Fine-Scale Breeding Habitat Preferences of Southern Elephant Seals (Mirounga leonina) on Península Valdés

Abstract

This study analyzed fine-scale habitat selection of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) on Peninsula Valdes, Patagonia, Argentina, during a decade of population stability. The results showed repeatability and consistency in harem formation in a predictable manner and according to specific environmental characteristics. Censuses were conducted during the peak of the breeding seasons (2001 to 2007 and 2010), and ten topographic variables were surveyed along 12 km of coast. The breeding social context was associated with certain topographic variables. Reproductive groups tended to occur in bays sheltered by cliffs with accessible beaches of slope less than 4o and unconsolidated substrates. The nonreproductive groups were found on shelf points. The spatial distribution reported herein will contribute to the understanding of the large-scale distribution of breeding groups on Peninsula Valdes and other breeding colonies of southern elephant seals.