Ratings

The paper does not provide any scientific evidence for a connection between fur seal mortality and the presence of mice on the island. Thus, the title and the conclusions are rather misleading.

This study does not provide unambiguous evidence for a seal die-off caused by mice. The authors realized this and discussed results as a preliminary hypothesis, with the aim to stimulate future work. The title clearly reflects this in asking “Are alien mice the culprits?” rather than stating this as fact. Up till now mice have not been suspected of having adverse effects on marine mammals and this paper's results encourage further study.