Australian Sea Lion and Fur Seal Colony Surveys on South Australia's West Coast, 1994-2004

Aerial and ground surveys conducted between 1994 and 2004 documented the breeding status and pup counts of Australian sea lions and New Zealand fur seals on the west coast of South Australia. The research, provided by Parks Australia, examined 27 sites and documented six new sea lion breeding colonies. The dataset includes estimates of pup numbers and the timing of pupping seasons, with predictions extending to the end of 2005.

Use Cases

• Monitoring population trends of Australian sea lions based on pup count data from 1994-2004.
• Identifying new breeding colonies for conservation planning based on the discovery of six previously undocumented sites.
• Analyzing the asynchrony of pupping seasons across different colonies to inform survey timing.
• Assessing the potential impact of aquaculture ventures by establishing the localities and status of seal colonies.

Strengths

• Surveys span a decade, from October 1994 to April 2004, providing longitudinal data.
• 27 specific sites were examined, including six newly documented sea lion breeding colonies.
• Combines both aerial and ground survey methodologies for validation.

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 last metadata update is dated 2026-07-15.

Provenance

Source

Parks Australia, referencing a source publication.

Collection Method

Aerial surveys at ~3-month intervals and ground surveys involving pup counts.

Time Range

April 1995 to June 1997 for aerial surveys; October 1994 to April 2004 for ground surveys.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-15 02:52:03.710705; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eyre Peninsula and the far west coast of South Australia, including specific islands and reefs.