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Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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https://nordictimes.com/environment/first-ever-footage-of-newborn-great-white-shark/

Environment

First-ever footage of newborn great white shark

Published February 2, 2024 – By Editorial staff
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

What is believed to be a newborn great white shark has been captured on film for the first time off the coast of California, marking a historic moment in marine biology. The observation is expected to provide new insights into the early life stages and reproduction of great white sharks.

The great white shark is the largest living predatory fish and the third largest species of shark. Despite being one of the most famous fish in the world, very little is known about its reproduction and early life. For example, no one has ever seen the pups of a great white shark.

Last July, wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and Phillip Sternes, a graduate student in biology at the University of California, were filming sharks off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. The drone camera revealed something that stood out. White sharks are usually gray on top and white on the bottom, but the shark they saw in the camera was completely white and only 5 feet long. White sharks can grow up to five meters, but one white shark has been found that was only 106 centimeters, which is not common.

– We enlarged the images, put them in slow motion, and realized the white layer was being shed from the body as it was swimming, Sternes said in a press release, adding that he believes it was a newborn great white shark that was in the process of shedding its embryonic layer.

However, it has not been determined that it is a pup, and there is also a theory that it could be a shark with an unknown skin condition. However, the general consensus is that it is indeed a pup, partly because pregnant white sharks have been observed in the area. In addition, one of the great whites was seen diving to the depths just before the small, new shark was spotted, suggesting that the female may have given birth to the pup further below the surface.

"Holy Grail of shark research"

If so, this would be the first white shark pup ever observed, according to an article published in Environmental Biology of Fishes.

– Where white sharks give birth is one of the holy grails of shark science. No one has ever been able to pinpoint where they are born, nor has anyone seen a newborn baby shark alive, says Gauna. There have been dead white sharks found inside deceased pregnant mothers. But nothing like this.

Great whites give birth to live young, and the shark observed was small enough to be a baby. The area off the coast of California has also been identified in the past as a possible birthplace for white sharks, but some scientists believe that white sharks probably give birth further out to sea.

– There are a lot of hypothetical areas, but despite intense interest in these sharks, no one’s seen a birth or a newborn pup in the wild, Sternes said. This may well be the first evidence we have of a pup in the wild, making this a definitive birthing location.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/environment/income-level-found-to-influence-garden-biodiversity/

Environment

Income level found to influence garden biodiversity

Biodiversity

Published October 27, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Researchers see gardens as a potential tool for preserving biodiversity as global diversity declines.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Households with lower incomes tend to have more biodiversity in their gardens, according to a study from North Carolina State University in the United States. People with higher incomes prefer neatly mowed lawns instead.

In the study, published in HortScience, researchers examined attitudes toward biodiversity in the United States. They surveyed over 2,000 people and looked at whether they had any innate appreciation for biodiversity, something called biophilia.

The results showed that far from all people had an innate appreciation for biodiversity, and it varied greatly between individuals. However, it was not uncommon for it to develop early in life.

Biodiversity is declining globally and climate goals are often not met. Therefore, researchers have begun to see gardens as a tool for preserving plant and animal life. But to succeed, they must first understand who is willing to let their gardens grow wilder.

— While a single person’s garden isn’t going to do much individually, as a collective they could be a big part of conserving biodiversity. The question then becomes; how do you get those people to change their gardens in that way? says Vanessa Woods, doctoral student at NC University, in a press release. To do that, you must first identify the people who are receptive to these more natural gardens with greater biodiversity.

Income plays a role

The most important factor for biophilia was income level, the researchers conclude. The higher the income, the less inclined people were to have more biodiversity in their garden, preferring neatly mowed lawns.

The lower the income level, the more positively disposed people were to a more wild-grown garden. Households with an income below $25,000 per year showed the greatest interest in biodiversity. Additionally, people who lived more environmentally friendly lifestyles were also more open to a garden that promotes biodiversity.

Melinda Knuth, lead researcher and associate professor at North Carolina State University, believes it is important to identify those who are attracted to biodiversity in order to bridge the gap between intention and conservation actions.

— To do that, you first need to identify the people who will be receptive to those messier, more biodiverse types of gardens, she says.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/environment/leopard-seals-sing-lullabies/

Environment

Leopard seals sing lullabies

Published October 24, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Male leopard seals sing up to 13 hours per day during mating season to attract females
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The mating calls, or songs, of leopard seals resemble human nursery rhymes and lullabies, new analyses show. Among other things, the song is reminiscent of "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep".

Leopard seals live in Antarctica where they mostly spend their time hunting penguins or relaxing on the floating sea ice. They can grow nearly four meters long and weigh between 300 and 500 kilograms. Males also have another repetitive occupation – and that is to find a female to mate with. To do this, the males "sing" when they are underwater. They do this every day from late October to early January.

Males can sing for up to 13 hours per day. Females also sing, but only for a few days a year when they are in heat.

— It’s big business for them. They’re like the songbirds of the Southern Ocean. During the breeding season, if you drop a hydrophone into the water anywhere in the region, you’ll hear them singing, says Professor Tracey Rogers, from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), in a press release.

