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It’s surprising that some of the largest mammals in the world would possess an organ of which humans are not aware. Well, now we are! Check out this neat blog post about how whales can handle those mouthfuls of water, and what new organ has been discovered that scientists think might help whales know when they’ve had enough.
California sea lions love fish. And now, at least three, and maybe four, of the big marine mammals this year have managed to find their way above Bonneville Dam, the lowermost hydro project on the Columbia River (146 river miles from the Pacific). The animals are believed to have passed upstream through the dam’s navigation locks. One story, though not validated, is that one sea lion was seen riding a shipping barge through the locks at the dam. Arguably more important than how they made it past the dam is why — and what the consequences are for fisheries up there. Read more here. A new study released in the May 14 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has estimated that 9% – nearly one in ten – of the mammal species in the Western Hemisphere will not be able to migrate quickly enough to outpace the changes that global warming will effect on them and their habitats. The paper was authored by Carrie Schloss and Tristan Nunez, former grad students in SEFS, and their advisor Josh Lawler. Read more here.
Closer to home, Sisikyou County officials decided not to ban wolves in that part of California. This decision was prompted by the travels of the wolf known as OR-7, who left northeastern Oregon last year and has traveled more than 1,000 miles. Its quest has taken it into Northern California and back, and the first picture of OR-7 was taken this week in Modoc County. A new study in Biology Letters has found that at least one insect has found a use for the increasing abundance of plastic in the ocean — as a place to lay eggs. The increase in abundance of this insect, and the potential effects on plankton, crabs, and other community members, is uncertain. OCEAN‘s Giora Proskurowski is quoted. Read more here.
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The preliminary conclusion of an independent panel of seven U.S. and Canadian scientists is that human fishing of chinook salmon is probably not depriving orcas of their meals, at least not as much as we had thought. SAFS’ Ray Hilborn was chair of the panel; read more 
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