Dear Colleagues, I hope everybody is doing well. On October 12 (2014), I received an invitationfrom the editorial department of Science Publishers (CRC Press and Taylor &Francis Group) to prepare and submit a proposal for a book on the Biology andEcology of Seals, Sea Lions, Walruses. While the book’s scope as proposed inthis title was attractive to me, I realized that it would be difficult to dojustice to such a broad subject matter. In the end, I felt it best to focus ona more specific theme and devote the book to the tropical and subtropicalpinnipeds of our blue planet. Being originally from a hot tropical country(Ecuador), I considered that a book dedicated to tropical/subtropical sealions, fur seals and seals inhabiting the tropics (i.e. Tropics of Cancer andCapricorn) and subtropics (i.e. the 38th parallel in each hemisphere) would be highlyworthwhile and would coincide with my previous and ongoing research onGalapagos pinnipeds. Accomplishing this task has been challenging, andwould not have been possible without the help of many people. I contactedseveral esteemed colleagues from tropical and subtropical countries to invitethem to contribute chapters on the species for which they have conductedresearch and expended conservation efforts. The response was positive withabout 40 authors/co-authors from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador and GalapagosIslands, Greece, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, United States of America (e.g.,Hawaiian Islands) and Uruguay agreeing to contribute to this book. After more than two years of substantial work inclose collaboration with leading authors and co-authors, the CRC Presseditorial and production teams, and the invaluable assistance of invitedreviewers, we present “Tropical Pinnipeds: Bio-ecology, Threats andConservation.”This edited book narrates tales on the researchand conservation of tropical and subtropical pinnipeds across 16 chapters,including species such as the Hawaiian monk seal, the California sea lion, theGuadalupe fur seal, the Galapagos fur seal, the Galapagos sea lion, the SouthAmerican sea lion, the South American fur seal, the Juan Fernandez fur seal,the Mediterranean monk seal and the Cape fur seal. Understanding the naturalhistory and threats to these species is critical to supporting conservationefforts. To this end, the book’s topics include current research on evolution,biology, marine ecology, bio-monitoring and state of the art approaches toinvestigate and assess tropical pinniped populations, behavioral ecology,anthropogenic stressors and health. Special chapters and sections on theconservation of threatened or/and endangered pinnipeds (e.g., Hawaiian monkseal, Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos fur seals, and Mediterranean monk seal)are also included. I have learned that editing such a book requirespatience, free-flowing communications with authors, good time management, andabove all, a passion and determination to do as much as I can to support thescience and conservation of tropical pinnipeds. I am in deeply indebted to all theauthors/co-authors and reviewers who invested their precious time and energiesto this book, and to the publishers. In this book, I acknowledge theInstitute for the Oceans and Fisheries (University of British Columbia),Coastal Ocean Research Institute (Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center) andSchool of Resource and Environmental Management (Simon Fraser University) forproviding resources and platforms to develop this book. The publisher has already posted the announcementof the book online in the CRC Press/Taylor and Francis Group website (https://www.crcpress.com/Tropical-Pinnipeds-Bio-Ecology-Threats-and-Conserva... ) I am providing below some information and thetable of contents with all chapters and contributing authors and co-authors.  Title: Tropical Pinnipeds: Bio-Ecology,Threats and Conservation - Authors/Editors: Juan José Alava - Publisher: CRC Press and Taylor & Francis Group - Date: 25 April 2017 Citation: Alava, J.J. (Editor). 2017. Tropical Pinnipeds: Bio-Ecology, Threats and Conservation. