Researchers stunned after discovering cause of massive animal die-off along coastline: 'It was a gut punch'
In 2015, thousands of dead Common Murres (detailed here by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology) began washing up along the Alaskan coast. Initially, scientists weren't concerned since die-offs happen about once a decade for Pacific seabirds. But as the bodies continued to show up on beaches from Alaska to California, and breeding colonies failed to produce chicks, it became clear that this was something worth ringing alarm bells over.
By 2016, an estimated 62,000 murres had washed ashore.
Now, 10 years later, scientists have published research on the phenomenon, revealing that the real number was closer to 4 million, Audubon reported. That's almost half of Alaska's murre population gone, all because they couldn't find enough fish to eat.
"We were looking at those numbers, and we're thinking, 'Wait a minute, this can't be right,'" says study co-author Julia Parrish, a University of Washington seabird expert.
The cause was a massive two-year marine heat wave called "the blob," which heated ocean waters by up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit and wiped out fish populations. This is now seen as the largest wildlife die-off ever recorded.
"It was a gut punch to realize how much worse it was than what we had expected," said Heather Renner, a supervisory wildlife biologist for the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and co-author of the study.
The unprecedented die-off of Common Murres is a major warning sign about the accelerating impacts of climate change. Marine heat waves are happening more often and getting worse, threatening entire species and disrupting marine ecosystems.
When the oceans heat up like this, it not only kills off food sources, but it also makes it harder for wildlife to bounce back. Ten years later, Alaska's murre population is still struggling, which signals deeper, potentially irreversible shifts in ocean health — affecting everything from fish stocks to the coastal communities that depend on them.
Do you think America has a plastic waste problem?
Definitely
Only in some areas
Not really
I'm not sure
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
The fact that the murres haven't recovered, even after all this time, Parrish called a "double shocker,"
Addressing the root cause — climate change — is crucial to preventing further mass die-offs. Supporting policies that cut carbon pollution and boost clean energy can help slow down ocean warming. Conservation efforts like seabird monitoring and restoration projects are vital to tracking these changes and finding solutions.
On a local level, protecting marine habitats and establishing no-fishing zones can give seabird populations a better chance to recover. Everyday actions like reducing plastic use and supporting sustainable seafood choices can also make a difference.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
10 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Should you heat or ice a muscle injury? New study has found the answer
We're hardly short on ways to boost muscle recovery, whether it's pummeling ourselves with the best massage guns or paying a visit to the local physiotherapist. But a debate has been simmering in the background about hot and cold therapy, and it's this: is heat or ice better for muscle recovery? Or both? Growing up, I've always been taught to apply ice to swollen ankles or sore muscles post-workout, but then the rise of heat therapy came along, and suddenly, you're either jumping into an ice bath, braving an infrared sauna, or flipping between the two in something called 'Contrast Water Therapy.' Now, a study says this is the real answer. Here's what it shows. A study published in the Journal of Physiology looked at the effects of hot water and cold water therapy on muscle recovery in 34 participants. They found evidence to suggest that hot water immersion therapy significantly improved recovery compared to cold water. They found evidence to suggest that hot water immersion therapy significantly improved recovery compared to cold water. Researchers simulated a muscle injury in a lab setting, then used several modalities to see which would offer the most improvement. Participants were offered three recovery methods: cold (15 minutes at 12 degrees Celsius / 53.6 Fahrenheit), hot (60 minutes at 42 degrees Celsius / 107.6 Fahrenheit) and room temperature (30 minutes at 12 degrees Celsius / 53.6 Fahrenheit), all performed daily for 10 days. