© 1991 by The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
An Overview of the Ecology of Antarctic Seals1
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
Four species of seals occupy the pack-ice region of the oceans surrounding the Antarctic Continent. These seals include the crabeater (Lobodon cardnophagus), leopard (Hydrurga leptonyx), weddell (Leplonychotes weddellii), and ross (Ommatophoca rossii), and are true seals with special adaptations for living in the pack-ice region. Two other seal species, the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) and the fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) (the only eared seal of this region) generally occur further to the north and use land rather than ice during the period of birth of young. This paper reviews the status of these species, and examines the generalecology of the four species that inhabit the pack-ice zone. In general, the four species that occupy the pack-ice zone have specialized in habitats and habits so that little overlap in dietsor habitat use exist among these species. The exception is the interaction between the leopard and the crabeater which occupy the same regions and eat krill (Euphausia superba), particularly during the winter. The impact of the potential harvest of krill by man on these species is discussed. Further, the impact that recovery of the large baleen whales that feedin this region during the summer is discussed with regard to the changes that might occur as competition for krill by the large vertebrate species increases.