Cuban Marine Life

By Perucho Ochoa

Cuban and Spanish Scientists from the Cuban Oceanology Institute and the Spanish University of Oviedo respectively will broaden their research on the Cuban seabed. One of the areas with the largest bio-diversity in Cuba - Peninsula of Guanahacabibes - has been selected to start the project which will then extend to other areas such as Cienaga de Zapata and Jardines de La Reina also rich in marine species.

Jesus Ortega a Spanish Biologist and Professor of the University of Oviedo in an interview conducted by Prensa Latina affirmed that they will keep researching on the west of Cuba where around 700 species are still pending for classification. So far in the area 50 specimens have been acknowledged as new species.

One of the most significant discoveries in the region is the striking Emiliotia Inmaculatus (tiny mollusck with semi-transparent shell) and the Cubalaskeya Machoi both found at Cueva Pedro( undersea cavern almost 33 meters under sea level).

Not surprisingly a strong similarity has been found between mollusks found in the Bahamas and South Florida Keys and the species found in the Guanahacabibes Peninsula in the western part of Cuba.

Peninsula de Guanahacabibes, rich in Flora and Fauna, has been declared Protected Area of The Biosphere in the late 1980 and the least human interaction can be found in this region which has been accountable for the documentation of 50 percent of all mollusk species found in Cuba.

This is a part of Cuba with a shocking wonderful natural wealth, with an enormous species variety still to determine said Cuban ecologist Jose Espinosa, and continued - Cuba might be a centre for plankton larvae that could favour the most needed healing the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean sea.

Maria La Gorda is the only tourist resort that can be found in the vicinity of peninsula de Guanahacabibes and it is very popular amongst snorkellers, divers, oceanologists and holiday makers in general. - 30297

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Book Review: Spartan Gold

By Britt Hellman

Spartan Gold is the first in a new series by New York Times bestseller Clive Cussler in cooperation with action novel writer Grant Blackwood.

Referred to as "Fargo Adventures," the new series is, as the name suggests, based on the adventures of the Fargos, a married couple by the names of Sam and Remi.

Independently wealthy, the Fargos have devoted their lives to their obsessive passion for archeological treasure hunting, and they do not shy away from any obstacles to find what they are looking for.

While this new series features a new set of characters and a different venue - archeology - the typical Clive Cussler calling cards that we have come to expect still remain: Exotic foods and drinks, rare collectors' vehicles, and a lot of action taking place in water, above or below the surface.

Spartan Gold follows Sam and Remi on the trail of Napoleon Bonaparte and twelve bottles from his legendary lost wine cellar, each with a clue written in code on the back of the label.

Of course there are also adversaries to be faced and dealt with. A former Soviet freedom fighter turned mafia billionaire sends his hired hooligans to interfere with the Fargos' investigation, several times imperiling their very lives.

At the end of the trail await two ancient Greek statues of pure gold, which were looted from Greece by Persian conqueror Xerxes the Great. Bondaruk has discovered through genealogy research that he is a direct descendant of Xerxes, and believes the treasure is his rightful inheritance, never mind that is was stolen from Greece.

The trail laid out by Napoleon through the wine-bottle riddles leads Sam and Remi Fargo from a German WWII submarine in Maryland to Rum Key in the Bahamas and through many European countries, including Germany, Monaco, Italy, Croatia and Ukraine.

In the end, Spartan Gold is a solidly written treasure hunting action novel in the spirit of The Da Vinci Code, and also a distinctly Cusslerian novel undoubtedly destined for a top-spot on the New York Times best-seller list. - 30297

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