Northern Fur Seal New and Recolonized Breeding Sites Have Population Growth Rates Among the Fastest of Any Fur Seal

Northern Fur Seals at South Farallon Islands, California.

Understanding the colonization or recolonization of breeding sites used by colonially breeding animals is fundamental to metapopulation theory and has practical applications in conservation biology. Historically, pinniped species (seals and sea lions) were heavily exploited worldwide, resulting in some breeding colonies becoming extirpated. As populations recover, some abandoned sites may be recolonized or new sites can … Read more