Imagine running a shop where you must hire both a guard and a salesperson. The guard keeps thieves away but may sometimes scare customers. The salesperson brings revenue but dislikes being interrupted. Balancing both roles can be tricky. 



Plants face a similar dilemma when they attract <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-many-ants-live-on-earth-at-any-point-in-time-total-number-is-astounding/">ants</a> for protection while also needing pollinators for reproduction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweet-deals-with-ant-allies">Sweet deals with ant allies</h2>



Plants rarely survive in isolation. They form alliances with many creatures, gaining protection, pollination, and nutrients. 



One of the most fascinating examples involves extrafloral nectaries - small glands on leaves, stems, or branches of around 4,000 plant species.



These glands release sugary nectar not to attract pollinators but to lure protective ants and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paleontologists-found-the-oldest-ant-species-on-earth-113-million-years-old-with-scythe-like-jaws/">insects</a>. In exchange for this reward, ants chase away herbivores. This partnership benefits plants, but it can complicate relationships with pollinators.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ant-guards-disrupt-pollinators">Ant guards disrupt pollinators</h2>



A new study published in the Journal of Ecology shows that ants can interfere with pollination when nectaries are located near flowers.



Bees, which need close contact with flowers, are disrupted. Their visits shorten or stop altogether when ants patrol nearby.



Yet the story shifts when extrafloral nectaries are found on leaves or stems farther away. In such cases, plants gain the protection of ants without losing pollination benefits, often achieving greater reproductive success.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-different-plant-visitors-different-risks">Different plant visitors, different risks</h2>



Not all flower visitors respond the same way. Butterflies, with their long feeding tubes, remain largely unaffected. They can sip nectar from a distance, safe from ant encounters.



Bees, however, must get close and linger, making them prime targets for interference. This contrast shows how visitor behavior shapes the outcome of plant–ant interactions.



“Bees, on the other hand, need to get very close to the flower to collect pollen and floral nectar, but ants don’t allow them to stay for long,” said Amanda Vieira da Silva, the lead author of the study.



“Not surprisingly, our analysis showed that the presence of ants is detrimental to pollination when extrafloral nectaries are close to flowers but has a positive effect on plant reproduction when they’re located farther away.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trade-offs-shape-plant-survival">Trade-offs shape plant survival</h2>



The study examined data from 27 experiments across 25 plant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-quiet-engineers-what-happens-when-common-ant-species-disappear/">species</a>. Overall, the average impact of ants on pollination was low but highly variable.



Ants consistently reduced floral visitation, especially by bees, but this did not always reduce reproductive success. In fact, plants with nectaries on vegetative tissues often benefited, producing more fruits and seeds.



Researchers suggest several reasons for the low costs. Protective benefits against herbivores may offset pollination losses. Some plants with reproductive nectaries gain more defense from florivores, balancing reduced pollinator visits.



Others reduce dependence on pollinators through self-pollination, making ant interference less harmful. Even reduced visits may not matter if short or fewer visits still transfer enough pollen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ant-guards-change-plant-futures">Ant guards change plant futures</h2>



Ant interference may have influenced the evolution of plant traits. Species with high reliance on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-bee-invasion-a-growing-threat-to-native-pollinators/">bee pollination</a> may lose nectaries over time. 



Others may evolve seasonal separation, producing leaves with active nectaries at one time and flowers at another, preventing conflict.



“We know that in some groups of plants with extrafloral nectaries and flowers pollinated by the vibration of bees, new leaves with active extrafloral nectaries and flowers are produced in different seasons throughout the year, which would avoid conflict between the two,” said Anselmo Nogueira, co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweetness-fuels-bigger-networks">Sweetness fuels bigger networks</h2>



Additional partnerships add complexity. Nitrogen-fixing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-bacteria-breathe-by-creating-electricity/">bacteria</a> in roots can boost plant productivity, supporting both pollinators and protective ants.



Resource quality also shapes interactions: plants with richer nectar attract more aggressive ants, which can either improve defense or worsen pollinator deterrence. Context, environment, and species traits all decide the balance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-protection-and-pollination-intertwined">Plant protection and pollination intertwined</h2>



Studies have typically focused on the effect of only one isolated interaction on plants. For example, they quantify how much ants favor the defense of plants against herbivores or how much <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollinators-face-extinction-risk-due-to-climate-change/">pollinators</a> favor plant reproduction. 



