Surprising Resilience: How Sea Turtles May Thrive Amid Global Warming

Young Loggerhead Sea Turtle in the Caribbean Sea near the Bahamas

WaterFrame/Alamy

Recent research indicates that sea turtles may be more resilient to climate change than previously believed. Concerns have been raised that rising temperatures could lead to the extinction of these reptiles, as a majority of turtle eggs tend to develop into females. However, scientists have discovered a genetic safety net that maintains a more balanced sex ratio even as temperatures increase.

According to Chris Eizaguirre at Queen Mary University of London, “We believe we have uncovered the ability of turtles to adapt to the environment they find themselves in.”

The gender of baby sea turtles is temperature-dependent rather than determined by chromosomes. Laboratory studies show that cooler nest temperatures favor male hatchlings, while warmer conditions promote female hatchlings. This raises concerns that global warming could result in significantly more female turtles.

For instance, genetic research conducted in 2018 revealed that around 99% of young green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) aged 4 to 20 years in a nesting area off Australia were female. This finding contributed to alarming predictions about male shortages which could lead to a population collapse.

However, due to the challenges of identifying a turtle’s gender before it reaches maturity, field data regarding hatchling sex ratios have been limited.

To address this gap, Eizaguirre and colleagues conducted both laboratory and field experiments focused on loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta).

In one phase of the study, they collected 240 eggs from seven loggerhead nests along Florida’s Palm Beach County coast. These eggs were incubated at three different temperatures: 27°C (81°F) suitable for male hatchling production, 30°C (86°F) for an equal sex ratio, and 32°C (90°F) to promote female hatchlings.

After one to three days, blood samples were taken from the hatchlings, which were kept until mature enough for sex determination via keyhole surgery or laparoscopic imaging.

By comparing genetic data from the blood samples, researchers found distinctive activity patterns in hundreds of genes that indicated sex, attributable to an epigenetic process called DNA methylation. In females, 383 genes were hypermethylated, while males had 394 hypermethylated genes, many of which are known to play roles in sexual development.

Utilizing these findings, the team conducted field research on Sal Island, Cape Verde, collecting 29 newly laid loggerhead sea turtle eggs. The eggs were divided, with half buried in a cooler area and the other half in a warmer spot, and monitored for temperature variations.

Analysis of blood samples from 116 hatchlings revealed a higher number of males than predicted, suggesting previous models had overestimated female hatchling production by 50-60%, likely due to previously unrecognized biological adaptations.

“This discovery highlights that molecular mechanisms exist that help turtles adapt to climate change by modulating the sensitivity of sexual differentiation to temperature,” Eizaguirre explains.

“While feminization is a concern and does occur due to climate change, we are suggesting that if populations are robust and genetically diverse, species can adapt to their environmental conditions,” he adds.

These findings are supported by recent evidence from Graham Hayes at Deakin University, which showed that more male sea turtles are hatching than originally expected if temperature were the sole factor in sex determination. Hayes notes that turtles can adapt their crucial temperature-related sex ratios to local conditions.

In addition, turtles employ other strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change, such as nesting earlier in the season and adjusting their migration patterns to breeding grounds to counteract feminization effects. “While females may not breed annually, males migrate to breeding grounds more frequently, contributing to a more balanced reproductive sex ratio,” Hayes explains.

Despite these behavioral adaptations, Eizaguirre warns that hatchlings still face threats from excessive heat, which can lead to lasting changes in DNA methylation—an indication of molecular adaptation that is promising for these vulnerable reptiles.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Enhanced Colony Resilience through Artificial Superfoods for Honeybees

Bees often struggle to get the nutrients they need from flowers

Ran Zisovitch/Shutterstock

Artificial “superfoods” that supply vital nutrients for honeybees indicate that colonies could generate significantly more larvae, potentially addressing the worldwide decline in bee populations.

Bees rely on a diverse range of flower pollen to acquire essential nutrients, including crucial lipids known as sterols. Unfortunately, climate change and industrial farming practices often leave their habitats lacking the floral variety necessary for their survival. “For crops to be pollinated, you need more bees, but they have less food,” says Geraldine Light from Oxford University.

