for applications in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/increasing-plant-extinction-threatens-the-future-of-medicine-and-human-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medicine</a> and industry. 



However, traditional methods for producing these materials rely on extracting and purifying starch from plant cells - a process that demands significant energy and water and raises environmental concerns.



The UCL team has devised an innovative alternative: creating nanofibers directly from starch-rich flour, a widely available and sustainable resource.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/spaghetti_worlds-thinnest_nanopasta_single-strand_credit-UCL_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/spaghetti_worlds-thinnest_nanopasta_single-strand_credit-UCL_1s.webp" alt="Each individual strand is too narrow to be clearly captured by any form of visible light camera or microscope, so the team used a scanning electron microscope, scanning the mat with a focused beam of electrons and creating an image based on the pattern of electrons that are deflected or knocked-off. Credit: Beatrice Britton / Adam Clancy" class="wp-image-1951309"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Each individual strand is too narrow to be clearly captured by any form of visible light camera or microscope, so the team used a scanning electron microscope, scanning the mat with a focused beam of electrons and creating an image based on the pattern of electrons that are deflected or knocked-off. Credit: Beatrice Britton / Adam Clancy</figcaption></figure>



Bypassing the need for intensive purification, this approach not only reduces resource consumption but also leverages a common food ingredient in an unexpected and transformative way.



This method represents a shift towards greener nanotechnology, aligning material science innovation with environmental responsibility.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-spaghetti-nanopasta">Future of spaghetti nanopasta</h2>



The researchers are optimistic about the future of these ultra-thin nanofibers, especially when they are made using starch-rich flour as a starting material.



“Starch is a promising material to use as it is abundant and renewable -- it is the second largest source of biomass on Earth, behind cellulose -- and it is biodegradable, meaning it can be broken down in the body,” said Dr. Clancy.



However, the process of creating nanofibers from flour is not without challenges. Impurities such as proteins and cellulose increase the mixture’s viscosity, making fiber formation more difficult.



The study highlights how using formic acid instead of water effectively breaks down the giant starch helices, allowing the creation of nanofibers. 



The researchers also carefully controlled the mixture’s temperature during preparation to achieve the right consistency. 



This novel approach not only simplifies the process but also opens the door to sustainable and scalable production methods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



While the team has made significant progress, much work remains to fully explore the potential of this "healing spaghetti." 



“We’ve shown that a simpler way to make nanofibers using flour is possible. The next step would be to investigate the properties of this product. We would want to know, for instance, how quickly it disintegrates, how it interacts with cells, and if you could produce it at scale,” explained Dr. Clancy.



The versatility of these nanofibers opens the door to applications beyond medicine, potentially transforming areas such as environmental engineering and biodegradable materials.



Despite the promise of starch-based nanofibers in medicine and industry, their culinary applications remain out of reach. 



“I don’t think it’s useful as pasta, sadly, as it would overcook in less than a second, before you could take it out of the pan,” Professor Williams stated humorously.



The researchers plan to continue refining the electrospinning process and exploring the properties of their nanofibers to determine their viability for practical applications. 



For now, the world's thinnest "spaghetti" stands as a remarkable example of the creativity and ingenuity of modern <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/astronauts-are-studying-materials-science-in-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">materials science</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/na/d4na00601a">Nanoscale Advances</a>.



Image Credit: Beatrice Britton / Adam Clancy



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World’s thinnest spaghetti 'nanopasta' could heal wounds and regrow tissues

Spaghetti, a word that evokes thoughts of delicious Italian cuisine and hearty meals, has taken on an entirely new meaning in the realm of science. Imagine strands so impossibly thin they are 200 times slimmer than a human hair -- not destined for marinara sauce but poised to revolutionize fields as diverse as medicine and advanced materials science. Recently, a team of scientists from University College London (UCL) has crafted the world’s thinnest strands of material, daintily dubbed "spaghetti" in an attempt to blend the familiar with...