"But these interactions can occur at the same time," said Laura Carolina Leal, co-author of the paper. "So, to understand how these interactions influence plant growth and reproduction, we need to look at them in an integrated way.” 



The findings highlight how delicate balances shape ecosystems. Ants reduce visits but can still help plants thrive, depending on where nectaries sit and which visitors dominate. Long term, these dynamics may influence the evolution of floral traits and mating systems.



The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2745.70087" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Ecology</a>.



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Plants pay sugar bribes for ant bodyguards to help them survive

Imagine running a shop where you must hire both a guard and a salesperson. The guard keeps thieves away but may sometimes scare customers. The salesperson brings revenue but dislikes being interrupted. Balancing both roles can be tricky. Plants face a similar dilemma when they attract ants for protection while also needing pollinators for reproduction. Sweet deals with ant allies Plants rarely survive in isolation. They form alliances with many creatures, gaining protection, pollination, and nutrients. One of the most fascinating examples involves extrafloral nectaries - small...

A coalition of attorneys general have come together to sue the Trump administration over rule changes that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-endangered-species-act/">weaken the Endangered Species Act</a> (ESA).

Earlier in August of this year, the Interior and Commerce Departments announced <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/12/climate/endangered-species-act-changes.html">changes to the ESA</a> that would make it easier to de-list endangered species and weaken protections for threatened populations.

Habitat designations for endangered and threatened species could be changed to allow for expanded development on once protected lands, and the new policies would also limit how scientists predict the effects of climate change on wildlife.

In another blow to the ESA, information on the economic costs of protecting wildlife can now be made public. 

The ESA was responsible for bringing the bald eagle, grizzly bear and American alligator back from the brink of extinction.  

Without robust protections in place, the United States may soon see steep biodiversity declines as development and fossil fuels continue to take precedence over conservation. 

In an effort to reverse these changes and strengthen the ESA, attorneys general in 17 states filed a lawsuit in a federal court in California, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/09/25/trump-administration-weakened-endangered-species-act-rules-today-state-attorneys-general-sued-over-it/">Washington Post</a>.  

“We’re going to try to undo what the president is proposing to do with the Endangered Species Act,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) said during a news conference. 

California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington are all part of the coalition.  

“As we face a climate emergency and global extinction crisis threatening more than a million species, the Trump Administration is gutting Endangered Species Act protections to pave the way for oil and gas developments,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey in a statement. “We are suing to defend federal law and protect our imperiled wildlife and environment.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Steve Boice

17 states are suing after Trump admin weakens Endangered Species Act

A coalition of attorneys general have come together to sue...

In a new study from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> (MSU), researchers have found that inland fisheries and freshwater fish have been greatly underestimated in their contribution to feeding the global population, particularly those in poor rural areas. 

Compared to ocean fisheries, fish harvests from lakes, rivers, streams, and other inland water sources are largely overlooked. 

In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the MSU team has compiled the most recent data on freshwater catch. The experts also looked for innovative approaches to measure the impact that inland fisheries have on food security, sustainability, and economies. 

Based on their review of various assessments and case studies, the researchers estimate that inland <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/marine-fisheries-one-network/">fisheries</a> catch is greater than what has been documented, possibly by 21 to 51 percent. 

In terms of first landing price, the economic value of reported global inland catch is estimated at $24 billion, which is about 24 percent of the overall value for marine fisheries. Since inland catch accounts for only about 13 percent of the world's marine catch, the findings suggest that freshwater fish have a first landing price that is higher than average. 

"Inland fisheries are providing crucial micronutrients and animal-source protein to sustain some 159 million people - sometimes the only protein accessible and affordable to them," said study co-author Professor Abigail Bennett. 

"At the same time, as we're worried food production systems are threatened by climate change, agricultural runoff, habitat alteration from hydropower development and other alternative uses of freshwater. We need to be looking more closely at the efficiency of inland fisheries in respect to land, water and energy use."

According to the researchers, 95 percent of inland fisheries catch comes from developing countries, while 43 percent comes from low-income food-insecure countries.

"Even though inland fisheries catch equals 12% of global fish production (not accounting for underreporting), in particular places these catches are absolutely crucial to survival," explained study co-author Simon Funge-Smith. "Improving assessment methods is key toward ending the vicious cycle in which data gaps lead to inland fisheries being undervalued in policy discussions, and lack of policy support undermines important data tracking systems."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14672979">Fish and Fisheries</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Maxim Gor

The nutritional and economic value of freshwater fish have been underestimated

In a new study from Michigan State University (MSU), researchers...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have discovered that a group of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/crows-control-calls/">crows</a> known as jackdaws send out warning calls when they identify "dangerous" humans. These birds are known to have the ability to recognize individual human faces, and they respond differently to people that they consider to be a threat. 

