Editing Pinniped (section)

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Noaa-walrus22.jpg|thumb|right|Walrus on ice off Alaska. This species has a discontinuous distribution around the [[Arctic Circle]].]]

Living pinnipeds are widespread in cold oceanic waters; particularly in the North Atlantic, the North Pacific and the [[Southern Ocean]]. By contrast, the consistently warm [[Indomalayan realm|Indomalayan]] waters have no seals.<ref name="MacDonald">Lavinge, D. M.; Kovacs, K. M.; Bonner, W. N. "Seals and Sea lions" in {{harvnb|MacDonald|2001|pp=147–155}}</ref> Monk seals and some otariids live in tropical and subtropical waters. Seals usually require cool, nutrient-rich waters with temperatures lower than {{convert|20|C|F|abbr=on}}. Even in more tropical climates, lower temperatures and biological productivity may be provided by [[current (ocean)|current]]s.<ref name="MacDonald" />{{sfn|Riedman|1990|p=61}} Only monk seals live in waters that generally lack these features.<ref name="MacDonald" /> The Caspian seal and Baikal seal are found in large landlocked bodies of water (the [[Caspian Sea]] and [[Lake Baikal]] respectively).<ref name="Berta"/>

As a whole, pinnipeds can be found in a variety of aquatic habitats, mostly [[coastal]] water, but also [[open ocean]], deep waters near offshore islands, [[brackish water]]s and even freshwater [[lake]]s and [[river]]s. The Baikal seal is the only exclusively [[Freshwater seal|freshwater species]].{{sfn|Riedman|1990|pp=94–95}} Pinnipeds also use a number of terrestrial habitats and [[substrate (biology)|substrates]], both continental and island. In non-polar regions, they [[hauling-out|haul out]] on to [[rocky shore]]s, sandy and [[pebble]] beaches, [[shoal|sandbanks]], [[tidal flat]]s or [[tidal pool|pool]]s, and in [[sea cave]]s. Some species also rest on man-made structures built along the coast or offshore. Pinnipeds may move further from the water using sand dunes or vegetation, or even rocky cliffs.{{sfn|Riedman|1990|p=96}} New Zealand sea lions may travel to forests {{Convert|2|km|mi}} from the ocean.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Frans|first1=Veronica F.|last2=Augé|first2=Amélie A.|last3=Edelhoff|first3=Hendrik|last4=Erasmi|first4=Stefan|last5=Balkenhol|first5=Niko|last6=Engler|first6=Jan O.|date=2018|title=Quantifying apart what belongs together: A multi-state species distribution modelling framework for species using distinct habitats|journal=Methods in Ecology and Evolution|language=en|volume=9|issue=1|pages=98–108|doi=10.1111/2041-210X.12847|s2cid=91050320 |issn=2041-210X|doi-access=free|bibcode=2018MEcEv...9...98F }}</ref> In polar regions, seals haul out on to both [[fast ice]] and [[drift ice]]. Some even den underneath the ice, particularly in [[pressure ridge (ice)|pressure ridges]] and [[crevasse]]s.{{sfn|Riedman|1990|p=99}}