Fur seal - a seal with visible ears

Fur seals are closely related to sea lions. They are not true seals like the elephant seal or weddell seals. True seals have ears that are hard to see, but fur seals and sea lions have ears that are clearly visible by ear flaps. Fur seals are also much faster on land and can walk on all fours, whereas a true seal kind of scoots forward, almost reminding me of how a caterpillar moves, and hence are way slower.

Over 100 years ago, humans hunted these seals for their fur - in fact, so much so that they almost drove them to extinction. Fortunately, the populations have rebounded, but in some places such as Cape Shirreff, they are declining once again. Again, the decline is caused by humans, but indirectly through climate change rather than hunting. For example, there is less food (krill) available in warmer ocean waters. The Antarctic ecosystem , especially along the Antarctic Peninsula has undergone some dramatic changes in the last few decades. Life here is closely connected to sea ice, so any changes to sea ice and ocean temperatures will affect how the ecosystem functions.