A previously undescribed type of freshwater crustacean has been found in the Lut Desert, one of the hottest places on the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/planetwide-storms-filled-up-lakes-on-mars-4-billion-years-ago/">planet</a>. The crustacean belongs to the genus Phallocryptus, of which only four species are known to have originated in arid regions.

The discovery was made by Dr. Hossein Rajaei of the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History and Dr. Alexander V Rudov of Tehran University during a research mission focused on studying the ecology and biodiversity of the Lut Desert.

Upon analyzing the samples collected from the desert, study co-author Dr. Martin Schwentner of the Natural History Museum of Vienna determined that the animals belong to a new species of freshwater Crustacea.

The experts named the new species Phallocryptus fahimii, in honor of Iranian conservation biologist Hadi Fahimi, who took part in the 2017 expedition and perished in a tragic airplane crash the following year.

Dr. Rajaei noticed the unique crustaceans in a small seasonal lake in the southern part of the desert. "During an expedition to such an extreme place you are always on alert, in particular when finding water. Discovering crustaceans in this otherwise hot and dry environment was really sensational."

In a paper published by the <a href="https://taylorandfrancis.com/">Taylor &amp; Francis Group</a>, the experts describe how Phallocryptus fahimii is different from all other known Phallocryptus species in its overall morphology and genetics.

"These Crustaceans are able to survive for decades in the dried-out sediment and will hatch in an upcoming wet season, when the aquatic habitat refills," said Dr. Schwentner. "They are perfectly adapted to live in deserts environments. Their ability to survive even in the Lut desert highlights their resilience."

The Lut Desert, also known as Dasht-e Lut, is the second largest desert in Iran and holds the current record for the highest ever-recorded surface temperature. Based on satellite measurements, NASA reported a record surface temperature of 70.7 degrees Celsius, or 159.3 degrees Fahrenheit, in 2005.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tzme20">Zoology in the Middle East</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

New crustacean identified in the world's hottest desert

A previously undescribed type of freshwater crustacean has been found...

A team of researchers at <a href="https://admissions.fsu.edu/">Florida State University</a> is providing new insight into nutrient transport in the Gulf of Mexico.

While it is known that the Gulf of Mexico receives high levels of nutrient runoff, it has not been clear whether these nutrients travel out of the Gulf and affect the chemical composition of surrounding waters in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-may-hold-200-million-tons-of-microplastics/">Atlantic</a> Ocean.

"The Gulf of Mexico is an economically important body of water, as the surrounding areas rely on it for tourism, fisheries and oil production, and it also has significant ecological diversity," said study lead author Samantha Howe.

"It is important to track the nutrient input from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River System to the Gulf as those nutrients contribute to harmful algal blooms on the Northern Gulf Shelf."

The northern shelf waters of the Gulf receive particularly high inputs of nutrients, mainly from the Mississippi River, and this high nutrient load impacts ecosystems and makes the region more susceptible to algae growth. 

Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous enter rivers and tributaries through fertilizer runoff, soil erosion, animal waste, and sewage. But what happens to the nutrients after they reach the Gulf? 

"In order to assess and manage ecological challenges in the Gulf, it is critical to understand whether the nutrients are processed and retained nearshore or whether they are transported to the North Atlantic," said Howe. "This finding is valuable to know, as these ecosystems must harbor the nutrient burden."

To investigate, the researchers collected and analyzed water samples taken during four different research expeditions to the Gulf and the Florida Straits from 2011 to 2018.

The study produced no evidence that nitrate from the Mississippi River is mixing across the Northern Gulf shelf into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The findings are consistent with recent modeling that indicates 90 percent of Mississippi River nutrients are retained in the near-shore ecosystem, and do not leave the Gulf.

The research is the first of its kind to measure isotopic composition of nitrate in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as to construct a new isotopic profile from the Florida Straits. The profiles were compared with previously obtained measurements from the Atlantic Ocean and with the magnitude of nitrogen inputs to the Gulf.

Howe initiated the research as part of her undergraduate thesis while working in the research lab of study co-author Professor Angela Knapp.

