Erebus Bay Weddell Seal Population Study

 Publications By Our Research Team

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• Anderson M.E., P.M. Levinson, and J.J. Rotella. 2025. Leucistic Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) observations in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. Antarctic Science 37:117-121. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095410202500001X
  
  
• Levinson, P.M., and J.J. Rotella. 2025. Immigration and emigration in the isolated White Island Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) population. Antarctic Science 37:69-72. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102024000476
  
  
• Ainley, D.G., V. Morandini, L. Salas, N. Nur, J. Rotella, K. Barton, P. O'B. Lyver, K.T. Goetz, M. Larue, R. Foster-Dyer, C.L. Parkinson, K.R. Arrigo, G. Van_Dijken, R.S. Beltran, S. Kim, C. Brooks, G. Kooyman, P.J. Ponganis, F. Shanhun, and D.P. Anderson. 2024. Response of indicator species to changes in food web and ocean dynamics of the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Antarctic Science 36(5):290-318. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102024000191
  
  
• Anderson, A.K., P.M. Levinson, A. Conklin, and J.J. Rotella. 2024. Observations of Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) supernumerary nipples. Polar Biology 47:425–429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-024-03228-x 
  
  
• Macdonald, K.R., J.J. Rotella, and J.T. Paterson. 2023. Evaluating the importance of individual heterogeneity in reproduction to Weddell seal population dynamics using integral projection models. Journal of Animal Ecology 92:1828-1839.  https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13975
  
  
• Van de Walle, J., R. Fay, J.-M. Gaillard, F. Pelletier, S. Hamel, M. Gamelon, C. Barbraud, F.G. Blanchet, D.T. Blumstein, A. Charmantier, K. Delord, B. Larue, J. Martin, J.A. Mills, E. Milot, F.M. Mayer, J. Rotella, B.-E. Saether, C. Teplitsky, M. van de Pol, D.H. Van Vuren, M.E. Visser, C.P. Wells, J. Yarrall, and S. Jenouvrier. 2023. Individual life histories: neither slow nor fast, just diverse. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 290:20230511. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.0511
  
  
• Rotella, J.J. 2023. Patterns, sources, and consequences of variation in age-specific vital rates: Insights from a long-term study of Weddell seals. Journal of Animal Ecology 92:552-567. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13870
  
  
• Foster-Dyer, R.T.N., K.T. Goetz, M.H. Pinkerton, T. Iwata, R.R. Holser, S.A. Michael, C. Pritchard, S. Childerhouse, J. Rotella, L. Federwisch, D.P. Costa, and M.A. LaRue. 2023. First observations of Weddell seals foraging in sponges in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. Polar Biology 45:611-621. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-023-03149-1
  
  
• Powell, J.H., S.T. Kalinowski, M.L. Taper, J.J. Rotella, C.S. Davis, and R.A. Garrott. 2023. Evidence of an absence of inbreeding depression in a wild population of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii). Entropy 25(3), 403.
  
  
• Petch, S.M., J.J. Rotella, W.A. Link, J.T. Paterson, and R.A. Garrott. 2023.Investigating diverse sources of variation in the amount of time Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) pups spend in the water during the lactation period. Marine Mammal Science 39:6-21.
  
  
• Fay, R., Hamel, S., van de Pol, M., Gaillard, J.-M., Yoccoz, N.G., Acker, P., M. Authier, B. Larue, C. Le Coeur, K.R. Macdonald, A. Nicol-Harper, C. Barbraud, C. Bonenfant, D.H. Van Vuren, E. Cam, K.Delord, M. Gamelon, M. Moiron, F. Pelletier, J. Rotella, C. Teplitsky, M.E. Visser, C.P. Wells, N.T. Wheelwright, S. Jenouvrier, and B.-E. Sæther. 2022. Temporal correlations among demographic parameters are ubiquitous but highly variable across species. Ecology Letters 25:1640-1654.
  
  
• Miller, J.M., E.O. Campbell, J.J. Rotella, K.R. Macdonald, T.S. Gelatt, and C.S. Davis. 2022. Evaluation of novel genomic markers for pedigree construction in an isolated population of Weddell Seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) at White Island, Antarctica. Conservation Genetics Resources 14:69-80.
  
  
• Fay, R., M. Authier, S. Hamel, S. Jenouvrier, M. van de Pol, E. Cam, J.-M. Gaillard, N.G. Yoccoz, P. Acker, A. Allen, L.M. Aubry, C. Bonenfant, H. Caswell, C.F.D. Coste, B. Larue, C. Le Coeur, M. Gamelon, K.R. Macdonald, M. Moiron, A. Nicol-Harper, F. Pelletier, J.J. Rotella, C. Teplitsky, L. Touzot, C.P. Wells, and B.-E. Sæther. 2022. Quantifying fixed individual heterogeneity in demographic parameters: Performance of correlated random effects for Bernoulli variables. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 13:91-104.
  
