For the last 50 years, scientists have used ultrasonic transmitters, known as pingers, to study the behavior of marine organisms. They’ve been used on many species including sharks and rays, bony fishes and invertebrates – and have become an important tool in the discovery of the movements and life history of these species. But the big mystery has always been, can marine mammals hear these signals?

The Asian Pangolin tops a list that no animal wants to be on – the list of the most heavily traded species in the illegal wildlife trade. Although the rescue, rehabilitation and placement of these unique animals has made significant progress in recent years, there is still plenty of room for improvement.

When you think of the California coast you naturally think of its beautiful beaches and abundant sea-life – but one coastal creature is in need of a helping hand. For centuries, abalone has played an important ecological and cultural role in the area, but todaysome abalone species have decreased by as much as 99.9 percent! This makes abalone the first California marine invertebrate ever protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund was designed to offer funds, knowledge and assistance to wildlife conservation efforts across the globe. We believe that by sharing resources and information, we can protect and preserve the world’s most precious resources – its wildlife and wild places. This is rewarding work, and nowhere was this more evident than in the case of Chhouk, the baby elephant.

Today (March 17, 2012) is the one-year anniversary of Clover, a female southern sea otter. Clover's story began in late 2010 when she was rescued and brought to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. At that time, Clover was a young, wild otter that stranded due to illness. Veterinarians examined and treated her for several months and deemed her unable to return to the ocean, due to her need for long term care. Clover arrived at SeaWorld San Diego at about 5 months old on St. Patrick's Day, hence the name Clover.

The African penguin is in trouble. Populations of these rare birds have dropped a whopping 90 percent since the beginning of the 20^th Century.

Dermot Mulroney recently made about 300 new feathery friends at SeaWorld San Diego! During a behind-the-scenes tour at the park’s Penguin Encounter, the film actor met, among others, "King Tut, a king penguin who lives with four other species in their chilly 25-degree habitat.

Cameroon is one of the last places on earth still home to wild gorillas and chimpanzees. Sadly, much of the local population is unaware of this rich biodiversity and has never even seen a live gorilla. This lack of knowledge and appreciation makes achieving conservation action in the area a great challenge. Luckily, an organization called Ape Action Africa is focusing its efforts on bringing gorillas and chimpanzees back from the brink of extinction.

To kick off 2012 and get you excited for the opening of TurtleTrek at SeaWorld Orlando this spring, we wanted to focus on turtles for this week’s Species Spotlight. A one-of-a-kind 3-D/360-degree movie is only part of TurtleTrek’s allure.