Now researchers have analyzed recordings of the male seals' songs to better understand their structure and patterns. There they discovered that the structure of leopard seal songs resembles nursery rhymes or lullabies.

"Baa, baa, black sheep"

In total, songs from 26 different males were studied and it was found that the sounds were very similar in pitch and length, but that the order and pattern in which the sounds were emitted varied considerably between individuals.

"We think this is a deliberate strategy. While leopard seals are solitary animals, the males need their call to carry clearly across vast stretches of icy ocean, to woo a mate", the researchers write in Science Direct.

The researchers compared the song with several different styles of human music and discovered that it consisted of five key notes. What also stood out were the similarities between the predictability of nursery rhymes and leopard seal calls. Nursery rhymes are characterized by being simple, repetitive and easy to remember, something that the seals' songs also were.

Among other things, they found similarities with the well-known rhymes "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" and the classic "Rock-a-bye Baby". The simple melodies likely make it possible for the male leopard seal to continue singing his unique mating call for several days, which is important to avoid changes in pitch or frequency as this could create misunderstandings among other leopard seals.

— It’s the order and pattern that matters. They’ve stylised it to an almost boring degree, which we think is a deliberate strategy, so their call carries a long distance across the ice, says Professor Tracey Rogers.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/environment/finnish-city-tests-forest-microbes-in-playgrounds-to-boost-childrens-health/

Environment

Finnish city tests forest microbes in playgrounds to boost children’s health

Biodiversity

Published October 17, 2025 – By Editorial staff
The sandbox consists of fallen trees filled with sand and humus. If the test succeeds, the concept could be expanded to more playgrounds.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

A new type of sandbox has been installed in Kupittaa Park in Turku, Finland. Instead of regular sand, it contains soil from the forest floor filled with microorganisms that, according to research, strengthen children's immune systems.

The city of Turku is now taking a unique step to counteract health problems in children growing up in urban environments. In Kupittaa Park, the country's first sandbox has been built that mixes traditional play sand with humus and microbes from the forest.

The initiative is based on research from the Natural Resources Institute Finland, the University of Helsinki, and Tampere University, which shows that exposure to forest microbes improves the regulation of children's immune systems.

The study showed that children who played in sand enriched with forest soil exhibited improved immune regulation. The discovery is particularly important because urban children are increasingly affected by immune-related diseases such as allergies, asthma, atopy, and type 1 diabetes.

The cause is linked to the fact that city children have limited contact with the diversity of microorganisms found in nature.

Follow-up will determine the future

The new play box is constructed from logs – naturally fallen trees – and filled with a mixture of sand and humus from the forest floor. The design is deliberately simple so it can be replicated if the concept proves successful.

— I became enthusiastic about the Natural Resources Institute's research showing that sand mixed with soil containing microbes from the forest improved children's resistance. I thought the box would be easy to test at a playground in the city. Based on user experiences, we will assess whether such a play box could be implemented on a larger scale, says Anna-Kaisa Hatakka, responsible project manager at the City of Turku, in a press release.

The city will now monitor how popular the new play box becomes among children and parents. If the project succeeds, it could mean a new direction for Turku's playgrounds, where in recent years rubber mats have increasingly been chosen over natural surfaces such as grass and gravel.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/environment/pfas-levels-declining-in-swedens-major-lakes/

Environment

PFAS levels declining in Sweden’s major lakes

Published October 10, 2025 – By Editorial staff
PFAS levels have been measured in fish from Lake Vättern, Lake Vänern, and Lake Mälaren, three of Sweden's largest lakes.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Bans on dangerous PFAS substances have shown results in Sweden's major lakes. However, levels still remain above limit values in Lake Vättern.

PFAS are environmental toxins often called "forever chemicals" because they break down very slowly and therefore accumulate in soil, water, animals and even humans.

Certain PFAS substances can be harmful to humans, with several studies having pointed to their potential to cause cancer, liver damage, impaired reproductive ability, intestinal diseases and thyroid disorders, among other health issues.

It was recently discovered that Swedish wild animals have unusually high levels of these substances, with forest voles among others likely suffering liver damage due to the forever chemicals.

Decreased since the 2000s

In a new study conducted by the Swedish Museum of Natural History, commissioned by the Water Conservation Associations, researchers measured the occurrence of these substances in fish in Swedish lakes. This was done using samples from the museum's environmental sample bank, which dates back to the early 1970s.

The results show that PFAS levels have generally decreased in Swedish lakes. In Lake Mälaren and Lake Vänern, levels have decreased since the early 2000s, and in Lake Vättern since 2008.

Problems remain

The reason for the decrease is believed to be the international banning of the most well-known PFAS substances. However, Arctic char in Lake Vättern still exceed the Water Framework Directive's limit value for PFOS, one of the PFAS substances that has been banned.

— Our results show that measures and bans have had an effect, but also that the PFAS problem is far from solved, says Suzanne Faxneld from the Environmental Analysis and Research unit at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, in a press release.

Stricter limit values for these chemicals are now being discussed in the EU. If these are implemented, Faxneld believes that Sweden's major lakes will exceed the new limit values. The study shows that preparations should be made for stricter regulations from the EU.

— It's also very important to prevent these substances from entering the environment in the first place, she says.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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