Books in the Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Marine Mammals series

This book concentrates on the marine mammalian group of Odontocetes, the toothed whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The aim is to give a modern flavor of present knowledge of ethology and behavior of generally large-brained behaviorally flexible mammals that have evolved quite separately from social mammals on land.

Despite their rich fossil history, there are only four surviving species of sirenians or sea cows, the only fully aquatic herbivorous mammals. The three species of manatees and the dugong live in the coastal waters rivers and lakes of more than 80 tropical and subtropical countries and are all on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This book examines sirenian conservation biology through the lens of their behavioral ecology and ethology. Sirenian feeding, diving, movement, social and reproductive behaviors are reviewed by an international team of scientists from eight countries, with an emphasis on data gathered in the past 15 years.