For the study, the team designed an experiment in which an unfamiliar person approached a jackdaw nest. Simultaneously, a recorded bird call was played that either indicated a warning or suggested there was no threat.

The birds who received a warning call were found to react defensively when they saw the same person again, rushing back to their nests more quickly.

Study lead author Victoria Lee is a PhD researcher at the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

"One of the big challenges for a lot of animals is how to live alongside humans," said Lee. "People can provide some benefits, such as the food at bird feeders, but in some cases humans are also a threat."

"Being able to discriminate between dangerous and harmless people is likely to be beneficial, and in this case we see jackdaws can learn to identify dangerous people without having had a bad experience themselves."

The study was focused on 34 jackdaw nest boxes at three sites in Cornwall. When the jackdaws were alerted to danger, they were found to return to their nest boxes more than twice as quickly upon seeing the person again. On the other hand, the birds that heard a simple contact call took their time in returning to the nest.

Furthermore, none of the calls appeared to influence how long the birds took to enter their nest box or how long they remained inside.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos">Royal Society Open Science</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a>  Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Edwin Godinho

Jackdaws can warn each other about humans they perceive as threats

Researchers at the University of Exeter have discovered that a...

Mice may fidget to help them concentrate, just like people. Have you ever started fidgeting while deep in concentration? Some people shake their legs or click a pen, while others crack their knuckles or rock in their chairs.

It turns out that humans aren’t the only fidgety thinkers, as researchers from the <a href="https://www.cshl.edu/">Cold Harbor Spring Laboratory</a> have discovered that mice also seem to fidget when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/logical-thinking-macaques/">focused on a task</a>. 

The researchers started by measuring neural activity across the top part of a mouse’s brain while the animal was making decisions with wide-field imaging. 

“You can see activity in a big part of the brain all at the same time,” said Churchland. “We usually just measure neurons in one small part of the brain at a time, and don’t usually get a whole big-picture view like this.”

Each mouse in the experiment was trained to make specific movements like grabbing a handle and licking a certain way to signify a decision. The researchers expected to see neural activity that closely related to the task at hand for the mouse, either licking or grabbing a handle. 

However, what the wide-field imaging revealed was that the decision-making process triggered a flurry of activity across the mouse’s brain. 

The team found that rather than relating to a specific movement, the activity was driven by uninstructed movements that the mouse made while working on the task. 

[caption id="attachment_1878188" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/mouse-brain-activity.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1878188" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/mouse-brain-activity.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="406" /></a> Brain activity of mice during decision making tasks. Image Credit: Anne Churchland[/caption]

“We thought the animals were 100 percent focused on our task, and the licking and the grabbing and the deciding,” said Churchland. “It turned out that they had their own set of priorities that involved a lot of movements of all different kinds.”

The fact that the movements were made while the mouse was engaged in decision making has led the researchers to compare the movements to fidgeting in people.

“One hypothesis that we find intriguing is that in some way, maybe the movements are part of the process of thinking and deciding,” said Churchland. “There might be this other aspect of fidgeting that people haven’t really considered before, which is that it’s part of how we call up that cognitive machinery.”

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0502-4">Nature Neuroscience</a>. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rudmer Zwerver

Mice may fidget to help them concentrate, just like people

Mice may fidget to help them concentrate, just like people....

Tracking the global distribution of a frog-killing fungus. Researchers from the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a> have mapped the distribution and spread of a deadly fungal disease that is rapidly wiping out amphibians. 

Chytrid is the name given to nearly 1,000 species of fungi, and some variants are more harmful than others. The variety Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, which was first discovered in the 1990s, is deadly to frogs and has been linked to amphibian extinctions on a global scale. 

One study, published in the journal <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/363/6434/1459">Science</a>, found that Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis had caused declines in nearly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fungal-disease-mass-amphibian-extinction/">501 species of amphibians</a> over the years. 

“Amphibians are already one of the most imperiled groups on the planet, and this fungal disease is further threatening their biodiversity,” said Erica Bree Rosenblum, an associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley. 

