Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina L.) in the Antarctic Treaty Area

• Main Authors: Bester, Marthán, Bornemann, Horst, Daneri, Gustavo A., van den Hoff, John
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Antarctic Environments Portal 2020
• Subjects: Antarctic; Southern Ocean; The Antarctic; Slaughter; Antarc*; Elephant Seal; Elephant Seals; Euphausia superba; Mirounga leonina; Sea ice; Southern Elephant Seals
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.48361/crd1-hm41; https://environments.aq/publications/southern-elephant-seals-mirounga-leonina-l-in-the-antarctic-treaty-area/

Despite the wholesale slaughter of southern elephant seals for the commercial extraction of blubber-oil during the mid and late 1800’s, their populations have persisted at almost all historical breeding locations There are presently an estimated 749,000 southern elephant seals in the Southern Ocean, about 2% (14,500) of which live permanently in the Antarctic Treaty Area south of 60º South Although these southernmost permanent breeding populations are relatively small, a large (yet to be determined) proportion of individuals originating from the main sub-Antarctic breeding locations spend 70 – 80% of their time at sea south of 60º South feeding on a range of prey over the Antarctic continental shelf and close to the sea ice edge; both areas are responding to climate change Southern elephant seals feed on a range of potential and realised commercial fish and squid species, and since their dives can reach depths of 1,000 – 2,000m they are exposed to potential incidental and often (~ 90%) lethal interactions with commercial fishery operations, particularly longline fisheries for toothfish (Dissostichus sp.) The relationship between southern elephant seals and the Antarctic Treaty Area krill (Euphausia superba) fishery requires exploration How elephant seal populations will respond separately and cumulatively to the effects of climate change and future potential increases in the commercial removal of food from their foraging areas remains largely unknown and uncertain