In order to determine if winter is a time of food stress for
crabeater seals we assessed body condition during the
austral autumn and winter using two different techniques.
The specific aims of this study were to (1) examine seasonal
variation in body condition to determine foraging success
over the winter; (2) establish a baseline body condition for
crabeater seals in autumn and winter to help monitor the
health of the population as environmental conditions
change; and (3) compare the morphometric and labeled
dilution methods for estimating body composition.