Introduction: Pinnipeds in Latin America

The purpose of this book is to present reviews on the ecology and conservation of pinnipeds that occur in the waters and on the coasts and islands of Latin America, a vast region extending from Mexico in the north to Argentina and Chile in the south. The aspects covered for each species include the following: general characteristics, Latin American and worldwide (if applicable) distribution and abundance, annual cycle (e.g., pupping/molting phenology), migration or movements, reproductive biology, behavior (social organization, foraging strategies, and breeding strategies), foraging/diet, conservation status (IUCN red list and national lists), and threats (e.g., hunting, fisheries interactions, and climate change, among others). In this introduction, we present basic concepts and generalized information about pinniped species distributed in Latin America (Fig. 1.1).