Rosenblum, along with an international team of researchers, analyzed swabs taken from the skin of hundreds of frogs to help track the disease and map the geography of the different genetic lineages of the fungus.  

Knowing which variants that a frog is most susceptible to based on its geographic range could help prevent the spread of disease and reduce frog declines. 

“An invisible aspect of globalization is that when we move plants and animals around, we are moving their diseases around, and that can have really devastating consequences,” said Rosenblum. “If we know what lineages are where, we can better predict conservation outcomes, because some of these lineages are really deadly, and others less so.” 

Tracing the genetic lineage of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is incredibly challenging because so much about the variety remains a mystery. 

For this study, the researchers found a way to determine which variant of fungus a frog was infected with using just a skin swab. This shortcut was helpful because it saved the researchers from having to sequence the entire, lengthy genome. Tracking the global distribution of a frog-killing fungus

“Now, from these skin swabs, we can figure out not just that this frog is infected, but specifically what lineage of the disease it carries,” said Rosenblum. “Is it the same lineage that infects the frog living next door, or in another country, or across the world?”

The researchers were able to map the distribution of four known lineages of the disease, and the analysis also revealed a new lineage that likely originated in Asia.  

Even though chytrid is widespread, the study shows that policies limiting the trade and transport of frogs across international borders could help reduce the risk of deadly pathogens spreading to other regions. 

The study findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Rafe Brown &amp; Jason Fernandez

Tracking the global distribution of a frog-killing fungus

Tracking the global distribution of a frog-killing fungus. Researchers from...

In a new study, researchers have identified a single gene in sorghum that controls bird feeding behavior by regulating the production of bad-tasting and appealing substances. The findings may ultimately lead to the development of new control strategies to protect major <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cereal-cropping/">cereal crops</a>.

"We discovered the molecular mechanism controlling bird feeding behavior on sorghum seeds," said co-senior study author Qi Xie of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

"Beyond illustrating an example of how a field observation led to characterization of an ecologically impactful molecular mechanism, our study reveals new insights about the chemistry of bird-plant ecological interactions and suggests multiple strategies for developing new chemical- and genetic-based control measures to prevent the catastrophic yield losses caused by birds each year."

There is currently a lack of effective control measures to protect field crops from bird damage. For example, anti-bird netting may be efficient, but also requires large investments and can be harmful to birds.

Cereal crops are damaged when birds peck the seeds and suck the juice of immature seeds. This prevents many grains from fully developing, which promotes mildews and other plant diseases. 

[caption id="attachment_1878138" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/sorghum.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1878138" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/sorghum.jpeg" alt="" width="650" height="832" /></a> Image Credit: Shijia Tang[/caption]

The cereal crops that are the most vulnerable to bird damage include wheat, barley, rice, sorghum, and millet. Sorghum alone provides a steady source of nutrition for more than 500 million people worldwide and is also an important source of biofuels. 

Sorghum yield losses caused by birds have been reported to reach as high as 52 percent. While there is evidence to suggest that bird taste preferences depend on various properties of sorghum, the underlying molecular mechanism has not been clear.

By conducting a genome-wide association study, the researchers discovered that the gene Tannin1 directly regulates bird feeding behavior. The sorghum strains that are not appealing to birds were found to contain the wild-type version of Tannin1, but the bird-preferred strains have a mutated version of the gene. 

Mass spectrometry revealed that seeds harvested from the preferred sorghum strains had reduced levels of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, also known as condensed tannins. At the same time, these seeds had higher levels of 9 out of the 23 detected volatile organic compounds, which are known to attract pollinators and seed dispersers. 

Through feeding experiments, the researchers found that sparrows preferred to eat untreated seeds compared to seeds soaked in solutions containing anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, or tannic acid. Both condensed tannins and tannic acid are polyphenols that have slightly acidic or bitter properties that likely interfere with the taste and digestibility of the seeds.

On the other hand, the birds were more attracted to seeds soaked in volatiles called 1-Octen-3-ol or hexanal. The findings suggest that the regulatory impacts of Tannin1 on multiple pathways of plant polyphenol and fatty-acid metabolism determine whether a given sorghum strain will be targeted by birds.

"Our discovery that Tannin1 has an enormous impact on the feeding preferences of birds will almost certainly guide molecular marker-assisted selection efforts in crop-improvement programs seeking to limit or prevent bird damage to agricultural production systems," said Xie.

