Aside from their being amongst the most appealing critters on the planet, what happens to them happens to us. Although killing marine mammals for food or sport has been substantially reduced, research on conservation techniques, habitats, life cycles, and other aspects of marine mammals must continue to improve their lot and that of our world. This collection of articles describes research efforts designed to help support marine mammal science and conservation, including bycatch and depredation, indirect fishery interactions, the role of infectious disease in influencing status and trends, contaminants, harmful algae blooms, anthropogenic sound, assessing and managing habitat in the US, long-term environmental change, identifying units to conserve, adapting regulatory protection to cope with future change, and future directions in research. The illustrations are well-chosen. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Marine mammal conservation presents a number of challenges for scientists and other stakeholders, especially using natural resources in ways that avoid crisis management. Scientists play the special role of providing vital information to decision makers to help them understand long-term consequences of their actions and avoid crises before they develop. The contributors to this visionary work look beyond the current crises to present a compelling argument about how science, if conducted properly, can provide insights that minimize crisis management and implement more anticipatory action.
Despite the significant reduction of marine mammal harvesting, stocks of some species remain greatly reduced or are in decline. This volume provides an overview of the current state of marine mammal populations and identifies the major obstacles facing marine mammal conservation, including fisheries, sonar and other noise pollution, disease, contaminants, algal booms, and habitat loss. The contributors chart a scientifically-supported plan to direct marine management toward a well-defined recovery protocol.
This comprehensive resource will be indispensable for marine mammal biologists, oceanographers, conservation program managers, government regulators, policy makers, and anyone who is concerned about the future of these captivating species.
