http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/dolphins_and_whales/ Whales and dolphins. Whale songs, beaching, endangered status -- current research news on all cetaceans. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/dolphins_and_whales/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109194741.htm It sounds like a classic horror story -- eyeless, mouthless worms lurk in the dark, settling onto dead animals and sending out green "roots" to devour their bones. In fact, such worms do exist in the deep sea. They were first discovered in 2002 by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, who were using a robot submarine to explore Monterey Canyon. But that wasn't the end of the story. After "planting" several dead whales on the seafloor, a team of biologists recently announced that as many as 15 different species of boneworms may live in Monterey Bay alone. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109194741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026132930.htm What do a West African drummer and a sperm whale have in common? According to some reports, they can both spot rhythms in the chatter of an ocean crowded with the calls of marine mammals -- a feat impossible for the untrained human ear. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026132930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830104316.htm Group B Streptococcus is a versatile pathogen that affects a variety of animals. Now studies are revealing new information about this pathogen. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830104316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013201754.htm After 15 years of research in the waters of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, scientists have unveiled the largest genetic study of humpback whale populations ever conducted in the Southern Hemisphere. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013201754.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924185533.htm A comprehensive study that builds on previous phylogenetic research on cetaceans and that combines morphology, genetics, and behavior confirms that the closest living relative is the hippo and demonstrates that the closest fossil relative is Indohyus. These evolutionary relationships imply that stem whales adapted to water first, and then to carnivory. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924185533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921091601.htm When a whale dies, it sinks to the seafloor and becomes food for an entire ecosystem. Researchers have discovered previously unknown species that feed only on dead whales -- and have used DNA technology to show that the species diversity in our oceans may be higher than previously thought. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921091601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074523.htm It is now generally accepted that the bowhead whale is the longest lived mammal on the planet, with a lifespan of over 200 years. But that it can sing with "more than one voice" and that it changes its repertoire from year to year is news. This behavior is unique among baleen whales and is a newly discovered phenomenon. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074523.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730073915.htm Two researchers have shown for the first time that the law of brevity in human language, according to which the most frequently-used words tend to be the shortest, also extends to other animal species. The scientists have shown that dolphins are more likely to make simpler movements at the water surface. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730073915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623120846.htm Scientists are warning that a new form of unregulated whaling has emerged along the coastlines of Japan and South Korea, where the commercial sale of whales killed as fisheries "bycatch" is threatening coastal stocks of minke whales and other protected species. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623120846.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626091127.htm Dolphins are supremely agile swimmers, but it wasn't clear how their fins help them maneuver though water. Building scale models of whale and dolphins' fins, a team of US scientists has found that some dolphins' fins work just like delta wing aircraft. Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626091127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624102255.htm While cancer touches the lives of many humans, it is also a major threat to wild animal populations as well, according to a recent study. A new article compiles information on cancer in wildlife and suggests that cancer poses a conservation threat to certain species. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624102255.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619082131.htm The governments of Norway and Japan are using taxpayer money to subsidize their unprofitable whaling industries, according to a first-time analysis of the economics of whaling. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619082131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609132412.htm Using a system of underwater hydrophones that can record sounds from hundreds of miles away, scientists have documented the presence of endangered North Atlantic right whales in an area they were thought to be locally extinct. Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609132412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605110420.htm The skeleton of a whale that died around 10,000 years ago has been found in connection with the extension of the E6 motorway in Strömstad. The whale bones are now being examined by researchers who, among other things, want to ascertain whether the find is the mystical "Swedenborg whale". Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605110420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529211633.htm For the very first time in New York coastal waters, the voices of singing blue whales have been positively identified. Acoustic experts confirmed that the voice of a singing blue whale was tracked about 70 miles off of Long Island and New York City on Jan. 10-11, 2009, as the whale swam slowly from east to west. At the same time, a second blue whale was heard singing offshore in the far distance. Sat, 30 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529211633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521171441.htm A marine mammal videotaped stealing fish provides information about animal's physical features. Sun, 24 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521171441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511140953.htm Scientists have documented the first known migration of blue whales from the coast of California to areas off British Columbia and the Gulf of Alaska since the end of commercial whaling in 1965. Tue, 12 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511140953.