A new paper in the journal Endangered Species Research shows that the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar has emerged as a hot spot for whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). By using the global sightings database, Wildbook for Whale Shark researchers have identified 85 individual sharks, which do not seem to have come from other feeding areas in the Indian Ocean.

Continue Reading

Dolphin sightings in the Chesapeake Bay have been on the rise in the past few years, increasing from a sighting here and there to sightings of large pods daily. Dolphins were once regular inhabitants of the bay, but steadily decreased as pollution increased in the 20th century. Now that the water is cleaner than years past, submerged aquatic vegetation has rebounded, and fisheries are recovering, it has become the inviting space it once was for dolphin. Researchers have set up a website to track dolphin sightings. Through the website data they receive, it is estimated that there are thousands of dolphins residing in the bay during the warmer months.

Continue Reading

During the recent NOAA expedition aboard the Okeanos, the scientific team discovered a hidden coral bed of bamboo coral 7,500 feet beneath the surface. The 23-day expedition was aboard the only federally funded vessel devoted entirely to oceanic research. NOAA estimates that the coral structures are up to 1,000 years old.

Continue Reading

In a newly published study, scientists have shown that shark may prefer the regular beat of jazz music over classical music. Experts have long hypothesized that sharks associated the noise of a boat’s engine with food after many years of being fed. In this study, scientists trained port jackson sharks to follow music played at one end of a fish tank for a food reward. The results of the study illustrate a lot about what sharks are capable of.

Continue Reading