Rare Whale Discovered in Pacific

Scientists have discovered a rare new whale species within the waters stretching from Japan to Aleutian islands in Alaska. The new discovery shows just how much of the ocean is still yet to be explored and studied by humans. The new species which has not yet be named is approximately twenty four feet long as an adult. It has a slight different head shape and location of its dorsal fin as a Baird whale or the Arnoux beaked whale which are all in the genus and closely related. 

The new found whale has not been seen or found alive. All of the specimens have either washed ashore or been caught by Japanese fishermen. Further research needs to be done to find a common ancestor between the rare whale and the Arnoux beaked whale. Now that the whale has been discovered scientist can work together to protect it.

Hellbender Salamanders Will Thrive Once Again

The Eastern Hellbender is the largest salamander in North America and are a threatened species. Unfortunetly, they are not very pretty looking. They have mucus covered skin, short legs, and beady eyes. Members of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium reared 255 salamanders from eggs to young adults and will be released into the streams of Ohio during the second week of August in an attempt to restore their threatened populations.

The eastern hellbenders used to be abundent throughout the streams of the Appalachian Mountains, from New York to Missouri, down to Georgia. However, for the past half century, habitat loss, dams and pollution have been diminishing the population which landed them on the species list of special concern in 1983. Scientists have noticed in the past three decades, the species has declined 82% in Ohio. They are worried the species won't survive in the wild because they are struggling to reproduce. What is making the struggle more difficult is water pollution. Siltation is separating larvae from their homes making it difficult for them to develop into adult salamanders.

The members of the project in Ohio hope to release salamanders into the wild annually in an effort the scratch the species of the species of special concern list.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/science/hellbenders-salamanders.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fearth&action=click&contentCollection=earth&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

http://www.nature.org/newsfeatures/specialfeatures/animals/amphibians/hellbender-salamander-facts.xml

Until recently the well known Zika virus was only being contracted (directly from mosquito's) outside of the United States.Zika is spread mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. Unfortunately this is not the case anymore. The amount of people bite by Zika carrying mosquito's has surged in the last couple of weeks in Miami, Florida. The total rate of infection now at an astounding 14 people. Despite Miami's efforts to spray insecticides the mosquito's do not seem to be dying, this could be because of breeding in obscure places or not being harmed by the type of insecticide used.

picture from : http://wncn.com/2016/02/19/1st-case-of-zika-virus-confirmed-in-nc/

Fortunately for Florida, Zika unlike west nile does not house the disease in animals. Zika is a very real threat to the health and well being of future generations. Unfortunately i believe that we do not even know the extent to which Zika effects fetus' as well as the mother and therefore scientist and doctors truly need to devote time to stopping this virus from spreading even more.

https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/science-ticker/zika-carrying-mosquitoes-eluding-control-efforts-miami

Birds and Humans Working Together for Honey

Researchers have discovered that African hunter-gatherers are receiving a helping hand in the quest for honey.  Greater Honeyguides not only respond to human calls from various geographical groups but assist them in locating honey-rich bees nests.  The birds receive the wax from the bees' nests as a reward for helping the humans.  This relationship works perfectly as the humans need a better way of tracking down the nests and the birds need access to the wax.

"The new study provides the first solid evidence of two-way, collaborative communication between humans and a nonhuman animal in the wild."

The humans have various calls for the birds, including a loud trill followed by a grunt to a whistling sound.  The birds respond with a chattering sound announcing their arrival.  The current question at hand is how this relationship came to be.  It is possible that this hunting relationship has been going on for over 1 million years.  Researchers aim to learn if this behavior is observed and learned by young Greater Honeyguides from their parents.

http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/how-a-wild-bird-leads-people-to-honey

Nobel Laureates Take a Stand for GMOs

110 of the world's 300 living Nobel Laureates recently signed a letter directed at the global NGO Greenpeace demanding that the group backdown on their stance against genetically modified organisms (GMO). The letter was prompted because Greenpeace has continually blocked the introduction of a genetically engineered (GE) strain of rice called "Golden Rice" that could vastly reduce the number of Vitamin-A deficiencies (VAD) in the developing world.

According to the World Health Organization, VAD impacts an estimated 250 million people worldwide by compromising a person's immune system, resulting in blindness or death. Its' greatest impact can be seen on the poorest people of Africa and Southeast Asia. UNICEF statistics suggest that one to two million preventable deaths occur globally each year as a result of VAD, especially among infants and children. Golden Rice contains higher levels of Vitamin-A than normal strains of rice, and could therefore help combat the deficiencies, as those most affected consume rice as the mainstay of their diet.

Nobel laureate Randy Schekman, a cell biologist at UC Berkeley stated:

“I find it surprising that groups that are very supportive of science when it comes to global climate change, or even, for the most part, in the appreciation of the value of vaccination in preventing human disease, yet can be so dismissive of the general views of scientists when it comes to something as important as the world’s agricultural future.”

Most scientists believe that gene editing in a laboratory is no different and poses no greater threat to humans than selective breeding that has gone on for centuries. Additionally, GE plants can reduce the need for pesticides on crops (among other advantages), providing health and ecological benefits.

Greenpeace responded to the letter through their Southeast Asia campaigners, countering with the argument that:

“Corporations are overhyping ‘Golden’ Rice to pave the way for global approval of other more profitable genetically engineered crops. This costly experiment has failed to produce results for the last 20 years and diverted attention from methods that already work. Rather than invest in this overpriced public relations exercise, we need to address malnutrition through a more diverse diet, equitable access to food and eco-agriculture.”

Obviously, the debate between scientists and activists over GMOs is not a new phenomenon, nor does it appear that this letter will persuade GMO opponents to end their fight.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/06/29/more-than-100-nobel-laureates-take-on-greenpeace-over-gmo-stance/

The ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ Helped Scientists Discover a New Gene Tied to A.L.S.

The Ice Bucket Challenge helped raise $115 million dollars two summers ago for the A.L.S. Association.  These fund were divided into different part such as, 67% went to the research, 20% to patient and community services, 9% to public and professional education, 2% to fund raisers, and another 2% to payment fees. Researchers have discovered a new gene by the name of NEK1 that contributed to the disease A.L.S., which shows about 3% of A.L.S. cases were affected.  According to the vice president of communication and development for the A.L.S. Association, "Treatment won't be limited".





http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/health/the-ice-bucket-challenge-helped-scientists-discover-a-new-gene-tied-to-als.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=5&pgtype=sectionfront

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ice-bucket-challenge-funds-discovery-gene-linked-als-article-1.2726954

Kemp's Ridleys Racing Towards Survival

About 70 years ago, a Mexican Engineer named Andres Herrera came across a beach in Northeastern Mexico that were filled with Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Kemp's ridley sea turtles are the smallest, rarest, and endangered species of sea turtles. Herrera shot footage of the 40,000 turtle nesting on the beach that day. By the time scientists saw that footage, the number of Kemp's ridley sea turtles have plummeted. These turtles are targeted by poachers because of the fact that their eggs are viewed as prized aphrodisiacs. Herrera's film sparked an international movement to increase number of Kemp's ridleys. A major part of these turtle's recovery can be accredited to the National Park Service's Padre Island National Seashore. It is also know as the largest nesting site for Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Their workers work hard to collect and incubate eggs they find. When they hatch, they are released into the ocean as soon as possible. Even though they are still endangered, the number of Kemp's ridleys are fortunately increasing.




http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/07/28/science/kemps-ridleys-sea-turtles-padre-island.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=sectionfront



http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=kemps-ridley