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<p>We examined the diet of non-breeding male Antarctic fur seals <i>Arctocephalus gazella</i> from Stranger Point (62°14′S; 58°40′W), Isla 25 de Mayo/King George Island, through the analysis of 394 scat samples collected in summer (late January to March) from 2014 to 2017. Overall, the Antarctic krill <i>Euphausia superba</i> was by far the most dominant prey item, followed by fishes and occasionally, by squid and penguins. There were significant interannual differences in the mean sizes of krill consumed by fur seals, with an increase in the average size from 2014 (44.1 ± 3.6) to 2016 (48.2 ± 3.2), as well as in the modal size class in 2016 (46–48&#xa0;mm vs. 44–46&#xa0;mm the rest of the seasons). The majority of the krill measured were adult stages, composed mainly of males. We discuss the possible influence of climatic modes such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation and Southern Annular Mode and their respective phases on variations in krill consumption by the fur seals. The results of this work are compared with literature information on the response of different components of the Antarctic marine ecosystem during climatic/oceanographic events and with krill commercial fishery data reported by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Our analysis suggests that climate modes influence the diet of <i>A. gazella</i> as well as a partial overlapping on resource consumption with fisheries. Long term studies are needed in order to draw relevant conclusions.</p>

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The importance of krill in the diet of the Antarctic fur seal Arctocephalus gazella from Stranger Point (Isla 25 de Mayo/King George Island), South Shetland Islands

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年2月13日

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  • Mariana Descalzo,
  • Gustavo A. Daneri,
  • Ana Harrington,
  • Javier Negrete,
  • Aldo Corbalán,
  • Esteban Barrera-Oro

摘要

We examined the diet of non-breeding male Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella from Stranger Point (62°14′S; 58°40′W), Isla 25 de Mayo/King George Island, through the analysis of 394 scat samples collected in summer (late January to March) from 2014 to 2017. Overall, the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba was by far the most dominant prey item, followed by fishes and occasionally, by squid and penguins. There were significant interannual differences in the mean sizes of krill consumed by fur seals, with an increase in the average size from 2014 (44.1 ± 3.6) to 2016 (48.2 ± 3.2), as well as in the modal size class in 2016 (46–48 mm vs. 44–46 mm the rest of the seasons). The majority of the krill measured were adult stages, composed mainly of males. We discuss the possible influence of climatic modes such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation and Southern Annular Mode and their respective phases on variations in krill consumption by the fur seals. The results of this work are compared with literature information on the response of different components of the Antarctic marine ecosystem during climatic/oceanographic events and with krill commercial fishery data reported by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Our analysis suggests that climate modes influence the diet of A. gazella as well as a partial overlapping on resource consumption with fisheries. Long term studies are needed in order to draw relevant conclusions.