Jaguars already carry a reputation as strong swimmers. What nobody expected was just how far one could go. In Brazil’s Serra da Mesa Reservoir, camera traps caught an adult male jaguar making the longest confirmed swim ever recorded for the species.



The journey covered at least 1.27 kilometers (0.79 miles) of open water. If the cat skipped a smaller islet along the way, the distance stretched closer to 2.3 kilometers (1.43 miles). Either option shattered previous records, which had topped out at just 200 meters (656 feet).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-record-jaguar-swim">Record jaguar swim</h2>



The jaguar first appeared on camera traps along the mainland in 2020. Four years later, the same animal showed up again, this time on a forested island. Its coat pattern left no doubt about its identity.



Leandro Silveira from the <a href="https://www.institutooncapintada.org.br/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jaguar Conservation Fund</a> noted that the team used a conservative estimate, assuming the jaguar paused on a smaller island before continuing. In reality, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/after-300-years-ruins-of-this-rebellious-city-sak-bahlan-are-emerging-that-spain-tried-to-erase/">animal</a> might have swum the full 2.3-kilometer (1.43-mile) stretch in one go.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-cats-cross-unexpected-gaps">Big cats cross unexpected gaps</h2>



For years, hydropower reservoirs were seen as walls to big carnivores. Islands more than a kilometer (0.62 miles) away were often assumed unreachable, leaving them without top <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jaguars-offer-a-glimpse-of-survival-in-a-changing-world/">predators</a>. Yet this swim tells a different story.



Reservoirs don’t always act as absolute barriers. Instead, they impose different costs depending on distance and conditions. Warm water, quiet surroundings, and an islet or two can lower those costs enough to let a jaguar cross.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lions-and-cougars-swim-too">Lions and cougars swim too</h2>



This isn’t the first big cat to push across long channels. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-lions-cleverly-change-their-habits-to-avoid-humans/">Lions</a> in Uganda’s Kazinga Channel have crossed distances of more than a kilometer, driven by the calls of females on the opposite bank.



In Washington State, cougars have braved cold, fast-moving waters to reach islands, sometimes swimming more than a kilometer (0.62 miles) in open channels.



These journeys highlight the determination of large carnivores when survival, reproduction, or territory expansion is at stake. Long swims may be rare, but when the incentive is strong enough, even top predators will take the risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jaguars-thrive-in-all-terrains">Jaguars thrive in all terrains</h2>



Jaguars have always adapted to diverse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preserving-earths-genetic-future-before-its-too-late/">environments</a>. Some stalk prey in the Amazon floodplains. Others survive in the dry Caatinga with little water at hand. 



Research using GPS collars has shown that jaguars can cover more than 120 kilometers (74 miles) in a month, even in areas shaped by human activity. The reservoir crossing adds to this evidence of resilience and adaptability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-scale-for-crossings">A scale for crossings</h2>



A new framework ranks aquatic challenges on a simple scale. Short swims under 300 meters (984 feet) with islets fall into the low-cost category. Distances up to 1,000 meters (0.62 miles) with stepping-stones are considered medium cost.



Anything over one kilometer (0.62 miles) without help qualifies as high cost. The Serra da Mesa crossing lands firmly in the high-cost range but proves that jaguars can still manage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reservoirs-impact-jaguar-survival">Reservoirs impact jaguar survival</h2>



Hydropower projects have already submerged more than 25,000 square kilometers (9,650 square miles) of jaguar habitat. 



The flooding converted continuous forests into scattered islands. In Venezuela’s Guri Reservoir, islands more than one kilometer (0.62 miles) from the mainland eventually lost their predators, which triggered ecological collapse.



The Brazilian record challenges that bleak picture. If conditions align, jaguars can bridge gaps once assumed permanent. Protecting riparian forests, keeping natural shorelines intact, and safeguarding small islands could all help create corridors that keep populations connected.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-primates-in-the-water">Primates in the water</h2>



The lesson doesn’t stop with jaguars. Primates in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deforestation-is-drying-the-amazon-more-than-climate-change/">the Amazon</a> have been observed swimming between islands, though only short distances.



