Latest news with #ScrippsInstitution
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers issue warning after discovering game fish infected with parasite in California: 'These parasites are here in the US'
If you're eating freshwater fish in Southern California, you'll want to take extra precautions since fish have become infected with parasites. A study by the University of California, San Diego found that over 90% of game fish studied had been infected with a parasite. The study, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, found "two species of [parasitic] flatworms called trematodes," which typically cause weight loss, lethargy, or gastrointestinal problems when humans get infected. In rare cases, it can cause heart attacks or strokes. Haplorchis pumilio and Centrocestus formosanus were the "two species of parasitic trematodes," identified, per UC San Diego. These parasites are typically found in Southeast Asia, but it is likely that an aquatic invasive snail, known as the Malaysian trumpet snail or red-rimmed melania, brought them to the U.S. over 10 years ago. The researchers examined 84 different species of fish in 2023 from five fishing sites in San Diego County, including bluegill and largemouth; 93% were infected with the Haplorchis pumilio parasite, and "Centrocestus formosanus, was found at two of the five locations where it occurred in 91% of the fish," per UC San Diego. UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography ecologist and parasitologist, and senior author of the study, Ryan Hechinger, said, "These parasites are here in the U.S., and they're infecting fish that people are eating." These parasites, which are appearing in freshwater fish, serve as an example of why invasive species can be dangerous. While not all non-native species are harmful, those that are can cause damage to the ecosystem and pose health risks, as in this case. The Asian tiger mosquito is another invasive species that can carry disease. It entered the U.S. in the mid-1980s, and some harbored the West Nile virus. The mosquito also invaded Europe in 2024, carrying the dengue fever virus. Invasive species also wreak havoc on the economy, causing damage to crops, livestock, and fish, costing the U.S. $20 billion a year for cleanup. Additionally, they are harmful to the environment because they take resources from native species, sometimes causing them to go extinct. How often do you worry about the quality of your drinking water? Never Sometimes Often Always Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Hechinger said there is "no need to panic," because you can thoroughly cook or freeze your fish "for at least one week" to kill the parasites, if you plan to eat it raw, per Food and Drug Administration guidelines, as reported by UC San Diego. There have been no reported cases yet, but researchers want the parasite to be added to the diseases that public health officials are required to report. Hechinger said, "This kind of research is so important to identifying new public health threats, and it wouldn't have been possible without NIH funding." Invasive species such as this aquatic snail that is spreading parasites are one of the critical climate issues that are vital to understand to protect the public from these threats. 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.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Mystery of the ‘sailing stones' of Racetrack Playa: how San Diego scientists solved the enigma
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — For decades, the enigmatic 'sailing stones' of Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park have captivated scientists and visitors alike. There are large rocks, some weighing up to 700 pounds, that leave behind long, winding trails across the dry lakebed. This phenomenon led to various theories about their movement—from alien interference to magnetic anomalies. However, a groundbreaking study led by researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego eventually uncovered the natural forces behind this geological mystery. In 2014, a team of scientists, including paleobiologist Richard Norris, his cousin James Norris and planetary scientist Ralph Lorenz, set up an ambitious experiment to observe the movement of these stones firsthand. They equipped 15 rocks with GPS trackers and established a high-resolution weather station at the southern end of Racetrack Playa. Their goal, according to the researchers, was to capture the rare conditions under which the stones move. Hike to the world's largest wooden trestle bridge in Southern California At last, a breakthrough occurred. After a series of wet winter storms, the playa was covered with a thin later of water, which froze overnight into a delicate sheet of ice. The following day, light winds caused the ice to break into large panels, which, driven by wind, moved the rocks across the playa. The GPS devices recorded the movement of the rocks, confirming that the ice sheets were indeed propelling them across the surface of the desert floor. This phenomenon, known as 'ice shove,' is common in polar regions, according to scientists, but had never been observed in such a desert environment before. This study revealed that the combination of water, ice and wind creates ideal conditions for the stones to move. The ice forms a thin, floating layer that, when broken up by winds, pushes the rocks across the soft, muddy surface, leaving behind their trails in the desert. Borrow a dead animal or fossil from this SoCal museum — no, seriously The finding of their study have been published in the journal PLOS ONE. It provides a scientific explanation for the marvel that had puzzled researchers and desert dwellers alike for over a century — and it's all thanks to those San Diego-based researchers. For those who wish to check out the 'sailing stones' in person, head to Death Valley National Park. Officials with the National Park Foundation have directed visitors to drive two miles south of the Grandstand parking area to the find the stones. 'While the precise location of the 'sailing stones' is always changing, you can usually get the best view by walking about a half-mile toward the southeast corner of the playa,' the park officials explained. While the scientific community has unraveled the mystery, the allure of these moving rocks continues to inspire wonder and curiosity. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sea lions released back into Pacific Ocean as toxic algal blooms move out of Southern California
