Dr. Dan Cannon, Associate Professor of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, recently received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Cannon and his five collaborators (Drs. Michael Tift—University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Jane Khudyakov—National Marine Mammal Foundation, Jay Storz—University of Nebraska, Ellen Breen—University of California, San Diego, and Daniel Crocker—California State University Sonoma) are investigating how carbon monoxide may regulate oxygen transport and provide protection for marine mammals. While typically thought of as a toxic gas, carbon monoxide is beneficial in low doses. In some diving marine mammals, the concentration of endogenous carbon monoxide is surprisingly high and Dr. Cannon and his collaborators suspect they use this to their advantage for protection against hypoxia during deep dives.