Waterways that look like dead ends for land animals may instead be costly, but sometimes usable, filters. By planning for those possibilities, conservationists can keep ecosystems more intact even in reservoir-dominated regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-fragmented-habitats">Rethinking fragmented habitats</h2>



A jaguar swimming more than a kilometer (0.62 miles) across a dam reservoir forces a rethink. Water is not always an immovable wall. It can be a demanding path, but one that big predators can take. Recognizing these abilities changes how we view fragmented habitats. 



Understanding when those paths open up, and what makes them possible, could shape how conservationists manage landscapes in a century marked by dams, development, and habitat loss. 



It also raises questions about how often such events occur, how many animals attempt them, and whether these rare crossings can keep isolated populations connected over generations.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.05.674446v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bioRxiv</a>.



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Jaguar stuns scientists with longest swim ever recorded

Jaguars already carry a reputation as strong swimmers. What nobody expected was just how far one could go. In Brazil’s Serra da Mesa Reservoir, camera traps caught an adult male jaguar making the longest confirmed swim ever recorded for the species. The journey covered at least 1.27 kilometers (0.79 miles) of open water. If the cat skipped a smaller islet along the way, the distance stretched closer to 2.3 kilometers (1.43 miles). Either option shattered previous records, which had topped out at just 200 meters (656 feet)....

In a new study of peregrine falcons, experts have found compelling evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-grow-more-down-feathers-in-higher-elevations/">birds</a> have a "migration gene." The researchers said their findings add further evidence to suggest that genetics play a strong role in the distance of migration routes.

The study combined satellite tracking and genome sequencing to pinpoint a specific gene associated with migration in peregrine falcons. Best known for their ultrafast diving speeds, which can reach more than 200 miles per hour, peregrine falcons are the fastest birds in the world.

For the investigation, the experts tagged 56 peregrine falcons and monitored their migratory journeys by satellite. The annual flight distances and directions of the birds were tracked in great detail.

The peregrine falcons were found to use five migration routes across Eurasia. According to the researchers, these routes were likely established between the last ice age 22,000 years ago and the middle-Holocene 6,000 years ago.

Using complete genome sequencing, the team identified a gene that was associated with differences in migratory distance among peregrine falcons. This gene, ADCY8, is known to regulate long-term memory in other animals.

The researchers frequently found a variant of ADCY8 in long-distance migrant populations of peregrines. This finding indicates that the variant is preferentially selected because it increases long-term memory to support longer migrations.

Study co-author Professor Mike Bruford is a molecular ecologist from the School of Biosciences at <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk">Cardiff University</a>.

"Previous studies have identified several candidate genomic regions that may regulate migration - but our work is the strongest demonstration of a specific gene associated with migratory behaviour yet identified," explained Professor Bruford.

To predict the potential impacts of global warming, the team looked at simulations of future migratory behavior. "In this study we were able to combine animal movement and genomic data to identify that climate change has a major role in the formation and maintenance of migration patterns of peregrines," said Professor Bruford.

The results suggest that if global warming continues at the current rate, peregrine falcons in western Eurasia have the highest probability of population decline and may stop migrating altogether.

"Our work is the first to begin to understand the way ecological and evolutionary factors may interact in migratory birds - and we hope it will serve as a cornerstone to help conserve migratory species in the world," said study co-author Professor Xiangjiang Zhan.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study of peregrine falcons suggests birds have a migration gene

In a new study of peregrine falcons, experts have found...

Wild pigs in Malaysia are typically known for being environmentally destructive, but a new study from the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> suggests that they actually play an important role in building <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-from-ancient-rainforests-can-be-identified-in-fossil-teeth/">rainforests</a>. The research shows, for the first time, that wild pigs help to promote biodiversity across forest ecosystems. 

While studying the impacts of native pigs in Malaysian rainforests, Dr. Matthew Luskin discovered that their nests may be critical to maintaining diverse and balanced tree communities.

"We've shown that wild pigs can support higher diversity ecosystems and are not just nuisances and pests, thanks to a beneficial effect of their nesting practices," explained Dr. Luskin.

