Marine Ecosystems/Aquatic Environments

26

Marine mammals in a changing world

Jan-Olaf Meynecke¹, Karen Stockin², Kylie Scales³, Daniele Cagnazzi⁴

¹Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. ²Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand. ³University of Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, Australia. ⁴Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia

Summary

Marine mammals have long been recognised as key species´ in the marine environment which are highly mobile connecting all parts of the ocean. They cover vast areas of the oceans and are exposed to a wide range of changing environmental conditions to which they developed astonishing physical and behavioural adaptation. This symposium focuses on all marine mammals, conservation trends, population monitoring, genetic connectivity, climate change and other anthropogenic impacts with a particular interest to assess threats to marine mammals and assist in the prioritisation and implementation of management and conservation strategies.