Australian Sea Lion Colony Abundance and Distribution in South Australia, 2004-2008

2004 to 2008 survey data provides estimates of abundance for 39 breeding colonies and 9 haulout sites of the vulnerable Australian sea lion in South Australia. The dataset, provided by Parks Australia, estimates 3,119 pups born per breeding cycle in SA, with an overall species estimate of 3,622 pups leading to an estimated total population of 14,780 animals. It also includes trend data for the Seal Bay colony on Kangaroo Island from 1985 to 2007.

Use Cases

• Modeling population trends based on pup count estimates and the 4.08 multiplier mentioned in the description
• Assessing conservation impact of area closures based on bycatch mortality discussion
• Analyzing spatial distribution of breeding colonies and haulout sites across South Australia
• Studying the effects of asynchronous breeding cycles on population assessment methodologies

Strengths

• Estimates provided for 39 breeding colonies and 9 haulout sites
• Includes a 22-year trend series (1985-2007) for the Seal Bay colony
• Pup abundance estimates are derived from mark-recapture procedures at some colonies

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data freshness should be verified as the core survey period ended in 2008

Provenance

Source

Parks Australia, referencing a source publication

Collection Method

Surveys at most sites in South Australia between 2004 and 2008, supplemented by literature information

Time Range

Primary surveys 2004-2008, with trend data from 1985-2007

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-15 02:52:33.623229; freshness should be verified

Geography

South Australia, Australia, specifically sea lion breeding colonies and haulout sites