In response to this, beekeepers are increasingly providing artificial pollen substitutes. Yet, the common commercial supplements, typically made from protein powders, sugars, and oils, are deficient in the necessary sterol compounds, rendering them nutritionally inadequate.

Through CRISPR gene editing, Wright and her team developed the yeast Yarrowia Lipolytica to manufacture the precise blend of six essential sterols that bees require. This yeast was included in the diet of bee colonies during a three-month feeding trial conducted in a controlled glasshouse.

At the conclusion of the study, colonies fed the sterol-enhanced yeast produced up to 15 times more larvae reaching the viable pupal stage than those receiving standard commercial bee feed.

Colonies on a sterol-rich diet maintained their egg and larval production throughout the 90-day period, while those with sterol-deficient diets experienced a significant decline in chick production before the study’s conclusion.

“Our technology enables beekeepers to nourish their bees alongside pollen,” Wright explains. “When integrated with pollen alternatives that are optimized with other nutrients, honeybees can develop healthier, more robust, and longer-lasting colonies.”

This yeast can also be utilized to formulate essential nutrients for other farmed insects, which are becoming increasingly vital food sources for both humans and livestock, according to Wright.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Private Ispace Resilience Probes Set to Land on the Moon This Week

Artist’s depiction of the Resilience lunar lander

ispace

The private spacecraft is set to attempt a landing this week. Should the Japanese company ISPACE succeed on this attempt, it would mark a historic achievement as the first non-US enterprise to land on the moon, following a failed attempt in 2023.

ISPACE’s Resilience Lander embarked on its journey towards the moon on January 15th. It launched with the assistance of a SpaceX rocket and Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Lander. While Blue Ghost made a successful landing on March 2nd, Resilience traveled a longer path, traversing deeper into space before entering lunar orbit on May 6th. This intricate route was essential for landing in the hard-to-reach northern plains of Mare Frigoris, which had been uncharted by previous lunar missions.

If the probe executes its landing operations successfully, it will commence its landing sequence on June 5th at approximately 7:20 PM BST, with a landing in Mare Frigoris scheduled an hour later. The landing attempt will be broadcast live on ISPACE’s YouTube channel.

The lander is outfitted with six diverse experiments, including a device capable of splitting moisture into hydrogen and oxygen for usable resources, a module for producing food from algae, and a radiation monitor for deep space studies. Additionally, it will deploy a 5-kilogram rover named Tenalious, tasked with exploring the lunar surface and capturing images during its anticipated two-week mission.

This marks ISPACE’s second attempt at a lunar landing, following the initial Hakuto-R spacecraft, which lost communication and crash-landed on the moon. The company asserts that it has enhanced Resilience with improved sensors leveraging data gathered from the initial mission, yet challenges remain, particularly in slowing the spacecraft from several hundred kilometers per hour to a complete stop in just three minutes. Should ISPACE choose to abort the landing on June 5th, there are three alternate landing sites and dates prepared as contingencies.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Stunning Photos Showcase Nature’s Unforgettable Resilience

Suspended Blessing: Sleeping Sperm Whale and Her Calf

Paul Nicklen

A full belly—if you look closely, you can see the tentacles of the deep-sea squid she recently devoured hanging from her mouth.

This photo, titled The Interrupted Bounty, is one of many captured by photographer Paul Nicklen and showcased at the Photo Fair. It exudes a sense of peace, yet Nicklen experienced a whirlwind of emotions while filming it in Dominica in 2019.

“Even while my lungs ached and my mind screamed to surface just 5 meters away, I had to calm myself,” he reflects. “In that moment, my focus shifted to breathing, framing, and floating. The fear was present, but I remained centered.”

As he grounded himself, a feeling of “quiet adoration” washed over him. “It brought a certain joy, aligned with their rhythm for a while,” Nicklen recalls. “Over time, that joy has shifted into a heavier contemplation. I’m reflecting on the risks that whales now face—ocean pollution, ship strikes, entrapment in nets, and rising sea temperatures. Looking back at these images reveals lines that may not endure unless changes occur. Still, I feel fortunate. I’m honored to share their stories.”

