Zoologists have developed a plan to save the Yangtze River dolphin, probably the world’s most endangered mammal, from extinction.

They hope to take some dolphins from the Yangtze and rear them in a nearby lake, protected from fishermen.

The species is threatened by overfishing which removes its food, industrialisation, boat collisions, and through being caught in fishing nets.

The most recent surveys found only 17 living individuals.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Last chance for China’s dolphin

Basking sharks have been spotted swimming along the Cornish coast, attracted by the warmer seas.

Also known as the bone shark, they are the second largest fish after the whale shark and can reach a massive 36 feet in length.

But swimmers can stay in the water, as the sharks only feast on tiny marine animals and it is rare that they come so close to the shore.

Heatwave attracts Basking sharks

Yup, it’s true! As part of their “Oceans 2006: A Year of Exploring,” the Monterey Bay Aquarium is planning to add new podcasts twice each month.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Has Started Podcasting – Divester

Baby dolphins sleep while swimming around, unlike their adult counterparts who have periods of stationary rest, a team of Italian researchers has found .

The study, published in this week’s issue of the international Nature magazine, followed months of observation and data collection by experts at the Genoa Aquarium in northwest Italy .

“During their first year of life, young bottlenose dolphins sleep exclusively while swimming and, like all young mammals, have irregular sleep patterns, distributed both through the day and at night, for around 12 hours in total,” said the research team, Guido Gnone, Tiziana Moriconi and Giorgia Gambini .

ANSA.it – News in English – Baby dolphins sleep while swimming

A shark expert says there’s no reason for the public to be alarmed.

“It’s their ocean basically,” says John Naughton, Pacific islands environmental coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service. “People if they use common sense they should minimize the chances of encountering sharks.”

Recent shark attacks and sightings no cause for alarm says expert

Reporting in the June 1 issue of the journal Nature, scientists from six institutions detail how male guppies with the most colorful — and most rare — patterns are more likely than their more commonly colored counterparts to survive in the wild.

“This study provides very solid support for frequency-dependent survival,” said principal investigator Kimberly A. Hughes, an animal biologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “We found that rare color patterns of these guppies had a highly significant survival advantage.”

Underwater Times | Study: Colorful, Rare-Patterned Male Guppies Have Survival Advantage in the Wild

A rare pair of critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal twins — only the fourth set of twins ever documented — was brought to Honolulu from Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge aboard a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft early yesterday.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service are working to ensure the pups are given the best chance for survival and hope to return them to Midway Atoll, where they were born, in the fall, officials said.

Monk seal twins receive crucial care in captivity – The Honolulu Advertiser

A new type of hammerhead shark has been discovered in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, marine scientists say.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | New shark discovered in US waters

This fall, Chuck and Roz will host two separate humpback whale snorkeling excursions in beautiful Tonga. (Opportunities for diving exist on this trip to the Friendly Islands, but not in conjunction with the whales.) The trip costs $2,863 per person, and includes accommodation, meals, 5 days with the whales, and airfare from LAX all the way to Vavau, Tonga. Chuck only has space for 6 people per trip, so email him soon to reserve your spot.

Swim with Humpbacks in Tonga – Divester

The manatee, long the poster mammal of the environmental movement in Florida, lost its endangered status from the state on Wednesday.

The controversial move was the latest and biggest political win for boating and building interests, which five years ago launched a campaign against a growing array of restrictions intended to protect the lumbering sea cows.

MiamiHerald.com | 06/08/2006 | Manatees lose their status as ‘endangered’ in Fla.