Northern fur seal pups on St. Paul Island, one of the Pribilof Islands. A temporary mark was applied to a pup (top right) by 'shearing' dark hairs off to expose lighter hair below. (Credit: NOAA) 
Researchers have marked another decline in northern fur seal pup births in the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, where most of the world’s population of northern fur seals gather in the summer to rest and breed.

“We started seeing an over-all decline in the abundance of fur seals on the Pribilof Islands around 1998, but we have not been able to identify the factors responsible,” said Dr. Doug DeMaster, center director. “While the population trends were up in specific areas and certain sectors of the population, the Pribilof Island pup count is a major marker, and it was down by 4.9 percent since the 2006 count.” …

“We have a very long, scientific record of the population of northern fur seals on the Pribilof Islands and not since 1916 have the islands produced this few seal pups,” said DeMaster. “Adult male counts began in 1909 and pup counts were initiated in 1912. At that time, the northern fur seal population was rebounding at a healthy eight percent per year, following the end of extensive at-sea seal hunting.”

Northern Fur Seal Pup Decline: Lowest Birth Rate Since 1916
Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:00:00 GMT

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