MARINE MAMMAL RESEARCH - WHAT’S NEW?
Measuring Diet in the Lab: The Pros and Cons of QFASA
The secrets of a sea lion’s diet may lie in the chemical composition of its blubber. Scientists hope that analyzing the fatty acids in blubber using a new technique called Quantitative Fatty Acid Signature Analysis (QFASA) will help them describe long-term dietary trends. But is QFASA a reliable means to determine the diets of seals and sea lions? A new Consortium paper looks into this promising approach. April 22, 2013. See full story >
Eating right key to survival of whales and dolphins
Predator-prey relationships have been likened to a nuclear arms race whereby each side is constantly evolving to outdo the other. A new study of cetaceans and their diets shows that quality of prey rather than sheer quantities of food is the major determinant in this race for supremacy. March 27, 2013. See full story >
MARINE MAMMAL RESEARCH NEWSLETTER
(Issue 7) May 2013
SCIENCE IN DEPTH
Greyhound of the Sea, what are you trying to tell me? [more]
NUMBER CRUNCHING
Pathogens are increasingly being flushed into the ocean and may be putting marine mammals and other aquatic organisms at risk. [more]
THIS JUST IN
Prey patches, foraging behavior, fecal DNA, energy requirements, diving limits, prey preferences, and flame retardants. Check out our latest peer reviewed publications…[more]
FROM THE FIELD …
Searching for bowheads in the Beaufort Sea.
[more]
INTO THE LAB …
While they might not hold the most glamorous jobs in the world, young science students are contributing to solving serious conservation problems while obtaining real-life training. [more]
SCIENCE OUTREACH
Every spring, graduate students gather in the Pacific Northwest to share their tales of research into the mysterious lives of marine mammals. [more]