Marine Mammals in a Changing World

Book excerpt: Despite tremendous advances in our understanding of marine mammals over the past several decades, numerous unanswered questions remain. These include fundamental questions in every biological discipline as well as other areas of science, including basic and applied chemistry and physics. Current studies of marine mammals reflect major improvements in technology as well as equally large changes in the ocean environment. Contributions for this Special Issue were invited in all areas of marine mammal research, especially those focusing on one (or both) of two themes: changing technological advances and changes in ocean habitats affecting marine mammals (including but not limited to changes in climate/temperature; ocean acidification; noise, plastic, or chemical pollution; vessel traffic and ship strikes; pathogenic viruses and microbes; trophic and salinity changes; fisheries impacts; habitat destruction; and related topics). The five articles published in this Special Issue focus on diverse areas of marine mammal research and health, including ecology, conservation, population biology and management, behavior, habitat and distribution, genetics, evolution, physiology, anatomy, acoustics, effects of noise and pollution, and new technologies.