"Samantha's thesis looked for distinct geochemical signatures of nitrate from the Mississippi River and whether this nitrate made it off the Northern Gulf of Mexico shelf into the deep waters of the Gulf that mix with the Loop Current and leave via the Florida Straits to enter the North Atlantic," said Professor Knapp.

"This work has important implications for understanding the fate of nutrients from the Mississippi Atchafalaya River System and how to manage human inputs to coastal ecosystems."

The study is published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21699291">JGR Oceans</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Experts track nutrient transport in the Gulf of Mexico

A team of researchers at Florida State University is providing...

As technology dominates more and more of our work and leisure time, experts are exploring whether an increase in media use is related to the growing prevalence of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/body-clock-mental-illness-disease/">mental illness</a>. A new study has determined that for children and adolescents, less screen time and more green time are associated with better mental health.

"Technological developments in recent decades have increased young people’s engagement with screen-based technologies (screen time), and a reduction in young people’s contact with nature (green time) has been observed concurrently," wrote the study authors. "This combination of high screen time and low green time may affect mental health and well-being."

The study authors noted that few studies have considered screen time and green time together to look at the potential reciprocal psychological effects. They said there is preliminary evidence to suggest that green time could buffer the consequences of frequent excessive media use.

To investigate, a research team led by Tassia Oswald of the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a> analyzed the findings of 186 relevant studies. The goal was to examine the associations between screen time, green time, and psychological outcomes such as mental health, cognitive functioning, and academic achievement.

The study revealed that high levels of screen time were associated with unfavorable psychological outcomes, while green time was associated with favorable outcomes. 

"This systematic scoping review highlights that nature may currently be an under-utilised public health resource, which could potentially function as an upstream preventative and psychological well-being promotion intervention for children and adolescents in a high-tech era," said Oswald.

"However, robust evidence is needed to guide policies and recommendations around appropriate screen time and green time at critical life stages, to ultimately ensure optimal psychological well-being for young people."

Future research could aim to distinguish between passive and interactive screen activities, and incidental versus intentional exposure to nature. 

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

    

&nbsp;

Less screen time and more green time improves mental health

As technology dominates more and more of our work and...

New research from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> has revealed that carbon uptake by the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/marine-heatwaves-will-intensify-in-the-strongest-ocean-currents/">ocean</a> has been largely underestimated. According to the experts, previous studies have failed to account for a specific measurement of water temperature that has a critical influence on how much carbon is absorbed.

The amount of carbon exchanged between the atmosphere and the ocean, which is known as carbon flux, is influenced by differences in temperatures at the water's surface versus a few meters down. Based on this phenomenon, the study found a significantly higher net flux of carbon into the ocean than what has been reflected in climate models, indicating that the ocean is a much larger carbon sink that what was realized. 

The team calculated fluxes from 1992 to 2018 and found that at certain times in specific locations, up to twice as much carbon was exchanged compared to projections from other models.

"Half of the carbon dioxide we emit doesn't stay in the atmosphere but is taken up by the oceans and land vegetation 'sinks'," said study co-author Professor Andrew Watson.

The scientists have compiled a large database of near-surface carbon dioxide measurements called the <a href="https://www.socat.info/">Surface Ocean Carbon Atlas</a>, which can be used to calculate the flux of CO2 from the atmosphere into the ocean.

"Previous studies that have done this have, however, ignored small temperature differences between the surface of the ocean and the depth of a few meters where the measurements are made," said Professor Watson.

"Those differences are important because carbon dioxide solubility depends very strongly on temperature."

"We used satellite data to correct for these temperature differences, and when we do that it makes a big difference - we get a substantially larger flux going into the ocean."

Professor Watson said the difference in ocean uptake that was calculated in the study amounts to about 10 percent of global fossil fuel emissions.

"Our revised estimate agrees much better than previously with an independent method of calculating how much carbon dioxide is being taken up by the ocean," said study co-author Dr. Jamie Shutler.