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. Boca Raton, FL, USA. p. 325. ISBN 9781498741392 April 25, 2017 by CRC Press Reference - 325 Pages - 23 Color & 55 B/WIllustrations ISBN 9781498741392 - CAT# K26739 https://www.crcpress.com/Tropical-Pinnipeds-Bio-Ecology-Threats-and-Conserva... Features - Presents information about the biology, ecology and conservation of tropical pinnipeds - Describes, including color illustrations, the various species of tropical pinnipeds - Emphazes the endangered species around tropical islands, including the Galapagos and Hawaiian islands - Promotes research and conservation efforts for tropical pinnipeds in developing countries - Raises environmental awareness and provides education for future generations  SummaryPinnipeds are a fascinating group of marinemammals that play a crucial role as apex predators and sentinels of thefunctioning and health of marine ecosystems. They are found in the most extremeenvironments from the Polar regions to the tropics. Pinnipeds are comprised ofabout 34 species, and of those at least 25% live permanently in tropical zones.This book reviews and updates current research on the biology, marine ecology,bio-monitoring, and conservation of tropical pinniped populations, includingtheir behavior, anthropogenic stressors, and health. It also looks at challengesto be faced for the conservation of tropical pinnipeds, many of which arethreatened species. Table of Contents Introductionto Tropical and Subtropical Pinnipeds Juan JoséAlava and David Aurioles-Gamboa AnOverview on the Evolutionary History of Tropical Pinnipeds Carlos A.Vildoso Morales Variabilityin the Skull Morphology of Adult Male California Sea Lions and Galapagos SeaLions JimenaBohórquez-Herrera, David Aurioles-Gamboa, Claudia Hernández-Camacho and Dean C.Adams HawaiianMonk Seals: The Biology and Ecology of the World’s only Tropical Phocid CharlesLittnan,Michelle Barbieri, Jessica Lopez Bohlander, Tenaya Norris and StacieRobinson HawaiianMonk Seal Conservation: Past, Present and Future CharlesLittnan, Michelle Barbieri, Jessica Lopez Bohlander, Tenaya Norris and StacieRobinson GuadalupeFur Seal Population Expansion and its Post-Breeding Male Migration to the Gulfof Ulloa, México. David Aurioles-Gamboa, Nereyda Pablo-Rodríguez, M. PatriciaRosas-Hernández, and Claudia J. Hernández-Camacho PopulationStatus, Anthropogenic Stressors and Conservation of the Galapagos Fur Seal (Arctocephalusgalapagoensis):An Overview Juan JoséAlava, Judith Denkinger, Pedro J. Jiménez and Raúl Carvajal DivingPhysiology, Foraging and Reproductive Behavior of the Galapagos Sea Lion(Zalophus wollebaeki) StellaVillegas-Amtmann and Daniel P. Costa ManagementStrategies and Conservation Status of Galapagos Sea Lion Populations at SanCristobal Island, Galapagos, Ecuador DiegoPáez-Rosas and Nataly Guevara PopulationEcology, Trends and Distribution of the Juan Fernandez Fur Seal, Arctocephalusphilippii (Peters 1866) in Chile Layla P.Osman and Carlos A. Moreno PopulationEcology and Conservation Status of the South American Sea Lion in Uruguay ValentinaFranco-Trecu, Massimiliano Drago, Diana Szteren and Federico G. Riet-Sapriza Ecologyand Conservation Status of the South American Fur Seal in Uruguay ValentinaFranco-Trecu TheUncertain Fate of the Endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal Monachus monachus inthe 21st Century: Population, Ecology and ConservationThreats PanagiotisDendrinos and Alexandros A. Karamanlidis Bioecologyand Conservation Threats of the Cape Fur Seal Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus G. J. GregHofmeyr EmergingPathogens and Health Issues in the 21st Century: A Challenge for Tropical andSubtropical Pinnipeds KarinaAcevedo-Whitehouse and Luis A. Soto-García Pathologiesof Pinnipeds in Brazil Paula Baldassin,Derek Blaese de Amorim, Max R. Werneck and Daniela Bueno Mariani  Best Wishes!!! Juan Jose Alava -----------------------------------------------------------------Juan Jose Alava, PhD  Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Faculty of Science, The University of British Columbia AERL 313.02-2202 Main Mall | Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada http://oceans.ubc.ca/juan-jose-alava/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Juan_Jose_Alava/contributions?ev=prf_ac... https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=J_hAHnwAAAAJ&hl=en Adjunct ProfessorResource and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6,Canada E-mail: jalavasa@sfu.ca https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Juan_Jose_Alava/contributions?ev=prf_ac...