Dear friends, the following article (in press) is
available online for those of you that are interested:
As
part of
population dynamics studies of the South American fur seal
(Arctocephalus
australis gracilis) rookery at Punta Weather in Guafo Island
(43◦ 36’S, 74◦ 43’W),
the causes and extent of pup mortality were monitored. During
four breeding
seasons, daily counts of live and dead pups were carried out to
determine pup
production and pup mortality. Dead pups were retrieved from the
rookery to perform
necropsies. The mean pup production was 1,735.5 ± 336 pups and
the mean pup
mortality up to 12 wk old was 6.0% ± 2.6%. The major causes of
death were
enteritis with microscopic lesions of bacteremia (28.4%),
starvation (23.5%), drowning
(21%), trauma (19.8%), and stillbirths (2.5%). Enteritis with
microscopic
lesions of bacteremia, and starvation had higher incidence
during January (beginning
and middle of the breeding season) while most trauma and
drowning occurred
during February (end of the breeding season). In the 2006–2007
breeding season
there was an increase in mortality due to starvation and trauma.
Most pup
deaths at Guafo Island are generated by extrinsic factors;
therefore,
additional studies that assess the impact of environmental
changes and fishing
activities, are needed in order to determine the exact causes of
the decline of
this species along Chilean coasts.
The article can be downloaded from Marine Mammals Science website
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00534.x/full
Best wishes
-- ><>><>><>><>><>><>><>><>><>><>><>><>><>><>><> Dr. Hector Paves Hernandez, Bio. Marino Doctor en Ciencias, M/Sist & Ecologia Profesor Adjunto, LECMAA, Laboratorio de Estudios en Biologia y Conservacion de Mamiferos y Aves Acuaticas Investigador Postdoctorante Fondecyt, LOCEB, Laboratorio de Oceanografia Biologica Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnologicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile E-mail: hectorpaves@uach.cl / hpaves@gmail.com , Celular : 56-9-6826729 http://lecmaa.blogspot.com/ http://secure.uach.cl/diracademicos/docentes/default.aspx?id=2038 _____________________________________________ Nota. se omiten los acentos, Nota: No imprimas este correo a menos que sea realmente necesario, Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to.