Dear Colleagues, we are pleased to announce the recent publication of a Special Issue of the Journal of Comparative Physiology A with the title "Sensory Biology of Aquatic Mammals". http://link.springer.com/journal/359/199/6/page/1 Journal of Comparative Physiology A Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg Volume 199, Issue 6, June 2013 Special Issue: Sensory Biology of Aquatic Mammals (13 articles) Guest Editors: Wolf Hanke, Guido Dehnhardt Editor-in chief: Friedrich G. Barth Editorial: Sensory biology of aquatic mammals Wolf Hanke (1, 2) and Guido Dehnhardt (1, 2) (1) Institute for Biosciences, Chair of Sensory and Cognitive Ecology, Rostock University, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany (2) Marine Science Center, Am Yachthafen 3a, 18119 Rostock, Germany Review: Hydrodynamic perception in true seals (Phocidae) and eared seals (Otariidae) Wolf Hanke (1), Sven Wieskotten (1), Christopher Marshall (2) and Guido Dehnhardt (1) (1) Institute for Biosciences, Chair of Sensory and Cognitive Ecology, Rostock University, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany (2) Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University, Galveston, TX 77553, USA Original Paper: Detection of hydrodynamic stimuli by the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) Joseph C. Gaspard III (1, 2), Gordon B. Bauer (1, 3), Roger L. Reep (2), Kimberly Dziuk (1), LaToshia Read (1) and David A. Mann (1, 4) (1) Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA (2) Aquatic Animal Health Program, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA (3) Division of Social Sciences, New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA (4) College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA Original Paper: Echolocation in Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) P. T. Madsen (1), N. Aguilar de Soto (2, 3), P. Arranz (2, 3) and M. Johnson (3) (1) Department of Bioscience—Zoophysiology, Aarhus University, Build. 1131, Århus, Denmark (2) Department of Animal Biology, La Laguna University, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain (3) Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 8LB, Scotland Review: Gain control in the sonar of odontocetes Alexander Ya Supin (1) and Paul E. Nachtigall (2) (1) Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Science, 33 Leninsky Prospect, 119071 Moscow, Russia (2) Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Hawaii, USA Review: Communication in bottlenose dolphins: 50 years of signature whistle research Vincent M. Janik (1) and Laela S. Sayigh (2) (1) Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK (2) Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA Original Paper: Comparative assessment of amphibious hearing in pinnipeds Colleen Reichmuth (1), Marla M. Holt (2), Jason Mulsow (3), Jillian M. Sills (4) and Brandon L. Southall (1, 5) (1) Long Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA (2) Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Blvd. East, Seattle, WA 98112, USA (3) National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, # 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA (4) Long Marine Laboratory, Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA (5) SEA Inc., 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8, Aptos, CA 95003, USA Original Paper: Are harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) able to perceive and use polarised light? Frederike D. Hanke (1), Lars Miersch (1), Eric J. Warrant (2), Fedor M. Mitschke (3) and Guido Dehnhardt (1) (1) Institute for Biosciences, Sensory and Cognitive Ecology, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Str. 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany (2) Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden (3) Institute for Physics, University of Rostock, Universitätsplatz 3, 18055 Rostock, Germany Original Paper: Vibrissal touch sensing in the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina): how do seals judge size? Robyn Grant (1, 2), Sven Wieskotten (3), Nina Wengst (3), Tony Prescott (1) and Guido Dehnhardt (3) (1) Active Touch Laboratory, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK (2) Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK (3) Marine Science Center, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany Original Paper: Olfactory discrimination ability of South African fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) for enantiomers Sunghee Kim (1), Mats Amundin (2) and Matthias Laska (1) (1) IFM Biology, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden (2) Kolmårdens Djurpark, 618 92 Kolmården, Sweden Review: The neurobiology and behavior of the American water shrew (Sorex palustris) Kenneth C. Catania (1) (1) Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B, Box 35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235-1634, USA Review: Passive electroreception in aquatic mammals Nicole U. Czech-Damal (1), Guido Dehnhardt (2), Paul Manger (3) and Wolf Hanke (2) (1) Biocenter Grindel and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany (2) Institute for Biosciences, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany (3) School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa Review: Consciousness in dolphins? A review of recent evidence Heidi E. Harley (1) (1) Division of Social Sciences, New College of Florida, 5800 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA Best wishes, -- PD Dr. Wolf Hanke Sensory and Cognitive Ecology Institute for Biosciences Rostock University Albert-Einstein-Strasse 3 18059 Rostock, Germany Phone +49 381 3141030 Fax +49 381 498 6302