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Cited by 178Animal Ecology and Behavior StudiesMarine animal studies overviewWildlife Ecology and Conservation

Maritime mammals: terrestrial mammals as consumers in marine intertidal communities

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Carlton, JT, Hodder, J·2003·Marine Ecology Progress Series
DOI 10.3354/meps256271
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Abstract

The phenomenon of terrestrial mammals as predators in marine intertidal communities, and thus as agents of energy transfer from sea to land, is poorly understood.We review here the evidence for terrestrial mammals intentionally entering the ocean shore at low tide in order to prey on living marine invertebrates, fish, algae, and seagrasses.We introduce the term 'maritime mammals', defined as coastal mammalian predators that utilize living intertidal energy resources and transfer these resources to the land.We document 135 records of predation among 45 species of terrestrial mammals in 8 orders feeding in marine intertidal zones.Most predation events are by carnivores (59%, mostly by raccoon, mink, black bear, and Arctic fox), followed by rodents (20%) and artiodactyls (14%).Maritime mammals occur on all continental coastlines of the world except Antarctica.Most records are from the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, with 21 species of maritime mammals.Twelve maritime mammal species occur in the Western North Atlantic Ocean, and 8 maritime mammals are known for the Eastern South Pacific Ocean.These 3 regions account for 42% of the diversity of maritime mammals.A total of 228 different prey taxa are known to be consumed, representing 12 phyla of marine organisms; 2 /3 of these taxa are bivalve and gastropod mollusks, crabs, and fish.Introduced populations of 17 species of mammals have been recorded as maritime predators; 15 of these are recorded on islands where endemic mammals were absent or rare.Maritime mammals are widespread globally, with often repeated cases of predation being observed for the same species.We suggest that predation by maritime mammals is a rarely studied, rather than rare, phenomenon, and maritime mammals are thus a largely overlooked guild of intertidal predators.Quantitative field observations (using techniques such as infrared night vision, radiotelemetry, and stable isotope analysis) and experimental studies (using exclosures, or by taking advantage of the removal of insular introduced mammal populations) are required.The importance of intertidal resources in supplying energy to terrestrial populations of many species of mammals world wide may have been underappreciated.

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  • The role of terrestrial mammals in coastal systems has generally been understudied.

    “The role of terrestrial mammals in coastal systems has generally been understudied (Carlton and Hodder 2003), and the anecdotal knowledge of seabird biologists on a suite of native terrestrial species remains an underexplored scientific resource.”

    From River Otter Predation of Nesting Seabirds Along the Coasts of North America (2025) · cites this paper as Carlton and Hodder 2003

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  1. Everett, N. Folsom, V. Galluci, T. Gaston, M. Graybill, C. Grif- fiths, T. Grosholz, M. Herko, C. Hewitt, D. Jacobs, J. Jansen, P. Jokiel, T. Klinger, M. Matthews, E. A. Mills, P. G. Moore, P. Myers, D. Padilla, G. Parry, and N. Seto for providing original observations and suggestions. We thank B. Butler (OIMB Librarian) for aiding in obtaining literature, and C. Mills for interviewing D. Padilla, E. A. Mills, T. Klinger and M. Herko. LITERATURE CITED Amos WH (1966) The life of the seashore. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Toronto
  2. Barnard JL, Bowers D, Bousfield EL (1980) Amphipoda: The amphipods and allies. In: Morris RH, Abbott DP, Haderlie EC (eds) Intertidal invertebrates of California. Stanford University Press, Stanford, p 559-566
  3. Cronon W (1983) Changes in the land. Indians, colonist, and the ecology of New England. Hill and Wang, New York Crosby AWJ (1972) The Columbian exchange: biological and cultural consequences of 1492. Greenwood Press, West- port, CT
  4. Davidson SK (1990) Raccoon foraging in the tidal flats of the Coos Estuary. Honors College BA thesis, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene
  5. Delibes M, Clavero M, Prenda J, Blazquez C, Ferreras P (2003) A terrestrial mammal invades intertidal communi- ties: the American mink (Mustela vison) in southern Europe. Biol Invas 5 (in press)
  6. Hartman LH (1993) Ecology of coastal raccoons (Procyon iotor) on the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, and evaluation of their potential impact on native burrow- nesting seabirds. MSc thesis, University of Victoria, Canada
  7. Lavrov NP (1932) The arctic fox. In: Bureau of animal pop- ulations translation 18F, 1079A:1-92. Oxford University Press, England (translation by JD Jackson, 1940)
  8. Levring T (1977) Potential yields of marine algae -with emphasis on European species. In: Krauss RW (ed) The marine plant biomass of the Pacific Northwest coast. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, p 251-270

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Authors
Carlton, J., & Hodder, J.
Affiliations
University of Oregon (US)
Venue
Marine Ecology Progress Series
Publisher
Inter-Research Science Center
Published
2003
Volume
256
Pages
271-286
ISSN
  • 0171-8630 (ISSN-L)
  • 1616-1599
DOI
10.3354/meps256271
OpenAlex
W2085913702
Cited by
178
References
84
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 5
FWCI
2.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
Marine Ecology Progress Series (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Geographic Society
  • University of Washington
  • Johns Hopkins University
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Marine animal studies overview
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Keywords
introduced mammals, raccoons, mink, Ursus americanus, arctic fox, rodents, Artiodactyla, Mollusca, crabs, fish, seagrass

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