"Prior to giving birth, pigs build birthing nests made up of hundreds of tree seedlings, usually on flat, dry sites in the forest."

"As they build their nests, the pigs kill many of the dominant seedlings and inadvertently reduce the abundance of locally dominant tree species, but usually not rarer local species, supporting tree diversity."

Dr. Luskin noted that wild pigs descended from the same species of domestic pigs and both have generally been considered pests by farmers, land managers, and conservationists. "Their negative impacts on natural and cultivated ecosystems have been well documented - ranging from soil disturbances to attacking newborn livestock."

The researchers tagged more than 30,000 tree seedlings in a Malaysian rainforest. After recovering over 1,800 of the tree tags from inside more than 200 pig birthing nests, the experts were able to investigate how tree diversity changed in the areas where pigs nested.

"You could consider pigs 'accidental forest gardeners' that prune common seedlings and inadvertently maintain diversity," said Dr. Luskin. 

"In many regions, there's a focus on managing overabundant pig populations to limit their negative environmental impacts. But our results suggest there may be some positives to maintaining pigs in the ecosystem."

Since the fieldwork was conducted in Malaysia where pigs are native, the impacts of invasive pigs in Australia may not create similar effects, explained Dr. Luskin.

"We're currently in the process of designing new research to study the same pig processes here in Queensland, and we'll also be comparing our initial Malaysian results with conditions in a nearby Malaysian forest that is heavily hunted and where many native pigs have been killed."

"It's an intriguing insight, as pigs have become the most widespread large animal on Earth, so documenting any new ecological impacts has massive repercussions globally."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wild pigs help promote tree diversity in rainforests

Wild pigs in Malaysia are typically known for being environmentally...

Cuttlefish have the capacity to delay <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dealy-instant-gratification-money/">gratification</a>, according to a surprising new study from the <a href="https://www.mbl.edu/">Marine Biological Laboratory</a> (MBL). 

The experts found that cuttlefish can resist a tempting meal and hold out for a better one. Furthermore, the researchers discovered that individual fish who delayed gratification the longest also performed better in a learning test.

The study represents the first time a link between self-control and intelligence has been demonstrated in an animal other than humans and chimpanzees.

"We used an adapted version of the Stanford marshmallow test, where children were given a choice of taking an immediate reward (1 marshmallow) or waiting to earn a delayed but better reward (2 marshmallows)," said study lead author Alexandra Schnell of the University of Cambridge.

"Cuttlefish in the present study were all able to wait for the better reward and tolerated delays for up to 50-130 seconds, which is comparable to what we see in large-brained vertebrates such as chimpanzees, crows and parrots."

The cuttlefish that could wait longer for a meal exhibited greater cognitive ability. The fish were trained to associate a visual cue with a food reward. Then, the conditions were changed so that the reward became associated with a different cue. 

"The cuttlefish that were quickest at learning both of those associations were better at exerting self-control," explained Schnell.

The experts said that the reasons why cuttlefish have evolved the capacity for self-control is a mystery. 

Among humans, delayed gratification is thought to strengthen social bonds. This ability may also benefit tool-building animals, who must hold off on hunting while they construct tools.

However, noted the researchers, cuttlefish are not social species and they do not build tools. The study authors propose that delayed gratification may be a byproduct of the cuttlefish's need to use camouflage for survival.

"Cuttlefish spend most of their time camouflaging, sitting and waiting, punctuated by brief periods of foraging," said Schnell. 

"They break camouflage when they forage, so they are exposed to every predator in the ocean that wants to eat them. We speculate that delayed gratification may have evolved as a byproduct of this, so the cuttlefish can optimize foraging by waiting to choose better quality food."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cuttlefish have a surprising capacity for delayed gratification

Cuttlefish have the capacity to delay gratification, according to a...

A,Queen,Of,Antlion,Resting,On,A,Twig

A new study from the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> has explored how long some animals will fake their own death to evade predators. The researchers investigated whether certain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-lions-have-mastered-the-timing-to-prey-on-chinook-salmon/">prey</a> species may be sitting motionless for unnecessarily long periods, or if they have mastered the timing.

