The third edition of the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals covers the ecology, behaviour, conservation, evolution, form and function of whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, manatees, dugongs, otters and polar bears. This edition provides new content on anthropogenic concerns, the latest information on emerging threats such as ocean noise, and impacts of climate change. With authors and editors who are world experts, this new edition is a critical resource for all who are interested in marine mammals, especially upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and managers, and is a top reference for those in related fields, from oceanographers to environmental scientists.
Bernd Würsig, his students, and postdocs have studied marine mammals and seabirds on all continents, with present work mainly on dusky dolphins in diverse habitats of New Zealand, and beleaguered Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins of Hong Kong. His specialties are questions of behavior and social strategies, especially as related to human disturbance. He has published and co-published about 190 peer review papers and book chapters, 55 popular articles, and 8 books. The most recent book is The Dusky Dolphins; Master Acrobats off Different Shores (2010). He is a past-president of the Society for Marine Mammalogy, and was the inaugural chair of the Texas A&M Marine Biology Graduate Program. He is now Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M. Bernd and Melany enjoy their natural gardens in New Zealand, the Arizona desert, and coastal south Texas, three marvelously-different biomes.
J. G. M. 'Hans' Thewissen studies the evolution, anatomy and embryology of marine mammals, and has traveled the world to study fossil and living whales. Working in Pakistan and India, he discovered some of the earliest, amphibious, cetaceans and sirenians. His work with the sense organs of modern whales explores the impact of global change on marine mammal populations. He has published more than 100 scientific papers, nine of which in the prestigious journals Science and Nature. A native of the Netherlands, he holds degrees in biology and geology from the University of Utrecht and the University of Michigan and teaches anatomy and embryology to medical students at Northeast Ohio Medical University. He also has appointments at Kent State University and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Kit M. Kovacs is the Biodiversity Research Program Leader for the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø Norway and Professor of Biology at University Studies on Svalbard (UNIS). She has worked with marine mammals in Polar Regions for the past 30 years, focusing primarily on studies in the fields of behavioural ecology and population biology. The impact of climate change on ice-associated species has been a topic of principal concern in recent years in her research projects. She is a past-president of the Society for Marine Mammalogy and the current Chair of the Pinniped Specialist Group for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). She is author/co-author of more than 200 primary publications and the author/editor of ten books and numerous popular articles.
Reviews of the second edition:
"This book's encyclopedic coverage of marine mammals has been fully revised and updated. Despite its size, it is easy to use. I recommend this book for anyone interested in marine mammals!"
– The Birdbooker Report
"Its ease of use and interesting look will assure that it is a handy, and well-used, reference book for scientists in the field as well as for students looking for interesting topics for term papers. The second edition's new colorful look expands its consumer base and makes it an excellent choice for high school and undergraduate university libraries."
– Paul E. Nachtigall, University of Hawaii
"This revision of the well-received first edition adds several new chapters in areas of marine mammal science that have changed significantly, e.g., climate change and the 'interface of ecology and conservation.' Somewhat fragmented topics are now combined into more comprehensive ones. Additionally, almost all entries are updated, and color photographs appear throughout. Each of the 260 chapters is authored by an acclaimed contributor and covers species and topics relating to anatomy, physiology, behavior, conservation, ecology, and more. Overall, this encyclopedia's content serves as an important reference source for marine mammals."
– CHOICE