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Scripps scientists have confirmed that the harmful algal blooms (HABs) that have been responsible for sickening hundreds of marine mammals in the Pacific Ocean along the California coast this spring have moved out of the area, and rescue organizations in Southern California have been busy releasing the last of the rehabilitated sea lions. Scientists with Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego report the harmful algal blooms (HABs) that produce domoic acid — which accumulates in fish and shellfish, sickening sea lions, dolphins and birds that eat them, and overwhelming local rescue organizations — are gone. California sea lions are getting sick, but what's causing it? SeaWorld San Diego Rescue teams this past spring were getting upwards of 100 calls per day for sea life in need of help as a result of the toxic algal blooms. According to the County of Los Angeles, four injured sea lion pups — Brownie, Sprinkles, Peachick and Spiderling — that were rehabilitated and cared for by the Marine Mammal Care Center, were recently released at Venice Beach with help from the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division and marine mammal experts. In San Diego, the SeaWorld San Diego Rescue team said the last seal lion suffering from domoic acid poisoning, and rehabilitated at SeaWorld, was returned to the Pacific Ocean on May 30. Sick sea lion rescued from busy road near Carlsbad beaches VIDEO: SeaWorld San Diego releases rescued and rehabilitated sea lions back into ocean Scripps reports that although the HABs are not in Southern California anymore, they did detect some presence around Santa Cruz in late May. NASA launches revolutionary PACE satellite to study Earth's oceans, changing climate From mid-February to mid-May, SeaWorld San Diego reports its Animal Rescue Team rescued 69 sea lions and 60 birds suffering from domoic acid symptoms. Rescue teams were overwhelmed by cases this year, but say marine rescue calls have dropped over the last three weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
07-06-2025
- Science
- CBC
CO2 levels just broke another record. Here's what that means
Social Sharing When man first walked on the moon, the carbon dioxide concentration in Earth's atmosphere was 325 parts per million (ppm). By 9/11, it was 369 ppm, and when COVID-19 shut down normal life in 2020, it had shot up to 414 parts ppm. This week, our planet hit the highest levels ever directly recorded: 430 parts per million. For 67 years, the observatory on Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano has been taking these measurements daily — tracking the invisible gas that is building up in our atmosphere and changing life on Earth. The record is known as the Keeling Curve. Charles David Keeling began those recordings, some of the first in the world to measure CO2 concentration over time. His son, Ralph Keeling, born one year before the observatory opened, has witnessed the rapid increase firsthand over his lifetime. "I was a teenager when I first started to appreciate what my father was doing and how it might be significant," Keeling told CBC News. Back then it was around 330 ppm. Keeling, a geochemistry professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, took over the research once his father passed away in 2005. "This problem is not going away, and we're moving further and further into uncharted territory, and almost certainly, very dangerous territory." Why CO2 matters The build up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere isn't visible to the naked eye, but its concentration matters because of the greenhouse effect. Like the glass walls that trap heat from the sun in an actual greenhouse, gases in our atmosphere such as CO2 and methane also trap heat from the sun. At the start of the Industrial Revolution, ice core samples show CO2 levels were around 280 parts per million but as they rose, warming has increased by about 1.3 C over the pre-industrial average. That's led to rising temperatures and leading to more frequent and extreme weather, like heat waves, floods, wildfires and droughts. While many have heard about the goals of limiting warming to 1.5 C or 2 C above pre-industrial levels, there have also been efforts to return CO2 levels to below 350 parts per million, as a key part of limiting the damage from climate change. The record highs have continued though. Just in the last year, CO2 readings from May have increased more than three parts per million — that many more molecules of CO2 trapping heat and contributing to warming. "We know why it's rising faster than ever, it's because we're burning more fossil fuels each year," said Keeling. Direct link to fossil fuels Damon Matthews, a climate scientist and professor at Concordia University in Quebec, also says he's concerned and isn't surprised that there are new records every year. "If we want to actually stabilize CO2 levels in the atmosphere, we would need to cut global emissions by more than 50 per cent, and we're nowhere near doing that," he said, adding that there are other gases at play but CO2 is the dominant influence. "Every May, we're going to see a new record of atmospheric CO2, until we actually make a lot more progress on climate mitigation than we have today." The annual cycle, peaking in late spring in the northern hemisphere, is tied to plant photosynthesis — CO2 concentrations drop in the summer as plants absorb the gas and release oxygen. In 2021, the International Energy Agency said that if the world wants to limit global warming and reach net-zero by 2050, there could be no new coal, oil or gas projects. Matthews is part of Canada's net-zero advisory body and says he's seen some progress in decreasing CO2 emissions the last few years, but not enough. He says Europe's emissions have been going down for decades, and that last year CO2 emissions in China didn't increase. However, he says Canada still lags behind other countries, and the U.S. is trending the other way. "There's lots of policy options, certainly focusing on expanding the oil and gas industry in Canada right now is not going to get us where we need to go in terms of climate," he said. "We just need to stop arguing about whether it's a priority and start doing the things that we know will help to solve the problem."
