- "They include animals such as cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), sea otters and polar bears."
Study of marine mammals, including their biology, behavior, and conservation status.
Marine Mammal Taxonomy: The study of the classification, naming and categorizing of marine mammals based on physical characteristics, behavior and evolutionary history.
Marine Mammal Anatomy: The study of the physical structures, form and function of the bodies of marine mammals.
Marine Mammal Physiology: The study of the life processes and functions of marine mammal bodies and how they are adapted to living in marine environments.
Marine Mammal Behavior: The study of the actions and reactions of marine mammals in response to their environment, other animals and humans.
Marine Mammal Communication: The study of the various ways in which marine mammals communicate with each other and how they perceive and respond to sounds and signals.
Marine Mammal Ecology: The study of the interactions between marine mammals and their environment, including their feeding habits, migration patterns and the effects of climate change.
Marine Mammal Conservation: The study of the protection and preservation of marine mammals and their habitats, including efforts to prevent extinction, reduce human impacts, and mitigate the effects of pollution and climate change.
Marine Mammal Fisheries: The study of the impact of fishing and commercial activities on marine mammal populations, and efforts to promote sustainable fishing practices that minimize harm to these animals.
Marine Mammal Evolution: The study of the history and evolution of marine mammals, including their origins, adaptations and diversification over time.
Marine Mammal Biogeography: The study of the distribution and migration patterns of marine mammals around the world, including the factors that influence their movement and the barriers that limit it.
Marine Mammal Nutrition: The study of the dietary habits of marine mammals, including the types of food they consume, how they acquire it, and how it affects their health and survival.
Marine Mammal Health: The study of the diseases and health issues that affect marine mammals, including the factors that contribute to these conditions, and strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Marine Mammal Migration: The study of the seasonal movements of marine mammals, including the distances they travel and the environmental factors that influence their patterns of migration.
Marine Mammal Population Dynamics: The study of the size, structure, and growth rates of marine mammal populations, including the factors that influence their distribution and abundance, and the threats they face.
Marine Mammal Habitat: The study of the physical and ecological features of the marine habitats that are essential to the survival of marine mammals, including the role of habitat selection in their ecological success.
Marine Mammal Artificial Disruption: The study of the impact of human activities on marine mammals, including noise pollution, oil spills and other environmental disruptions.
Whales: Large, intelligent marine mammals that are typically found in all oceanic waters. They are divided into two groups: baleen whales and toothed whales.
Dolphins: Cetaceans with a slender body and a long, pointed snout. They are highly intelligent and are known for their playful behavior.
Porpoises: Small cetaceans that are closely related to dolphins. They have a small, rounded head and a short snout, and are typically found in colder waters.
Seals: Pinnipeds that are found in both the Arctic and Antarctic. They have flippers for limbs and a streamlined body for swimming.
Sea lions: Pinnipeds that are found in the Pacific Ocean. They have external ear flaps and a longer snout than seals.
Walruses: Pinnipeds that are found in the Arctic. They have long tusks and flippers for limbs, and use their tusks to break through ice to access their prey.
Polar bears: Large predators that are found in the Arctic. They are well adapted to hunting marine mammals, such as seals.
Otters: Carnivorous mammals that are found in coastal waters. They have a streamlined body and use their dense fur to stay warm in cold waters.
Manatees: Large, aquatic mammals that are found in warm waters. They have a rounded body and no dorsal fin, and are sometimes referred to as "sea cows.".
Dugongs: Similar to manatees, dugongs are also large, aquatic mammals that are found in warm waters. They have a rounded body and a small dorsal ridge.
Narwhals: Toothed whales that are found in the Arctic. They are known for their long, spiraled ivory tusks.
Beluga whales: Small, white toothed whales that are found in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. They are known for their vocalizations and are sometimes called "canaries of the sea.".
Beaked whales: Deep-diving toothed whales that are found in all oceans. They are known for their long, narrow beak and their ability to dive to great depths.
Sirenians: A group of large, herbivorous marine mammals that includes manatees and dugongs.
Cetaceans: The group of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They are adapted to life in the water and have a streamlined body for swimming.
Pinnipeds: The group of marine mammals that includes seals, sea lions, and walruses. They have flippers for limbs and are adapted to life both on land and in the water.
Marine carnivores: A group of marine mammals that includes polar bears and sea otters. They are predators that are adapted to life in the water.
- "Both cetaceans and sirenians are fully aquatic and therefore are obligate water dwellers. Pinnipeds are semiaquatic." - "In contrast, both sea otters and the polar bear are mostly terrestrial and only go into the water on occasions of necessity."
- "Pinnipeds... need to return to land for important activities such as mating, breeding and molting."
- "The diets of marine mammals vary considerably as well; some eat zooplankton, others eat fish, squid, shellfish, or seagrass, and a few eat other mammals."
- "Their roles in various ecosystems are large, especially concerning the maintenance of marine ecosystems, through processes including the regulation of prey populations."
- "This role in maintaining ecosystems makes them of particular concern as 23% of marine mammal species are currently threatened."
- "Marine mammals were first hunted by aboriginal peoples for food and other resources." - "Many were also the target for commercial industry, leading to a sharp decline in all populations of exploited species, such as whales and seals."
- "Commercial hunting led to the extinction of the Steller's sea cow, sea mink, Japanese sea lion and Caribbean monk seal."
- "After commercial hunting ended, some species, such as the gray whale and northern elephant seal, have rebounded in numbers."
- "Conversely, other species, such as the North Atlantic right whale, are critically endangered."
- "Marine mammals can be killed as bycatch from fisheries, where for example they can become entangled in nets and drown or starve."
- "Increased ocean traffic causes collisions between fast ocean vessels and large marine mammals."
- "Noise pollution, for example, may adversely affect echolocating mammals."
- "The ongoing effects of global warming degrade Arctic environments."
- "Marine mammal adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle varies considerably between species."
- "Pinnipeds are semiaquatic; they spend the majority of their time in the water but need to return to land for important activities such as mating, breeding and molting."
- "Both cetaceans and sirenians are fully aquatic and therefore are obligate water dwellers."
- "Habitat degradation also threatens marine mammals and their ability to find and catch food."
- "Some eat zooplankton, others eat fish, squid, shellfish, or seagrass, and a few eat other mammals."
- "Marine mammals were first hunted by aboriginal peoples for food and other resources."