A daily swim with dolphins may help treat depression. Researchers at the University of Leicester in England have found that people who spent about 60 minutes a day swimming and snorkeling with dolphins experienced fewer symptoms of depression than those who did not.

The study was held for two weeks off the coast of Honduras and the subjects were asked to stop taking their anti-depression medication before spending time with the dolphins. Three months later the participants still reported improvement in their symptoms.

Waking up to the noise of a jackhammer next door is no way to start the day—and the same is true if your home is in the ocean. But fish, whales, dolphins, and other animals that live in the sea can, just like us, become deeply stressed by loud noises. A new study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that “intense underwater sound” from oil and gas exploration, military sonar, and other human activity is bad news for marine life. And the oceans are becoming an increasingly deafening place to live.

There’s a great little article in last week’s New York Times, Down For The Count which overviews recent scientific research on sleep.

“Sleep has attracted a tremendous amount of attention in science, but we really don’t know what sleep is.”