Marine mammals: is the Bahía Blanca Estuary and its area of influence important for their conservation?

GIARDINO, G; LUENGOS VIDAL, E; MASSOLA, V; MANDIOLA, MA; GANA, JCM; RODRÍGUEZ, D; BASTIDA, R

The Bahía Blanca Estuary: Ecology and Biodiversity

Springer Nature

Año: 2021; p. 1 - 52

Understanding the role of marine mammals in marine ecosystems provides acontext to assess the potential effect of depredation on their prey populationsand the structure of communities. Moreover, it helps to figure out the impactsthat prey populations suffer from fisheries and other anthropic activities. Thisunderstanding can help to foster a rational discussion for marine mammals?conservation and management. In this chapter, we will discuss the role of marinemammals as apex predators and how they interact with the marine ecosystems.We will also present the recordings of marine mammals in the estuarial watersof Bahía Blanca and surrounding areas. Due to the importance of this zonefor the human activities that in many cases affect directly or indirectly thesemammals, we will review ? on a global scale ? what is known so far aboutthe consequences of local marine mammals? exposure to anthropogenicdisturbances such as pollutants, shipping traffic, fishing, and marine debris,among others.