Hello readers and supporters of LAJAM. 

I am proud to present you with the latest issue 14(1) 2019 of our Society’s journal, which contains one article and three notes on diverse groups as pinnipeds, cetaceans and otters, and ranging geographically from Puerto Rico and Mexico to Colombia, Brazil and central Chile. Laurentino et al. documented activity in Neotropical otter latrines with camtraps and report on the use of those communal defecation sites by other species, including mammals, in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Based on aerial surveys and stranding records, Cárcamo and colleagues present information on new non-breeding colonies of South American fur seals and discuss a possible extension range of the species. Frisch et al. witnessed humpback whales feeding in Mexico and describe what they call the longest intensive feeding episode of humpbacks on any breeding ground in the world. North Atlantic humpbacks (this time fasting) are also the subject of MacKay and Bacon’s note on harassment by pilot whales, in Puerto Rico. And Mutis and Polanco describe the rst stranding event of a dwarf sperm whale in the Caribbean coast of Colombia. 

On a sad note we register the passing of Venezuelan wildlife veterinarian Ernesto O. Boede. During his carrer he worked on ex-situmanagement and reproduction of Orinoco dolphins and rehabilitation and release of Amazonian manatees, among other animals. He left us 8 April 2019. 

You may remember we publicized the opportunity of students attending the 2nd World Marine Mammal Science Conference in upcoming December, with support from our journal’s long-term sponsor, YAQU-PACHA. Unfortunately, although the offer sparked some interest among students, none of the submissions went all the way through the editorial process. 

Finally, I must mention that the recent (and ongoing) res in the Amazon have raised international awareness to the region and heightened freshwater aquatic mammals experts’ concerns as to how this may affect species of dolphins, manatees and especially otters, that are more dependent on land. We should keep our eyes and ears open for what may come up and in the next few months we are sure to learn about consequences to the water world in addition to destruction of our forests. 

I invite you all to submit manuscripts for our 2 issue of 2019, due in late December, and wish you a good reading! 

Miriam Marmontel

Editor-in-Chief

Link to LAJAM website.