The Gulf of Mexico teems with a much greater number and 
range of whales, dolphins, and other mammalian species than 
was suspected only a few years ago.

  
In The Marine Mammals of the Gulf of Mexico, 
Bernd Würsig, Thomas A. Jefferson, and David J. Schmidly 
provide information on all known species, valuable 
identification tools, and up-to-date research on behavior, 
group sizes, reproduction, and underwater calls.


The introduction presents an overview of the whales, 
dolphins, pinnipeds, and other marine mammals of the world, 
discussing their basic biology and outlining their 
differences. The authors then describe the characteristics of 
the Gulf that affect the marine mammal species that inhabit 
it or occasionally enter its waters.


The main body of this important new guide provides a 
checklist of the species, keys to identification, and species 
descriptions of the marine mammals known or believed to 
occupy the Gulf. More than thirty color plates by marine 
artist Larry Foster and thirty-two color photographs 
illustrate these creatures.  


Another unique feature of this volume is a set of drawings 
of the skulls of all the Gulf species; these skull keys will 
at last enable individuals involved in the Gulf Stranding 
Network, a volunteer operation that rescues and recovers 
beached or stranded marine mammals, to easily identify species 
along the Gulf Coast.
   

Finally, the book also discusses environmental problems of the 
Gulf as they affect marine mammals and considers the 
conservation and management tools needed to preserve them in 
their habitats.


The Marine Mammals of the Gulf of Mexico will prove a 
useful reference for marine biologists, volunteers with 
scientific and rescue organizations, and anyone else interested 
in further study of these animals.


_________________________________________________________


BERND WÜRSIG is professor and director of the Marine Mammal 
Research Program at Texas A&M University at Galveston. 
THOMAS A. JEFFERSON is director of Clymene Enterprises and 
a senior advisor to the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, 
Hong Kong. DAVID J. SCHMIDLY lives in Placitas, New Mexico. 
LARRY FOSTER, from Alameda, California, is a world-acclaimed 
artist of marine mammals.


Number Twenty-six:  W. L. Moody, Jr., Natural History Series