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Marine animal studies overview
Research Guide
What is Marine animal studies overview?
Marine animal studies overview is the scientific investigation of marine animal ecology, behavior, population dynamics, and responses to environmental changes, encompassing species from corals and fish to mammals and seabirds.
The field includes 116,023 published works analyzing ecological communities, climate impacts on reefs, and animal behavior through tools like video coding software. Anderson (2003) in "Analysis of Ecological Communities" provides foundational methods with 5134 citations, while Hughes et al. (2003) in "Climate Change, Human Impacts, and the Resilience of Coral Reefs" documents global threats to reefs with 3906 citations. Growth data over the past 5 years is not available.
Research Sub-Topics
Coral Reef Ecosystem Resilience
Coral Reef Ecosystem Resilience examines factors enabling reef persistence amid bleaching and acidification. Researchers quantify thermal tolerance, microbial symbiosis, and genetic diversity contributing to recovery trajectories.
Marine Mammal Social Structure
Marine Mammal Social Structure analyzes fission-fusion dynamics, kinship networks, and alliance formation in cetaceans. Researchers use photo-ID, genetics, and acoustics to model population connectivity and cultural transmission.
Capture-Recapture Models for Marine Populations
Capture-Recapture Models for Marine Populations develop mark-recapture and photo-ID methods for abundance estimation. Researchers address tag loss, temporary emigration, and multisite movement in elusively mobile species.
Seabird Foraging Ecology and Distribution
Seabird Foraging Ecology and Distribution tracks at-sea movements using GPS and stable isotopes. Researchers identify scale-dependent habitat use, prey specialization, and responses to environmental variability.
Polar Bear Population Genetics
Polar Bear Population Genetics employs microsatellites and SNPs to delineate management units and gene flow. Researchers quantify inbreeding depression and adaptive divergence amid sea ice loss.
Why It Matters
Marine animal studies inform conservation amid climate change and human impacts, as shown in Hughes et al. (2017) "Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals" which reported mass bleaching events affecting 75% of global reefs surveyed from 2014-2017 with 3210 citations. Population genetics research like Paetkau et al. (1995) "Microsatellite analysis of population structure in Canadian polar bears" uses genetic markers to delineate management units, aiding species protection. Behavioral tools such as Friard and Gamba (2016) "<scp>BORIS</scp>: a free, versatile open‐source event‐logging software for video/audio coding and live observations" enable precise quantification of marine mammal interactions, supporting fisheries management and ecosystem modeling.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Analysis of Ecological Communities" by Anderson (2003) is the first paper to read because it supplies core multivariate statistical methods essential for analyzing marine animal community data across all studies.
Key Papers Explained
Anderson (2003) "Analysis of Ecological Communities" establishes analytical foundations cited 5134 times, applied by Hughes et al. (2003) "Climate Change, Human Impacts, and the Resilience of Coral Reefs" to quantify reef stressors (3906 citations). Hughes et al. (2017) "Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals" builds on this with empirical bleaching data (3210 citations), while Pandolfi et al. (2003) "Global Trajectories of the Long-Term Decline of Coral Reef Ecosystems" extends trajectories using similar guild analyses (1984 citations). Friard and Gamba (2016) "<scp>BORIS</scp>" complements with behavioral tools (3144 citations).
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Recent preprints highlight cetacean genomic infrastructure with reference genomes for eight families from the Cetacean Genomes Project started in 2020. Over 800 new marine species were discovered via Ocean Census funding in 2025. Tools like OSMOSE model multispecies fish predation, and weeHoloCam advances underwater imaging for biology.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Analysis of Ecological Communities | 2003 | Journal of Experimenta... | 5.1K | ✕ |
| 2 | Climate Change, Human Impacts, and the Resilience of Coral Reefs | 2003 | Science | 3.9K | ✕ |
| 3 | Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals | 2017 | Nature | 3.2K | ✓ |
| 4 | <scp>BORIS</scp>: a free, versatile open‐source event‐logging ... | 2016 | Methods in Ecology and... | 3.1K | ✓ |
| 5 | Explicit estimates from capture-recapture data with both death... | 1965 | Biometrika | 2.4K | ✕ |
| 6 | The bottlenose dolphin community of Doubtful Sound features a ... | 2003 | Behavioral Ecology and... | 2.2K | ✕ |
| 7 | Microsatellite analysis of population structure in Canadian po... | 1995 | Molecular Ecology | 2.0K | ✕ |
| 8 | Coral reefs in the Anthropocene | 2017 | Nature | 2.0K | ✕ |
| 9 | Global Trajectories of the Long-Term Decline of Coral Reef Eco... | 2003 | Science | 2.0K | ✕ |
| 10 | At‐sea distribution and scale‐dependent foraging behaviour of ... | 2006 | Journal of Animal Ecology | 2.0K | ✕ |
In the News
Over 800 New Marine Species Discovered
Join the Network Explore Species Join the Alliance [##### The Ocean Census funds a further six taxonomists from the Species Discovery Awards 2025
weeHoloCam: DASA Funding Transforms Marine Biology ...
Case study # weeHoloCam: DASA Funding Transforms Marine Biology with Revolutionary Underwater Imaging
Genomic infrastructure for cetacean research and conservation: reference genomes for eight families spanning the cetacean tree of life
Reference genomes from representative species across families provide the critical infrastructure for research and conservation. The Cetacean Genomes Project (CGP) began in early 2020 to facilitate...
Funding applications - Grants
The Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) offers a series of grants dedicated to research, conservation and education projects worldwide. Keystone Grant and Small Grant projects should integrate at least...
Application Solicitation - Scallop Research Set Aside ...