"Moreover, our insights about which compounds attract birds and which compounds are distasteful to birds suggest a variety of novel control measures that could be undertaken to prevent yield losses. For example, we could chemically or genetically block the activities of enzymes in attractant volatile biosynthesis or program the condensed tannin content or use tannic acid or condensed tannins as safe, green pesticides to protect crop seeds in the field."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/molecular-plant/home">Molecular Plant</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Shaojie Jiao

A single gene controls whether sorghum seeds will taste appealing to birds

In a new study, researchers have identified a single gene...

Study finds that overweight people may be more likely to have overweight dogs. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english">University of Copenhagen</a> have identified a correlation between unhealthy weight in dogs and their owners. Compared to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pet-owners-medical-marijuana/">pet owners</a> who maintain a healthy weight, overweight or obese individuals are more than twice as likely to have a heavy or obese dog.

This can be partly explained by how people are managing their dog's treats, according to the study. Overweight dog owners were found to have a tendency to give their dogs treats as a comfort food.

"Whereas normal weight owners tend to use treats for training purposes, overweight owners prefer to provide treats for the sake of hygge," said study lead author Charlotte R. Bjørnvad. "For example, when a person is relaxing on the couch and shares the last bites of a sandwich or a cookie with their dog."

For the investigation, the team recruited 268 adult dogs from animal clinics. Overall, 20 percent of the dogs were either heavy or obese.Study finds that overweight people may be more likely to have overweight dogs

"Oftentimes, people don't consider their dog's weight status to be a problem. And this might contribute to a dog's being overweight. But being heavy or obese does have a great impact on dog health - which on average results in a shortened lifespan," explained study co-author Peter Sandøe.

Previous studies have shown that heavy dogs live an average of 1.3 years less than dogs on restrictive diets, which may be driven by an earlier development of osteoarthritis.

The researchers also investigated how castration and sterilization may affect a dog's weight. The study revealed that castrated male dogs are three times more likely to have weight problems, while sterilization seemed to have no impact on the weight of female dogs. 

"When males are castrated, they face just as high of a risk of becoming overweight as females. Castration seems to decrease the ability to regulate the appetite in male dogs and at the same time, it might also decrease the incentive to exercise which results in an increased risk of becoming overweight. Therefore, an owner should be careful about how they feed their dog after it has been castrated," said Bjørnvad.

"They might even want to consider not neutering. As long as there are no runaway females in the area, there are in most cases no reason to neuter," noted Sandøe.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/preventive-veterinary-medicine">Preventive Veterinary Medicine</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/MarinaP

Study finds that overweight people may be more likely to have overweight dogs

Study finds that overweight people may be more likely to...

Plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes may have backfired. In a new study from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a>, scientists have found that a plan to kill off disease-carrying mosquitoes in Japan may have inadvertently made the population stronger. The team identified <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/genetically-modified-mosquitoes-malaria/">hybrid mosquitoes</a> that appear to be much more robust and resilient than the insects were before the experiment. 

For about two years, the British biotech firm Oxitec released tens of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes throughout the city of Jacobina. The insects were engineered so that their offspring would be nonviable. After mating with mosquitoes in the wild, the population was expected to dwindle. 

"The claim was that genes from the release strain would not get into the general population because offspring would die," study co-author Jeffrey Powell told <a href="https://newatlas.com/">New Atlas</a>. "That obviously was not what happened."

Working with researchers in Brazil, the Yale team found that the genetically-altered mosquitoes had, in fact, mixed with the wild population, and the number of mosquitoes in Jacobino declined for a brief time period. 

According to a report from <a href="https://newatlas.com/">New Atlas</a>, however, the population bounced right back 18 months later. The scientists found a mix of three populations, and the hybrids appear "sufficiently robust to be able to reproduce in nature."Plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes may have backfired

Climate change has boosted the number of mosquitoes that carry deadly viruses like Zika, dengue, and West Nile. As the weather becomes warmer and wetter across many regions, dangerous mosquitoes will continue to spread farther than ever before, invading areas that have been historically protected by cooler climates.

"Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world," states the World Health Organization. "Their ability to carry and spread disease to humans causes millions of deaths every year. In 2015 malaria alone caused 438,000 deaths. The worldwide incidence of dengue has risen 30-fold in the past 30 years, and more countries are reporting their first outbreaks of the disease."