"That method makes use of a global ocean survey by research ships over decades, to calculate how the inventory of carbon in the ocean has increased."

"These two 'big data' estimates of the ocean sink for CO2 now agree pretty well, which gives us added confidence in them."

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

&nbsp;

The oceans absorb much more carbon than previously thought

New research from the University of Exeter has revealed that...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a>, researchers have identified proteins that control water and nutrient uptake in plant roots. This breakthrough could reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, and may ultimately improve the resilience of agricultural <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-one-step-closer-to-engineering-flood-resistant-crops/">crops</a> to heat, drought, and flooding.

Casparian strips are bands of cell wall materials that form a tight barrier between the cells in plants to block the extracellular movement of water and nutrients. These strips, which play a critical role in normal plant development, are formed by the precise buildup of lignin in the space between adjacent cells. 

In the current study, the experts have demonstrated that blue copper proteins called uclacyanins are essential in the biosynthesis of lignin and the formation of Casparian strips.

Developing crops with improved water and nutrient uptake efficiency could help solve the global issue of food insecurity, which is expected to become an even greater challenge as a result of climate change and population growth. 

Study lead author Guilhem Reyt is a researcher in the School of Biosciences and Future Food Beacon at the University of Nottingham.

"This research is important in revealing the molecular mechanics underpinning efforts to improve mineral nutrient and water use efficiencies and enhanced stress tolerance, making crops more able to withstand flooding, drought, nutrient deficiencies and trace element toxicities," said Reyt.

"Such improvements in agricultural and horticultural crops could also potentially benefit subsistence farmers with limited access to inorganic fertilizers which include nitrogen, phosphate and potassium and also sulphur and magnesium. This would help to reduce the cost burden such fertilizers impose and reduce the environmental and ecological damage their production and excess use causes. Improved water use efficiency and stress tolerance will also improve yields for subsistence farmers cultivating marginal lands."

"An improved understanding of how roots acquire important trace elements and minerals should provide an important molecular mechanistic underpinning to efforts to improve food quality by helping to increase the content of essential mineral nutrients and reduce toxic trace elements in food crops."

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

&nbsp;

Scientists find proteins that control nutrient uptake in plants

In a new study from the University of Nottingham, researchers...

A new study provides unprecedented details about the true size of Megalodon, the legendary <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sharks-have-vanished-from-20-percent-of-coral-reefs/">shark</a> that dominated the ocean up until about three million years ago. Megalodon was more than double the size of a Great White with a dorsal fin that was the height of a full-grown human.

Experts at <a href="https://www.swansea.ac.uk/">Swansea University</a> and the University of Bristol used different mathematical methods to quantify the size and proportions of the extinct shark. To do this, they compared Megalodon to living relatives with similar features. The researchers confirmed that Megalodon grew to a length of 16 meters, or 52 feet, and weighed up to 100 tons. 

The most powerful shark living today, the Great White, bites with a force of two tons and grows to be over six meters long. At more than twice this length, Megalodon had a bite force of more than ten tons. This incredible force is evident in fossil teeth, which are bigger than a human hand.

"I have always been mad about sharks. As an undergraduate, I have worked and dived with Great Whites in South Africa - protected by a steel cage of course. It's that sense of danger, but also that sharks are such beautiful and well-adapted animals, that makes them so attractive to study," said lead author Jack Cooper.

"Megalodon was actually the very animal that inspired me to pursue palaeontology in the first place at just six years old, so I was over the moon to get a chance to study it. This was my dream project. But to study the whole animal is difficult considering that all we really have are lots of isolated teeth."

Previous studies have only compared Megalodon with the Great White, but the current study includes other modern sharks as well. 

"Megalodon is not a direct ancestor of the Great White but is equally related to other macropredatory sharks such as the Makos, Salmon shark and Porbeagle shark, as well as the Great white," said study co-author Dr. Catalina Pimiento. "We pooled detailed measurements of all five to make predictions about Megalodon."

