Greetings!
 Charles Vidinha, a 78 year-old man, was arrested in Kaua'i and accused of killing a pregnant Hawaiian monk seal on Pila'a Beach in May. The seal, known as RK-06, was the mother of 5 pups and was pregnant with another at the time she was shot. Vidinha was indicted August 5 on a charge of "knowingly and unlawfully taking or attempting to take" the monk seal, a violation of the Endangered Species Act. The charge is punishable by a maximum one-year prison sentence and/or a fine of $50,000.
RK-06 was the second endangered monk seal shot to death on a Kaua'i beach this year. On April 19, a 4 year-old male seal was found dead on the west side of the island. No charges have been filed in that case and its investigation continues.
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New Reefs Discovered
 On the glorious summer morning of August 6th, 2009 a group of scientists sailed out of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution on the Research Vessel Seward Johnson, the support vessel for the Johnson Sea-Link submersible, and headed for the deep water coral reefs off the coast of Florida.
During their 12-day mission, Life on the Edge, researchers explored the biodiversity, connectivity and habitat associations of the deep reef communities. During their mission they found new deep sea coral reefs and discovered several new species.
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