Tag-loss in southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina , at Marion Island

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Wilkinson, I.S., Bester, M.N.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1997
• Subjects: Geology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Oceanography; Antarctic Science; Elephant Seal; Elephant Seals; Marion Island; Mirounga leonina; Southern Elephant Seal; Southern Elephant Seals
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102097000217; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102097000217

Rates of tag-loss are determined for Dalton Jumbo Rototags applied to the hind flippers of 4343 (2208 males, 2135 females) southern elephant seal ( Mirounga leonina ) pups at Marion Island over an eight year period from 1983–1990 as part of a demographic study of the species. Loss rates were the lowest recorded to date for this species (range 0.0–9.1%). No significant relationship existed between age and rate of tag-loss, neither was there any sex or year related differences in age-specific tag-loss rates. The low rates of loss highlight the value of tagging as a marking technique, and allow for high levels of confidence in the reliability of the population parameters that are derived from the tagging data collected for the Marion Island population.