"Before we could do anything, we had to test whether these five modern sharks changed proportions as they grew up," explained study co-author Professor Mike Benton. "If, for example, they had been like humans, where babies have big heads and short legs, we would have had some difficulties in projecting the adult proportions for such a huge extinct shark.

According to Professor Benton, the team was surprised and relieved to discover that the babies of all these modern predatory sharks start out as little adults, and their proportions do not change as they grow.

"This means we could simply take the growth curves of the five modern forms and project the overall shape as they get larger and larger - right up to a body length of 16 meters," said Cooper.

The results of the analysis suggest that a Megalodon with a length of 16 meters had a head that was 4.65 meters long, a 1.62-meter dorsal fin, and a tail that was around 3.85 meters tall.

"The estimates of body dimensions of this extinct species have the potential to inform future anatomical, physiological, and ecological reconstructions," wrote the researchers.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Actual size of legendary shark Megalodon has been revealed

A new study provides unprecedented details about the true size...

It is widely accepted that our childhood social experiences shape our <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/grooming-behavior-exposes-the-complex-social-lives-of-dairy-cows/">behavior</a> as adults, and that events we may not even remember can have lifelong effects. A recent study from the <a href="http://first.fchampalimaud.org/en/the-foundation/champalimaud-centre-unknown/">Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown</a> is shedding new light on this phenomenon, suggesting that the very earliest stages of life have the greatest impact on behavior.

Experiments with zebrafish revealed that social experiences during the first week of development impacted future behavior. The fish are not even considered social at the larval stage, so this was completely unexpected. 

"Social experiences greatly define subsequent social behavior. Lack of such experiences, especially during critical phases of development, can severely impede the ability to behave adequately in social contexts," wrote the researchers. "To date, it is not well characterized how early-life social isolation leads to social deficits and impacts development."

For the investigation, zebrafish larvae were raised either in regular groups or alone in a dish. Later, high-speed video tracking was used to precisely measure swim movements as the fish interacted.

"It was previously thought that the effects of early-life social experience could only be seen at an age when the animal shows attraction to social stimuli, but we have shown that, in zebrafish, the effects can already be observed earlier," said study lead author Antonia Groneberg. 

"Normally, larvae move away from other close-by larvae, but we have found that larvae raised in isolation tend to react with a stronger escape swim, even when the other larvae are located at a larger distance." 

"By removing inputs from different senses and testing artificial stimuli that mimic another fish, we found that isolation-raised fish showed stronger reactions to local water vibrations."

In the next phase of this project, the researchers will study the brain activity of the zebrafish. "Using live imaging, we can record activity throughout the whole brain, from areas that process sensory stimuli to those that control behavior," said study co-author Michael Orger. 

"We are working towards a framework of collective behaviour in which we include the information on how the brain processes the information about the environment and about neighbouring conspecifics," added principal investigator Gonzalo de Polavieja.

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

&nbsp;

Are we shaped by social experiences in the earliest phase of life?

It is widely accepted that our childhood social experiences shape...

Microfibers from blue jeans are making an appearance in some remote regions of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-activities-help-scavengers-take-over-the-alpine-habitats-of-arctic-foxes/">Arctic</a>, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a>. Denim jeans are more popular than ever, and most people do not realize they contribute to the growing issue of water pollution.

"At any moment, approximately half of the world’s population is wearing blue jeans and other denim garments," wrote the researchers.  "We examine the footprint of our modern blue jean society by investigating the environmental distribution, pathways, and sources of indigo denim microfibers shed by denim clothing."

According to the study findings, microfibers make up about 90 percent of the man-made particles in marine sediments collected from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Laurentian Great Lakes, and suburban lakes in southern Ontario.

Previous research has shown that washing denim and other fabrics releases microfibers into wastewater. While most of these particles are removed by treatment plants, some microfibers still reach the environment through wastewater discharge, or effluent. 

A team of experts, including Dr. Miriam Diamond and Samantha Athey of the University of Toronto, set out to investigate whether blue jeans are a major source of anthropogenic cellulose microfibers in the marine environment.

