Thermal reference points as an index for monitoring body temperature in marine mammals

Spawning biomass reference points for exploited marine fishes, incorporating taxonomic and body size information

Surplus production represents the processes that affect sustainable fishery harvest and is central to the ecology and management of marine fishes. Taxonomy and life history influence the ratio of spawning biomass at maximum sustainable yield to average unfished spawning biomass (SBMSY/SB0), and estimating this ratio for individual stocks is notoriously difficult. We use a database of published ...

Maritime mammals: terrestrial mammals as consumers in marine intertidal communities

The phenomenon of terrestrial mammals as predators in marine intertidal communities, and thus as agents of energy transfer from sea to land, is poorly understood. We review here the evidence for terrestrial mammals intentionally entering the ocean shore at low tide in order to prey on living marine invertebrates, fish, algae, and seagrasses. We introduce the term ‘maritime mammals’, defined as ...

Goals as reference points.

We argue that goals serve as reference points and alter outcomes in a manner consistent with the value function of Prospect Theory (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979; Tversky & Kahneman, 1992). We present new evidence that goals inherit the properties of the value function-not only a reference point, but also loss aversion and diminishing sensitivity. We also use the value function to explain previous e...

Thermal and digestive constraints to foraging behaviour in marine mammals.

While foraging models of terrestrial mammals are concerned primarily with optimizing time/energy budgets, models of foraging behaviour in marine mammals have been primarily concerned with physiological constraints. This has historically centred on calculations of aerobic dive limits. However, other physiological limits are key to forming foraging behaviour, including digestive limitations to fo...

Marine Mammals as Oceanographic Sampling Platforms