On this week's news update...

Sea Star Threat

Heatwaves threaten sea stars…

Landing Planes

A new way to land planes…

Selfie-Bear

And a selfie-taking bear!

First up…

Sea stars are a keystone species. This means that they play an important role in keeping their ecosystem healthy.

keystone species

Sea stars eat lots of mussels. If they weren't around to eat them, the mussel population could grow out of control. This could result in mussels eating too much seaweed—an important source of food for many other sea creatures.

Unfortunately, sea stars could soon be threatened by underwater heatwaves. These heatwaves are caused by hot weather conditions above water and they dramatically heat up sea temperatures for more than five days in a row. These sudden rises in sea temperature can cause sea stars to become less hungry, and sometimes even die.

However, if we can work to reduce the likelihood of heatwaves occurring, sea stars will be less affected, and will continue to play a key role in ocean life!

Up next…

Flying enables people to cross huge distances in just a few hours. However, although planes make traveling very efficient, they are damaging to the environment. Burning jet fuel releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.

Now, pilots are testing a new way of landing planes that could cut the amount of fuel they use. Normally, when planes land at airports, they approach the ground in a series of steps, burning fuel at every stage.

But if pilots power down a plane’s engines and allow the plane to glide smoothly toward the runway, they use less fuel. This new way of landing not only uses far less fuel, but it also results in a smoother ride. A win for the planet, and for passengers!

And finally…

It's Animal Watch! Colorado is home to a wide range of wildlife, from bighorn sheep to bald eagles! Recently, wildlife rangers in the state placed motion sensor cameras across parkland to better understand the natural behavior of animals when undisturbed by humans. Recordings include footage of mountain lion cubs, a brood of ducklings, and a bouncing prairie dog! However, one camera took over 400 photos of a single black bear!

Nicknamed “selfie bear,” the curious visitor took a special interest in the camera, triggering it to take hundreds of close-up photos. Rangers hope the bear’s eye-catching photos will inspire the public to take more interest in usually very shy black bears.

Do you think wildlife cameras could record some interesting animal behavior near where you live?

That's all for this week. We'll see you next time!