Avian influenza has halved South Georgia’s marine elephant population
South Georgia’s marine elephant population has been reduced by half due to avian influenza. This is demonstrated by the research published in Communicatons Biology. Researchers suggest that this loss could put the island’s population at risk.
in 2023, the avian influenza virus hit hard in southern South America, killing large numbers of seabirds and marine mammals. For example, in the Valdés Peninsula (Argentina) 64% of the female marine elephants disappeared. The virus also reached the islands near Antarctica, but its impact on these remote lands was unknown. Well, that's what was measured in 2024 in South Georgia. It is home to more than half of the world's population of southern marine elephants (Mirounga leonina). And the results show that, compared to 2022, the number of fertile females has been reduced by half. It is estimated that more than 50,000 females are missing.
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