Marine Mammal Science Without Borders

Globalization has connected people and cultures at an unprecedented rate. The effects of globalization have been far-reaching on different sectors of science and technology, and the environment, including marine mammal research and conservation. Despite the increased connectivity and knowledge transfer that has occurred in the past decade, there is still an ever-widening gulf between data-poor and data-rich nations. As a result, there is an absence of different voices and limited geospatial research coverage in marine mammal science. This skewed trend precludes the positive promotion and translation of science into policy action and impacts, as well as the sustenance of conservation initiatives that affect marine mammals globally. In this article, I argue that the practice of marine mammal research and conservation as it stands today requires a paradigm shift. I do this by first discussing patterns and antipatterns of globalization, and then by recommending strategies for the marine mammal scientific community to consider and implement to challenge and change the status quo.