Abundance and Breeding Cycle of the Australian Sea Lion in Western Australia

Updated: 2015-01-06

This study assessed sea lion pup production at 9 breeding sites in Western Australia (ranging from Houtman Abrolhos Islands to Six Mile Island at the start of Great Australian Bight) from 1988 to 2001 to estimate population size overall. Trends in pup production, pup mortality and the timing of the breeding season were monitored to gain an understanding of population dynamics across the range of the species in Western Australia. The influence of environmental variables, in particular activity of the Leeuwin Current, in demographic processes was also investigated.