Although the new hybrid mosquitoes identified by the Yale team are no more dangerous than their predecessors, Powell told New Atlas that it is the unanticipated outcome of the project that is concerning.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/guestedited?gclid=Cj0KCQjwzozsBRCNARIsAEM9kBOsrLLcP9aDXi0TIeDk3JzNZdmuY0mWILPWKtB0w5ZGGV4g7nspSzgaArkKEALw_wcB#mountain-surface-processes-and-regulation">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/frank60

Plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes may have backfired

Plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes may have backfired. In...

Radio waves may interfere with the circadian clocks of cockroaches. Researchers in the Czech Republic have discovered that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cockroaches-inherit-pesticide-resistance/">cockroaches</a> are sensitive to weak radiofrequency (RF) fields. The team found that the fields slowed down the circadian rhythm of the insects - an effect that was previously demonstrated in fruit flies.

The scientists were surprised to find that the cockroaches appeared to be much more impacted by the exposure compared to fruit flies. 

"Remarkably, 300 times weaker RF fields likewise slowed down the cockroach clock in a near-zero static magnetic field. This demonstrates that the internal clock of organisms can be sensitive to weak RF fields, consequently opening the possibility of an influence of man-made RF fields on many clock-dependent events in living systems," wrote the study authors. 

Many studies have investigated the potential for electromagnetic fields - like the radio frequencies that cell phones use - to adversely affect humans, yet no such link has been confirmed. 

Martin Vacha, lead author of the current study, told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a> that he is "very cautious" about the findings. He said that his team is not making any claims about possible effects on people, and that the insects may not be affected under normal conditions. 

For the investigation, the cockroaches were exposed to constant dim UV light, with no indication as to whether it was daytime or nighttime. Using image analysis software, the researchers measured the activity of the insects to determine what time their body clocks were keeping.

When the cockroaches were exposed to either static magnetic fields or weak radio frequency broadband noise, they became active for one to two hours longer. This means that their circadian clocks had been significantly slowed down. 

According to Vacha, the team tested frequencies much lower than those from mobile phones or other electronic devices. He theorized that the cockroaches may not have been as impacted in natural light conditions. "My guess is that in real life it does not have such a big effect," Vacha told New Scientist. 

Previous studies have shown that weak radio frequency noise can disorient small songbirds. It is believed that birds use proteins called cryptochromes to detect magnetic fields. 

Cryptochromes are also known to be involved in the circadian rhythms of plants and animals, and Vacha proposes that it may be the effect of radio waves on these particular proteins that interferes with the body clock. 

The study is published in the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsif">Journal of the Royal Society Interface</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/The Yooth

Radio waves may interfere with the circadian clocks of cockroaches

Radio waves may interfere with the circadian clocks of cockroaches....

Using antibiotics in animal feed to boost growth and prevent disease is contributing to growing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antimicrobial-resistance-worldwide/">rates of antimicrobial resistance</a> (AMR) in both food animals and humans, according to a new study. 

Low and middle-income countries are especially susceptible to antimicrobial-resistant infections as demand for meat increases, and yet, systems to monitor and track resistance rates in animals are lacking.

To understand how meat production impacts antibiotic resistance rates in developing countries, researchers from the <a href="https://cddep.org/">Centers for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy</a> analyzed data from 901 surveys on foodborne pathogens. 

“Animal production is increasing worldwide, and the consequences of intensive use of antibiotics on resistance in animals is amply clear from our analysis,” said Ramanan Laxminarayan, an author of the study. “We have a small window of opportunity to help low- and middle-income countries transition to more sustainable farming practices.” 

The surveys were conducted between 2000 and 2018 and centered on pathogens like Escherichia coli, Campylobacter spp., non-typhoidal Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus. 

The number of food animals with antimicrobial resistance higher than 50 percent (P50) increased significantly between the years studied, and the highest rates of resistance were found in antibiotics like penicillins which are commonly added to animal feed. 

The researchers were able to develop a geospatial model and identify hotspots where animals were resistant to multiple antibiotics in India, China, Turkey, Brazil, and Mexico City. 

“It is of particular concern that antibiotic resistance is rising in low- and middle-income countries because this is where meat consumption is growing the fastest while access to veterinary antimicrobials remains largely unregulated,” said Thomas Van Boeckel, an author of the study.

Having a model that maps antimicrobial resistance in food animals can aid efforts to curb AMR infections and improve tracking resistance rates in developing regions. 

