Spotlight: Monk Seals, ‘living fossils’ of the sea

They're the oldest species of seals on the planet, believed to have been swimming Earth's waters for millions of years. And today they're the most endangered marine mammals in the world. Hawai'i's monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) are one of two mammal species endemic to the islands (the other is the Hoary Bat). Long ago, Hawaiians named these …

Today’s Gulf sea turtle – Hawksbill

As The Baltimore Sun’s Candus Thomson notes, all five species of sea turtles found in the Gulf are listed under the Endangered Species Act (this was pre-oil leak). We're looking at fast facts about these species - this week, it's the Hawksbill: Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) listed by US as a critically endangered species since 1970 …

Today’s Gulf sea turtle – Kemp’s ridley

As The Baltimore Sun's Candus Thomson notes, all five species of sea turtles found in the Gulf are listed under the Endangered Species Act (this was pre-oil leak). We're looking at fast facts about these species, starting with the most endangered: Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) the most endangered of the sea turtles the …