  
• LaRue, M., L. Salas, N. Nur, D. Ainley, S. Stammerjohn, J. Pennycook, M. Dozier, J. Saints, K. Stamatiou, L. Barrington, and J. Rotella. 2021. Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica. Science Advances 7:eabh3674.
• Brusa, J.L., J.J. Rotella, K.M. Banner, and P.R. Hutchins. 2021. Challenges and opportunities for comparative studies of survival rates: An example with male pinnipeds. Ecology and Evolution 11:7980–7999.
  
  
• Brusa, J.L., J.J. Rotella, and R.A. Garrott. 2021. Influence of age and individual identity in the use of breeding colony habitat by male Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. Marine Mammal Science 37:1277-1291.
  
  
• Ainley, D., P. Cziko, N. Nur, J. Rotella, J. Eastman, M. Larue, I. Stirling, and P. Abrams. 2021. Further evidence that Antarctic toothfish are important to Weddell seals. Antarctic Science 33:17-29.
  
  
• Macdonald, K.R., J.J. Rotella, R.A. Garrott, and W.A. Link. 2020. Sources of variation in maternal allocation in a long-lived mammal. Journal of Animal Ecology 89:1927–1940.
  
  
• Brusa, J.L., J.J. Rotella, R.A. Garrott, J.T. Paterson, and W.A. Link. 2020. Variation of annual apparent survival and detection rates with age, year and individual identity in male Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) from long-term mark-recapture data. Population Ecology 62:134–150.
  
  
• Paterson, J.T., J.J. Rotella, W.A. Link, and R.A. Garrott. 2018. Variation in the vital rates of an Antarctic marine predator: the role of individual heterogeneity. Ecology 99:2385-2396.
  
  
• Salas, L., N. Nur, D. Ainley, J. Burns, J. Rotella, and G. Ballard. 2017. Coping with the loss of large, energy-dense prey: A potential bottleneck for Weddell Seals in the Ross Sea. Ecological Applications 27: 10-25.
  
  
• Paterson, J.T., J.J Rotella, J.M. Mannas, and R.A. Garrott. 2016. Patterns of age-related change in reproductive effort differ in the prenatal and postnatal periods in a long-lived mammal. J. Animal Ecology 85:1540-1551.
  
  
• Rotella, J.J., J.T. Paterson, and R.A. Garrott. 2016. Birth dates vary with fixed and dynamic maternal features, offspring sex, and extreme climatic events in a high-latitude marine mammal. Ecology & Evolution 6:1930-1941.
  
  
• Paterson, J.T., J.J. Rotella, K.R. Arrigo, and R.A. Garrott. 2015. Tight coupling of primary production and marine mammal reproduction in the Southern Ocean. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282: 20143137.
  
  
• Chambert, T.C., J.J. Rotella, and R.A. Garrott. 2015.  Female Weddell seals show flexible strategies of colony attendance related to varying environmental conditions. Ecology 96:479-488. 
  
  
• Stauffer, G.E., J.J. Rotella, R.A. Garrott, and W.L. Kendall. 2014. Environmental correlates of temporary emigration for female Weddell seals and consequences for recruitment. Ecology 95:2526-2536. 
  
  
• Chambert, T.C., J.J. Rotella, R.A. Garrott. 2014. An evolutionary perspective on reproductive individual heterogeneity in a marine vertebrate. Journal of Animal Ecology 84:1158-1168.
  
  
• Chambert, T., J.J. Rotella, and M.D. Higgs.  2014. Use of posterior predictive checks as an inferential tool for investigating individual heterogeneity in animal population vital rates. Ecology & Evolution 4:1389-1397.
  
  
• Chambert, T., J.J. Rotella, M.D. Higgs, and R.A. Garrott. 2013. Individual heterogeneity in reproductive rates and cost of reproduction in a long-lived vertebrate. Ecology and Evolution 3:2047-2060.
  
  
• Stauffer, G.E., J.J. Rotella, and R.A. Garrott. 2013. Birth-year and current-year influences on survival and recruitment rates of female Weddell seals. Population Ecology 55:405-415.
  
  
• Stauffer, G.E., J.J. Rotella, and R.A. Garrott. 2013. Variability in temporary emigration rates of individually marked female Weddell seals prior to first reproduction. Oecologia 172:129-140.
  
  
• Chambert, T.C., J.J. Rotella, R.A. Garrott. 2012.  Environmental extremes versus ecological extremes: Impact of a massive iceberg on the population dynamics of a high-level Antarctic marine predator.  Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279:4532-4541.
  
  
• Rotella, J.J., W.A. Link, T. Chambert, G.E. Stauffer, and R.A. Garrott.  2012. Evaluating the demographic buffering hypothesis with vital rates estimated for Weddell seals from 30 years of mark-recapture data.  Journal of Animal Ecology 81:162-173.
  
  
• Garrott, R.A., J.J. Rotella, D.B. Siniff, C.L. Parkinson, and G.E. Stauffer.  2012. Environmental variation and cohort effects in an Antarctic predator.  Oikos 121:1027-1040.
  