Death-feigning is a fairly common survival tactic among ants, beetles, and other insects. Some animals will even give off a foul-smelling to dodge an attack. Predators instinctively avoid eating dead animals because they may harbor dangerous bacteria.

While Charles Darwin recorded a beetle that remained stationary for 23 minutes, the new research has documented an individual antlion larva pretending to be dead for a total of 61 minutes. 

The experts report that the amount of time an individual remains motionless is unpredictable, which means that predators have no concept of how long they should wait on an individual to start moving again. Considering that predators are hungry and cannot wait indefinitely for a meal, the targeted prey are basically wasting time if they fake their death for too long. 

The researchers used computer simulations that utilize the marginal value theorem, a classical model in optimization, to evaluate the potential benefits of death-feigning among small populations of conspicuous prey in the face of predators. 

"Imagine you are in a garden full of identical soft fruit bushes. You go to the first bush. Initially collecting and consuming fruit is fast and easy, but as you strip the bush finding more fruit gets harder and harder and more time consuming," said study lead author Professor Nigel R. Franks.

"At some stage, you should decide to go to another bush and begin again. You are greedy and you want to eat as much fruit as quickly as possible. The marginal value theorem would tell you how long to spend at each bush given that time will also be lost moving to the next bush."

"We use this approach to consider a small bird visiting patches of conspicuous antlion pits and show that antlion larvae that waste some of the predator's time, by 'playing dead' if they are dropped, change the game significantly. In a sense, they encourage the predator to search elsewhere."

According to the model projections, antlion larvae would not gain significantly if they remained motionless for even longer than they typically do. This suggests that over the course of evolution, prey species have determined the optimal amount of time that is needed to fake their death to avoid predation.

"Thus, playing dead is rather like a conjuring trick. Magicians distract an audience from seeing their sleights of hand by encouraging them to look elsewhere," said Professor Franks. "Just so with the antlion larvae playing dead - the predator looks elsewhere. Playing dead seems to be a very good way to stay alive."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsbl">Biology Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Faking death is a good way for animals to stay alive

A new study from the University of Bristol has explored...

The latch-spring mechanism of trap-jaw ants evolved up to 10 different times independently throughout the world, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.oist.jp/">Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST)</a>

Trap-jaw ants are famous for their powerful mandibles, which close about 2,300 times faster than the blink of an eye. To catch prey and dodge <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farmers-can-use-flowers-to-attract-predatory-insects/">predators</a>, the ants' jaws accelerate at 100,000 times the force of gravity, and this force up to 500 times their body weight.

The trap-jaw does not rely on muscles to open and close, but instead latches itself open, storing energy like a stretched spring. When released, the jaws snap shut in one strike. The OIST team wanted to know how this complex mechanism evolved from simpler ancestors.

The experts have now discovered that the core mechanism that drives the extraordinary speed of the trap-jaw arose multiple times, followed by the diversification of the mandible shape.

The researchers reconstructed the evolutionary relationships among 470 species of Strumigenys miniature trap-jaw ants. They also observed the jaws in motion using X-ray microtomography, 3D modeling, and high-speed videos.

The study revealed that the trap-jaw mechanism evolved 7 to 10 times independently across the world.

The experts found that only a very small change in form was required to drastically change the function of the jaw from the gripping mechanism to the trapping mechanism. After the new function evolved, the muscles in the head of trap-jaw ants began to dramatically restructure, and their jaws became longer and grew to open wider. 

"Previously, we had thought that all trap-jaws had both divergent form and divergent function, so it was much less obvious as to whether the change in function could occur at the start or whether a lot of changes to the form were first needed as a precondition, but it turned out there are many intermediate forms out there of the trap-jaw mechanism that people just hadn't identified before, some which differ only slightly from the ancestral form," explained Professor Evan Economo.

"One of the central questions in biology is: how does something complex arise from something simple? Structures like the trap-jaw depend on multiple interacting parts to function correctly."

"At first it can be hard to see how such complexity can arise through the gradual stepwise changes of evolution. Nevertheless, when we look closely biologists can uncover evolutionary pathways to complexity."