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501090908.htm Even when a dolphin sleeps, half of its brain remains conscious. Knowing this, biologists wondered whether dolphins tire of keeping an eye on things. Monitoring for physical signs of sleep deprivation, researchers tested dolphins' reactions to visual and sound stimuli over a five-day period, and found that the animals were as sharp after five days as they had been at the beginning. Sun, 03 May 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501090908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090428171006.htm A limestone countertop, a practiced eye and Google Earth all played roles in the discovery of a trove of fossils that may shed light on the origins of African wildlife. Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090428171006.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090407145159.htm Biologists used DNA tagging to show that whale sharks -- the world's largest fish -- show little genetic variation across widely separated tropical oceans, underscoring the need for wider protection against over-fishing. Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090407145159.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401184832.htm Biologists have discovered a huge population of rare dolphins in South Asia --- but they warn that the population is threatened by climate change and fishing nets. Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401184832.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318153803.htm Hippos spend lots of time in the water and now it turns out (or researchers argue), they are the closest living relative to whales. It also turns out, the two are swimming in a bit of controversy. Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318153803.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090311180335.htm For the first time ever, rescuers used a new sedation delivery system to help free an entangled North Atlantic right whale. This is the first time in worldwide history a free-swimming large whale was successfully sedated in the wild. Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090311180335.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090209075718.htm Biologists have discovered that young right whales learn from their mothers where to eat, raising concern about their ability to find new places to feed if Earth's changing climate disrupts their traditional dining areas. Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090209075718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204085133.htm Two newly described fossil whales -- a pregnant female and a male of the same species -- reveal how primitive whales gave birth and provide new insights into how whales made the transition from land to sea. Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204085133.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090202213322.htm Killer whales nearing the menopause may be more successful in rearing their young. New research shows that estimated survival rates for calves born to these older mothers were 10 percent higher than those for other calves. Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090202213322.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090124122305.htm NOAA's Fisheries Service has issued regulations and a letter of authorization to the U.S. Navy that includes measures to protect marine mammals while conducting Atlantic fleet active sonar training off the Atlantic coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. The regulations require the Navy to implement measures designed to protect and minimize effects to marine mammals. Sun, 25 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090124122305.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081231174309.htm A large number of North Atlantic right whales have been seen in the Gulf of Maine in recent days, leading right whale researchers to believe they have identified a wintering ground and potentially a breeding ground for this endangered species. Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081231174309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081227225829.htm Scientists recently attempted a disentanglement of a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081227225829.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217095602.htm Marine scientists have developed the world's first portable system for measuring cetacean hearing sensitivity. Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217095602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216205707.htm For years, scientists have wondered why only males of the rarely seen family of beaked whales have "tusks," since they are squid-eaters and in many of the species, these elaborately modified teeth seem to actually interfere with feeding. Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216205707.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210151154.htm Researchers have laid the groundwork for a sensory explanation for why manatees and other animals are hit repeatedly by boats. Last year, 73 manatees were killed by boats in Florida's bays and inland waterways. Marine authorities have responded to deaths from boat collisions by imposing low speed limits on boats. Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210151154.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124131336.htm Despite broad "dolphin safe" practices, fishing activities have continued to restrict the growth of at least one Pacific Ocean dolphin population, a new report has concluded. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124131336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081127074620.htm As most American families sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, a University of British Columbia researcher is revealing how one of the largest animals on earth feasts on the smallest of prey -- and at what cost. Thu, 27 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081127074620.