Leopard seals are apex predators of the Antarctic ecosystem whose welfare in the wild is shaped by sea ice availability, prey abundance, and the growing impacts of climate change on their polar habitat.
Leopard seals occupy a critical ecological role in Antarctic marine ecosystems, and their welfare is inextricably linked to the health of that ecosystem. As apex predators, they regulate prey populations and serve as indicators of broader ecosystem change. The reduction in sea ice driven by climate change poses the most significant long-term welfare and conservation threat, affecting access to resting platforms, pupping sites, and prey species like krill-dependent penguins. Leopard seals occasionally interact with divers and researchers in Antarctic waters, and there are documented cases of protective or curious behavior toward humans. Conservation of the Southern Ocean through robust marine protected areas and aggressive climate action is essential for protecting leopard seal populations and their welfare into the future.