This book is focused on the marine mammalian groups the Otariidae and the Odobenidae, otherwise known as fur seals, sea lions and the walrus. In 30 chapters, more than 60 authors from 30 institutions and 13 nationalities, discuss a broad suite of topics from maternal care and mating behavior, through play, cognition and personality, to adaptation to life in the Anthropocene. The authors explore the behaviors that have allowed these semi-aquatic mammals to thrive in the marine realm. Many populations have recovered following historical decimation, with interesting evolutionary consequences which are explored. Detailed, selected, individual species descriptions are also provided, showcasing the behavioral diversity of this engaging, adaptive and highly successful group of marine mammals.

PART I. Behavior on Land and at Sea: Introduction.- Otariid Ethology: One Researcher's Historical Perspective

When Physiology and Ecology Meet: The Interdependency Between Foraging Ecology and Reproduction in Otariids
Maternal Behavior in Otariids and the Walrus
PART II. Foraging Behavior
Foraging Capacities, Behaviors and Strategies of Otariids and Odobenids
Prey Capture and Processing in Fur Seals, Sea Lions and the Walrus
PART III. Reproductive Behavior
Polygyny in the Era of Molecular Biology: Revisiting Bartholomew's Model
The Role of Females in the Evolution of Sexual Dimorphism and Mating Systems
Site Fidelity, Male Harassment and Female Gregariousness: Factors Shaping the Highly Polygynous Mating System of the Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus Ursinus)
Mating Games and Raiding Parties in Southern Sea Lions
Infanticide in Eared Seals
Genetic Consequences of Dispersal, Philopatry and Reproductive Behaviors.- Intergeneric Fertile Hybridization in Otariids
Visual Species Recognition and Mate Choice in Fur Seals: An Experimental Study
PART IV. Cognitive Behavior, Communication, Personality and Behavioral Development
Vocal Communication in Otariids and Odobenids
Non-vocal Communication in Otariids and Odobenids: The Involvement of Visual and Olfactory Cues in Their Social Lives
The Sensory World of Otariids
The Mind of a Sea Lion
The California Sea Lion: Thriving in a Human-Dominated World
Pinniped 'Personality', or Consistent Individual Differences
Playing at the Edge of the Sea: A Comparative Analysis in Otariids and Odobenids
PART V. Diving Deeper into Species
Responding to Human Influence: Southern Sea Lion Males Adapt to Harbor Habitats
Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of the Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), with Emphasis on Communication and Social Behavior
Behavioral Insights into the Decline and Natural History of Steller Sea Lions
Exploitation and Recovery of the South American Sea Lion in the Southwestern Atlantic
Living on the Edge, the New Zealand Sea Lion
The Enigmatic Life History of the Australian Sea Lion.-  Australian Fur Seal: Adapting to Coexist in a Shared Ecosystem
Guadalupe Fur Seals and California Sea Lions: Two Sympatric Otariids from the California Current Ecosystem
Fur Seal Trophic Ecology in Uruguay
Galapagos Sea Lions and Fur Seals, Adapted to a Variable World.