Impacts and effects of ocean warming on marine mammals

Ocean warming has reached unprecedented levels and is having significant effects on marine mammals. The pathways by which ocean warming is affecting marine mammals across Canada and the United States, and similarities and differences in each nation’s legal and regulatory toolbox for managing and protecting marine mammals from these effects, are described. Four case studies illustrate how some manifestations of climate change and marine mammal protection are playing out at the law-policy-science interface in these two countries. Building on these experiences, several avenues to improve the management of marine mammals and promote their resilience to ocean warming are proposed.