Types of marine mammals
Cetaceans offsite link (whales, porpoises, and dolphins) are categorized into two main groups: baleen whales (mysticetes) and toothed whales (odontocetes). They spend their lives in water, and have many adaptations offsite link to their entirely aquatic lifestyle. There are over 70 different species of cetacean.
Pinnipeds offsite link are in the suborder pinnipedia, which means “fin-footed.” These carnivores use flippers to move both on land and in the water. Pinnipeds spend the majority of their lives swimming and eating in water and come onto land or ice floes to bear their young, rest, and molt.
Like cetaceans, sirenians also spend their whole lives in water. They are the only entirely herbivorous group of marine mammals. Sirenians are named for sirens, the legendary Greek sea beauties who lured sailors into the sea. Some think historic mermaid sightings were actually sirenians, not the mythical half women, half fish.
The marine fissipeds offsite link are considered marine mammals, but spend most of their time on land and only part of the time in the water, mainly to hunt for their food.
https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/marine-life/marine-mammals
https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/resources/funding-opportunities
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