Photo London will take place at Somerset House from May 15th to 18th. Nicklen’s work is presented by Hilton Contemporary, which also features a photograph by marine biologist Christina Mittermeyer, showcasing her striking image from Madagascar in 2008: Mandare’s Washing. It depicts brightly colored clothing drying on cracked earth, with two emaciated cows nearby on a dry stretch of the Mandare River.

Mandare Washing: Dried Beds on the Mandare River in Madagascar

Christina Mittermeier

Seventeen years later, Mittermeier reflects on the tumultuous feelings she experienced while taking those shots. “It wasn’t just the illness, but also the tropical fever, combined with a sense of guilt. Not guilt for being there, but for leaving,” she recounts. “The village families had no escape from the drought; they lacked alternatives, no backup resources, no taps to turn on.

Today, that guilt has evolved into a profound respect for the resilience of the locals.

“I think of the elasticity of that fabric, the dust, and how survival here is stitched together with each piece of clothing, meal, and glass of water,” Mittermeier shares. “It’s a testament to drought, but also to the overarching decisions that determine who suffers and who survives.”

Below is another stunning photograph by Nicklen titled Ephemeral Palace. Captured in 2012 on the Antarctic Peninsula, it depicts a vast iceberg adrift, destined to melt as it approaches the sea.

Ephemeral Palace: Iceberg on the Antarctic Peninsula in 2012

Paul Nicklen

The final shot from Nicklen, titled Meet Face to Face, features an unexpected visitor, photographed in Svalbard, Norway in 2008. He labels the encounter with “the bear in question” as a significant highlight of his career, noting he has rarely encountered the approximately 2,000 polar bears he has documented, yet he has never succumbed to panic.

Face to Face: A Close Encounter with a Norwegian Polar Bear

Paul Nicklen

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Blue Ghost and Resilience landers launched by SpaceX to the moon

Artist’s impression of the Blue Ghost’s moon landing

firefly aerospace

In a sign of increased commercial activity on the moon, two private spacecraft aiming to land on the moon will be launched aboard a SpaceX rocket.

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander and iSpace’s Resilience lander, both aboard the same Falcon 9 rocket, departed from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:11 a.m. on January 15. It is scheduled to launch at 1:11 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (1:11 a.m. ET).

This launch will be iSpace’s second attempt to land on the moon. The company suffered its first failure in 2023 when its Hakuto-R spacecraft crashed into the moon’s surface. The Japanese company has since said it has upgraded Resilience’s hardware and software to avoid the mistakes that led to the crash.

Meanwhile, the American company Firefly Aerospace is making its first attempt. The company has a contract with NASA as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which pays private companies to accomplish scientific goals.

Resilience will carry six payloads to the lunar surface, including an experiment to use microalgae to produce food on the moon, and a micro rover that will roam, analyze, and photograph the landing area. Blue Ghost will combine 10 civilian and public payloads, including a radiation-hardened computer, a drill to measure how heat flows across the moon’s surface, and a satellite receiver that will seek to establish a permanent link with the moon. We plan to take it to the moon. Earth’s GPS network.

Resilience Lunar Module is ready for launch

iSpace

Both missions reach Earth orbit relatively quickly, within minutes of liftoff, but it takes much longer to reach the Moon. After orbiting Earth for 25 days, Blue Ghost will start its engines and begin a four-day journey to the Moon, where it will orbit for 16 days. After this, it will descend autonomously and land on a plain called Mare Crisium, where it will take two weeks to complete its scientific objectives.

Resilience will take a more circuitous route, passing the moon a month after launch, gliding deep into space for several months, then turning around and making the journey back to the moon. Once in orbit, the spacecraft is expected to land on a plain called Mare Frigoris within four to five months of launch.

If the mission is successful, they will be the second and third commercial spacecraft to land on the moon. The first craft was Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander, which landed last year.

