Novel bacteria discovered in Florida's stranded pygmy sperm whales

Pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps) are among the ocean's most enigmatic inhabitants—rarely seen and largely unstudied. They live far offshore in small groups, diving in search of squid and fish. Their quiet behavior and elusive nature have made it difficult to study them in the wild. Pygmy sperm whales are rarely encountered free-swimming. Most scientific knowledge about them has come from stranded individuals—especially along the southeastern coast of the United States, where these whales strand more frequently than nearly any other large marine mammal species.