Introduction to tropical and subtropical pinnipeds

Pinnipeds are a fascinating and charismatic group of marine mammals playing a crucial role as apex predators and sentinels of the functioning and health of marine ecosystems. Pinnipeds (i.e., Pinnipedia from Latin pinna “fin” and pes, pedis “foot”) belong to the order Carnivora comprising three living families: Otariidae (i.e., sea lions and fur seals), Odobenidae (i.e., walruses) and Phocidae (i.e., seals). They are found in the most extreme environments in Polar Regions to the Earth’s equator in the tropics. Pinnipeds comprise about 34 species, of which at least 30% inhabit, distribute and breed permanently in tropical zones from coastal and oceanic regions of the global ocean (see Fig. 1).