The paper described and linked below was written by Dr. John Jett, visiting research professor at Stetson University in Florida, and Dr. Jeffrey Ventre, a physician in New Orleans, LA. Both are former trainers at SeaWorld in Orlando. The paper was written to help explain the tragic death of two trainers in the past year and prevent further incidents. The authors plan to produce a version of the paper for peer review and publication in the near future, but time constraints in regard to upcoming events required that it be made public now. There is some new information here that may be of interest to marmam readers. Some of the major themes include the precursors and symptoms of stresses in orcas in captivity, shortened longevity, breeding of young mothers, severe tooth damage found in many captives and associated systemic illnesses, inbreeding, and the social tensions that erupt in hostile behavior or violence toward other whales or trainers. Ventre and Jett provide detailed observations and statistical calculations that add up to an abundance of evidence that captivity tends to lead to early death in orcas, and that stresses, social tensions and poor health are chronic issues in marine park facilities. A statistic is compiled called "Mean Duration of Captivity" (MDC), drawn from diverse credible sources, that allow overall comparisons with free-ranging orcas, revealing low average longevity in captivity. The authors discuss how the conditions of captivity relate to the two trainer deaths, and arrive at suggested mitigations. Ventre and Jett have kept their focus on the evidence, on what's happening to the orcas, a key element that is seldom seen in the controversies over orca captivity. "Keto & Tilikum Express the Stress of Orca Captivity" is available at The Orca Project at: <http://theorcaproject.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/keto-tilikum-express-stress- of-orca-captivity/> http://theorcaproject.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/keto-tilikum-express-stress-o f-orca-captivity/ with appendices, original documents, and links to related postings. Howard Garrett