These flat-topped rocks are home for several thousand Australian fur seals- all descended from the hundred or two that remained when hunting was finally stopped. I guess in their survival they descend from the quickest, or the most fearful or some other quirk of genetics, and I wonder if such a small genetic base will enable them to adapt and survive a warming and acidifying ocean. Our reduction of their gene pool will have severely reduced their capacity to adapt to future catastrophes. On the other hand, the reduced food that they have available to them in a heavily fished environment is somewhat off-set by our continued depletion of their predators too.
So we really appreciated being able to observe these beautiful creatures as they carry on without regard for the challenges that we will all have to face. They continue just to fit into a gap and play their role, with no expectations of more, or better. Less and worse is down to us, not them.
No comments:
Post a Comment