Marine Mammal Research: Conservation Beyond Crisis

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.

John E. Reynolds III is chairman of the Marine Mammal Commission and the senior scientist at Mote Marine Laboratory. William F. Perrin is a senior scientist with the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, adjunct professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and editor emeritus of Marine Mammal Science. Randall R. Reeves is one of the Okapi Wildlife Associates, the author of several books, and chair of the IUCN Cetacean Specialists Group. Suzanne Montgomery is a staff scientist, and Timothy J. Ragen is director of research, at the Marine Mammal Commission.