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Published online 29 April 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.783
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Where have all the seals gone?
Researchers clash over killer whales' role in 'megafaunal collapse'.
The latest salvo has been fired in a rancorous battle over the cause of steep declines in the north Pacific’s marine mammals.
Back in 2003, Alan Springer of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and his colleagues proposed that commercial whaling had forced whale-eating killer whales to switch to other prey1.
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How sad it is that "acrimony" is a factor in deciding this important question. It seems clear, however, that one cannot remove such volume of an important animal stock from the food chain (even if it is solely a source by scavenging) without side effects of the kind predicted. Personally, I consider our extensive predation of whales barbaric and the theory presented to have such merit that urgent clarification is required.
Sealions are quite vulnerable animals since they spend real big chunk time while breeding --- outside the sea. hence even the extrenal factors or factors outside the sea is essential to be considered for their rapid decline. I agree that the death is not sequential but concurrent. looking into all this and more, it's time we hasten the process of research in this field so that we can help these wonderful & marvellous creatures to survive the glares of harsh nature and man