A breeding population of southern elephant seals (Milounga leonina) in South Georgia, home to the world’s largest population of Milounga leonina. I could have cut it in half. It is caused by the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV). research announcing communication biology These losses indicate that the number of victims may decrease. elephant seal pup It threatens the safety of the survivors and breeding populations of this archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean.
The virus spread to this island in 2023. According to a 1995 study, the island is home to the world’s largest population of southern elephant seals. Approximately 54% of breeders. Researchers monitored elephant seal populations in breeding colonies using aerial photography taken on three beaches: St. Andrews Bay, Hound Bay, and Gold Harbor during the 2022 and 2024 breeding seasons.
They compared these populations, which accounted for 15.6% of the island’s elephant seal population in the 1995 survey, with the long-term average population from 1958 to 2022. The authors noted a 33.7% decrease in the number of females expected on the island in 2024 compared to the long-term average. Number of breeding females decreased by 47% It was present on three specific coasts between 2022 and 2024, the publication shows.
When this figure is extrapolated to the total population of the island, the authors estimate: Approximately 53,000 women were absent Breeding season in 2024. According to the researchers, the scale of the population decline is comparable to an avian influenza outbreak observed in Peninsula Valdez (Argentina), where the population of female elephant seals declined by 67%.
The authors speculate that the population declines observed due to direct mortality from HPAIV may be exacerbated by the physical stress experienced by infected females, leading to symptoms such as: abandon one’s offspring prematurely And it can have long-term effects on population size. Additionally, continued monitoring of breeding colonies is recommended to assess the long-term effects of HPAIV on the health of the South Georgia elephant seal population.
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