1. Understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes that occur during range shift or (re-)colonization is of critical importance for species whose ranges are changing due to human-induced climate change or species such as New Zealand sea lions where their established colonies are significantly declining due to human impacts.
2. The mechanisms underlying colonization are poorly understood. Observations are required to determine the processes that change individual's behaviour associated with colonization, but such observations are rare.
3. Here, the establishment of a new breeding colony of New Zealand sea lions, Phocarctos hookeri, as they recolonized mainland New Zealand, an area from which they had been absent for ~200 years was investigated.
4. There are differences in breeding location behaviour and population connectivity between established and establishing colonies of New Zealand sea lions. The recolonizing population is more dispersed with breeding locations that change annually and have more connections with other populations compared with established colonies and populations.
5. The establishment of a new colony and the greater numbers of resightings between colonies means that for species' management, considerably more public education, habitat management, and protection is needed to ensure the safe return of New Zealand sea lions back on to mainland New Zealand.

中文翻译：

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行为可塑性和种群连通性：有助于建立新的鳍足类繁殖群

1. 了解在范围转移或（重新）殖民化期间发生的生态和进化过程对于因人为引起的气候变化而改变范围的物种或新西兰海狮等物种而言至关重要对人类的影响。
2. 人们对殖民化的机制知之甚少。需要观察来确定改变与定植相关的个体行为的过程，但这种观察很少见。
3. 在这里，建立了新西兰海狮的新繁殖地Phocarctos hookeri，因为它们重新定居新西兰大陆，这是它们已经消失了大约 200 年的地区。
4. 新西兰海狮建立和建立殖民地之间的繁殖地点行为和种群连通性存在差异。与已建立的殖民地和种群相比，重新定居的种群更加分散，繁殖地点每年都在变化，并且与其他种群的联系更多。
5. 新群落的建立和群落之间更多的重新观察意味着物种管理需要更多的公共教育、栖息地管理和保护，以确保新西兰海狮安全返回新西兰大陆。