Blue Ghost and Resilience are the first of about a dozen spacecraft hoping to make contact with lunar soil this year, primarily by NASA’s CLPS, many of which will serve as future human lunar surface residents. It is designed to test and demonstrate the technology required for These include the second and third missions of Intuitive Machines. IM-2 will explore digging buried ice near the moon’s south pole for use in future missions, as well as deploying two rovers and a lunar satellite to communicate with Earth.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Genetic study uncovers ancient Easter Islander’s resilience and connections to pre-European contact in the Americas

Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, is one of the most isolated inhabited places in the world. Its archaeological record, including megalithic statues, has captured the imagination of many. Two major controversies have emerged from extensive study of the island. First, its history is presented as a cautionary tale of overexploitation of resources leading to a large-scale population decline – the “ecocide” theory. Second, the possibility of a voyage across the Pacific Ocean to the Americas before European contact is still debated. To answer these questions, a team of scientists from the Globe Institute and elsewhere sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 15 Rapa Nui people who lived between 1670 and 1950.

Rapa Nui people. Image courtesy of © Santiago Caruso.

Rapa Nui is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world.

It lies at the easternmost tip of the Polynesian Triangle in the Pacific Ocean, 3,700 km west of South America and over 1,900 km east of the nearest inhabited island.

Despite Rapa Nui's remote location, archaeological and genetic evidence indicates that Polynesians from the west had already arrived on the island around 1250 AD.

Over the next five centuries, Rapa Nui's inhabitants, the Rapanui, developed a culture characterized by iconic colossal stone statues (moai) and monumental stone platforms (ahu).

Due to Rapa Nui's isolation, Europeans did not reach the island until 1722 AD.

Over the years, European visitors have had a devastating impact on Rapa Nui, killing locals and introducing deadly pathogens the islanders had never encountered before.

Moreover, a third of the population was kidnapped by Peruvian slave raiders in the 1860s, and only a small proportion were repatriated following international condemnation of slavery.

A smallpox epidemic subsequently decimated Rapanui's population, down to an estimated 110 people.

“It is well known that Rapa Nui's environment was affected by human activities such as deforestation, but it was unknown whether and how these changes led to a dramatic population decline,” said Dr Anna Saffo Malaspinas, a researcher at the University of Lausanne and the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics.

The Tahitian warrior's shelter from Giulio Ferrario's Le Costume Ancien et Moderne, Milan, 1816-1827.

The authors studied the genomes of 15 ancient inhabitants who lived on the island over the past 500 years.

They found no evidence of a genetic bottleneck corresponding to the 17th century collapse.

The analysis suggests that the island was originally inhabited by a small number of people, but its population grew steadily until Peruvian slave raids in the 1860s forced a third of the island's population to relocate.

Furthermore, the analysis showed that, like modern-day Rapa Nui people, the ancient islanders also carried Native American DNA.

This mixing probably occurred sometime between 1250 and 1430 AD.

Taken together with archaeological evidence and oral history, the find suggests that Polynesians may have been crossing the Pacific long before Europeans arrived on Rapa Nui and long before Columbus reached the Americas.

“Our genetic analysis shows that there was a steady population growth from the 13th century until contact with Europeans in the 18th century,” said Dr Barbara Souza da Mota, a researcher at the University of Lausanne.

“This stability is extremely important because it directly contradicts the idea of ​​a dramatic pre-contact population decline.”

“We investigated how Native American DNA is distributed in the genetic background of Rapa Nui Polynesians,” said Dr Victor Moreno Mayar, a researcher at the Globe Institute at the University of Copenhagen.

“This distribution is consistent with contact occurring between the 13th and 15th centuries.”

“Our study doesn't tell us where this contact occurred, but it may mean that the ancestors of the Rapanui reached the Americas before Christopher Columbus,” Dr Malaspinas said.

of Survey results Published in a journal Nature.

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JV Moreno Mayal others2024. Ancient Rapanui genome reveals resilience and pre-European contact with the Americas. Nature 633, 389-397;doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07881-4

Source: www.sci.news

Boosting Creativity and Resilience by Embracing Your Shadow Self | BBC Science Focus Magazine

When you search the hashtag “mental health” on TikTok, you’ll come across a plethora of videos discussing “shadow work.” These videos have collectively amassed over a billion views and contributed to the success of The Shadow Work Journal, written by former TikTok employee Kayla Shaheen.

