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Human Disturbance Influences Reproductive Success and Growth Rate in California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus)

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  • Susannah S French
  • Manuela González-Suárez
  • Julie K Young
  • Susan Durham
  • Leah R Gerber

Abstract

The environment is currently undergoing changes at both global (e.g., climate change) and local (e.g., tourism, pollution, habitat modification) scales that have the capacity to affect the viability of animal and plant populations. Many of these changes, such as human disturbance, have an anthropogenic origin and therefore may be mitigated by management action. To do so requires an understanding of the impact of human activities and changing environmental conditions on population dynamics. We investigated the influence of human activity on important life history parameters (reproductive rate, and body condition, and growth rate of neonate pups) for California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Increased human presence was associated with lower reproductive rates, which translated into reduced long-term population growth rates and suggested that human activities are a disturbance that could lead to population declines. We also observed higher body growth rates in pups with increased exposure to humans. Increased growth rates in pups may reflect a density dependent response to declining reproductive rates (e.g., decreased competition for resources). Our results highlight the potentially complex changes in life history parameters that may result from human disturbance, and their implication for population dynamics. We recommend careful monitoring of human activities in the Gulf of California and emphasize the importance of management strategies that explicitly consider the potential impact of human activities such as ecotourism on vertebrate populations.

Suggested Citation

  • Susannah S French & Manuela González-Suárez & Julie K Young & Susan Durham & Leah R Gerber, 2011. "Human Disturbance Influences Reproductive Success and Growth Rate in California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(3), pages 1-8, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0017686
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017686
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    Cited by:

    1. Timothy K Marcella & Scott M Gende & Daniel D Roby & Arthur Allignol, 2017. "Disturbance of a rare seabird by ship-based tourism in a marine protected area," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(5), pages 1-23, May.
    2. Andrés M Cisneros‐Montemayor & Amanda Townsel & Claire M Gonzales & Andrea R Haas & Estrella E Navarro‐Holm & Teresa Salorio‐Zuñiga & Andrew F Johnson, 2020. "Nature‐based marine tourism in the Gulf of California and Baja California Peninsula: Economic benefits and key species," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(2), pages 111-128, May.
    3. Cowling, M. & Kirkwood, R. & Boren, L.J. & Scarpaci, C., 2014. "The effects of seal-swim activities on the New Zealand fur seal (Arctophoca australis forsteri) in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, and recommendations for a sustainable tourism industry," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 39-44.

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