Improving our understanding of threats to Australian sea lion populations

Saving Native Species - (Priority Species)

Australian sea lion populations have declined by >60% over the last 40 years, but our current understanding of key threats is poor, hampering conservation action. This project will undertake comprehensive biological sampling across the species’ range and analyse how disease prevalence, genetic population structure, and foraging ecology vary among sites with different population trajectories. By incorporating new and existing data, these analyses will help us understand the reasons behind distinct population trends and factors impacting sites with limited trajectory data. We will also explore how heat-stress impacts pup survival, and if habitat modification provides an option to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change.