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Natural and anthropogenic factors associated with the distribution of South American sea lion along the Atlantic coast

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Abstract

The aim of this work was to analyse those characteristics of the Atlantic coast that are associated with distribution, abundance and breeding activity of Otaria flavescens at three ecological scales. We followed a research strategy that consists in looking at the variables that are associated with the pattern of distribution at regional and landscape scales, instead of following local population in time. We used bibliographic data of censuses carried out between 1946 and 1997 and a Geographic Information System (GIS) to integrate information proceeding from censuses and different environmental variables. At a regional scale, we found that the distribution of breeding colonies did not vary in the period of time analysed and was associated with the pattern of occupation of the coast and the tide width. There was a significant decrease in abundance between 1946 and 1997. In ‘north-central Patagonia’, the segment of coast with the highest number of sea lions in Argentina, distribution of colonies was associated with islands availability and negatively correlated with places were anthropogenic disturbance was high. At a local scale, breeding colonies were positive associated with slight slope coasts and negatively associated to rocky beaches. We identify those characteristics of the coast associated with distribution of breeding colonies of O. flavescens, which operate at different ecological and temporal scales.

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Acknowledgements

To Leonardo Di Franco, for his help with satellite images analysis and use of Geographic Information Systems. We specially thank Enrique Páez who kindly gave us Uruguayan census data. Original data of harvesting in Argentina were kindly provided by José Machinea, Claudio Campagna and Alberto Montero. This study received financial support from Fundación Antorchas (HLC grant, Project A-13 672/1–3), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (PIP-02193 and PIP-05489). J. I. Túnez was supported by a PhD grant from Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Rutas 5 y 7, Luján, Provincia de Buenos Aires, 6700, Argentina

    Juan I. Túnez & Marcelo H. Cassini

  2. Estación Hidrobiológica de Puerto Quequén y Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ (MACN-CONICET), Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires, C1405DJR, Argentina

    Humberto L. Cappozzo

  3. Fundación Organización PROFAUNA, Corrientes 1145, 4° piso, oficina 47, Buenos Aires, 1043, Argentina

    Marcelo H. Cassini

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  1. Juan I. Túnez
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Correspondence to Juan I. Túnez.

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Túnez, J.I., Cappozzo, H.L. & Cassini, M.H. Natural and anthropogenic factors associated with the distribution of South American sea lion along the Atlantic coast. Hydrobiologia 598, 191–202 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9150-x

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