Antarctic fur seals: tracking the Southern Ocean’s changing climate and ecosystem

<p dir="ltr">The Southern Ocean is one of the most remote and rapidly changing regions on the planet.</p><p dir="ltr">As climate change progresses and human activity expands, its ecosystems are undergoing profound changes.</p><p dir="ltr">Roaming widely across the Southern Ocean, Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) are helping scientists monitor these changes due to their key position in the marine food web. Acting as upper-level predators, Antarctic fur seals mainly feed on Antarctic krill, fish and squid, and are preyed upon by large predators, including orcas and leopard seals.</p><p dir="ltr">When ocean temperatures rise, sea ice declines or fishing activity increases, the availability of krill and other prey changes, which in turn impacts how seals search for food, the distribution and abundance of species they eat, their breeding success and even their survival. Seals are also highly sensitive to changing ocean and sea ice conditions themselves.</p><p dir="ltr">By tracking changes in the behaviour, diet and population size of Antarctic fur seals, scientists can detect early-warning signals of environmental shifts and ecosystem disruption, making them a key Southern Ocean ecosystem indicator species.</p>