Summit County Citizens Voice

Wildlife group tracks pinniped as part of Patagonia study

A NOAA photo of northern elephant seals on the coast of California.

By Summit County

SUMMIT COUNTY — A southern elephant seal nick-named Jackson astonished researchers when it swam more than 18,000 miles during the past year, about equal to a round trip from New York to Sydney and back again.

The Wildlife Conservation Society tracked the giant pinniped through the rugged fjords of Patagonia as a part of a research project for a new model of private-public, terrestrial-marine conservation of the Admiralty Sound, Karukinka Natural Park (a WCS private protected area), and Alberto de Agostini National Park. It will help build a broader vision for bolstering conservation efforts across the Patagonian Sea and coast.

“Jackson’s travels provide a roadmap of how elephant seals use the Patagonian Coast and its associated seas,” said Caleb McClennen, Wildlife Conservation Society director for global marine programs. “This information is vital to improving ocean management in the region, helping establish protected areas in the right places, and ensuring fisheries are managed sustainably without harming vulnerable marine species like the southern elephant seal.” (more…)

Filed under: Environment, Marine biology, national parks, Summit County news, wildlife | Tagged: Admiralty Sound, biodiversity, elephant seals, Environment, Karukinka Natural Park, Patagonia, Southern Cone, Tierra del Fuego, Wildlife Conservation Society | Leave a Comment »