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Recovery was monitored using inflammation markers, muscle biopsies and performance testing. While strength improvements were similar in each setting, hot water showed to reduce perceived muscle pain and improve muscle damage markers; cold water didn't improve perceived muscle pain or reduce markers of damage. In short, the experiment found that hot water immersion could be more beneficial than cold water and room temperature immersion recovery methods for muscle regeneration and injury. Whether it's wild swimming, cryotherapy, or ice plunges, subjecting the body to temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) has been thought to have multiple benefits for the body, including boosting mood and focus and enhancing recovery. One study published in Biology reported participants felt more alert and attentive and less nervous or distressed after cold water bathing. The American Heart Association (AHA) warns of some risks associated with cold water immersion, and the data surrounding the practice is limited, so always exercise this form of recovery with caution and seek medical advice if you're unsure. There are many types of heat therapy, such as infrared saunas, traditional saunas, steam rooms and heat packs. However, it's hot water immersion — think hot tubs or similar — that could be the most effective. A study found that soaking in a hot tub, or soaking in hot water in general, could boost blood flow, immune response and cardiovascular health compared with traditional or infrared saunas when assessing heat methods. This could be in part because the immersion method helps raise core body temperature more effectively, which could be a key stimulus for the responses the study found. Then, there's contrast therapy, or hot and cold therapy (as it's also known). This involves switching between both methods in the same recovery session, allowing you to benefit from the energizing and mood-boosting benefits of cold water, followed by the soothing and relaxing benefits of heat. Here's a little evidence to support the method: a study published in PLoS One found that contrast therapy outperformed passive recovery or rest in reducing muscle pain after workouts in athletes. The next time you're faced with the decision: Hot or cold? Now you know which way to swing. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
Hot In The City: Why The Wrong Trees In The Wrong Places Matters
Cooling down: New York has recorded temperatures of nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit In the last days of last month, the death toll tripled in several major European cities in the face of sweltering heat. Milan, Paris, Barcelona and London were the worst hit. With more than two thirds of the world's population expected to live in cities by 2050, the race to cool them down is on. Tree planting has become an important part of urban heat mitigation efforts. But a Cambridge University-led study shows that planting the wrong species or combinations of trees may not just reduce the benefits, but actually make things worse, elevating night time temperature. The scientists found that planting trees in urban areas can lower pedestrian-height air temperature by up to 12 degrees centigrade (53.5 F). Introducing trees reduced the highest temperature in 83% of the cities studied. However, the extent will vary, depending on urban layout and species' traits. 'Our study challenges the common perception that trees are the ultimate panacea for overheating cities worldwide,' says Professor Ronita Bardhan from the University of Cambridge. 'Trees have a crucial role to play in cooling cities down, but we need to plant them much more strategically to get the best results.' For instance, adds Bardhan, 'The cooling behaviour of a species in a rural environment may be very different in an urban setting. It also matters where these trees are placed. In more sparsely populated areas they will do well, but in heavily built-up areas, they won't.' Until now, we've known relatively little about unique tree cooling mechanisms and how these interact with different urban features. Previous research has tended to focus on specific climates or regions, relying on fragmented case studies. The first comprehensive global assessment of urban tree cooling has changed all that. The authors looked at a wide range of studies over 17 climates in 100 cities and regions for the period 2010 – 2023. Understanding why planting matters is the first step in getting green right. How Trees Cool Cities In daytime, trees help reduce temperature by blocking solar radiation while water evaporation and foliage alters the airflow. In some circumstances, however, the 'wrong' trees can also increase air temperature at night. 'When the aerodynamic resistance is high and the leaf stomata close, heat dissipation through transpiration is reduced, limiting the escape of heat energy,' Bardhan says. 'This typically happens at night. If there is a high humidity load, this humid-warm air can be trapped and re-circulate beneath the tree canopy.' The scientists found that urban trees in compact settings are most effective in cooling cities in hot and dry climates but are less effective in hot, humid ones. In tropical wet and dry climates with distinct wet and dry seasons, such as central Africa, parts of South America and northern Australia, trees can be very effective in cooling cities by day. In Nigeria, trees can cool temperatures by as much as 12 degrees centigrade. But at night, trees warmed cities the most, by up to 0.8 degrees. Evergreens beside Dubai's International Financial Centre A lush green canopy hangs over parts of Dubai City. Among the acacias, neem, olive, palm and other desert trees the evening air carries the scent of Indian jasmine. Last year the municipality planted 216,500 new trees as part of its ambitious 2023 Quality of Life Strategy. Bardhan and colleagues found that trees performed well in arid climates such as Dubai's, cooling cities by just over 9 degrees