A new peer-reviewed study by Ocean Science Consulting (OSC), published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, examines how marine mammal monitoring research evolved between 2014 and 2023. Drawing on 2,586 scientific publications, the study uses bibliometric analysis to explore research trends, international collaboration, and developments in monitoring technologies. The findings reveal substantial growth in scientific output over the decade, with passive acoustic monitoring remaining a prominent research area alongside habitat modelling, environmental impact assessment, and marine conservation.
The study also highlights increasing research attention to machine learning, artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and environmental DNA, reflecting the diversification of approaches available to marine mammal researchers. While these developments offer opportunities for more comprehensive monitoring, the findings also underscore continuing challenges in data integration, methodological validation, standardisation, and geographical coverage. By mapping the evolution of the scientific literature, the study provides a valuable perspective on research priorities and the complementary roles of established and developing monitoring technologies.
Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14201941
Reference: Rollo, M. M., Jr., & Todd, V. L. G. (2026). Marine Mammal Monitoring Research from 2014 to 2023: A Bibliometric Analysis of Collaboration, Technological Trends and Research Themes. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 14(20), 1941. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14201941
Image: Keyword co-occurrence network for marine mammal monitoring research, 2014–2023. Figure 6 from Rollo, M. M., Jr., & Todd, V. L. G. (2026), Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, published open access under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence.
