Review of the current distribution of southern elephant seals in the eastern South Pacific

• Main Authors: J Acevedo, A Aguayo-Lobo, JL Brito, D Torres, B Cáceres, A Vila, M Cardeña, P Acuña
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Figshare 2016
• Subjects: Microbiology; FOS Biological sciences; Physiology; Evolutionary Biology; 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; FOS Earth and related environmental sciences; Ecology; Inorganic Chemistry; FOS Chemical sciences; Plant Biology; Cape Horn; Pacific; Elephant Seal; Elephant Seals; Southern Elephant Seal; Southern Elephant Seals
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3252934.v1; https://figshare.com/collections/Review_of_the_current_distribution_of_southern_elephant_seals_in_the_eastern_South_Pacific/3252934/1

The eastern South Pacific southern elephant seal population was extinguished by extensive hunting and the current presence of this species in this area is not well understood. We reviewed existing records from the 1900s to 2014 in the eastern South Pacific, as well as tagged seals and movement records in order to assess the potential immigration source of these individuals. A total of 409 confirmed sightings were compiled, ranging from the southern tip of South America (Cape Horn Archipelago) as far north as Ecuador, including some oceanic island groups. The evidence shows also that recolonisation of its former Pacific distribution has started, with slow population growth in three incipient pupping sites in southern Chile (south of 51°S). Although the source of all of the individuals in the growing colonies is unknown, evidence from tags and satellite tagging indicates that some seals come from subpopulations on the Peninsula Valdes and the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, although mtDNA analysis showed, preliminarily, a greater genetic relationship only with the Falkland/Malvinas Islands rookery.