The population of elephant seals in South Georgia is in deep waters. This area, which nurtures 54% of the global breeding population, is currently facing the invasion of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza. A new study out this week in Communications Biology revealed an even more alarming 47% drop in the population between 2022 and 2024. This severe decrease is chiefly the result of the pandemic that recently hit the isolated archipelago, as it was in 2023. This shocking trend has led to panic among researchers, who worry that this crucial species may be headed toward a dangerous, irreversible decline.
Remains of the gristmill tourists found as they explored South Georgia in 2024. Dead seals were no minor inconvenience, for they blocked the route to Ernest Shackleton’s grave,” they lamented. To put things in perspective, this year’s elephant seal count is drastically lower than last year’s. This trend reflects an alarming long-term decline for the species. Researchers estimate that at least 53,000 female elephant seals perished in the wake of the bird flu outbreak. The death toll was particularly shocking for all the seal pups.
Satellite-derived aerial imagery of three study beaches was used in the analysis. Specifically, it carried out a comparative analysis of the breeding population from 2022 to 2024. Determining the effect of bird flu on the seals proved to be quite challenging. The remote location of the islands added an additional level of complexity to this task. Connor Bamford, the study’s principal author, commented on their unexpected findings. “That was really a shocking number,” he continued. “I didn’t expect it to be this high. By then, there was a baseline understanding that the elevated levels of mortality were already known. That before-and-after comparison really drove home the scope of the crisis.”
Many more dead elephant seals probably went undocumented. People know, when you are sick, to go back to the ocean to get your body temperature down. The loss of these fields, representing so much knowledge, hard work and commitment, is heartbreaking,” Prof Ed Hutchinson, a virologist at the University of Glasgow. He emphasized that “the apparent loss of nearly half the breeding female population has serious implications for the future stability of the population.”
This latest strain of H5N1 was first identified in Europe. This brought its rapid spread across the Americas, and eventually down to South Georgia. The virus has become entrenched in the elephant seal population, causing even greater concern for their survival.
Breeding
Female elephant seals typically don’t breed before three years, and often as late as eight years. This additional delay further frustrates recovery efforts for their already endangered populations.
Researchers urge the immediate and continued deployment of even more intensive monitoring of this elephant seal population. In addition, they are worried about the impact of bird flu on marine animals. As the public continues to watch this catastrophic tragedy unfold, they continue to plead for immediate action to prevent more loss and save these beautiful animals.