(OCEANS) The things that keep most of us up at night, may have dolphins sleeping easy. But interestingly enough, our marine mammal friends might not need it. Dolphins have a unique ability to sleep with only half of their brains, keeping the other half alert while they rest. This function allows dolphins to avoid predators, and surface for air, while they remain at rest. Continue reading below in order to find out more about this interesting study. — Global Animal
(ACTIVISM) The world’s oceans may have just found their savior in the form of a 19 year-old Dutch student, Boyan Slat. At this moment, our oceans are filled with millions of tons of plastic waste. The waste from the oceans washes up on beaches all over the world, threatening countless marine species. Slat’s plan takes advantage of the ocean’s currents, collecting the debris at platforms, which then can be separated and recycled. Continue reading for more of the details on Slat’s plan and how his idea may save Earth’s precious marine life. — Global Animal
(OCEANS) Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water, it is. In truth, you should have never felt the need to get out of the water in the first place. The shark community has been forever plagued with misconceptions—most of which derive from the fact that little is actually known about them. Astonishingly, 250,000 sharks die daily at the hand of poachers. However, thanks to Dr. Neil Hammerschlag and a group of scientists, this shocking statistic could change. Hammerschlag has developed a shark tag that runs off solar power and has the ability to last for decades, which will help researchers observe sharks at a distance, and leave the animals untouched for the majority of their lives. Researchers hope to learn about sharks’ migratory patterns and nursing environments, with the ultimate goal of learning how to protect these impressive animals. Read below to take a look at Brain Lam’s remarkable first hand account of this research expedition. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL SCIENCE) It looks like Doctor Dolittle might not have been so special after all—as it turns out, animals really can talk! According to a new study, bottlenose dolphins can actually identify the vocal patterns of other dolphins familiar to them. What’s more, scientists have observed variations in these patterns that imply bottlenose dolphins may in fact be sharing additional information with one another. However, this news really comes as no surprise seeing as though dolphins are the second smartest animal in the world—second only to humans. Regardless, this level of communication between species is uncommon and could mean big news for the future understanding of animal communication. Continue reading to find out what scientists believe this could mean for the animal world. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL SCIENCE) The sea hare, a type of sea slug, possesses a weapon of smell destruction. Aquatic-dwellers tend not to mess with these molluscs, and now scientists know why. A study was conducted analyzing the sea hare’s opaline, a powerful substance the gastropod squirts at enemies conjointly with ink. Scientists tested how other marine animals reacted to the natural chemical defense, and the outcome was not pretty. Read on about the dangerous sea hare and the slug’s venomous weapon of choice. — Global Animal
(OCEANS) November 5, 2012 marked the official launch date of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s (SSCS) ninth annual Southern Ocean campaign, Operation Zero Tolerance (OZT). The extremely successful mission to stop Japanese whalers in their tracks consisted of the organization’s strongest fleet yet, including four ships—Steve Irwin, Bob Barker, Brigitte Bardot, and Sam Simon—as well as a helicopter, eight small RIB’s, three drones, and over 100 international volunteers. Now, Sea Shepherd volunteers can pack up their bags after Captain Paul Watson announced late last week that the Operation Zero Tolerance campaign has prematurely come to an end. Read on to learn more about Sea Shepherd Australia’s success in what is being coined as the most successful Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign yet. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL SCIENCE) It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…a Japanese flying squid? Scientists have now proposed an explanation for the frequent sightings of a certain type of Japanese squid “flying” over the ocean’s surface. In fact, this squid can race through the air at speeds faster than Olympic sprinter, Usain Bolt. Read more about this unique phenomenon and how these cephalopods become airborne. — Global Animal
(OCEANS) SOUTH CAROLINA — Tens of thousands of dead fish washed up dead on the Atlantic Coast last week, with approximately 30,000 to 40,000 menhaden fish, 6 to 8 inches long, spread along a mile and a half stretch of beach from DeBordieu Beach in Georgetown County to Pawleys Island in South Carolina. Similar incidents have occurred in the area before, including two weeks ago when another hundreds of thousands of fish washed ashore Masonboro Island, North Carolina. Marine experts have determined that the fish died from hypoxia, which occurs when the amount of oxygen in the water depletes. Read on to learn more about this entirely natural phenomenon and see what the city plans to do with the dead fish. — Global Animal
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