Marine debris is a global issue that can have devastating impacts on marine mammals. To understand the types of materials that result in entanglement and thus the potential impact of entangling items on marine wildlife, we analysed data collected from items in which Australian fur seals had been entangled in southern Victoria, Australia over a 15. year period. From 1997 to 2012, 138 entangling items were removed from seals. The majority of these entanglements were plastic twine or rope, and seals were entangled in green items more than in any other colour. In general, younger seals were more likely to be entangled than adults. Understanding the effects of marine debris entanglement on the Australian fur seal population can lead to more effective management of the sources of debris and the wildlife that interact with it.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Australian fur seal, entanglement, marine debris, pinniped, animals, mammals, effective management, entanglement, fur seals, marine debris
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Ecology
Research Field:	Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)
Objective Division:	Environmental Management
Objective Group:	Terrestrial systems and management
Objective Field:	Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems
UTAS Author:	Wilcox, C (Dr Chris Wilcox)
UTAS Author:	Hardesty, BD (Dr Britta Hardesty)
ID Code:	118794
Year Published:	2015
Web of Science® Times Cited:	25
Deposited By:	Zoology
Deposited On:	2017-07-20
Last Modified:	2017-08-09
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