Conservation physiology of marine mammals

Providing science-based management, protection, and recovery

What does this mean? Changes in the environment directly affect individuals, not populations. Therefore, in order to understand or predict how current or future disturbances will affect marine mammal populations, we need to study the effect of these conditions on the health and physiology of individual animals. This can be done through observations in the field, or through controlled experiments in the laboratory. Ultimately, this knowledge can be used to protect and manage species in the wild.

Marine Mammal Navigation

Understanding how marine mammals travel in the open ocean

To humans, the ocean is a vast, featureless expanse. To navigate at sea we rely on an array of technological tools. Yet marine mammals effortlessly undertake impressive migrations across the oceans. How do they do this – what cues and signals do they use for orientation?

The question is more than just academic. Understanding how marine mammals find their way and locate their food resources is critical for predicting how looming environmental changes will affect their survival. What if climate change affects the ocean currents and temperatures they rely on as signposts? If environmental changes or human actions such as industrial development or over-fishing affect the movement or location of their prey, how will the find it? Is their travel ingrained by evolution,  or do they have the capacity to adapt to a swiftly changing world?