Number Of Seals Research Articles

CHANGES IN ABUNDANCE OF HARBOR SEALS IN MAINE, 1981–2001

AbstractAerial counts of harbor seals (Pboca vitulina concolor) on ledges along the Maine coast were conducted during the pupping season in 1981, 1986, 1993, 1997, and 2001. Between 1981 and 2001, the uncorrected counts of seals increased from 10,543 to 38,014, an annual rate of 6.6 percent. In 2001 30 harbor seals were captured and radio‐tagged prior to aerial counts. Of these, 19 harbor seals (six adult males, two adult females, seven juvenile males, and four juvenile females) were available during the survey to develop a correction factor for the fraction of seals not observed. The corrected 2001 abundance estimate was 99,340 harbor seals. Productivity in this population has increased since 1981 from 6.4% pups to 24.4% pups. The number of gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) counted during the harbor seal surveys increased from zero in both 1981 and 1986 to 1,731 animals in 2001.

Vulnerability of harbour seals, Phoca vitulina, to transient industrial activities in the Strait of Dover

The abundance of the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) was recorded on a tidal bar in the Dover Strait off Calais, over a six-year period between 1999 and 2004. Despite clear seasonal and interannual variability in the number of individuals hauled out on the bar, underwater activities devoted to the installation of industrial wastewater pipes conducted during seven weeks 1 km away from the bar led to a dramatic decline in the number of seals hauling out. A full 19 months after the end of the operations the harbour seal population had not recovered their initial abundance. The results of this study have critical consequences on the conservation of P. vitulina in areas impacted by anthropogenic activities.

Status and conservation of the grey seal, Halichœ rus grypus, in France

We investigated the status of the grey seal in the Molène archipelago, western Brittany, where a Marine National Park is planned. We combined regular censuses, photo-identification and satellite telemetry to investigate trends in grey seal abundance, site fidelity, individual movements and haulout site use. Individual movements and seasonal variations in abundance suggest that the seals used the Molène archipelago alternatively with other haulout sites of the South-west British Isles during their annual cycle. Nine out of 16 seals fitted with Satellite Relay Data Loggers (SRDLs) moved to the Isles of Scilly, English Cornwall, Wales or the Channel islands. On average the seals spent 85% of their time Near Haulout, 56.8% of which in the Molène archipelago. Overall the seals spent 66% of their tracking time within the boundaries of the Marine National Park. From 1997 to 2000 in the Molène archipelago, we observed a peak in number during the moulting season (mean = 49.8 seals) and a lower abundance during the breeding season (mean = 38.3 seals). The sex ratio was strongly skewed towards males during the moult (between 3.1 and 5.3–1), and was close to 1:1 during the summer. Inter-annual site fidelity outside the breeding season was very high, varying from 70% to 95% of identified seals, suggesting that the observed movements constitute rotations rather than random dispersion. From 1991/1994 to 1997/2000, the mean number of seals counted at haulout sites increased by 7%, close to the rates of increase observed in the core population of the British Isles at the same period. The Marine National Park may be too restricted for the overall conservation of the population but management plans should be aimed at preserving the characteristics of the habitat for the grey seal.

Causes of offspring mortality in the Antarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus gazella: the interaction of density dependence and ecosystem variability

Rates of pup production and causes of pup mortality, recorded in a designated study colony on Bird Island, South Georgia, from 1989 to 2003, were used to evaluate the factors influencing the growth of the population of Antarctic fur seals, Arctocephalus gazella (Peters, 1875). The mean number of pups produced per year was 680 (range 444–822) with a mean survival rate of 77.6% (range 52.6%–92.8%). Starvation, arising from reduced food availability within the mothers' foraging area, was the most frequently recorded cause of death and was positively correlated with the overall rate of pup survival, although it showed no relationship with the number of pups produced. However, traumatic injury showed a local relationship with seal density, increasing significantly with increasing numbers of seals born. This suggests that environmental processes that reduce the availability of prey to lactating mothers, rather than space limitation within colonies, are the limiting factor in the population increase of Antarctic fur seals at South Georgia. The spatial scales over which such processes operate, relative to the local-scale effects of densities of animals within colonies, have important implications for the future expansion of the population and the resultant trophodynamic interactions.

Distribution of Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus in relation to spring-spawning fish in SE Alaska

Energetic demands are high for Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus during spring, when females are pregnant and lactating and males are preparing for extended fasts on breeding territories. Therefore, we predicted that the distribution of sea lions in SE Alaska in spring would be influenced by the distribution of spring spawning aggregations of high-energy prey species (Pacific herring Clupea pallasii and eulachon Thaleichthys pacificus). The spatial distribution of sea lions during spring reflected the distribution of spawning eulachon in northern Southeast Alaska, particularly in Lynn Canal and along the Yakutat forelands. Haulouts with peak numbers of sea lions in spring were located significantly closer to eulachon spawning sites than haulouts that peaked at other times of year. Some haulouts were occupied only during the eulachon spawning period. The maximum number of sea lions at haulouts in spring was inversely correlated with the distance to the closest eulachon aggregation and was positively associated with the number of eulachon within 20 km. Aerial surveys conducted every 7 to 10 d during March through May in 2002 and 2003 revealed large numbers of sea lions in the water at herring spawning sites in 2002 and 2003; however, there were no significant relationships between the number of herring spawning sites and number of sea lions (except at distances >60 km). The number of sea lions was greater at herring spawning sites in 2003, corresponding to higher herring biomass. Seasonally aggregated, high-energy prey species influence the seasonal distribution of sea lions and may be critical to their reproductive success.

