We recorded 1,232 boat visits during 2012 and 2013. Subadult males were the age/sex class most affected in the breeding site, followed by adult females at the nonbreeding site. More disturbing conduct by tourists, longer visitation time, and vessels closer to the colony caused greater responses by sea lions. The established minimum distance from the colony is not enforced, generating an adverse response by sea lions. We recommend the development of management plans with the local coastal communities to decrease the impact of ecotourism on the species and enhance

the sustainability of this industry. “
“This book is an encyclopedic summary of the history and biology of the three Australian species of eared seals (otariids), namely the Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus), the New Zealand fur seal (Arctophoca australis forsteri), and the Australian sea

lion (Neophoca cinerea). It includes selleck a thorough summary of the research conducted on these species to date. The book is well written and edited, logical in its organization, and comprehensive. The writing style uses comfortable, short explanatory sentences while avoiding or at least defining technical terms. The book begins by describing the bathymetric and oceanographic environment in which the local species breed, and forecasting possible redistributions selleck screening library that could result from ongoing ocean warming. Some background in science is required to appreciate Astemizole the complexity of how these environmental factors interact. The book then proceeds to chapters on evolution and recent history, anatomy, and physiology related to aquatic life, a highly detailed description of the three species and the various islands on which they breed, reproductive biology, foraging behavior,

population biology, and conservation and management. Altogether the chapters lay out most of what the nonscientist audience would want to know about Australian fur seals and sea lions, and much of what the research community would like to know when they compare these three species with eared seals elsewhere. Otariid researchers will be pleased to find in this book all past census records, results, and methods for Australian eared seals in one place. In the past, the older fur seal and sea lion data from Australia were published in sources that were generally not available to researchers outside the country. The book also gives a good summary of present population sizes and trends, as well as the diseases and pathologies that act as population factors. Three analyses were particularly interesting. Figure 7.1 in the book shows clearly the ability of eared seal populations to recover when seal harvesting ends. Figure 8.5 is an excellent schematic of the marine food web involving the three local otariid species. And, Chapter 8 analyzes seal/fisheries interactions with a clarity that fishermen elsewhere should heed.