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Open research questions in Marine animal studies overview

173 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 777 Marine animal studies overview papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Investigate the effects of different types of acoustic stimuli on fish welfare, - Examine the long-term effects of acoustic exposure on fish welfare, - Study the impact of acoustic exposure on other fish species

    Acute and cumulative cortisol responses to impulsive underwater sounds in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) · 2026 · DOI

  • Access to free-ranging Arctic seals is highly constrained, making longitudinal assessments of body condition challenging. Handling time for individual seals is limited, requiring the use of simple metrics to infer body condition. The study had to account for potential temporal autocorrelation among repeated monthly observations.

    Seasonal and developmental patterns of body condition in Arctic seals · 2026 · DOI

  • Longitudinal assessments of body condition are not feasible for free-ranging Arctic seals. Prior work has not provided a biologically grounded reference framework for interpreting body condition data from wild individuals. There is a need for species-and age-specific body condition metrics that can be applied in field settings.

    Seasonal and developmental patterns of body condition in Arctic seals · 2026 · DOI

  • Logistical and budgetary challenges in conducting long-term monitoring of released individuals. Difficulty in tracking and identifying individual dolphins over extended periods. Need for thorough evaluation of typical ranging and association patterns compared to conspecifics.

    Evaluating short and long-term behavior of two bottlenose dolphins returned to the wild after two years in managed care · 2026 · DOI

  • More case studies are needed to document long-term (> 6 months) survival and behavior patterns, - Further research on the effects of releasing dolphins in different social units

    Evaluating short and long-term behavior of two bottlenose dolphins returned to the wild after two years in managed care · 2026 · DOI

  • The physiological stress response of gilthead seabream to impulsive underwater sounds is poorly understood. There is a need for studies that investigate the impact of environmental acoustic disturbances on fish welfare.

    Acute and cumulative cortisol responses to impulsive underwater sounds in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) · 2026 · DOI

  • Yet, solitary species have not been tested, and whether this behaviour depends on social cooperative structures is unknown.

    Social inequity aversion and fairness preference in polar bears · 2026 · DOI

  • Although mitochondrial and genome-wide variation have been extensively investigated, the paternal evolutionary history and genetic diversity of the Y chromosome remain poorly understood due to the lack of a suitable reference sequence.

    A chromosome-level reference genome assembly reveals extreme loss of Y-chromosomal diversity in the Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa saimensis) · 2026 · DOI

  • Although the wide range of foraging modes and prey capture abilities among mysticetes has been well documented, the functional morphology underlying these relationships remains poorly understood.

    Kinematics of gray whale ( Eschrichtius robustus ) foraging on infaunal ghost shrimp ( Neotrypaea californiensis ) · 2026 · DOI

  • across the oceans began about 50,000 years ago in the Western Pacific, yet how this was achieved remains unclear.

    Paleolithic seafaring in East Asia: An experimental test of the dugout canoe hypothesis · 2025 · DOI

  • For example, delphinid species are regularly affected by serious respiratory diseases, but a lack of social behavior data means the structure of vulnerability in these ecosystem sentinels is poorly understood.

    Breathing synchrony shapes respiratory disease risk in bottlenose dolphins · 2025 · DOI

  • These results imply that oceanographic monitoring might alter the behavior of whales and poses a risk to their well-being, which should be investigated and accounted for in design.

    Repeated narwhal interactions with moorings challenge safety assumptions of passive acoustic monitoring in the Arctic · 2025 · DOI

  • While the effects of underwater noise on fish behavior and physiology have been well-documented, its influence on oxygen metabolism across varying temperatures remains poorly understood.

    Boat Noise Increases the Oxygen Consumption Rate of the Captive Juvenile Large Yellow Croaker, Larimichthys crocea · 2025 · DOI

  • However, little is known about the biology of marine mammal insect parasites, and even less about physical aspects of their life in such a challenging environment.

    Attachment performance of the ectoparasitic seal louse Echinophthirius horridus · 2024 · DOI

  • Various high levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been detected in cetaceans from the South China Sea, such as the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), suggesting potential health risks, while the impacts of endocrine disruptors on the dolphin population remain unclear.

    Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Exposure Induces Adverse Effects on the Population Dynamics of the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin · 2024 · DOI

  • 2 , 3 While theoretical predictions imply that communication distances can drive the evolution of mammalian alliance sizes, 4 empirical tests of this hypothesis are currently lacking.

    Communication range predicts dolphin alliance size in a cooperative mating system · 2024 · DOI

  • damselae (Pdd) is an increasingly common bacterium in post-mortem diagnostics of beached marine mammals, but little is known about its precise etiological responsibility.

    Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae in Stranded Cetaceans: A 6-Year Monitoring of the Ligurian Sea in Italy · 2024 · DOI

  • The study identifies a research gap in understanding how dolphins adapt their behavior in response to different foraging contexts. The research gap lies in investigating the impact of human-modified habitats on dolphin communication and echolocation.

    Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) whistles and clicks across foraging contexts · 2026 · DOI

  • Consistent long-term acoustic monitoring protocols specifically calibrated for South Texas bottlenose dolphins have not been established, limiting comparative assessments with similar fishing- and structure-associated habitats worldwide. Future research must develop standardized acoustic monitoring methods for similar trawling environments and coastal structures to enable broader geographic comparisons.

    Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) whistles and clicks across foraging contexts · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of comparable models for small recreational vessels. The effects of URN emissions from small vessels on marine ecosystems are not well understood.

    Regularized log-linear models for predicting underwater radiated noise spectra of small vessels · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding of the genetic consequences of migratory behavior and population contractions in eastern South Pacific humpback whales. There is a need for studies that investigate the population structure and demographic history of this species.

    Genomic signatures of migratory preference and historical whaling in eastern South Pacific humpback whales · 2026 · DOI

  • Traditional on-ground methods have limitations, particularly in remote or inaccessible locations. UAV surveys may not capture peak populations due to opportunistic timing. There is a need for standardized protocols for UAV surveys.

    A comparison of uncrewed aerial vehicle and on-ground surveys of penguin populations on the Antarctic Peninsula · 2026 · DOI

  • The sample size was too small to conduct statistical analyses to compare methodologies. The study did not attempt to explore differences in observer variation. The study was limited to 12 sites across the Western Antarctic Peninsula.

    A comparison of uncrewed aerial vehicle and on-ground surveys of penguin populations on the Antarctic Peninsula · 2026 · DOI

  • The study faces the challenge of analyzing complex behavioral data. The study must consider the effects of multiple anthropogenic sounds on the whales. The study must address the limited understanding of the behavioral responses of goose-beaked whales to mid-frequency active sonar.

    Assessment of goose-beaked whale responses to mid-frequency active sonar using a hierarchical hidden Markov model · 2026 · DOI

  • The study has a limited sample size of 13 individual whales. The study only considers the effects of mid-frequency active sonar on goose-beaked whales. The study does not consider the effects of other anthropogenic sounds on the whales.

    Assessment of goose-beaked whale responses to mid-frequency active sonar using a hierarchical hidden Markov model · 2026 · DOI

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173 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 777 Marine animal studies overview papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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