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Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Antarctic Research Series, Volume 18. All together, the species of antarctic pinnipeds probably comprise the largest aggregation of wild mammals in any one circumscribed area on the earth. Although man has known of the existence of antarctic pinnipeds for more than 2 centuries and scientists of many countries have contributed to the knowledge of the species, renewed scientific interest generated by the U.S. Antarctic Research Program has brought out new findings that should lay the foundation for future studies. Antarctic Pinnipedia reflects some of the more recent contributions on this subject by U.S. investigators, who have been supported by the National Science Foundation, as well as research by scientists of Australia and New Zealand, who have received field and/or logistic assistance under the U.S. Antarctic Research Program. Thus this volume illustrates the international cooperation engendered by the Antarctic Treaty and, at the same time, reveals the broad approach in the development of biological research. Under the U.S. Antarctic Research Program, the study of marine mammals is but one discipline in a number of areas simultaneously developed by the Office of Polar Programs under the direction of Dr. George A. Llano, Program Director, Polar Biology.