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

How trap-jaw ants got the fastest bite in the animal kingdom

The latch-spring mechanism of trap-jaw ants evolved up to 10...

Oysters that are exposed to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-heatwaves-will-intensify-due-to-thinning-ocean-layer/">heat</a> and low oxygen conditions early in life are more vulnerable to the same stressors later on, according to a new study from the <a href="https://serc.si.edu/">Smithsonian Environmental Research Center</a> (SERC).

The experts found that in response to repeated  environmental stress, oysters invest more energy in growing their shells than in growing their tissues. As a result, they have larger shells that are less meaty.

"What we all of course want to eat at the raw bar is the oyster tissue," said study lead author Sarah Donelan. "Customers and restaurants might be less pleased if there's less tissue in what looks to be a large oyster."

In the Chesapeake Bay, oysters live mostly in shallow tributaries where oxygen levels can swing drastically during the hot summer months. The researchers explained that these oxygen levels can shift from perfectly healthy in the daytime to near zero at night. To save energy, some oysters react by focusing more on their shell growth. 

Low oxygen was found to have the strongest negative impact on growth. The experts also discovered that early exposure to low oxygen and heat stress led to a drastically sharper decline in tissue growth when the oysters were exposed to these conditions again later in life. 

"Low oxygen and warming waters are a real double whammy for marine organisms," said SERC senior scientist Denise Breitburg. "Warmer water holds less oxygen and causes oxygen to decline faster. At the same time, cold-blooded animals like oysters and finfish require more oxygen at warmer temperatures."

The researchers designed an experiment to investigate whether exposure to threats could shape oysters later in life. Nightly swings of low oxygen were used to put pressure on the shellfish.

"If it's always bad, they can evolve over time to cope with those poor conditions," said Donelan. "But especially for (immobile) organisms like oysters, these fluctuations can be very stressful."

The study was focused on 3,600 young oysters around the age of three months old. The animals were exposed to four possible scenarios, including warmer water, swings of low oxygen, both conditions, or neither condition. 

When the oysters were given a break after 18 days, they were all about the same size regardless of their environments. At this point, there were no significant differences in shell or tissue size among the individuals. 

Two months later, when half of the oysters were returned to the experimental tanks, some effects started to show that may have been dormant.

The oysters that had suffered from both low oxygen and hotter water in the first phase of the experiment started showing signs of strain. Oysters that were facing the challenging conditions for the second time grew their shells more than their tissue. They had half the tissue-versus-shell growth ratio that was observed in oysters who escaped the early double exposure.

The findings raise a new question: why would the oysters not be toughened up by early exposure? Donelan suspects the combination of warming and low oxygen leaves a scar that does not easily heal. "I think that there's likely a physiological change that's irreversible."

The key, said Donelan, is to protect oysters while they are still young. Oysters that were not exposed to the warm water and low oxygen conditions early in life fared much better when they faced the same stressors later on.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19395582">Ecological Applications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Oysters respond to stress by growing less meat on their shells

Oysters that are exposed to heat and low oxygen conditions...

Global warming is reducing the efficiency of food chains and threatening the survival of larger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changing-ocean-soundscapes-impact-animals-worldwide/">animals</a>, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>.

Single-celled algae called phytoplankton transfer energy to the small animals that eat them. The researchers found that four degrees Celsius of warming reduced energy transfer in the plankton food webs by a much as 56 percent.

Rising temperatures increase the metabolic cost of growth, which leaves less energy available to flow through the food chain. Less energy in the food chain ultimately leads to a reduction in overall biomass.

"These findings shine a light on an under-appreciated consequence of global warming," said Professor Gabriel Yvon-Durocher. "Phytoplankton and zooplankton are the foundation of food webs that support freshwater and marine ecosystems that humans depend on."

"Our study is the first direct evidence that the cost of growth increases in higher temperatures, limiting the transfer of energy up a food chain."

Professor Mark Trimmer of Queen Mary University of London noted that if the effects found in this experiment are evident in natural ecosystems, the consequences could be profound.

