Responding to Human Influence: Southern Sea Lion Males Adapt to Harbor Habitats.

DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ; GISELA V GIARDINO; MANDIOLA AGUSTINA; JOAQUIN GANA; CAROLINA DE LEON; DENUNCIO, PABLO; BASTIDA, RICARDO; JULIAN BASTIDA; SERGIO MORON

Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Otariids and the Odobenid (Serie Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Marine Mammals)

Springer

Año: 2021; p. 415 - 435

Male-only hauling grounds occur in close association to breeding coloniesin several otariids. The occasional use of human-built infrastructure by thesegroups is also common. We observed permanent male aggregations ofsouthern sea lions, Otaria flavescens, in urban contexts, such as two of themain fishing harbors in Argentina and investigated how they changed over35 years. These haul-outs are located approximately 700 km fromUruguayan and northern Patagonian breeding grounds. Males in urbancolonies have functional connections with both populations. A predictableBookID 469551_1_En__ChapID 21_Proof# 1 - 19/11/20pattern of dispersion during the breeding season, returning for winter,indicate site fidelity. Harbor habitats present ever changing stimuli, threatsand challenges to habituated sea lions. Sequential, rapid and spontaneouschanges in the location of the aggregations may be a response to quicklearning and socially transmitted knowledge. Food provision viaconsumption of fish offal?complemented with natural foraging?providesupport to these aggregations over prolonged periods. The presence ofhundreds of sea lions in harbors represents a management challenge.Fidelity to resting areas and rapid habituation to human presence makes itdifficult to design strategies that can deter sea lions from intensive use ofcritical sectors of port activity. Interaction with fishing gear results infrequent entanglements. The risk of transmission of diseases from and todogs and other domestic animals is a major potential problem for individualsin unnatural aggregations.