Elephant Seal Research Group
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YouTube video: killer whales, elephant seals and more
New killer whale identification catalogue: 2023
Report on southern sea lion status and demography
Report on striated caracara status and reproductive success
UAV wildlife monitoring at Sea Lion Island
Report on the status of Sea Lion Island elephant seals
Report on Falkland skua breeding success
The Elephant Seal Research Group is an independent organization of researchers dedicated to the study of elephant seals, marine mammals, and marine megafauna at large.We currently operate in the Falkland Islands, and our main field work site is Sea Lion island. We are currently running various long term research projects, including:
- a study of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) of Sea Lion Island, the main breeding colony of this species in the Falkland Islands, started in 1995 and carried out for more than twenty years
- a study of killer whales of the Falkland Islands, started in 2013
- a study of the skuas of the Falkland Islands, started in 2014
We are also carrying out general environmental monitoring of Sea Lion Island, that is a National Nature Reserve, a RAMSAR convention site, an Important Bird Area, and an Important Plant Area, apart from being the nicest island in the Falklands !
Our research work involves both field research and lab work. Please see the Research section for details.
Poster on the elephant seal research project (PDF file)
Booklet on the elephant seal research project (PDF file)
Posters presented at the 32rd European Cetacean Society conference
Structure and function of female and pup contact calls in Southern elephant seal
Honest signalling in male and female Southern elephant seal
Social network analysis of killer whales of the Falkland Islands
Anatomical correlates of honest communication in Southern elephant seals
Geometric morphometry of the elephant seal proboscis
Field helper recruitment
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic access to the Falkland Islands is strictly limited. Therefore, we are not recruiting field helpers for the 2020-2021 field work season. See you next year !!!
Killer whale photo-identification catalogue 2019-2020
Report on southern sea lions status and demography
Report on striated caracara status and reproductive success
Report on UAV wildlife monitoring at Sea Lion Island
Report on Fakland skua breeding success
Status of the elephant seal population: updated report 2019-2020
Updated elephant seal project description
Killler whale photoidentification catalogue
Questo sito é interamente in inglese, purtroppo non ci é possibile mantenere il sito anche in italiano. Un breve sommario in italiano sulle nostre attività di ricerca é disponile seguendo il collegamento qui sotto. Ogni pagina permette l' accesso al servizio di traduzione automatica di Google, per cui le pagine possono essere tradotte in italiano, ma la qualita' della traduzione é scarsa.
Seguono alcune pagine in cui sono contenute informazioni e presentazioni in italiano di alcuni aspetti della nostra ricerca (la visualizzazione delle presentazioni richiede la presenza del plugin di Adobe Flash Player).
Ecologia comportamentale degli elefanti marini (presentazione in italiano)
Selezione sessuale negli elefanti marini (presentazione in italiano)
Ecologia comportamentale delle orche (presentazione in italiano)