US EditionSeal populations drastically dwindling as Antartic ice disappears
ANTARCTICA, JUN 18 – Long-term research shows Weddell and Antarctic fur seal populations dropped by 54% and 47%, respectively, due to shrinking sea ice disrupting their habitat and food sources, researchers said.
- Scientists conducting long-term monitoring on Signy Island have observed a significant decrease in the populations of Weddell and Antarctic fur seals since the 1970s.
- The long-term decline, including a 54% drop in Weddell seals and 47% in fur seals, is linked to shrinking sea ice and changing marine food webs caused by climate change.
- The study analyzed nearly five decades of annual seal counts alongside satellite sea ice data to validate how fluctuating ice conditions affected seal habitats and populations.
- Michael Dunn, the lead author, highlighted that unlike previous studies which forecast how animals could be affected by diminishing sea ice and changing environmental conditions, this research uniquely validates those effects through comprehensive, long-term evidence.
- These findings highlight the urgent need for continued ecological monitoring to understand climate change effects and suggest that Antarctic ecosystems face substantial risks ahead.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Seals study shows melting sea ice is shaping their future
A new study of Antarctic seals shows that environmental conditions are leading to a severe decline in their populations in the South Orkney Islands. New results are published today (Wednesday 18 June) in the journal Global Change Biology and show how seals depend on sea ice for their survival.
Vanishing Ice, Vanishing Seals—New Study Reveals Dramatic Antarctic Declines - Commonwealth Union
Environmental (Commonwealth Union)_ A chilling warning has arrived from the depths of the world. Antarctic seal counts are plummeting precipitously, with shrinking sea ice identified as a primary causative agent. Fresh research from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has revealed that the numbers of several of the most significant seal species have plummeted dramatically over the last fifty years as climate change modifies their ice-based landsc…
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