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Australian Mammalogy Australian Mammalogy Society
Journal of the Australian Mammal Society
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Nitrogen transport from sea to land by a threatened and declining population of Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Trish J. Lavery A B , Ben Roudnew A and James G. Mitchell A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: trishlavery@hotmail.com

Australian Mammalogy 37(1) 92-96 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM12029
Submitted: 13 June 2012  Accepted: 3 June 2014   Published: 15 December 2014

Abstract

Australian sea lions consume prey in highly productive foraging grounds and defaecate nutrients on land. The resident population of 1100 Australian sea lions contributes 3800 (±80) kg N year–1 into Seal Bay Conservation Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia. If this population were to decline in abundance the nitrogen availability and coastal productivity of Kangaroo Island may be reduced.

Additional keywords: allochthonous nutrients; coastal ecology; landscape ecology; ocean nutrient cycling; tropic dynamics.


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