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Earth's CO2 hits highest recorded level in human history, experts say
There's now more carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere than ever before in human history, scientists have revealed. For the first time on record, monthly average CO2 levels exceeded 430 parts per million (ppm), according to experts at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. The monthly average for May 2025 reached 430.2ppm – the highest level since accurate measurements began 67 years ago. The more CO2 in the atmosphere, the higher the rate of global warming , which could one day could make Earth's surface too hot for humans. At much higher concentrations, CO2 can also cause a variety of health issues. Worryingly, this includes cognitive impairment, drowsiness, nausea and even death in the most extreme cases. 'Another year, another record,' said Ralph Keeling, director of the Scripps CO2 Program. He added: 'It's sad.' Like other greenhouse gases, CO2 acts like a blanket, trapping heat and warming the lower atmosphere. This changes weather patterns and fuels extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires, heavy rain and flooding. Rising CO2 levels also contribute to ocean acidification , which makes it more difficult for marine organisms like crustaceans and coral to grow hard skeletons or shells. The experts' new measurements come from Mauna Loa Observatory, a research station situated high on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii. At 11,141 feet above sea level, Mauna Loa Observatory measures different gases in the air by shining different kinds of light and radiation through air samples. According to the experts, the observatory's monthly average for May 2025 of 430.2 ppm is an increase of 3.5 ppm over May 2024's measurement of 426.7 ppm. Meanwhile, NOAA's Global Monitoring Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado has separately reported an average of 430.5 ppm – an increase of 3.6 ppm over last year. In a post on X , Jeff Berardelli, meteorologist and climate specialist for WFLA Tampa Bay, called the new record 'concerning'. CO2 is by far the most abundant human-caused greenhouse gas and it can persist in the atmosphere and oceans for thousands of years. According to scientists, the amount of carbon present now in the Earth's atmosphere is equal to that which would have been seen some 4.1 to 4.5 million years ago, during a time which scientists refer to as the 'Pliocene Climatic Optimum'. At this time, the sea level was a whopping 78 feet (24 meters) higher than in the present day, while the average global temperature stood at 7°F (3.9°C) higher than it was before the Industrial Revolution. In fact, the temperature was so warm during this period of time that large forests occupied areas of the Arctic which today are barren, chilly tundra. Although humanity is constantly pumping out CO2 all-year-round, atmospheric CO2 is at its highest in the Northern Hemisphere in the spring – specifically May. Between autumn and spring, much of the hemisphere's plant matter decomposes, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere as it does so. May tends to represent the highest extend of atmospheric CO2 before plants come to life and draw in CO2 to fuel their growth. This begins the process of lowering the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere until the autumn when the plants start to die – and the cycle continues. Researchers say Mauna Loa Observatory's new measurements represent the average state of CO2 in the atmosphere of the Northern Hemisphere. However, CO2 concentrations have not yet passed the 430 ppm mark in the Southern Hemisphere, which has a reversed cycle. It was Scripps scientist Charles David Keeling, father of Ralph Keeling, who was the first to recognise that CO2 levels in the Northern Hemisphere peaked in May. In 1958, he began monitoring CO2 concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory and documented a long-term increase, known as the Keeling Curve. NOAA's Global Monitoring Laboratory, meanwhile, begun daily CO2 measurements in 1974 and has maintained a complementary, independent measurement record ever since.