"The impact on larger animals at the top of food chains - which depend on energy passed up from lower down the food chain - could be severe. More research is needed," said Professor Trimmer.

Dr. Diego Barneche of the University of Western Australia explained that about 10 percent of the energy produced on one level of a food chain makes it up to the next level.

"This happens because organisms expend a lot of energy on a variety of functions over a lifetime, and only a small fraction of the energy they consume is retained in biomass that ends up being eaten by predators."

"Warmer temperatures can cause metabolic rates to accelerate faster than growth rates, which reduces the energy available to predators in the next level up the food web."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rising temperatures limit the efficiency of the food chain

Global warming is reducing the efficiency of food chains and...

Coral Reef Fiji Pacific Panarama

Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists at the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a> have conducted the first investigation into how many corals there are in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/benefits-of-sea-otters-in-the-north-pacific-greatly-outweigh-costs/">Pacific</a> Ocean, as well as their risk of extinction. Prior to this study, the global number of individual coral colonies was a mystery.

"In the Pacific, we estimate there are roughly half a trillion corals," said study lead author Dr. Andy Dietzel. "This is about the same number of trees in the Amazon, or birds in the world."

The findings are critically important for the conservation of coral reefs, which are severely threatened by climate change.Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean

"We need to know the abundance of a species to assess its risk of extinction," explained Dr. Dietzel. "However, there is very little data on most of Earth's wild animal and plant species - not just corals."

Dr Dietzel said that each of the eight most common coral species in the region have a population size greater than the 7.8 billion people on Earth.

While local losses can be devastating to coral reefs, the results of the new study suggest that the global extinction risk of most species is lower than what was previously thought.

With broad geographic ranges and huge population sizes, the extinctions of many types of corals will unfold over a much longer timeframe than expected.

The analysis shows that 12 of the 80 species considered by the IUCN to have an elevated extinction risk have estimated population sizes of more than one billion colonies, noted Professor Sean Connolly.

"As an example, the finger-coral, Porites nigrescens, ranks amongst the ten most abundant species we examined. It's also not considered to be highly susceptible to coral bleaching - yet it is currently listed by IUCN as vulnerable to global extinction," said Professor Connolly.

On the other hand, Professor Michael Bode pointed out that one third of the species examined that had the lowest population numbers are listed by the IUCN as being of Least Concern.

According to Professor Terry Hughes, the study results have major implications for managing and restoring coral reefs.

"We counted an average of 30 corals per square metre of reef habitat. This translates into tens of billions of corals on the Great Barrier Reef--even after recent losses from climate extremes," said Professor Hughes.

"Coral restoration is not the solution to climate change. You would have to grow about 250 million adult corals to increase coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef by just one percent."

Professor Hughes said the study highlights the opportunity for action to mitigate the threats to reef species - and well before climate change causes global extinctions - to make an eventual recovery of reef coral assemblages possible.

"The challenge now is to protect wild populations of corals, because we could never replace more than a tiny percentage of them. Prevention is better than cure."

"Given the huge size of these coral populations, it is very unlikely that they face imminent extinction. There is still time to protect them from anthropogenic heating, but only if we act quickly on reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology and Evolution</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean

Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists...

Koalas are being infected with a rapid-spreading <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-transmission-confirmed-in-deadly-outbreak-of-chapare-virus/">virus</a> that causes cancer, according to a new study from the <a href="http://www.izw-berlin.de/">Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research</a>. 

The experts report that at some point in the last 50,000 years, the koala retrovirus (KoRV) has infected the eggs or sperm cells of koalas, and their offspring now carry the retrovirus in all of their cells. 

The virus inserts itself into the DNA of an infected cell near spots that are linked to cancer. The entire koala population of Queensland and New South Wales now carry copies of KoRV in their genome. 

"Retroviruses are insertional mutagens, affecting the host in multiple potentially deleterious ways, including the disruption or alteration of gene expression," explained the study authors. 

"The ongoing conflict between virus and host (sometimes termed a retroviral 'invasion' of the host germline), unfolds over millions of years, during which time proviruses can frequently reintegrate in the host genome causing further germline mutations."