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124131334.htm In 1936, zoologist Sir James Gray observed dolphins swimming faster than 20 mph, but his studies had concluded that the muscles of dolphins simply weren't strong enough to support that speed. The conundrum came to be known as "Gray's Paradox." For decades the puzzle prompted much speculation and conjecture in the scientific community. But now, armed with cutting-edge flow measurement technology, researchers have tackled the problem and conclusively solved Gray's Paradox. Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124131334.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081012100519.htm The fate of the world's few remaining western grey whales now rests on the outcome of appeals to Russian authorities and courts following the refusal of an oil consortium to consider alternatives to a proposal to lay an oil pipeline through a shallow lagoon crucial to the whales' food supplies. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081012100519.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081021093946.htm Spinner dolphins have long been known for their teamwork in capturing prey, but a new study using high-tech acoustics has found that their synchronization is even more complex than scientists realized and likely evolved as a strategy to maximize their energy intake. Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081021093946.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081012093255.htm NOAA officials have issued a regulation that will implement new measures to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. The regulation will, for the first time, require large ships to reduce speeds to ten knots in areas where the whales feed and reproduce, as well as along migratory routes in between. The goal of the regulation is to reduce the risk of ship collisions with the whales. Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081012093255.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006112057.htm With the U.S. Supreme Court due to review a series of lower court rulings that restrict the Navy's use of sonar in submarine detection training exercises off the coast of Southern California, George Mason University professor Chris Parsons discusses the links between mass strandings and military exercises worldwide in a paper in the Marine Pollution Bulletin. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006112057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917210028.htm The crashing of the enormous fluked tail on the surface of the ocean is a "calling card" of modern whales. Living whales have no back legs, and their front legs take the form of flippers that allow them to steer. Their special tails provide the powerful thrust necessary to move their huge bulk. Yet this has not always been the case. Now newly found fossils from Alabama and Mississippi that pinpoint where tail flukes developed in the evolution of whales. Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917210028.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916143906.htm For the first time in waters surrounding New York City, the beckoning calls of endangered fin, humpback and North Atlantic right whales have been recorded. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916143906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080830164755.htm NOAA's Fisheries Service is seeking comment on the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Ship Strike Reduction Rule, which aims to reduce the number of endangered North Atlantic right whales injured or killed by collisions with large ships. Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080830164755.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821164600.htm In recent years, there has been concern that man-made noise may be a cause of stress for dolphins, whales and other marine mammals, but the results of a five-year study show that noise pollution seems to have minimal effect on endangered sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico, say researchers from Texas A&M University who led the project and released their 323-page report today at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821164600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080808114659.htm Marine biologists have just completed a pioneering research effort in Hawaii to measure the biology and behavior of some of the most poorly understood whales on Earth. During the study, for the first time, scientists attached listening and movement sensors on marine mammals around realistic military operations.    Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080808114659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728221125.htm The ocean is a noisy place. Although we don't hear much when we stick our heads underwater, the right instruments can reveal a symphony of sound. The noisemakers range from the low-frequency bass tones of a fish mating ritual to the roar of a motorboat. The study of how underwater animals hear is a growing topic in marine science, especially with regards to naval sonar and whales. Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728221125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080713182700.htm The rarest marine dolphin in the world -- down to 111 individuals following decades of entanglement in fishing nets -- is now to receive protection over more of its range from the New Zealand government. The critically-endangered Maui's dolphins, living only along the west coast of New Zealand's North Island, could be functionally extinct within just 25 years largely as a result of a losing battle with fishing nets. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080713182700.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080706194253.htm A new study has revealed a disturbing rise in the number of whales, dolphins and porpoises found dead on Cornish beaches. The frequency of these mammals, collectively known as cetaceans, found stranded on beaches in Cornwall has increased with a sharp rise in the last eight years. After analyzing nearly 100 years of data, the researchers believe this could, in part, be due to more intensive fishing. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080706194253.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080707222315.htm By studying the flippers, fins and tails of whales and dolphins, scientists have discovered some features of their structure that contradict long-held engineering theories. These discoveries may have a strong impact on traditional industrial designs including wind turbines and helicopters. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080707222315.htm