Shalom All, We would like to bring to your attention that in the past 10 years, IMMRAC -Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center, has collected in its tissue bank 7 samples of rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) from the Mediterranean Israeli coastline. The species is considered rare in the Mediterranean as a whole and seemingly has a relatively high sighting rate in the Levantine Basin An interesting option is that individuals sighted here are Lessepsian (through the Suez Canal) migrants from Red Sea populations with Indian Ocean origin. We would like to examine this possibility using molecular analysis. So far we have samples from the East Mediterranean and from the East Atlantic Ocean (Canary Is.) and are therefore eager to contact laboratories which have access to samples from the West Mediterranean and Red Sea/Indian Ocean. Co-authorship on ensuing publications would be offered to providers of a substantial contribution. Any cooperation or suggestions would be appreciated. Aviad Scheinin and Dan Kerem Contact e-mail: scheinin@013.net.il IMMRAC - Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance center __________________________________________________________________ Aviad Scheinin, Ph.D <mailto:scheinin@research.haifa.ac.il> scheinin@013.net.il <http://immrac.haifa.ac.il/> http://immrac.haifa.ac.il/ Chairman, IMMRAC - Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance center ECS council member Home address: Tirat Shalom, P.B. 1356, Nes-Ziona 74052, Israel Tel 972-8-9406584 Mobile 052-3571193 __________________________________________________________________