Southern elephant seals are adaptable – but they struggle when faced with both rapid climate change and human impacts

Wikimedia Commons/Antoine Lamielle, CC BY-SA

Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) are an iconic species of the Southern Ocean. But with rapid environmental changes in their ocean home, the seals’ population range has been shifting.

Once spread across vast areas of the southern hemisphere, these apex predators are facing challenges from both climate shifts and human activities.