“Antibiotic resistance is a global problem, and there is little point of making considerable efforts to reduce resistance on one side of the world if it is increasing dramatically on the other side,” said Van Boeckel.

The study findings were published in the journal Science. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/SerhiyHorobets

Antibiotic resistance in food animals is a cause for major concern

Using antibiotics in animal feed to boost growth and prevent...

More than 1,600 scientists have called on Congress to fully fund conservation programs and help solve the growing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/decreases-biodiversity-habitat-loss/">biodiversity crisis</a>. 

Currently, up to one million species are at risk of extinction, according to the latest <a href="https://www.ipbes.net/">Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Global Assessment</a>. 

Even though the US Endangered Species Act is considered the gold standard of conservation law, decades of underfunding have undercut its full potential. 

In a <a href="https://defenders-cci.org/sign-on/conservation-funding/">letter</a> published in the journal Science, researchers from the <a href="https://defenders.org/">Defenders of Wildlife </a>and universities across the US are asking Congress to fully fund conservation programs in order to prevent catastrophic biodiversity loss. 

“We are simply running out of time: Congress must act decisively to save endangered and threatened species now,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, the president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife in a statement. 

Less than 25 percent of the funding needed for species recovery has been provided in the past few decades. For example, of the $468 million that the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">US Fish and Wildlife Service</a> needs to implement conservation effectively, the agency receives less than half that amount each year. 

Scientists have warned that we are nearing a sixth mass extinction due to the rapid rate of wildlife declines. 

The current global biodiversity crisis demands action, and adequate funding could go a long way in protecting wildlife populations. 

“The science is clear: biodiversity faces unprecedented threats and decline, with about 1 million species at risk of extinction,” said Dr. Jacom Malcom, the lead author of the letter and Director of the Center for Conservation Innovation, Defenders of Wildlife. “Scientists stand united in the need for Congress to fully fund proven conservation programs to stem the tide of extinction. We must act now before it’s too late.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Ethan Daniels

Why conservation funding is vital to solving the biodiversity crisis

More than 1,600 scientists have called on Congress to fully...

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The Penguin Genome Consortium, which is comprised of experts in ten countries, has sequenced the genomes of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/penguin-foraging-behavior-habitat-health/">penguins</a> in an effort to better understand their past. Combined with two genomes that were previously sequenced, the 19 penguin genomes acquired by the team represent all surviving penguin species.

The work will promote many areas of research, from penguin evolution to the impact of human activities and environmental changes.

Penguins are equipped with an enhanced thermoregulation system which allows them to adapt to extreme cold or tropical conditions. Their diverse range across the Southern hemisphere includes the Galápagos Islands on the equator, the oceanic temperate forests of New Zealand, the rocky coastlines of the sub-Antarctic islands, and the sea-ice around Antarctica. 

Over the last 60 million years, the birds have evolved from a group of flying seabirds to flightless marine divers. Many penguin populations have recently experienced rapid declines, such as the collapse of the King penguin population, which plummeted by 88 percent in just three decades. 

Further losses are expected among other penguin species as the birds face global warming, pollution, environmental degradation, exotic predators, and other stressors. High-quality genome sequences will help scientists understand the reasons for specific population declines.

"The population history of different penguin species can be seen in their genome," said study co-author Theresa Cole. "We will provide new insights into the population history of all penguins over dramatic climate events, to predict population trends under future climate change scenarios. This research will help us understand how future climate change may affect other species, to help us develop conservation strategies."

The team is also sequencing the genomes of recently extinct penguin taxa. "The penguin ancestor experienced rapid radiation leading to the current approximate 20 extant species, accompanied by many ancient lineages that are now extinct," said study senior author Guojie Zhang. "The radiation of penguin thus provides an excellent example for the study of speciation."

The researchers faced both technical and cultural challenges in their attempts to collect high-quality specimens in some remote areas. The way the team addressed sensitive cultural issues could serve as a model for building trust and collaboration with indigenous groups during future projects.

"Genome research in New Zealand is currently moving into novel cultural contexts, especially for penguins, which are Taonga or treasured possessions in Māori culture. As such, our consortium have undertaken rigorous indigenous consultation to sequence the genomes from six New Zealand Taonga species," said study co-author Bruce McKinlay. "We believe these genomes will be important for a cultural context."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/gigascience">GigaScience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Laurie Goodman

Genome project will promote a better understanding of penguin evolution

The Penguin Genome Consortium, which is comprised of experts in...

<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.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" 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> (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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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