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BOB HIRSHON (host):
Globe-trotting sharks. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Protecting endangered species is especially difficult when they roam all over the world. Scientists have recently discovered that Great White Sharks range over thousands of miles of ocean. In fact, one female, nicknamed Nicole, took off on a jaunt from South Africa all the way to Australia and back. That’s a journey of about 14,000 miles. She swam much of the way near the surface, and the researchers speculate that she used the stars and other celestial objects to guide her.
In other shark news, scientists used satellite tracking to monitor the movements of salmon sharks in the Alaskan fjords. They discovered that some spend their winters down in the tropics, while others remain in Alaska. Part of the research seeks to understand proteins that keep the shark’s hearts functioning in cold, subarctic waters. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.