Image: Karen Shaw

Is Your Shrimp Glowing?
Shrimp purchased in Oregon have been reported to be glow-in-the-dark.  Apparently, this phenomenon is due to marine bacteria that can grow in cold temperatures and especially on seafood that was processed with salt.  Read the story in The Oregonian.

In Pictures:  Nature’s Ugliest Animals
Forget regal lions or majestic eagles- these are the not-so-cute and cuddly wild things.  Turns out, even scientists are more inclined to study aesthetically pleasing animals.  Learn about why, and how, we form these prejudices, and see some of the least adorable critters on the planet here.

Frog Skin vs. Germs
Scientists have been developing a weapon to combat antibiotic-resistant germs for years now, but a recent breakthrough shows that the key might lay in an unusual natural source:  secretions from frog skins.  Get the full story here.

Image: Luigi Diamanti

Breeding Changes Canine Brains
Human-controlled breeding of dogs is slowly impacting the position of the canine brain. Dogs’ sense of smell can be completely different from another’s simply due to brain position. Researchers wonder now, how new brain positions will affect dog behavior.  Get the full scoop at Science Daily.

After the Spill:  Habitat Restoration
While there aren’t as many reports and images of the toll of the recent oil spill disaster in comparison to the Exxon-Valdez disaster, birds are still suffering. Despite the clean-up efforts, birds were still largely affected regarding the recent oil spill disaster. The Audubon society’s annual Christmas bird count will hopefully provide a more accurate account of the damage. Read about it here.

Calculate Your Water Footprint
Check out this quick quiz to determine your water usage- and get tips on how to cut it down another 20%.

Insects Sense Danger on Mammals’ Breath
Some plant-dwelling insects can sense and escape from danger (in the form of a hungry herbivore) by detecting the changes in temperature and humidity that a mammal’s breath produces.  More than any other indicator such as branch or leaf shaking or shadows, these insects overwhelmingly responded to mammalian breath.  Read the story here.

Video: Cheetah Cologne?
Apparently the big cats at the Bronx Zoo have a new, er, obsession- they’re strongly drawn to the scent of Calvin Klein’s Obsession for Men.  Check out the short video below on the phenomenon.

Image: Dino De Luca

Whales in the Desert
You may not expect to find whale fossils in the deserts of Egypt or Pakistan.  However, many of these places were once underwater, and are home to the remains of ancestral whale remains millions of years old.  Click here to see pictures, including the 47-million-year-old Maiacetus, which could move on land like a sea lion.

Orangutans, Nature’s Couch Potato?
Apparently, a fully active orangutan exerts less energy than a sedentary human.  This helps explain how the creatures can live in food-scarce environments.  Read the full story here.

Renewable Energy: Looking to the Oceans
University of Hawaii scientists think we may be able to harness renewable energy driven by deep-ocean seawater’s temperature changes.  Says one researcher, “Testing that was done in the 1980s clearly demonstrates the feasibility of this technology (...) Now it’s just a matter of paying for it.”  Discover the possible process here.

Image: prozac1 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Magnetic Vision
Wonder how birds migrate?  According to researchers, they can ‘see’ the Earth’s magnetic field and use it for navigation.  Read about the discovery here.

The Voyage of the Plastiki
12,500 empty plastic bottles went into the building of the Plastiki, the world’s first catamaran made from plastic waste; it recently completed a successful Pacific crossing.  See photos of the boat and read about the trip here.

Startling Decline in Plankton
Nature recently published a report stating that the world’s population of phytoplankton has declined about 1% every year for the last century.  The tiny marine plants might not seem important, but they are the basis for marine food chains and a vital part of the ecosystem.  Read about the disturbing find at BBC News.

Parrots have proven that rhythym is not unique to humans.  This amazing- and hilarious- video is proof.

Did you know that about 73 million sharks are killed each year for their fins, used in the preparation of shark fin soup? The practice called shark-finning – catching a shark, slicing off its fins and then discarding the body at sea —is reducing the populations to dangerously low levels.

Sharks are important members of their habitats in oceans around the globe—from warm shallows to the cold, deep sea and even fresh water lakes. Sharks and their ancestors have patrolled the seas for nearly 400 million years. Today, more than half of the shark species taken in high-seas fisheries are classified as Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened.

Despite the scary animal programs you’ve seen,  only a handful of the 350 shark species pose a threat to man.

To learn more about sharks, visit The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, OR, or your local aquarium. Special note: From August 1 – 14, the Oregon Coast Aquarium plans a celebration of sharks with plenty of up close and personal experiences with these incredible creatures.

The Dainty Damselfly Returns
The whimsically named dainty damselfly has reappeared in the UK after disappearing over 50 years ago.  Possibly arriving from continental Europe, the beautiful insect is making a home again after being washed away in floods during the 1950s.  See photos and read the story here.

In Pictures: Clouded Leopard Cubs
Rare Clouded Leopards are notoriously shy and difficult to breed, but a Parisian zoo has successfully bred a small litter.  Photos of the adorable babies are now available at CBBC.