Biochemical-Nutritional Studies Applied To The Lactation Pattern, Post-Natal Growth And Development Of Southern Elephant Seal In Antarctica.

During the last years, the South Shetland Islands breeding population (at Potter Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica) is apparently declining. Thus, it is important to identify possible factors involved in this decline.

The isolation of the Antarctica and its pristine environmental condition should provide valuable information on baseline data for this species, since the influence of human activities is relatively small. The present project proposes a comparative biochemical study which should provide analytical data for veterinary medicine. The knowledge of the obtained information from morphometric and biochemical studies of mother-pup pairs in this species, will be used to evaluate the nutritional status of specimens from this population during their annual cycle (reproductive and post-reproductive periods) and along their development.