How Effective are Posted Signs to Regulate Tourism? An Example with New Zealand Fur Seals

Increased tourism has augmented harassment to wildlife and posted signs are commonly used to manage such interactions. This study determined whether signs increased tourist compliance with regulations to remain \u3e10 m from New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri ) at Kaikoura Peninsula. We observed 362 tourist groups interacting with seals. The percentage of groups in which all members respected the posted distance was similar whether tourists saw the signs or not [60.6% vs. 65.9%; G(l ) = 0.98, p 0.32]. Results indicate that posted signs were ineffective in increasing compliance to regulations and suggest that alternative approaches must be considered to increase regulation compliance and better manage interactions between tourists and wildlife

Northern Fur Seals (Callorhinus ursinus) of the Commander Islands: Summer Feeding Trips, Winter Migrations and Interactions with Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)

The northern fur seal (NFS) population on the Pribilof Islands (PI) is currently declining while the population on the Commander Islands (CI which includes Bering and Medny Islands) is stable. The reasons for the different population trajectories remain unknown. Comparing differences in behavioral ecology and predation pressure between these two populations could provide an explanation. This study examined lactating NFS female behavior to determine: 1) summer foraging patterns (trip duration, trip direction, dive depth) of animals from two nearby rookeries on Bering Island, 2) winter migration from Medny and Bering Islands relative to patterns of ocean productivity, and 3) the potential impact of killer whale predation on population dynamics. Data were collected from 2003 to 2010 using visual observations and telemetry. Twenty-one satellite transmitters, 29 time-depth recorders and 17 geolocation recorders were deployed. Shore-based observations of killer whale predation and photo-identification were conducted near the CI rookeries in 19992010. During lactation, both mean foraging trip duration and mean maximum diving depth (3.4 plus/minus 1.3 days and 17.7 plus/minus 6.8 m, respectively) for NFS adult females (n = 28) did not significantly change among years. Although foraging areas of NFS from the two rookeries on Bering Island overlapped, the mean direction of travel from Severo-Zapadnoe rookery was significantly (p<0.01) different compared with Severnoe rookery. The foraging patterns suggested that these females had a reliable food source that did not change despite potential environmental changes or the effects of fisheries. During their winter migration, NFS females from the CI traveled to the Transition Zone Chlorophyll Front (32° N-42° N) in the North Pacific Ocean. Their winter migration routes and the location of overwinter foraging areas were positively correlated with high ocean productivity (near surface chlorophyll a concentration). Over 82 percent (n=17) of these females spent 38 months near the eastern coast of Hokkaido, Japan and followed the coastal high productivity areas on their way back to the CI. Transient killer whales in groups of 2-12 individuals were repeatedly observed preying mostly on NFS males during the summer. The simulation model showed little impact on population dynamics as long as male fur seals were the primary prey. However, if the number of killer whales increased or they changed their diet to include females and pups, then the NFS population on the CI could decline. The winter migration of NFS from CI and PI are similar. Lactating NFS from the PI exhibit greater summer foraging effort (longer average trip duration and bout duration; greater number of deep dives) compared with females from the CI

Establishing of local population, population dynamics and current abundance of Steller sea lion ( <i>Eumetopias jubatus</i>) in the Commander Islands

The time course of the establishment of a local population of Steller sea lions in the Commander Islands, population dynamics and current abundance were studied using literature published since the 1930s and the author’s observations conducted during breeding seasons 2008-2011. The local population of Steller sea lions started formation in the early 1960s, when mature females first began to populate the islands and the population was fully established in the early 1990s. The whole process of development the Commander Islands Steller sea lion sub-population took about three decades. Abundance of adult and juvenile sea lions fluctuated highly in 1991-2011 without any statistically significant trend, but numbers of pups had a pronounced negative slope mostly due to three sharp declines in pup production in 2000, 2009, and 2011. A total of about 700 animals of age 1+ inhabit the islands during the breeding season and about 200 pups are born annually at the present time. This total number of Steller sea lions is close to the mean value for the period after 1990s. Nevertheless, occasional sharp declines in pup production cause some anxiety, so far as they could lead to extinction of the Steller sea lion sub-population in this area as had occurred in the middle of the 19th century

Biological Earth observation with animal sensors

Space-based tracking technology using low-cost miniature tags is now delivering data on fine-scale animal movement at near-global scale. Linked with remotely sensed environmental data, this offers a biological lens on habitat integrity and connectivity for conservation and human health; a global network of animal sentinels of environmen-tal change