Despite its peculiar nature, the shadow work trend is actually a modern interpretation of a concept introduced by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung in the mid-20th century.


Jung, a colleague of Sigmund Freud, shared Freud’s belief in the significance of the unconscious mind in human psychology. One of Jung’s theories about the unconscious posits that everyone has a “shadow” self – a part of us comprised of characteristics we fear or dislike. He referred to it as the “shadow” to signify its dark and undesirable nature that we can’t escape.

Jung suggested that our shadow self is revealed when we speak or act thoughtlessly, and it can also manifest in our dreams.

The purpose of shadow work is to delve deeper into understanding your shadow self, learn from it, and integrate it into your being. By doing so, you can feel more authentic and whole as your shadow is a genuine part of who you are. Jung argued that the shadow possesses valuable attributes like raw power and insight, which can enhance creativity, personal understanding, and resilience when expressed.

Shadow work involves introspective exercises to connect with your shadow. For instance, Shaheen recommends spending time in a quiet, dimly lit space, listening to your inner voice, and reflecting on the words that come to mind.

Visualization exercises are also common in shadow work, such as imagining two doors leading to your ideal self and your shadow self, and envisioning the experience of walking through each door.

While some therapists appreciate the increased interest in self-reflection, others are concerned that the portrayal of shadow work on social media lacks depth and may not fully capture Jungian psychology. Additionally, for individuals with traumatic backgrounds, reflective practices may trigger distressing emotions best addressed in a therapeutic setting.

For skeptics, Jung’s theory, like Freud’s, lacks empirical evidence and may potentially harm individuals by attributing distressing thoughts to a supposed part of themselves.

This article explores the question “What is shadow work, and can embracing your shadow self enhance mental health?” posed by Lina McBride from Norwich.

If you have inquiries, please contact us via the email address provided below. For more details: Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (include your name and location).

Ultimate Fun Facts: Explore more fascinating science on this page.


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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

OurCrowd’s Israel Resilience Fund makes first 8 investments

Israeli investment platform our crowd today announced $13 million in capital commitments for $50 million. Israel Resilience Funda fund launched by the organization shortly after the Israel-Hamas war, began supporting startups affected by the war or developing solutions to Israel’s immediate needs.

The fund has already provided funding to eight companies.This includes food tech startups. blue tree and carrais a startup building thermal management solutions for EVs, and both recently had to relocate their facilities.The fund is partnering with aerial imagery specialist Edgybees. Beloboticsis a robotics startup currently focused on cleaning and inspecting the facades of high-rise buildings.

Jeff Kupietzky, Jon Medved, Alon Tal, Maya Zachodin Koren – Israel Resilience Fund team members

OurCrowd plans to raise a total of $50 million for the fund, which charges no management fees or interest. The fund will invest in around 50 startups in total.

“Many Israeli venture-backed companies, already struggling due to the global venture downturn and now facing even more serious obstacles from the Gaza war, urgently need intensive investment. “It’s happening,” he explained. our crowd Founder and CEO John Medved. “The Israel Resilience Fund aims to take advantage of the current undervalued market valuations and generate significant returns for investors, while helping many Israeli companies overcome the crisis and thrive in the long term. Masu.”

Similarly, Resilience Fund managing partner Jeff Kupietzky recently sold his startup Jeeng to OpenWeb. for $100 millionsaid that in addition to financial issues, the fund is also aimed at supporting start-ups currently facing operational problems due to the war. “Startups do not know when international investors will resume investing in Israeli startups as they wait for the conflict to subside. In addition, companies are forced to hire key personnel called into reserve. While facing operational challenges, evacuations and rocket launches have created challenges to day-to-day business operations.While businesses are resilient and continue to operate, many are “We need funding to overcome this and extend the runway and support our ultimate success,” he said.

