1. Patterns and changes in the distribution of coastal marine mammals can serve as indicators of environmental change that fill critical information gaps in coastal and marine environments. Coastal habitats are particularly vulnerable to the effects of near-term sea-level rise.
2. In California, Pacific harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) are a natural indicator species of coastal change because of their reliance on terrestrial habitats, abundance, distribution, and site fidelity. Pacific harbour seals are marine top predators that are easily observed while hauled out at terrestrial sites, which are essential for resting, pupping, and moulting.
3. Although increasing inundation from recent sea-level rise and storm-driven flooding has changed the Californian coastline, little is known about the effect of future sea-level rise and increased storm frequency and strength on harbour seal haulout site availability and quality in California.
4. Harbour seal habitat was modelled at two sandbar-built estuaries under a series of likely sea-level rise and storm scenarios. The model outputs suggest that, over time, habitat at both estuaries decreased with increasing sea level, and storm-enhanced water levels contributed significantly to habitat flooding. These changes reflect pressures on coastal habitats that have an impact on human and natural systems.

中文翻译：

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海平面上升和风暴增强的洪水对太平洋海豹栖息地的影响：俄罗斯和鳗鱼河河口捕捞变化的比较

1. 沿海海洋哺乳动物分布的模式和变化可以作为环境变化的指标，填补沿海和海洋环境中的关键信息空白。沿海栖息地特别容易受到近期海平面上升的影响。
2. 在加利福尼亚州，太平洋斑海豹 ( Phoca vitulina richardii ) 是沿海变化的自然指示物种，因为它们依赖于陆地栖息地、丰富度、分布和现场保真度。太平洋港海豹是海洋顶级捕食者，在陆生场所拖出时很容易观察到，这对于休息、幼崽和换羽至关重要。
3. 尽管最近海平面上升和风暴驱动的洪水造成的洪水泛滥已经改变了加利福尼亚的海岸线，但人们对未来海平面上升以及风暴频率和强度增加对加利福尼亚海豹捕捞地点的可用性和质量的影响知之甚少。
4. 在一系列可能的海平面上升和风暴情景下，在两个沙洲建造的河口模拟了海豹栖息地。模型输出表明，随着时间的推移，两个河口的栖息地都随着海平面的升高而减少，风暴增强的水位对栖息地洪水的影响很大。这些变化反映了对人类和自然系统产生影响的沿海栖息地的压力。