The researchers used advanced chemical analysis and imaging techniques to identify and count indigo denim microfibers in various marine sediment samples collected in Canada. 

The study revealed that these particular particles made up 23 percent of the microfibers in sediments from the Great Lakes and 11 percent of those from shallow suburban lakes near Toronto.

Furthermore, remnants of denim jeans accounted for 20 percent of microfibers that were detected in sediments from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

The team estimates that the wastewater treatment plants surveyed in the study discharge about one billion indigo denim microfibers per day.

One of the most significant findings is that a single pair of used jeans could release about 50,000 microfibers per wash cycle. 

While the effects on marine life are unknown at this point, consumers could reduce denim microfiber pollution by washing their jeans less frequently, according to the experts.

"We conclude that blue jeans, the world’s single most popular garment, are an indicator of the widespread burden of anthropogenic pollution by adding significantly to the environmental accumulation of microfibers from temperate to Arctic regions," wrote the researchers.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/estlcu">Environmental Science &amp; Technology Letters</a>

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Microfibers from blue jeans found in remote regions of the Arctic

Microfibers from blue jeans are making an appearance in some...

What will forests look like at the end of the century? A new study led by <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">UC Boulder</a> suggests that a large number of forests in the western United States will no longer exist. The researchers found that when forests burn across the Southern Rocky Mountains, many will never recover, but will instead transition into <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-activities-grassland-plant-diversity/">grasslands</a> and shrublands.

"We project that post-fire recovery will be less likely in the future, with large percentages of the Southern Rocky Mountains becoming unsuitable for two important tree species - ponderosa pine and Douglas fir," said lead author Kyle Rodman.

In California and other western states, the wildfire season is arriving earlier and lasting longer every year. This new trend is primarily driven by climate change, which means that as global warming intensifies, so will the duration of the fire season. 

Rising temperatures in the spring and summer, reduced snowpack, and earlier spring snowmelt combine to create longer and more intense dry seasons that make forests more susceptible to severe burns.

Previous studies from UC Boulder have examined the sites of individual fires. These forests recovered very slowly, if at all. In the plots surveyed, 80 percent still had no new trees 15 years after the fire.

The research team, which included experts from the U.S. Forest Service, Northern Arizona University, Colorado State University and the University of North Carolina Wilmington, set out to expand on the earlier work. The goal of the current investigation was to project the future by looking at the past.

The study was focused on 22 burned areas, including  710 square miles from southern Wyoming through central and western Colorado to northern New Mexico. Some of these regions that had burned as long ago as 1988. 

The team looked at ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forests, which make up about half of the forested area in the region. "For those of us who live along Colorado's Front Range, these are the trees that we see, live and recreate near on a daily basis," said Rodman.

The researchers used satellite images and field measurements to reconstruct what the forests looked like prior to the fire. Next, by counting juvenile trees and looking at tree rings, they assessed how well the forests were recovering. 

Forests at higher elevations with lower temperatures and more precipitation were found to be in the best shape. Those with more surviving trees nearby were also more likely to rebound.

On the other hand, lower-elevation forests proved to be much less resilient. When the scientists compared the study sites to regions that burned in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the areas that burned more recently failed to bounce back.

"This study and others clearly show that the resilience of our forests to fire has declined significantly under warmer, drier conditions," said study co-author Professor Tom Veblen.

Computer modeling revealed that by 2051, with moderate greenhouse gas emissions, less than 18 percent of Douglas fir and ponderosa pine forests will recover if burned. Under a higher emissions scenario, that number drops to 6 percent for Douglas fir and 3.5 percent for pine forests.

Meanwhile, said Professor Veblen, the number and intensity of wildfires will continue its steady rise. The number of acres burned annually across the country has already doubled since the 1990s.

"The big takeaway here is that we can expect to have an increase in fire continue for the foreseeable future, and, at the same time, we are going to see much of our land convert from forest to non-forest," said Professor Veblen.