Source: techcrunch.com

Recent study challenges previous beliefs about forest resilience

Recent research has shown that trees in humid regions are more vulnerable to drought, challenging previous beliefs about tree resilience. The study, which included analysis of more than 6.6 million tree rings, revealed that trees in arid regions are surprisingly drought tolerant. This finding highlights the widespread effects of climate change on forests and suggests that genetic diversity in drier regions may be important for adapting to changing conditions. There is. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Scientists have flipped the script and revealed that trees in humid regions are more sensitive to drought.

This holiday season brings some surprising news about Christmas trees. Scientists have found that globally, trees that grow in wetter regions are more sensitive to drought. This means that if your tree was grown in a humid climate, it has likely been damaged over generations.

Debate over drought tolerance of trees

Scientists have long debated whether arid environments make trees more or less tolerant of drought. It seems intuitive that trees living at the biological margin are most vulnerable to climate change. Because even the slightest bit of extra stress can send a tree over the brink. On the other hand, these populations may be better able to withstand drought because they are adapted to harsher environments.

The trees of this lush temperate forest in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state may be less drought tolerant than trees in drier regions of the South.Credit: Joan Dudney

Insights from new research

According to a new study published in the journal science Increased water availability could “kill” trees by reducing their ability to adapt to drought, according to researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Davis. “And that’s really important to understand when we think about the global vulnerability of forest carbon stocks and forest health.” said Joan Dudney, an assistant professor and ecologist. “You don’t want to be a ‘spoiled’ tree when faced with a major drought.”

Dudney and his co-authors predicted that trees growing in the driest regions would be more sensitive to drought because they were already living on the edge of their limits. Furthermore, climate change models predict that these regions will dry out more rapidly than wetter regions. This change in climate can expose trees to conditions beyond their ability to adapt.

Methodology: Tree ring analysis

To measure drought sensitivity, the authors analyzed 6.6 million tree ring samples from 122 trees. seed World wide. They measured whether a tree was growing faster or slower than average based on the width of its growth rings. They correlated these trends with historical climate data such as precipitation and temperature.

The team then compared different regions’ responses to drought. “As you move to the drier edge of a species’ range, trees become less and less sensitive to drought,” said lead author Robert Heilmeyer, an environmental economist with the Environmental Research Program and the Bren School. he said. “Those trees are actually very resilient.”

Dudney, Heilmeyer, and their co-author Frances Moore were partially inspired by UCSB professor Tamma Carleton’s research on the effects of climate change on humanity. “This paper highlights the value of interdisciplinary scientific research,” added Moore, an associate professor at the University of California, Davis. “We applied economics methods originally developed to study how people and businesses adapt to changing climate, and applied them to ecological contexts to study the sensitivity of forests to drought. could be applied to.”

“A heat wave is likely to kill more people in a cool place like Seattle than in a hot city like Phoenix,” Heilmeyer said. It’s already quite hot in the Southwest, with a scorching heatwave occurring. But cities in the region are adapted to extreme climates, he points out. We now know that forests exhibit similar trends.

Impact on warm regions

Unfortunately, temperate regions are expected to become disproportionately drier in the coming decades. “Significant parts of the species’ ranges will be faced with entirely new climates, a phenomenon that these species do not find anywhere else in their ranges today,” Heilmeyer explained. The authors found that in 2100, 11% of the average species’ range will be drier than the driest part of its historical range. For some species, this increases to 50% or more.

“Broadly speaking, our study highlights that very few forests will be immune to the effects of climate change,” Dudney said. “Even wet forests are under more threat than we realize.”

But there’s also the other side of the coin. This species stores drought-tolerant resources in drier parts of its range and has the potential to strengthen forests in wetter regions. Previous research UCSB researchers have revealed that many species have the ability to adapt to environmental changes. But these researchers also discovered that trees move slowly from one generation to the next. This means that human intervention, such as assisted migration, may be required to take advantage of this genetic diversity.

Christmas tree and the fate of the forest

Whether the Christmas tree lives in a dry or humid region, its growth may decrease in the future. But understanding how trees respond to climate change can help secure the future of Tannenbaum and its wild trees.

Reference: “Drought sensitivity of mesic forests increases vulnerability to climate change” by Robert Heilmeyer, Joan Dudney, and Frances C. Moore, December 7, 2023. science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adi1071

Source: scitechdaily.com