“A WHALE (SHARK) OF AN ETHICAL DILEMMA” Hakai Magazine Many people admit that feeding whale sharks to attract them for tourists is ethically troubling, but most justify taking part as a guilty pleasure.
“MEET THE SQUIDWORM FROM THE TWILIGHT ZONE” Cosmos Magazine online This Cosmos’ “Image of the Day” features a previously unknown creature it describes as ‘having tentacles on its head and rows of bundled spines on its body that paddle like oars of a Roman galley.” Cosmos focuses on the photo. The Encyclopedia of Life identifies it as Teuthidodrilus samae, a marine polychaete worm.
“SEA TURTLES USE MAGNETIC FIELDS TO FIND THEIR BIRTHPLACE BEACHES” New York Times Researchers have found that the Earth’s magnetic fields, not a sense of geography, help sea turtles return to beaches close to where they were born.
“HOW TO PUT AN OCTOPUS TO SLEEP – AND MAKE CEPHALOPOD RESEARCH MUCH MORE HUMANE” Science News Feed Scientists have worked to develop techniques to ensure that octopuses and squids can be sedated so that they don’t feel pain during research.
“‘ROPELESS’ CONSORTIUM AIMS TO END ENTANGLEMENTS OF ENDANGERED NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES” Mongabay Engineers, scientists, conservationists and fishers are working to develop “ropeless” fishing gear to get rid of long lines that connect to traps, pots and nets (A study found that 83 percent of the whales bear scars from such lines).