7 March 2017:
Male and female elephant seals have been shown to display different responses in reaction to changes in sea ice cover in a recent study published in Scientific Reports by Sara Labrousse and colleagues. The effects were evident both in response to sea ice concentration and the linkages to changes in near-surface winds. The team used an 11-year time-series to examine the impact of inter-annual variability in sea ice on the foraging behaviour of the seals. The results will provide important context for predictions of how climate change and variability impact ecosystem structure and function in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean.