Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica
The Weddell seal is one of the best-studied marine mammals in the world, owing to a multidecadal demographic effort in the southernmost part of its range. Despite their occurrence around the Antarctic coastline, we know little about larger scale patterns in distribution, population size, or structur...
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American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10092/103683 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abh3674 |
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ftunivcanter:oai:ir.canterbury.ac.nz:10092/103683 2023-05-15T13:49:08+02:00 Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica Salas L Nur N Ainley D Stammerjohn S Pennycook J Dozier M Saints J Stamatiou K Barrington L Rotella J LaRue, Michelle 2022-03-16T23:37:10Z application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10092/103683 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abh3674 eng en eng American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) LaRue M, Salas L, Nur N, Ainley D, Stammerjohn S, Pennycook J, Dozier M, Saints J, Stamatiou K, Barrington L, Rotella J (2021). Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica. Science Advances. 7(39). eabh3674-. 2375-2548 https://hdl.handle.net/10092/103683 http://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abh3674 All rights reserved unless otherwise stated http://hdl.handle.net/10092/17651 Fields of Research::31 - Biological sciences Journal Article 2022 ftunivcanter https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abh3674 2022-09-08T13:39:39Z The Weddell seal is one of the best-studied marine mammals in the world, owing to a multidecadal demographic effort in the southernmost part of its range. Despite their occurrence around the Antarctic coastline, we know little about larger scale patterns in distribution, population size, or structure. We combined high-resolution satellite imagery from 2011, crowd-sourcing, and habitat modeling to report the first global population estimate for the species and environmental factors that influence its distribution. We estimated ~202,000 (95% confidence interval: 85,345 to 523,140) sub-adult and adult female seals, with proximate ocean depth and fast-ice variables as factors explaining spatial prevalence. Distances to penguin colonies were associated with seal presence, but only emperor penguin population size had a strong negative relationship. The small, estimated population size relative to previous estimates and the seals' nexus with trophic competitors indicates that a community ecology approach is required in efforts to monitor the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean Weddell Seal Weddell Seals University of Canterbury, Christchurch: UC Research Repository Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Weddell Science Advances 7 39 |
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Open Polar |
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University of Canterbury, Christchurch: UC Research Repository |
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ftunivcanter |
language |
English |
topic |
Fields of Research::31 - Biological sciences |
spellingShingle |
Fields of Research::31 - Biological sciences Salas L Nur N Ainley D Stammerjohn S Pennycook J Dozier M Saints J Stamatiou K Barrington L Rotella J LaRue, Michelle Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Fields of Research::31 - Biological sciences |
description |
The Weddell seal is one of the best-studied marine mammals in the world, owing to a multidecadal demographic effort in the southernmost part of its range. Despite their occurrence around the Antarctic coastline, we know little about larger scale patterns in distribution, population size, or structure. We combined high-resolution satellite imagery from 2011, crowd-sourcing, and habitat modeling to report the first global population estimate for the species and environmental factors that influence its distribution. We estimated ~202,000 (95% confidence interval: 85,345 to 523,140) sub-adult and adult female seals, with proximate ocean depth and fast-ice variables as factors explaining spatial prevalence. Distances to penguin colonies were associated with seal presence, but only emperor penguin population size had a strong negative relationship. The small, estimated population size relative to previous estimates and the seals' nexus with trophic competitors indicates that a community ecology approach is required in efforts to monitor the Southern Ocean ecosystem. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Salas L Nur N Ainley D Stammerjohn S Pennycook J Dozier M Saints J Stamatiou K Barrington L Rotella J LaRue, Michelle |
author_facet |
Salas L Nur N Ainley D Stammerjohn S Pennycook J Dozier M Saints J Stamatiou K Barrington L Rotella J LaRue, Michelle |
author_sort |
Salas L |
title |
Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica |
title_short |
Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica |
title_full |
Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica |
title_sort |
insights from the first global population estimate of weddell seals in antarctica |
publisher |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10092/103683 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abh3674 |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Weddell |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Weddell |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean Weddell Seal Weddell Seals |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean Weddell Seal Weddell Seals |
op_relation |
LaRue M, Salas L, Nur N, Ainley D, Stammerjohn S, Pennycook J, Dozier M, Saints J, Stamatiou K, Barrington L, Rotella J (2021). Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica. Science Advances. 7(39). eabh3674-. 2375-2548 https://hdl.handle.net/10092/103683 http://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abh3674 |
op_rights |
All rights reserved unless otherwise stated http://hdl.handle.net/10092/17651 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abh3674 |
container_title |
Science Advances |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
39 |
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1766250901406744576 |