  
• LaRue, M.A., J.J. Rotella, R.A. Garrott, D.B. Siniff, D. Ainley, G.E. Stauffer, C.C. Porter, and P.J. Morin.  2011.  Satellite imagery can be used to detect spatial and temporal variation in abundance of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in Erebus Bay, Antarctica.  Polar Biology 34:1727-1737.
  
  
• Proffitt, K.M., J.J. Rotella, and R.A. Garrott.  2010.  Effects of pup age, maternal age, and birth date on pre-weaning survival of Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica.  Oikos 119:1255-1264.
  
  
• Blight, L.K., D.G. Ainley, S.F. Ackley, G. Ballard, T. Ballerini, R.L. Brownell, C.H.C. Cheng, M. Chiantore, D. Costa, M.C. Coulter, P. Dayton, A.L. Devries, R. Dunbar, S. Earle, J.T. Eastman, S.D. Emslie, C.W. Evans, R.A. Garrott, S. Kim, G. Kooyman, A. Lescroel, M. Lizotte, M. Massaro, S. Olmastroni, P.J. Ponganis, J. Russell, D.B. Siniff, W.O. Smith, B.S. Stewart, I. Stirling, J. Willis, P. Wilson, and E.J. Woehler. 2010. Fishing for Data in the Ross Sea. Science 330:1316-1316.
  
  
• Rotella, Jay J., William A. Link, James D. Nichols, Gillian L. Hadley, Robert A. Garrott, and Kelly M. Proffitt.  2009.  An evaluation of density-dependent and -independent influences on population growth rates in Weddell seals.  Ecology 90:975-984.
  
  
• Ainley, D.G., and D.B. Siniff. 2009. The importance of Antarctic toothfish as prey of Weddell seals in the Ross Sea. Antarctic Science 21:317-327.
  
  
• Proffitt, K.M., R.A. Garrott, and J.J. Rotella. 2008. Variation in offspring sex ratio among individual Weddell seal females of different quality.  Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 62:1679-1687.
  
  
• Proffitt, K.M., R.A. Garrott, and J.J. Rotella. 2008. Long-term evaluation of body mass at weaning and post-weaning survival rates of Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. Marine Mammal Science 24:677-689.
  
  
• Rotella, J.J. 2008.  Estimating reproductive costs with multi-state mark recapture models, multiple observable states, and temporary emigration.  In: Thompson, D. L., E.G. Cooch, and M.J. Conroy. Editors.  Modeling demographic processes in marked populations. Monograph Series in Environmental and Ecological Statistics, Vol. 3.  Springer.
  
  
• Hadley, G.L., J.J. Rotella, and R.A. Garrott.  2008.  Spatial variation in age-specific probabilities of first reproduction for Weddell seals.  Oikos 117:1165-1174.
  
  
• Proffitt, K.M., R.A. Garrott, J.J. Rotella, and S. Lele. 2008. Using form analysis techniques to improve photogrammetric mass-estimation methods. Marine Mammal Science 24:147-158.
  
  
• Siniff, D.B., R. A. Garrott, J.J. Rotella, W.R. Fraser, and D.G. Ainley.  2008.  Projecting the effects of environmental change on Antarctic seals.  Antarctic Science 20:425-435.
  
  
• Proffitt, K.M., R.A. Garrott, J.J. Rotella, and K.E. Wheatley. 2007. Environmental and senescent related variations in Weddell seal body mass: implications for age-specific reproductive performance.  Oikos 116:1683-1690.
  
  
• Hadley, G.L., J.J. Rotella, and R.A. Garrott.  2007.   Evaluation of reproductive costs for Weddell Seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica.  Journal of Animal Ecology 76:448-458.
  
  
• Proffitt, K. M., R. A. Garrott, J. J. Rotella, D. B. Siniff, and J. W. Testa. 2007.  Exploring linkages between abiotic oceanographic processes and a top-trophic predator in an Antarctic ecosystem. Ecosystems 10:119-126.
  
  
• Hadley, G.L., J.J. Rotella, and R.A. Garrott.  2007.  Influence of maternal characteristics and oceanographic conditions on survival and recruitment probabilities of Weddell seals. Oikos 116:601-613.
  
  
• Proffitt, K. M., R. A. Garrott, J. J. Rotella, and J. Banfield.  2007.  The importance of considering prediction variance in analyses using photogrammetric mass estimates.  Marine Mammal Science 23:65-76.
  
  
• Cameron, M.F., D.B. Siniff, K.M. Proffitt, and R.A. Garrott. 2007. Site fidelity of Weddell seals: the effects of sex and age. Antarctic Science 19:149–155.
  
  
• Hadley, G.L., J.J. Rotella, R.A. Garrott, and J.D. Nichols. 2006.  Variation in probability of first reproduction of Weddell seals.  Journal of Animal Ecology 75:1058-1070.
  
  
• Ireland, D., R. A. Garrott, J. J. Rotella, and J. Banfield.  2006.  Development and application of a mass-estimation method for Weddell seals.  Marine Mammal Science 22:361-378.
  
  
• Rotella, J.J., and J.E. Hines.  2005.  Effects of tag loss on direct estimates of population growth rate.  Ecology 86:821-827.

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