Australian Sea Lions Neophoca Cinerea at Colonies in South Australia: Distribution and Abundance, 2004 to 2008
Vol. 13: 87–98, 2011 ENDANGERED SPECIES RESEARCH Published online January 17 doi: 10.3354/esr00317 Endang Species Res OPENPEN ACCESSCCESS Australian sea lions Neophoca cinerea at colonies in South Australia: distribution and abundance, 2004 to 2008 Peter D. Shaughnessy1,*, Simon D. Goldsworthy2, Derek J. Hamer3, 5, Brad Page2, Rebecca R. McIntosh4 1South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia 2South Australian Research and Development Institute, PO Box 120, Henley Beach, South Australia 5022, Australia 3Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia 4Department of Zoology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3068, Australia 5Present address: Australian Antarctic Division, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia ABSTRACT: The Australian sea lion Neophoca cinerea is an endemic species listed as vulnerable under the Commonwealth ‘Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act’ and as Endangered by IUCN. Assessing its abundance is difficult because of its supra-annual (17 to 18 mo) breeding cycle, and pupping seasons that are extended (about 6 mo but varying between colonies) and asynchronous in their timing between colonies. Based mainly on surveys at most sites in South Australia (SA) between 2004 and 2008, and information from the literature, estimates of abundance are provided for 39 breeding colonies and 9 haulout sites where pups are recorded occasionally. From this study it is estimated that in SA, 3119 Australian sea lion pups are born per breeding cycle, an increase on former estimates by at least 16% resulting from recognition of new breeding colonies, targeting surveys to coincide with maximum pup numbers and using mark-recapture procedures at some colonies.
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