Despite resurgence, elephant seals impacted by near extinction

Northern elephant seals have made a remarkable comeback from the brink of extinction, but it hasn’t been without consequences. Researchers found that their reproductive and foraging success has been affected by the population bottleneck from the turn of the 20^th century.

Hunted for the oil in their blubber in the 19^th century, they were believed to be extinct in 1892. But about 20 survived, and today, their population has grown to over 200,000.

Their resurgence was considered a great success, but researchers recently found the population bottleneck compromised key genes associated with reproductive success and the seals’ ability to forage efficiently. 

The research team analyzed nearly 270 northern elephant seals exploring their entire genetic make-up and comparing pre- and post-bottleneck northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris). Their results showed an extreme direct loss of diversity due to the bottleneck event and found the overall fitness in the modern population had been impacted.

“So far, the species has recovered remarkably well, but these findings call into question how susceptible it might be to environmental stresses in the future,” Rus Hoelzel, professor at Durham University and the lead author of the study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Read the study in Nature Ecology & Evolution.