- MARCH 2023 -
Image description: Average growth by age for male (dark grey) and female (light grey) southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). The comparable nose-to-tail lengths between sexes are illustrated by overlaying the average size of males and females in each age category. Age classes are divided into major developmental stages: black pup (0); yearling (1); juvenile (3) and mature adult females with sub-adult (6), subordinate (9) and socially mature (12) males. Mean length by age approximation inspired by Laws [1953] and validated through records of known age individuals from Macquarie Island [McLaren 1993].
Produced for the 2023 open access publication in Royal Society Open Science.
- JULY 2022 -
- September 2021-
Male Elephant Seal - naturalist illustration. Drawn with Proceate on iPad.
- JULY 2021-
This illustration was made as a graphical abstract for the paper:
Climate influences on female survival in a declining population of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). Published in Ecology & Evolution. Volume 11, Issue 16. July 2021.
Climate influences on female survival in a declining population of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). Published in Ecology & Evolution. Volume 11, Issue 16. July 2021.
Image Description: This research investigated the influence of large-scale climate modes (SAM and SOI) on female southern elephant seal survival (φ) by creating demographic models from historic capture-mark-recapture data. Map of the Southern Ocean from Tasmania (top) to East Antarctica and the Ross Sea (bottom) with Macquarie Island location marked by a small circle. Surrounding Antarctica, the Polar Front (blue line), 60th parallel south, (gray circle) and winter sea ice extent (white) are overlaid. Top right: Vegetation map of Macquarie Island (adapted from the Australian Antarctic Data Centre map no. 13106) and stylized illustration of a female southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina (artwork by: Sophia Volzke).
Produced for the 2021 open access publication in Ecology & Evolution.