Chile Creates Marine Park to Protect Fur Seals
Why this is here: Sylvia Earle’s 1960s discovery of a seal pup’s remains prompted further investigation and ultimately contributed to the creation of this new marine protected area.
Chile established a new marine park to protect the Juan Fernández fur seal. The park extends a “no take” zone around the Juan Fernández archipelago.
Sixty years ago, Sylvia Earle discovered remains of a fur seal. This indicated the species, Arctocephalus philippii, may not have been extinct.
The fur seal is endemic to the archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. It was previously believed to be hunted to extinction in the 19th century. Earle theorized a baby seal meant its parents were still alive.
The new park aims to safeguard the recovering seal population and the archipelago’s wildlife. The agreement follows decades of research and advocacy for the region’s protection.