NOAA Fisheries, in coordination with the New England Fishery Management Council, is soliciting proposals for the Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program. Sustainable Fisheries| New England/Mid-Atlan...
Code & Tools
* A library of 3D assets of marine life and environments * A framework that can be extended to visualize more marine ecosystems * Built on top of t...
{{ message }} @MarineBioAcousticsRC # Marine Bioacoustics Research Collaborative Our mission is to advance the study of marine animal population ...
OSMOSE is a multispecies and Individual-based model (IBM) which focuses on fish species. This model assumes opportunistic predation based on spatia...
The`ohicore`is a package of core functions for calculating the Ocean Health Index (OHI). The goal of ohicore is to facilitate calculation of OHI sc...
## Repository files navigation ## The Framework for Aquatic Biogeochemical Models (FABM) FABM is a Fortran 2003 programming framework for biogeoc...
Recent Preprints
Marine biology - Latest research and news
Marine biology is the study of life in the oceans and brackish waters, which ranges from archaea and bacteria to marine mammals, and includes organisms such as corals that affect the shape of the s...
Marine Life Science & Technology | Springer Nature Link
*Marine Life Science*&*Technology*(MLST) provides a prime platform for new discoveries and theories in marine and aquatic life sciences and technologies. * Encourages multidisciplinary approaches a...
Journal of Sea Research
The _Journal of Sea Research_ is an international and multidisciplinary periodical on marine research, with an emphasis on understandings of marine processes in ocean basins, marginal seas, estuari...
Marine Biology News
# Marine Biology News January 26, 2026 ## Top Headlines This Small Soil Upgrade Cut Locust Damage and Doubled Yields
Marine Life Science & Technology
* *Marine Life Science & Technology*(MLST), launched in 2019, publishes original research papers with new discoveries and theories across a broad range of life sciences and technologies, including ...
Latest Developments
Recent developments in marine animal studies have significantly advanced our understanding of marine megafauna and their responses to changing ocean conditions. A notable breakthrough is the global tracking of marine megafauna space use, which provides insights into how these animals utilize their habitats and informs conservation strategies (Science, 2025; Manta Trust, 2024). This research highlights the importance of tracking large marine species such as sharks, whales, and sea turtles to optimize conservation efforts amid ongoing environmental changes. Another critical area of research involves the impacts of climate change on marine top predators. Studies predict widespread habitat loss and northward shifts of key species like sea turtles and marine mammals due to warming oceans, with some species experiencing up to 70% loss of suitable habitat (Science Advances, 2023; Frontiers in Marine Science, 2025). These findings underscore the urgency of developing adaptive management strategies to address habitat redistribution and loss. Additionally, genomic research is making strides, with new reference genomes for cetaceans aiding in conservation and understanding evolutionary relationships (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2025). Overall, these developments reflect a multidisciplinary effort to understand and protect marine animals in a rapidly changing ocean environment.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
What methods are used to analyze ecological communities of marine animals?
Anderson (2003) in "Analysis of Ecological Communities" provides statistical methods for analyzing marine ecological communities, cited 5134 times. These approaches handle multivariate data from experimental designs in marine biology. They enable testing of hypotheses on species assemblages in reefs and other habitats.
How does climate change affect coral reefs according to key studies?
Hughes et al. (2003) in "Climate Change, Human Impacts, and the Resilience of Coral Reefs" state that projected CO2 and temperature increases over 50 years exceed conditions under which reefs flourished for 500,000 years, with 3906 citations. Hughes et al. (2017) in "Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals" document recurrent bleaching threatening global reefs. These works highlight reduced resilience from combined stressors.
What software supports behavioral studies of marine animals?
Friard and Gamba (2016) developed "<scp>BORIS</scp>: a free, versatile open‐source event‐logging software for video/audio coding and live observations," cited 3144 times. BORIS quantifies animal behavior from video and audio data for hypothesis testing. It is used for remote monitoring of marine species.
How is population structure assessed in marine mammals?
Paetkau et al. (1995) in "Microsatellite analysis of population structure in Canadian polar bears" overcame low genetic variation using microsatellites to identify structure, cited 2040 times. Lusseau et al. (2003) in "The bottlenose dolphin community of Doubtful Sound features a large proportion of long-lasting associations" documented stable associations in dolphins, cited 2235 times. These methods apply to conservation unit delineation.
What are the long-term trends in coral reef ecosystems?
Pandolfi et al. (2003) in "Global Trajectories of the Long-Term Decline of Coral Reef Ecosystems" compiled records showing degradation of seven guilds across 14 regions over centuries, cited 1984 times. Large animals and architectural species declined most severely. This establishes baselines for Anthropocene impacts.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can statistical models from capture-recapture data account for both death and immigration in dynamic marine populations, as initiated by Jolly (1965)?
- ? What factors drive scale-dependent foraging behavior in petrels and albatrosses, and how do they adjust to resource distributions?
- ? To what extent do long-lasting associations in bottlenose dolphin communities influence population resilience under human impacts?
- ? How do microsatellite markers resolve fine-scale population structure in low-variation species like polar bears amid climate-driven range shifts?
- ? What combinations of human impacts and warming thresholds will determine coral reef phase shifts beyond historical resilience limits?
Recent Trends
Over 800 new marine species were discovered through Ocean Census Species Discovery Awards in 2025.
The Cetacean Genomes Project delivered reference genomes for eight families in 2025, enabling genomic research. weeHoloCam received DASA funding in 2025 for holographic underwater imaging in marine biology.
Journals like Marine Life Science & Technology emphasize multidisciplinary aquatic life sciences.
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