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New data on South American fur seals and sea lions' occupation of the Wildlife Refuge of Ilha dos Lobos, southern Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2023

Natália Procksch ,
Paulo Henrique Ott ,
Natalia Bragiola Berchieri ,
Daniel Danilewicz ,
Rafael Kenji Horota ,
Murilo Guimarães ,
Marcelo Zagonel ,
Maurício Roberto Veronez  and
Larissa Rosa de Oliveira Open the ORCID record for Larissa Rosa de Oliveira [Opens in a new window]
Natália Procksch
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos (LEM), Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos 950, Cristo Rei, São Leopoldo, RS 93022-750, Brazil
Paulo Henrique Ott
Affiliation:
Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul (GEMARS). Rua Bento Gonçalves, Saldanha da Gama, 937, Torres, RS 95560-000, Brazil Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul (UERGS). Laboratório de Biodiversidade e Conservação (LABeC). Rua Machado de Assis, 1456, Osório, RS 95520-000, Brazil
Natalia Bragiola Berchieri
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal do Piauí, Departamento de Biologia, Avenida Universitária, lado ímpar, Teresina, PI 64049-550, Brazil
Daniel Danilewicz
Affiliation:
Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul (GEMARS). Rua Bento Gonçalves, Saldanha da Gama, 937, Torres, RS 95560-000, Brazil Instituto Aqualie. Avenida Doutor Paulo Japiassú Coelho, 714, salas 201 e 202, Juiz de Fora, MG 36033-310, Brazil
Rafael Kenji Horota
Affiliation:
Advanced Visualization & Geoinformatics Laboratory (VizLab), Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos 950, Cristo Rei, São Leopoldo, RS 93022-750, Brazil Svalbard (UNIS), University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen 9170, Svalbard, Norway University of Bergen (UiB), 5007 Bergen, Norway
Murilo Guimarães
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal do Piauí, Departamento de Biologia, Avenida Universitária, lado ímpar, Teresina, PI 64049-550, Brazil
Marcelo Zagonel
Affiliation:
Advanced Visualization & Geoinformatics Laboratory (VizLab), Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos 950, Cristo Rei, São Leopoldo, RS 93022-750, Brazil
Maurício Roberto Veronez
Affiliation:
Advanced Visualization & Geoinformatics Laboratory (VizLab), Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos 950, Cristo Rei, São Leopoldo, RS 93022-750, Brazil
Larissa Rosa de Oliveira*
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos (LEM), Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos 950, Cristo Rei, São Leopoldo, RS 93022-750, Brazil Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul (GEMARS). Rua Bento Gonçalves, Saldanha da Gama, 937, Torres, RS 95560-000, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Larissa Rosa Oliveira; Email: larissaro@unisinos.br
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Abstract

We present the most recent data on the seasonal and spatial occupation of South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) and fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) in the Wildlife Refuge of Ilha dos Lobos (WRIL) in southern Brazil throughout the year, based on aerial photographic counts. Thirty-one aerial photographic counts were conducted between July 2019 and November 2020 to assess monthly differences in the abundance of pinnipeds in the WRIL. The results were analysed using a generalized linear model. Spatial analysis was performed using kernel density. Subadult males of South American sea lion were the most abundant pinniped in the WRIL, followed by juveniles of South American fur seal. A juvenile of Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) was also recorded. South American fur seals showed a marked seasonality, occurring only between July and October, while South American sea lions occurred year-round. Among the months analysed, September exhibited the highest mean abundance (mean 113.75; SD: ± 8.58), followed by August (mean 103.00; SD: ± 15.69). The pinnipeds were more often concentrated in the northern and central parts of the island. This study reinforces the importance of the WRIL as a haulout site for pinnipeds. Considering the seasonal occupation of the island by South American pinnipeds, monitoring is recommended prior to the development of activities in the area.

Keywords

Aerial countsArctocephalus australisKernel densityOtaria flavescens
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 103 , 2023 , e58
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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