Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Phocids

Phocid (or earless or true) seals are ecologically diverse, occupying habitats from the tropics to the poles in marine and freshwater and feeding on anything from tiny zooplankton to other marine mammals. There are 18 species of phocid seals, the smallest species (ringed seal) is more than 20 times smaller than the largest (southern elephant seal), with marked sexual dimorphism present in some species. This book examines the behaviour, ecology, and physiology that allow phocid seals to inhabit such a wide range of habitats. Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Phocids is composed of 16 chapters written by 37 authors from 8 countries. The book first describes the general patterns of phocid behaviour, followed by descriptions of what is known about well-studied species. We have taken a holistic approach, focusing not only on the behaviours themselves but also on the factors that constrain the expression of behaviour and the proximate mechanisms driving behaviour. In many cases, the chapters represent collaborations between well-established researchers and early-mid career individuals who bring new perspectives to help carry the field of phocid behavioural ecology well into the future.