img src="Seal.gif" border=0 height=55 width=111> The Antarctic Pack-Ice Seals Project (APIS)

Pack-ice seals are among the dominant top predators of the Southern Ocean ecosystems. The Crabeater seal is the most abundant of the pack-ice seals, and is now the largest single consumer of krill.

Better knowledge of the distribution and abundance of pack-ice seals, particularly the Crabeater, is essential for understanding the significant predator-prey interactions in the Southern Ocean. Such information is required to examine the effects of management strategies for krill fishing.

The survey program is the major Australian contribution to the Antarctic Pack-Ice Seals program (APIS) developed by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Group of Specialists on Seals. The study will contribute to understanding the relationship between the marine life and both the physical oceanography and the role of the sea-ice.

As a key species, estimates of the number of Crabeater seals are required to quantify their role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem. The Crabeater seal preys predominantly on krill, and is therefore a key species in terms of possible impacts of krill fishing on the Southern Ocean ecosystems.

Estimation of the distribution and abundance of pack-ice seals in the waters off the Australian Antarctic Territory will be achieved by scientists surveying from helicopters and from the bridge of the ship.

The whole life cycle of Crabeater seals unfolds within the sea-ice. They spend time foraging in the water, mostly in the evening and time on sea-ice resting and breeding. Capturing several under sedation and attaching satellite linked dive recorders will provide more information on their behaviour and enable corrections to be made to the survey results.

By recording data on the sea-ice and factors affecting marine life, the scientists hope to gain a better understanding of their relevance in determining the distribution of pack-ice seals.

Below is a map of Antarctica showing surveyed areas. Red indicates ship based survey. Blue indicates aerial based survey.