On this week's news update…

Regenerated Land

Polluted land is regenerated…

Rare Angel Shark

A rare angel shark is sighted…

Microscopic Photos

And microscopic photos of hidden natural worlds.

First up…

Regenerated Land

In the US, the Appalachian mountains were once abundant with wildlife.

Appalachian Mountains

But over the past 40 years, coal mining has destroyed much of this land, ruining habitats and landscapes, and polluting the soil with toxic chemicals.

Now, a group of West Virginian farmers are transforming part of an old coal mine into a lavender farm.

Growing plants on polluted soil isn’t easy. Luckily, lavender is a tough plant that can tolerate this kind of soil. And it’s incredibly useful too. The lavender flower can be used to make body creams, hand sanitizers, and thanks to the flowers, pollinators are busy making their own product: honey!

It will take decades to repair the environmental damage caused by coal mining, but if scientists and farmers continue to work together to find new ways to regenerate the land, these regions may start to grow healthy again.

Next up…

Rare Angel Shark

The angel shark inhabits oceans all over the world, but they are rarely seen.

Their flat bodies are well adapted for hiding in the sandy or muddy ocean floor, and they are nocturnal, so most active at night.

Nocturnal

Commercial fishing has reduced their number, and they are now listed as critically endangered.

Wales

However, in Wales, a rare sighting of an angel shark has been recorded, and the footage has provided scientists with a surprising insight.

The shark’s small size and white markings on its fins indicate that it was born this year. This is evidence that angel sharks are giving birth in this part of the world, for the first time. The footage also shows how angel sharks camouflage themselves against the ocean floor, to ambush their prey.

Now the scientists know where angel sharks are giving birth, they can plan conservation efforts to help protect this endangered species.

And finally…

Microscopic Photos

Thanks to the invention of the microscope, scientists have been able to observe things that are too small for the human eye to see. Cells, bacteria and mold have been observed.

Today’s advanced microscope technology allows scientists to not only view the world of the extremely tiny, but take photos too!

Nikon’s Small World photography competition brings science and art together so we can appreciate the beauty of these tiny worlds. These detailed images include the head of a tick, mold on top of a cherry stem, and a section of a dinosaur bone.

The winning photo of this year’s competition is an oak leaf! The microscopic image shows us the leaf’s hairs and pores. Now that is a close-up!