Rodman hopes the findings will help land managers better plan where to invest their resources, or not, after a fire. For example, it would be more beneficial to plant seedlings in regions that are likely to recover. Rodman also hopes the projections will people one more reason to care about climate change.

"This was a hard study to write and can be a bit depressing to read, but there are some positive takeaways," said Rodman. "If we can get a handle on some of these trends and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, the outcomes may not look so dire. The future is not written in stone."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14668238">Global Ecology and Biogeography</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Many forests will never be forests again after a wildfire

What will forests look like at the end of the...

After NOAA scientists placed satellite tags on 26 loggerhead sea turtles in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-may-hold-200-million-tons-of-microplastics/">Atlantic</a> Ocean in 2011, 18 of the turtles ended up in the direct path of Hurricane Irene. The study reveals intriguing details about how both adult and juvenile sea turtles behave in extreme weather conditions.

The tagged turtles were located in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB), a coastal region that spans southern Massachusetts down to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. 

Study lead author Leah Crowe is a contract field biologist at the <a href="https://nefsc.noaa.gov/">NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center</a>.

"Hurricanes are some of the most intense weather events loggerheads in the mid-Atlantic experience, and we thought it was worth investigating how turtles in our dataset may be influenced by these dramatic environmental changes," said Crowe.

"It was a perfect storm situation in terms of location, timing, and oceanographic conditions. We found that the turtles responded to the changes in their habitat in different ways."

The satellite tags recorded the turtles' location and dive behavior, as well as sea-surface temperatures for just over a year. 

The data showed that the turtles aligned themselves with surface currents and moved northward during the hurricane, which was likely to conserve energy.

After the storm, turtles that stayed in their familiar foraging areas were observed diving for at least an hour, compared with dives that lasted  less than 30 minutes before the hurricane. In addition, turtles that left their foraging areas moved south much earlier than usual after the hurricane passed.

"Loggerheads experience environmental changes in the entire water column from the surface to the bottom, including during extreme weather events," said Crowe. "This study was an opportunistic look at turtle behavior during a hurricane. Their behavior makes loggerheads good observers of oceanographic conditions where they forage."

Previous studies have found that loggerheads are  sensitive to changes in water temperatures throughout the water column. Hurricanes cause the water layers to mix, which creates cooler surface temperatures. This mixing disrupts the boundary layer between warm surface waters and colder, deeper waters, known as the thermocline.

The researchers found that ocean temperatures recorded by the satellite tags were consistent with observations from weather buoys and autonomous gliders operating in the region.

"We determined that as the storm passed, the tagged turtles altered their dive behavior and movement patterns," wrote the study authors.

"These observed changes in behavior can provide insight into turtle reactions to other perturbations. The turtle-borne tags also recorded the environmental changes to the water column as the hurricane passed through the MAB, highlighting these data as a valid resource for weather forecasting models alongside other in situ data sources."

The study showed that turtle behavior did not return to normal within two weeks after the storm.

"The long-term cumulative effects of a changing climate and the increase in intensity of hurricanes and other storms is something that needs to be looked at. Changes in sea turtle movements and behavior can affect abundance estimates and management decisions," said Crowe. "This study reminds us that turtles live in a dynamic environment, and we cannot assume their behavior will be consistent throughout space and time."

The researchers concluded that future analysis of turtle behavior should consider the dynamic environments in which they live.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://movementecologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/">Movement Ecology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Sea turtles recorded their own behavior during a hurricane

After NOAA scientists placed satellite tags on 26 loggerhead sea...

The love <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-identify-a-hormone-that-coordinates-plant-regeneration/">hormone</a> oxytocin plays an important role in how the body responds to stress, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.physoc.org/">The Physiological Society</a>. In particular, the study shows that oxytocin helps to remedy stress-related digestive problems.

The researchers explain that stress triggers and exacerbates the symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders, such as delayed gastric emptying, or how quickly food leaves the stomach. These conditions are characterized by diarrhea, bloating, discomfort, and nausea.

