An efficacious oiled wildlife response requires quick action to remove external contamination of birds’ plumage in order to minimise ingestion of the oil and reinstitute waterproofing and thermoregulatory abilities, with the ultimate goals of increasing likelihood of release and maximising survival. The accessibility of the preferred detergent used in washing wildlife, Dawn ® (Procter & Gamble), is limited for isolated nations...

The overlap and conflict between marine mammals and fisheries is widespread and increasing globally. This study used satellite telemetry to examine the foraging patterns of lactating female New Zealand (NZ) sea lions Phocarctos hookeri from the Auckland Islands (50°50′S, 166°28′E), over two consecutive austral winters, 1996 and 1997. Overall, all individuals tagged were characterised as benthic foragers and were found to be di...

Juvenile foraging ability is limited due to physiological and morphological constraints. Restricted foraging skills can result in reduced juvenile survival, which can lead to population decline. Given the important role mass plays in influencing foraging behaviour and survival, we deployed satellite‐linked time‐depth recorders (TDRs) on seven dependent yearling New Zealand sea lions ( Phocarctos hookeri ) over three seasons fr...

New Zealand (NZ) sea lions ( Phocarctos hookeri ) are slowly recolonising the Otago coast, South Island, New Zealand. The increase in their numbers may lead to resource competition with other marine predators and fisheries. We determined the diet of female NZ sea lions at Otago during autumn. In total, 571 scats and 110 regurgitations were collected on Otago Peninsula during 2008 and 2009. Barracouta ( Thyrsites atun ) and jac...

The conservation status of New Zealand (NZ) marine mammals (suborders Cetacea and Pinnipedia) is reappraised using the 2008 version of the NZ Threat Classification System. The list comprises 56 taxa (named species or subspecies, and as yet unnamed forms or types) in the following categories: Threatened—eight taxa (five Nationally Critical and three Nationally Endangered); Vagrant—six taxa; Migrant—20 taxa; and Data Deficient—1...