and warming them at night by 0.4 degrees. Elsewhere, however, in a tropical rain forest climate with higher humidity, daytime cooling was only 2 degrees. Closer to home, trees in more temperate climates, such as London, can cool cities by 6 degrees but warm them up by 1.5 degrees. In many hot countries, trees tend to be evergreen. By including deciduous trees in the mix, the cooling effect can often be greater. Recent planting schemes in Saudi Arabia have incorporated deciduous as well as evergreens. The nature of the local urban environment will have an impact on the potential cooling while the idea balance of temperate and deciduous trees will vary. Urban layouts such as London's are more likely to benefit from the inclusion of deciduous trees alongside evergreens, but to a lesser extent than in Saudi Arabia. 'If you plant deciduous trees in a densely populated part of London, they won't perform in the same way as in the wild,' Bardhan observes. 'It's also important where these trees are placed. Trees may perform well in sparsely populated areas, but in dense urban settings the limited cooling impact reflects failed design. "To be effective for the climate, cities need to treat nature as a fundamental design variable, rather than an afterthought.' Selecting the optimum type and location for trees in an urban setting is critical. Few cities can afford projects on the scale of Dubai's and those who may need the right trees most because of global warming – are often the poorest. Bardhan and her colleagues at Cambridge have come up with a solution. They are developing a prototype shading device, inspired by nature's way of cooling. It's already been tested out successfully in dense urban areas. 'It mimics everything that natural trees do,' explains Bardhan 'We can control humidity along with temperature unlike standard shading devices that only regulate temperature. The design also allows the release of trapped radiation at night, unlike a tree.' The shading device can resemble a tree or take other forms, such as a vending cart. Rather than just being a luxury in affluent neighbourhoods, shade and cooling can come to schoolchildren and the most vulnerable communities at relatively low cost. As Bardhan says, it's climate action put into reality. With the data provided by the Cambridge study, urban planners have an invaluable tool that could transform efforts to reduce heat. You can see the cooling effect of trees in the cities researched on the interactive map here.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Cannibal robot? Scientists develop a robot that can grow and heal by eating others
This robot is not the first transformer mechanism revealed to the public, but the way it transforms is certainly novel – it grows and heals by consuming other robots. Researchers from Columbia University in the United States have developed a robot, called the Truss Link, that can detect and merge with pieces of robots nearby to fill in missing parts. "True autonomy means robots must not only think for themselves but also physically sustain themselves," Philippe Martin Wyder, lead author and researcher at Columbia Engineering and the University of Washington, wrote in a statement. Related China unveils tiny spy drone that looks like a mosquito. What other small spy drones exist? Made with magnetic sticks, the Truss Link can expand or transform from a flat shape to a 3D structure to adapt to the environment. It can also add new bits from other robots or discard old parts that are not functional anymore to increase its performance. In a video posted by the team, the robot merges with a piece nearby and uses it as a walking stick to increase its speed by more than 50 per cent. Related This new artificial muscle can move just like human muscles but it's 17 times stronger 'Gives legs to AI' Researchers named the process in which the robot self-assembles bits of other robots 'robot metabolism'. It is described as a natural biological organism that can often absorb and integrate resources. Robots like the Truss Link can 'provide a digital interface to the physical world, and give legs to AI,' according to a video produced by Columbia Engineering School. Integrated with AI, they possess great potential, experts believe. "Robot metabolism provides a digital interface to the physical world and allows AI to not only advance cognitively, but physically – creating an entirely new dimension of autonomy," said Wyder. The Truss Link could, in future, be used to help develop groundbreaking technologies spanning from marine research to rescue services to extraterrestrial life. Related Stanford engineers have taken a leaf out of nature's book to build this bird robot "Ultimately, it opens up the potential for a world where AI can build physical structures or robots just as it, today, writes or rearranges the words in your email," Wyder said. Programming robots has been a challenge for engineers; however, artificial intelligence is advancing developments in robotics. 'We now have the technology [AI] to make robots really programmable in a general-purpose way and make it so that normal people can programme them, not just specific robot programming engineers," Rev Lebaredian, vice president of Omniverse and simulation technology at Nvidia, told Euronews Next in May.