The Leibniz-IZW team has previously shown that old retroviruses present in the koala genome can help to rapidly degrade KoRV. The koalas are essentially in a race to survive the effects of KoRV long enough for the virus to be degraded, according to the researchers. 

There is a high frequency of lymphoma, leukemia, and other cancers among koalas in northern Australia. The experts used DNA sequencing to determine that there are multiple links between KoRV and genes known to be involved in the types of cancers found in wild koalas.

Professor Alex Greenwood is the head of the Department of Wildlife Diseases at the Leibniz-IZW. 

"Each koala carries around 80 - 100 inherited copies of KoRV in its genome. The genomic locations of most of these are not shared between koalas, indicating a rapid expansion and accumulation of KoRV copies in the population," explained Professor Greenwood.

"Each time a retrovirus copies and re-inserts itself into the genome, it causes a mutation, potentially disrupting gene expression, which could be detrimental to the host."

The researchers noted that tumor tissues contain many new copies of KoRV, indicating that KoRV is more active in tumor cells. Furthermore, these copies are generally located close to genes associated with cancer. 

While there are other factors that may also contribute to cancer in koalas, the mutational burden from KoRV likely increases the frequency of cells becoming cancerous and may shorten the time for cancer to develop.

"In summary then, we find multiple links at the genomic level between cancer-related genes and KoRV, revealing ways in which KoRV underlies the high frequency of cancer in koalas," said study co-author Gayle McEwen.

The results are particularly concerning at a time when koalas face multiple environmental and health issues, including habitat loss accelerated by bush fires, dog attacks, and deadly chlamydial infections.

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

Koalas are infected with a virus that causes cancer

Koalas are being infected with a rapid-spreading virus that causes...

Despite the fact that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-lower-their-heart-rate-before-diving-to-conserve-oxygen/">dolphins</a> have not shared a common ancestor with humans for 95 million years, experts have identified a number of personality traits that the two species have in common.&nbsp;

While dolphins are known for being intelligent, the new research from the <a href="https://www.hull.ac.uk/">University of Hull</a> shows that dolphins also score high on some of the Big Five personality traits. This model is widely used to assess human characteristics, including openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

The study was focused on 134 bottlenose dolphins from around the world. The dolphins' personalities were assessed with the help of staff members who worked with them regularly.

The results suggest that dolphins exhibit sociable and curious behavior, just like humans, even though their environments are very different.

Study lead author Dr. Blake Morton said this is the first time dolphin personalities had been studied this way.

"Dolphins were a great animal for this kind of study because, like primates, dolphins are intelligent and social. We reasoned that if factors such as intelligence and gregariousness contribute to personality, then dolphins should have similar personality traits to primates," said Dr. Morton.

"We've known for some time that dolphins are similar to us in other respects - for instance, you can just watch dolphins on television and see they're very obviously smart and social."

The researchers assessed 56 male and 78 female dolphins from eight countries, such as Mexico, France, Sweden, and the Bahamas. While the experts found similarities between the personalities of dolphins and humans, there are still many obvious differences.

"I don't want people to misinterpret that and say humans and dolphins have the same personality traits - they don't. It's just that some of them are similar," said Dr. Morton.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/com">Journal of Comparative Psychology</a>.

---

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

Dolphins have human personality traits

Despite the fact that dolphins have not shared a common...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.yorku.ca/">York University</a>, experts have investigated the social lives of bees on a molecular level. The researchers found that over the course of their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paper-wasps-demonstrate-the-evolution-of-selflessness/">evolution</a>, maternal instincts and the cooperative care of offspring have helped to promote the selection of social genes among various bee species.

"Studies have repeatedly shown that the evolution of animal sociality is strongly influenced and accompanied by a variety of genomic changes. An emerging theme in sociobiology is the observation that, in addition to genes affecting social behavior, social life itself may drive new patterns and processes in genome evolution," explained the study authors.

"For example, it has been proposed that changes in demography, levels of selection, and the novel demands of social life can drive rapid sequence evolution, changes in genome organization, and other forms of genomic change. To date, however, there remains a paucity of genomic information for multiple closely-related species that vary in levels of sociality, leaving these ideas without robust empirical support."

