************************************************************** Net Happenings - From Educational CyberPlayGround ************************************************************** From: "David P. Dillard" ?jwne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx? Sent: Wed, 7 May 2003 11:01:06 -0400 (EDT) This news release may be of interest to some members of this discussion group: --------------------- Tue May 6 10:03:48 2003 Pacific Time UC Davis, State Wildlife Agency Identify Troubling Trends in Sea Otter Deaths ?http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/spew4th.pl?ascribeid= 20030506.095607?time=10%2004%20PDT?year=2003?public=1? DAVIS, Calif., May 6 (AScribe Newswire) -- A new University of California, Davis analysis finds that adult sea otters in California in 1998-2001 died in unusually high numbers from newly recognized diseases and in geographic clusters -- all of which suggest that their coastal environment may be so substantially altered that the species could be in jeopardy. The findings are particularly worrisome in the wake of last week's report that a startling 100 southern sea otters have washed up dead on California beaches since January -- 100 deaths in a population that has been falling overall since 1995 and now stands at about 2,000. The new analysis, done in collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Game, does not include those 100 otters, but its findings may help researchers understand their deaths. "We are very concerned that the otters are dying so frequently of diseases. This indicates that the ecosystem is very unhealthy," said wildlife epidemiologist Jonna Mazet, director of the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center and leader of the campus' longstanding otter-research programs. The new study identifies the most important causes of otter deaths in California and determines where otters are most at risk. It reviews 105 deaths of southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) -- all the beached carcasses found in California from February 1998 through June 2001, the most recent period for which complete data are available. ********************************************************************* WHAT DOES ANY NORMAL PERSON NEED TO KNOW? Educational CyberPlayGround <http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/> A learning site that celebrates diversity in students' background while highlighting the variety in students' preferred approaches to learning. The site provides opportunities for parents, teachers, and librarians, even with limited online experience, to learn how to use the World Wide Web to provide more effective teaching. ********************************************************************* ------------------------ Full Story May be Read at the URL Above. Sincerely, David Dillard Research Librarian david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ECP RingLeader http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/davidd.html Temple University (215) 204 - 4584 jwne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> EDUCATIONAL CYBERPLAYGROUND http://www.edu-cyberpg.com <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<> ADVERTISE REACH THE EDUCATION MARKET GET FREE EDUCATION VENDOR DIRECTORY LISTING http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Directory/default.asp Net Happenings,K12 Newsletters, Network Newsletters, New-list http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/index.html HOT LIST OF SCHOOLS ONLINE http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Schools/default.asp SERVICES http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/PS/Home_Products.html <>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>