Scientists theorize that oxytocin, which is a neurotransmitter released from the hypothalamus, allows the body to adjust to highly emotional situations. It is known to counteract the effects of stress through chemical messages in the brain. 

Oxytocin is referred to as the love hormone due to its involvement in child birth, breastfeeding, sexual activity, empathy, and social bonding.

In the current study, the experts used new ways to manipulate the neurons and nerves that are influenced by oxytocin when it is produced. They also measured the relevant connection between stress and gastric emptying. 

The investigation has revealed that oxytocin circuits play a major role in the response of the stomach to stress. These circuits were found to reverse the delay in gastric emptying that occurs normally in response to stress by increasing muscle contractions of the stomach. 

By contrast, when the oxytocin circuits were suppressed, the body's adaptation to stress was also inhibited.

The findings indicate that oxytocin directly influences the neural pathways involved in the gastric response to stress. When the body is unable to adapt to stress, the symptoms of many gastrointestinal disorders are triggered and even exacerbated. It is important fur experts to understand how stress affects the stomach in order to effectively treat these disorders.

"Women are more vulnerable to stress and stress-related pathologies, such as anxiety and depression, and report a higher prevalence in gastrointestinal disorders," said study co-author R. Alberto Travagli. "Our previous studies showed that vagal neural circuits are organized differently in males versus females."

"We are now finalizing a series of studies that investigate the role and the mechanisms through which oxytocin modulates gastric functions in stressed females. This will help to develop targeted therapies to provide relief for women with gastrointestinal disorders."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14697793">The Journal of Physiology</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

&nbsp;

The love hormone oxytocin relieves stress-related digestive issues

The love hormone oxytocin plays an important role in how...

Fruit flies use eye movements to control their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/birds-with-darker-wing-feathers-have-increased-flight-efficiency/">flight</a> with a reaction speed that is about 30 times faster than the blink of a human eye. With a new understanding of this incredible ability, scientists at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a> will apply the rapid flight control techniques of fruit flies to the field of mechanical engineering. 

"If you are able to study flies doing what they do best - flying - you can find some incredible engineering solutions that already exist in biology," said study first author and doctoral student Benjamin Cellini.

Professor Jean-Michel Mongeau, director of the Bio-Motion Systems Lab, worked with Cellini to determine how fruit flies use eye movements to quickly coordinate their wings in response to what they are seeing. 

Even though our eyes are not on the back of our head like flies, humans can also execute a stabilizing gaze in which we zero in on a target with our eyes.

"But that is a challenging, complex problem to understand, how are we and other animals able to do that so well?" said Professor Mongeau. "My lab is interested in active sensing, which is a branch of engineering and biology that studies how sensor movement, like eyes scanning a room, can enhance sensing itself."

According to the researchers, understanding how animals like flies use active eye movements to control flight could greatly enhance robotics. 

Most robots have stationary sensors, which means sensing and movement are not interconnected. The flight control of robots has great potential for improvement if the efforts of visual sensors could be coordinated.

The team's investigation revealed that the eyes of the fruit fly were able to react four times faster than its body or wings. These reactions were strongly associated, which confirms that flies rely heavily upon eye movements to coordinate their wing movements.

"We've shown that their eyes can control and stabilize their vision better than we originally thought, by reducing motion blur," said Cellini. "Like in sports, they teach baseball players to follow the ball with their eyes to reduce blur and increase batting performance."

Professor Mongeau said one of the most significant findings is that fly eyes slow down visual motion signals to the brain to enhance their flying behavior.

The researchers believe unlocking the secrets of the biological world could have broad implications for technology.

"In engineering, you are taught to apply principles from mathematics and physics to solve problems," said Cellini. "If you want to build a robot to fly on Mars, you can use engineering concepts to provide potential solutions. But we don't always have to develop ideas from scratch; we can also seek inspiration from nature."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Fruit flies use their eyes to control flight at incredible speeds

Fruit flies use eye movements to control their flight with...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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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

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

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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...