The experts propose that the genome itself responds to socialization by selecting more social rather than non-social genes. This means that the social behavior comes first, which sets the stage for future molecular evolution.

The researchers discovered that this pattern of genetic evolution happened independently in different species at different times.

"There seems to be something about sociality specifically that is driving the genome to evolve in this way. It's a very interesting finding previously reported only in ants and honeybees," said study lead author Professor Sandra Rehan.

The research was focused on 16 different bee species, including three different independent origins of eusociality - the highest level of animal sociality a species can attain. Eusocial animals live in a multigenerational group cooperatively caring for offspring in which there is a reproductive division of labor.

The experts sequenced the genomes of six of the carpenter bee species to find out how sociability effects genome evolution. The study revealed that in many cases, caring for the young in a group setting promoted the selection of social rather than non-social gene regulation.

"When we see the rise of queens and workers in complex sociality, we tend to see a rise of more complex genomic signatures, rates of evolution in the genome, but also the complexity of the structure of the genomes," said Professor Rehan. 

"We know so little about how sociality evolves." Most bees are solitary, but some, like honeybees and carpenter bees, have transitioned to being social. Overall, though, sociality is relatively rare in the animal kingdom, and in bees.

"We are trying to understand how life evolved from simple to complex. We're mostly interested in how they got there. By studying these kinds of intermediary groups and simple societies, we really can ask that question empirically."

"It gives us a window into the evolution of complexity and behavior broadly. We can study it very practically in insects and bees because they show remarkable diversity in behavior, but it gives us insights into all animals, including ourselves."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio/">Communications Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The social life of bees was driven by maternal insincts

In a new study from York University, experts have investigated...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> have found that the genetic diversity of African leopards is surprisingly high compared to that of other big <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-will-hunt-less-wildlife-if-you-feed-them-meat/">cat</a> species. 

In particular, the amount of genetic variation among African leopards is almost four times higher than what is found in populations of  Amur leopards, two times higher than lions, and five times higher than genetic diversity in cheetahs.

Genetic diversity is a very important factor that influences a species' ability to survive and adapt to future changes.

The specialized diet of large carnivores, combined with their position at the top of the food chain, usually leads to small population sizes. As a result, top predators tend to have lower genetic diversity than animals that are farther down the food chain. 

"The exceptional genetic diversity is likely a result of the leopard's ability to avoid population crashes and reductions," said study co-first author Patrícia Pečnerová. 

"We found that during hundreds of thousands of years, African leopard populations remained large. We think that this reflects the versatility of the species, feeding on a wider variety of prey than any of the other large predators."

For the investigation, the researchers sequenced the complete genomes of 53 African leopards and compared them to that of other big cats. African leopards were found to not only have greater levels of diversity, but also fewer genetic barriers compared to other African mammals.

"We believe that during evolutionary history the leopard roamed the African continent more freely than almost any other mammal species, exchanging genetic material throughout," explained study co-author Kristian Hanghøj. 

"It has a unique ability to succeed in almost any habitat and climate and neither rain forests, nor deserts seem to have blocked the movements of leopards over the millennia."

According to the researchers, the findings demonstrate how the ecology of a species, such as how "picky" it is about its habitat and prey, can influence genetic diversity. 

The remarkably high genetic variation that has been discovered in African leopards may give these animals an evolutionary advantage in handling environmental challenges, including climate change and habitat loss. On the other hand, habitat fragmentation is a severe threat to all large animals, even those the are coping as well as the leopard. 

Human-induced habitat changes may be occurring at a rate that is simply too fast for wild animals to survive. Previous studies have shown that African leopards have lost 48 to 67 percent of their natural habitat over the last 300 years.

"To place our results into a greater context, we emphasize that the African leopard is also facing severe threats to its survival, despite being sort of an evolutionary success", finishes Patrícia Pečnerová.

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

African leopards have surprisingly high genetic diversity

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have found that the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



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



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



-----



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



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Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

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Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" 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.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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 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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&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> Staff Writer 



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.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 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://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...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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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