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Genetic analysis and a close examination of the skulls from a group of baleen whales in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico have revealed that they are a new species.
“I was surprised that there could be an unrecognized species of whale out there, especially in our backyard,” says Lynsey Wilcox, a geneticist with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who helped uncover the new species. “I never imagined I would be describing a new species in my career, so it is a very exciting discovery.”
The newly described whales weren’t exactly hiding in plain sight. With a population estimated at fewer than 100, the new whales which researchers have dubbed Rice’s whales after American biologist Dale Rice aren’t commonly seen even in the corner of the Gulf of Mexico they call home. It doesn’t help that the whales, previously believed to be a population of Bryde’s whales, have a feeding strategy that takes them deep under the water around DeSoto C
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Empty seas: Oceanic shark populations have declined 71% since 1970 By CHRISTINA LARSON, Associated Press
Published: February 2, 2021, 6:00am
Share: In a study published Jan. 27, researchers found the abundance of oceanic sharks, like this shortfin mako shark, and rays has dropped more than 70 percent between 1970 and 2018. (Greg Skomal)
WASHINGTON When marine biologist Stuart Sandin talks about sharks, it sounds like he’s describing Jedis of the ocean. “They are terrific predators, fast swimmers and they have amazing senses they can detect any disturbance in the ocean from great distance,” such as smells or tiny changes in water currents.
Their ability to quickly sense anything outside the norm in their environment helps them find prey in the vastness of the open ocean. But it also makes them especially vulnerable in the face of increased international fishing pressure, as global fishing fleets have doubled since 1950.
Kawasaki Disease is not a Homogenous Disease nor are its Triggers
News release
Researchers at University of California San Diego report that while Kawasaki disease (KD) occurs in clusters, the traits, and thus the triggers of the inflammatory disease vary among clusters. The findings are published in the September 2020 online issue of
UC San Diego is internationally recognized for interdisciplinary research that positively impacts the lives of patients. Photo credit: Erik Jepsen, UCPA
“The importance of this work is that it will take research on Kawasaki disease in a completely different direction. We now have firm evidence that there are different triggers for Kawasaki disease, which suggests slightly different genetic susceptibilities,” said Jane C. Burns, MD, a pediatrician at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and director of the Kawasaki Disease Research Center at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “Over four decades of research, we have been lumping all these