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Ross seal distribution in the Weddell Sea: fact and fallacy

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Abstract

The presence of Ross seals (Ommatophoca rossii) throughout the Weddell Sea is at best equivocal although overview articles usually depict this as fact on distribution maps. This study reviewed the appropriate literature on the distribution of Ross seals in the Weddell Sea sensu lato and investigated their presence/absence during two expeditions (summer/autumn of 2014 and 2018) into its most southern reaches off the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. Both ship-board and helicopter surveys were done primarily along the eastern aspect and the south-western limit of the Weddell Sea. Evidence suggests that Ross seals are absent from the Weddell Sea during winter, utilizing the northernmost fringes of the pack-ice during the spring breeding (pupping and mating) season. Ross seals are absent from the inner reaches of the Weddell Sea past about 73° S in summer and early autumn when they occur in number in the eastern Weddell Sea eastwards from about 30° W longitude.

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Acknowledgements

The Captains, Officers and Crews as well as helicopter pilots and technicians of the RV Polarstern extended every possible courtesy to us in support of our research objectives. Chief scientists Rainer Knust and Michael Schröder of SEAFOS (Grant No. AWI_PS82_03) and FROST (Grant No. AWI_PS111_00), respectively, are thanked for their support, and the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) is thanked for logistical support. The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) provided polar clothing for the South African contingent within South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP), and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) through the National Research Foundation (NRF), for funding part of this project. This work is based on the research supported by the NRF (Grant Number 93088) and the authors acknowledge that opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication generated by the NRF supported research are that of the authors, and that the NRF accepts no liability whatsoever in this regard. We are grateful to Boris Dorschel and Stefanie Arndt from the AWI for support and sharing of expertise during their investigations into bathymetry and sea ice physics. Javier Negrete and two anonymous reviewers provided constructive comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa

    Marthán N. Bester, Mia Wege & W. Chris Oosthuizen

  2. Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany

    Horst Bornemann

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  1. Marthán N. Bester
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  2. Mia Wege
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  3. W. Chris Oosthuizen
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  4. Horst Bornemann
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Correspondence to Marthán N. Bester.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval

The University of Pretoria Animal Ethics Committee cleared the procedures of this project (Number EC082-15) under South African Department of Environmental Affairs Permit 04/2015-16, extended by IEE 14/12/16/5/1/18 for expedition PS111 pursuant to the provisions of Article 3 of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, and Annex II and Annex V (Article 10(2)). Research carried out during expedition PS82 was approved by the German Federal Environmental Agency (“Umweltbundesamt”), Reference No. I 3.5 – 94003-2/142 as of 14 August 2013 under the German acts implementing the Protocol of Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.

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Bester, M.N., Wege, M., Oosthuizen, W.C. et al. Ross seal distribution in the Weddell Sea: fact and fallacy. Polar Biol 43, 35–41 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-019-02610-4

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