1. It was clear the auklet samples kept mosquitoes away. "They soon give up trying to land and rest on the side of the cage, " Douglas said.

2. When the Auklet arrived at our second site, a female lingcod with tag number 28781 obligingly swam by and announced her presence with a ping.

3. Clues to the crested auklet's unique ability to repel mosquitoes and pests like ticks and lice was apparent the first time Douglas encountered the creature, one of four auklet species in Alaska.

4. To test his theory, he went into the laboratory with a few auklet feathers. An analysis showed him the chemicals that make up the auklet's "odorant."

5. The team found that populations of seabird species the eagles had historically preyed on, such as Brandt's cormorant and Cassin's auklet, are now greatly reduced on the islands.

6. Naturally, Stolzenburg says, scientists are concerned about the long-term impact the rats might have on the auklet population.