Coast to Coast (and everything in-between)

A colonial-era shipwreck has netted 17 tons of colonial-era gold and silver coins valued at an estimated half million dollars, which could make it the biggest find in shipwreck treasure history. Odyssey Marine Exploration, the company that excavated the treasure, has not released details about the identity of the ship, but reported that the ship was located in a well-used sea lane in the Atlantic Ocean.

A research group has reported that China’s demand for shark fins may contribute to the threat of extinction of several shark species in European waters. The Lenfest Ocean Program, author of the report, claims that the growing middle class’s demand for the luxury item may be driving the demand. When sharks are captured for their fins, fishermen catch the sharks, remove their fins, and toss the remains back into the ocean. The practice prevents researchers from getting an exact measure of how many sharks are being killed.

Two dogs displaced after Hurricane Katrina have returned to their original owners in Louisiana. The dogs, a St. Bernard and a shepherd mix, were dropped off by the Louisiana couple, Steve and Doreen Couture, at a temporary shelter before the storm hit. The couple did not immediately return for the dogs, and the pets were sent to a shelter in Pinellas County, Fla., where they were adopted by two different owners. After the Louisiana couple located their pets, the new owners originally refused to return the dogs and the Coutures brought suit. Although a trial date was set for July, the new owners decided to return the dogs and the suit has been dropped.

A 6½-foot alligator named Reggie escaped authorities in Los Angeles for over two years before being caught recently. Before his capture, Reggie provided an attraction for local residents who would watch for him to appear around the lake. The alligator was captured while he was sunning on the banks of Lake Machado and was taken to the L.A. zoo where he will be quarantined before joining other alligators. Authorities believe that Reggie was an illegal pet released into the lake.

An ancient fish has been caught off the coast of Indonesia. The captured fish, a coelacanth, was at one time thought to have gone extinct 80 million years ago. The Indonesian fisherman that caught the fish first took it to his house, and then put it in quarantine pool. The coelacanth only survived 17 hours in the quarantine pool, because the fish can not survive for very long outside of its natural habitat, which is 200 feet below the sea.