Marine Mammal Welfare in Research: Dolphins, Seals, and Ethical Oversight

Marine mammals are used in research across acoustic biology, physiology, and behaviour, requiring welfare oversight that addresses the specific challenges of aquatic mammals.

Key Facts

US Navy dolphin and sea lion research programmes have involved thousands of marine mammals in military applications over several decades
Captive research on cetaceans requires specialised facilities that few institutions can maintain at adequate welfare standards
Marine mammal research welfare is regulated in the US under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Animal Welfare Act, which set minimum standards for captive research animals
Tagging and telemetry studies on wild marine mammals create welfare impacts through capture, handling, and the physical effects of attached devices
Research on temporarily captive wild-caught marine mammals, including health assessments, is conducted with increasingly refined protocols that minimise stress and injury

Welfare Considerations

Marine mammal research welfare requires specialist expertise because the welfare needs of dolphins, seals, and whales differ fundamentally from terrestrial mammals. Social structure, sensory biology, diving physiology, and acoustic sensitivity all create welfare challenges unique to marine mammal research. The standard of welfare oversight has improved significantly over recent decades, but the most welfare-positive trend is the shift toward non-invasive research methods — passive acoustic monitoring, drone observation, and genetic sampling — that achieve research goals without requiring captivity.

What You Can Do

Support non-invasive research methods for marine mammals as the welfare-preferred approach wherever scientifically viable
Advocate for welfare assessment of marine mammal tagging and telemetry studies as a standard requirement
Support the shift away from captive marine mammal research wherever research questions can be addressed in the wild
Engage with marine mammal welfare standards development through organisations including IMMA and IUCN marine mammal specialist groups
Support funding for non-invasive marine mammal research technology that enables welfare-positive science