Mortality in an Off-Shore Predator Critical Habitat During the Northeast Pacific Marine Heatwave
- Species conservation
- Pathology
Abstract
Defining baseline mortality and trends in wildlife populations is imperative to understand natural and anthropogenic threats to overall population health and improve conservation measures for species, particularly in geographically confined habitats. The Guadalupe fur seal Arctocephalus townsendi (GFS) is a threatened pinniped that ranges throughout the west coast of Mexico with sporadic dispersion to higher latitudes. Their breeding habitat is restricted to Guadalupe Island, Mexico, which is vulnerable to periodic and cyclic warming of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. The impacts of environmental change on GFS health and reproductive success at Guadalupe Island are poorly defined and the aim of this study was to establish baseline pup (GFSn) mortality rates and primary causes of death during the 2013-2016 breeding seasons at Guadalupe Island. Interannual mortality rates and causes of death were compared by year, breeding seasons and by geographic location. The highest mortality rate in GFSn was in 2015 (14.7%), followed by 2014 (8.2%), 2016 (6.7%) and 2013 (5.6%). The presumptive causes of mortality of GFSn were consistent with other published long term otariids health surveys and included: emaciation (49%), trauma (24%), infectious disease (8%), drowning (4%) stillbirth/perinatal mortality (4%) and undetermined (11%). However, in 2015 and coinciding with northeast Pacific marine heatwave in 2014-2016, emaciation accounted for 54% of GFSn mortality in contrast to 9% in 2013. For GFSn, terrestrial habitat may influence mortality rates and causes of mortality but like other marine predators, marine habitat features, such as an increase in sea surface temperature are associated with changes in maternal care, nutritional status and pups survival. Monitoring mortality rate and causes in GFSn at Guadalupe Island is crucial to establish baseline health trends, document potential impacts on species demographics and recruitment during marine heatwaves and potential consequences in population recovery.
Gálvez, C., Raverty, S., Galván-Magaña, F., Field, C.L. and Elorriaga-Verplancken, F.R., 2023. Mortality in an off-shore predator critical habitat during the Northeast Pacific marine heatwave. Frontiers in Marine Science.
pathology
Cara Field
Guadalupe fur seal, population health, threatened species, critical habitat, marine heat wave, blob, pup mortality
Related Publications
{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Other species\/Vaquita-Olson-NOAA.jpg","alt":"vaquita","title":"Protecting Critically Endangered Vaquita from Entanglement Through Field Capture","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/protecting-critically-endangered-vaquita-from-entanglement-through-field-capture","label":"Research Paper"}
Protecting Critically Endangered Vaquita from Entanglement Through Field Capture
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/Guadalupe fur seals\/2020\/cropped-images\/gfs-pippin-by-bill-hunnewell-c-the-marine-mammal-center-noaa-permit-18786-111-120-3738-2920-1602702191.jpg","alt":"Guadalupe fur seal Pippin","title":"Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change on Threatened Guadalupe Fur Seals","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/understanding-the-impacts-of-climate-change-on-threatened-guadalupe-fur-seals","label":"Research Paper"}
Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change on Threatened Guadalupe Fur Seals
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Guadalupe fur seal\/cropped-images\/guadalupe-fur-seal-photo-c-marc-webber-113-2-3934-3072-1618437568.jpg","alt":"Guadalupe fur seal","title":"A New Guadalupe Fur Seal Colony in the Gulf of California?","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/new-guadalupe-fur-seal-colony-in-the-gulf-of-california","label":"Research Paper"}
{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/Guadalupe fur seals\/2019\/cropped-images\/gfs-scooter-release-photo-c-steve-sayles-878-376-4402-3438-1606346089.jpg","alt":"Guadalupe fur seal","title":"Ecology and Conservation of Pinnipeds in Latin America: Guadalupe Fur Seal","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/ecology-and-conservation-of-pinnipeds-in-latin-america-guadalupe-fur-seal","label":"Research Paper"}
Related News
{"image":"\/People\/Action\/Veterinary care\/cropped-images\/f-rw22radiograph-examdr-sophie-whoriskey-l-and-megan-mcginnis-rcredit-heather-stocker-c-the-marine-mammal-centernoaa-permit-18786-03-144-15-1270-992-1721670262.jpg","alt":"Hawaiian monk seal in care at the marine mammal center receiving a radiograph exam","title":"Disney Recognizes Dr. Sophie Whoriskey\u2019s Work at The Marine Mammal Center in Hawaii to Save Monk Seals","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/disney-recognizes-dr-sophie-whoriskeys-work-at-the-marine-mammal-center-in-hawaii-to-save-monk-seals","label":"Press Release","date":"2024-07-22 03:30:00"}
Disney Recognizes Dr. Sophie Whoriskey’s Work at The Marine Mammal Center in Hawaii to Save Monk Seals
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Gray whale\/cropped-images\/gray-whale-golden-gate-bridge-by-darrin-allen-c-the-marine-mammal-center-noaa-permit-26532-628-43-1272-992-1721771368.jpg","alt":"gray whales seen in the San Francisco Bay ","title":"LA Times: Why are Gray Whales and Other Marine Life Visiting San Francisco Bay?","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/la-times-why-are-gray-whales-and-other-marine-life-visiting-san-francisco-bay","label":"In the News","date":"2024-07-14 02:00:00"}
LA Times: Why are Gray Whales and Other Marine Life Visiting San Francisco Bay?
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Generic Image\/cropped-images\/sea lion release conservation technology-159-4-1270-992-1720535809.png","alt":"A California sea lion with a small satellite tracking device on its back runs through the sand. ","title":"Conservation Technology: 5 Innovations In Ocean Health","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/conservation-technology-5-innovations-in-ocean-health","label":"News Update","date":"2024-07-09 02:00:00"}
{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Gray whale\/cropped-images\/NOAAa._gray_whale_april_24_2023_photo_by_pilar_rodriguez____the_marine_mammal_center_noaa_permit_26532_720-0-0-0-0-1721847042.png","alt":"gray whale in the San Francisco Bay with Alcatraz and Golden Gate in background","title":"CBS News: Scientists Work to Identify San Francisco Bay's Enigmatic Gray Whales","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/cbs-news-scientists-work-to-identify-san-francisco-bays-enigmatic-gray-whales","label":"In the News","date":"2024-07-01 02:00:00"}
CBS News: Scientists Work to Identify San Francisco Bay's Enigmatic Gray Whales
Read More