Sustainability: Seals and whales may have the secrets

Problem

We live at a time where our resources – social, economic and environmental – are more at risk than ever before. Finding sustainable solutions for the future has become urgent, especially if you consider that 9.6 million people are projected to call the earth home by 2050. Could other species hold the secrets to adapting and the changes that we need to make for a sustainable tomorrow?

Solution

The harsh environment of Marion Island – home to southern elephant seals, fur seals and killer whales – may not sound like a likely place to get answers. But its isolation and unique location (halfway between South Africa and Antarctica) makes it perfect for studying how these predators adapt to changing environments. By doing so, we can unlock secrets to their survival, providing insight to our sustainable future, especially when it comes to our food sources, says Prof Nico de Bruyn, Principal Investigator of the Mammal Research Institute’s Marion Island Marine Mammal Programme (MIMMP).

The MIMMP has been running for more than 30 years, and that’s key to the solution. “The long-term nature of our studies is opening up research avenues not previously possible with shorter datasets,” notes Prof de Bruyn. “I foresee an exponential increase in our ability to address internationally-relevant ecological, global change and other environmental questions.”

Progress

The MIMMP has been running the longest, most intensive southern elephant seal mark-recapture experiment globally. It also tracks elephant seals, fur seals and killer whales via satellite-linked devices.

The team has discovered various factors driving large mammal population dynamics and how these link to the changing environment. “We know, for example, that elephant seal numbers declined dramatically probably due to food limitation. They are now slowly recovering. However, with new information that the youngsters consume large amounts of krill, they may be under threat again with increasingly large krill fisheries in the Southern Ocean,” says Prof de Bruyn. He adds that recent observations of female elephant seals skipping breeding events open up pertinent questions about the causes and consequences, and whether changing environments are influential.

By training field personnel and students, the programme continues to build capacity for a growing science sector in South Africa. It is producing new knowledge, but also preparing tomorrow’s decision makers.

For more information, contact Prof de Bruyn on: [email protected]

For an overview of his research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nico_De_Bruyn2

Researchers

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  Professor Nico de Bruyn

  Professor Nico de Bruyn did his undergraduate studies at the University of Pretoria (UP) and began doing research in 2001. He has been a full-time academic staff member at UP since 2010, and conducts research and mentors postgraduate students.
  
  Prof De Bruyn says that his research generates knowledge, and builds capacity, innovation and insight, and adds that he enjoys doing research because he is interested in understanding the natural world better and providing support through research for its conservation.
  
  His research, which focuses on how individuals respond to intrinsic and extrinsic drivers, allows for a better understanding of how populations respond to changing environments, be that due to climate change or other drivers. Lessons learnt inform both management and conservation policies and interventions.
  
  Prof De Bruyn leads the multidisciplinary, internationally collaborative Marion Island Marine Mammal Programme (MIMMP), a unique research programme that has continued uninterrupted for the past 40 years. “Keeping this large programme, field presence and data collection going is a highlight in itself,” Prof De Bruyn says.
  
  He says that various people have inspired him at different stages of his development, including his parents, his wife, children, schoolteachers, university lecturers, mentors, friends and colleagues. “I would be hard-pressed to isolate a single event or person that has inspired me, as there are many. The wild places in the world that I have had the privilege to visit or work in have been tremendously inspirational, and have motivated me to protect and understand them for future generations.”
  
  Prof De Bruyn’s mission is to attain balance in his academic work and research endeavours, saying that he works to make a difference to people, their prospects and the conservation of our natural world. “If I can make an impact and continue to do so on those fronts, then I am happy.”
  
  He advises school learners or undergraduates who are interested in his field to be determined and to work towards whatever inspires them and they find enjoyment in – that way, working hard will always be easy. “Don’t work for accolades,” he says. “Always try your best and expect others to do the same in return. If they don’t and you do, then try your best elsewhere. If your best is not good enough now, just try again and always work towards improving yourself. That way the world will want your skills. Finally, get used to the fact that the world is fundamentally unfair, so don’t wait for anyone to give you anything – go out and get it.”
  
  For recreation, Prof De Bruyn plays and watches cricket. He also loves being in remote places, far away from electronic devices. He is a birder, a “reader of books printed on paper”, and enjoys brewing his own beer and braaiing.
  

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Related Gallery

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  Images from Marion Island