Stationary Spiraling Eddies and Self-Cleaning Processes in the White Sea in Presence of Climate Change and Their Relationship with Ecology of the Greenland Seal: Results of Airborne-Satellite-In Situ Study

Pollution of the marginal Arctic seas and rising of toxic contaminants are extremely dangerous for marine and coastal ecosystems and for marine mammals as representatives of a high level of fodder chains in the ocean. Ecology of ice-associated forms of marine mammals, population health and animal welfare are strongly depended from the different environmental processes and phenomena. Operational assessment of the level of this impact is very important for marine biology, marine fisheries and other. Many new problems create a global warming. In order to investigate ice covered Arctic Ocean and charting the number of seals were performed annual inspections onboard research aircraft PINRO ‘Arktika’. Multi-spectral airborne and satellite observations were fulfilled regularly from Barents and White Sea to the Bering and Okhotsk Sea. A contemporary status of different group of sea mammals was evaluated, where number and health of adults and pups were checked separately. In situ observations were provided with using helicopter and icebreaker for gathering a water samples, ice cores and specimens of meat and fatty matter (with following biochemical and toxicological analysis in laboratory). A prevailing part of life cycle of Greenland seals (Pagophillus groenladicus) is strongly depended from winter hydrology (water masses arrangement and water exchange, stable currents, meandering fronts, stationary spiraling eddies) and closely connected with type of ice (pack, fast ice) and other parameters of ice (age, origin, salinity, ice edge). First-year ice floes which has a specific properties and distinctive features are used by harp seals for pupping, lactation, molting, pairing and resting. Ringed seals, inversely, use for corresponding purposes only fast-ice. Different aspects of ecology, and migration features of harp seals were analyzed in frame of verification study. It was revealed a scale of influence of winter severity and wind regime (even a cases of ecological catastrophe of harp seal were fixed), but ‘stationary’ eddies in the White Sea is most effective governing factor (novelty). The results of study of the following relationship of the problem ‘eddies – self-cleaning processes – climate change – ecology of Greenland seal White Sea population’ will be presented: A) regularities of eddies formation and their spatial arrangement, temporal (seasonal and annual) modification; B) stationary eddy as zone of concentration of polluted waters and toxically hazard, self-cleaning processes and climate change; C) eddies displacement and parameters modification (type of eddy, intensity and sign of rotation) as result of climate change; D) relationship between eddies location and whelping rookeries arrangement, climate change and variety of the type of migration E) spiraling eddies and pollution dynamics, forecast of future modification of marine animal welfare. A further develop a strategy of multi-level ecomonitoring of the polluted Arctic should be discussed and recommendations for conservation and management of ice-associated forms of seals in presence of global warming will be done.

How the Bible became a book: the textualization of ancient Israel

How the Bible Became a Book: Textualization in Ancient Israel, by William Schniedewind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. 257 pp. $27.00. Much has been written on the question of who wrote the Bible. These discussions usually deal little with writing per se. Most of those who are historical critics are interested primarily in the historical situation out of which these texts emerge. In his new book, How the Bible Became a Book: Textualization in Ancient Israel (Cambridge, 2004), William Schniedewind adds to this ongoing discussion the issue of the social conditions that allowed for the writing of the Bible. Most important for a discussion of the development of a written work is the question of readership. Schniedewind devotes his first chapter to describing the sociological criteria for the emergence of literacy. This is, of course, more than simply the invention of writing or even the invention of an alphabet. Writing was originally the exclusive purview of the religious and palace administrations. Literacy then spread gradually, alternately spreading and becoming restricted again, but always radiating from these two types of centers. When writing is more restricted, it is seen as a secret power of the ruling class. As literacy spreads, writing loses its magic. The social conditions for more widespread literacy in ancient Israel hit rather suddenly at the end of the eighth century. With the urban growth and influx into Jerusalem and the surrounding area of thousands of refugees from the Northern Kingdom-including its scribes, administrators, and bureaucrats-evidence of writing appears in Judah. This writing, however varied in genre, still emanates from the royal administration. The end of the seventh century shows another dramatic increase. In this period, the evidence of literacy is found in the impressions from a large number of personal seals. Since the names of the seals' owners are on the sealings, Schniedewind suggests that a degree of literacy had spread among the people. Recognizing a name, whether ones own or the name of someone else, however, is not the same as the ability to read. Additionally, the variety of arrangements of names and other decorations made each seal distinctive in appearance, eliminating the specific need to read them. In fact, the author points out that Jeremiah's reaction to writing (Jeremiah 8:8) shows that many people objected to the increase in use of written documents for official and public purposes. This is likely because far too few people could read these texts and thus were excluded from interacting with them. In our society, we try to ensure that those who cannot read find someone to read important documents to them, especially before they sign their names. In other words, despite the spread of literacy that occurred at the end of the Judahite Monarchy allowing the composition of the Bible, only a small percentage of the population was yet able to read and write. The example of the Letter of the Literate Soldier (Lachish Letter 3) only shows that officers in the army were able to read; it says nothing about the common soldier. Hebrew graffiti, while a better indicator of writing among commoners, still reflects a limited literacy. While reading and writing may have become available beyond the scribal classes, it is still primarily the social elites for whom we have evidence of these skills. …

Birds, seals and the suspension culture of mussels in Bantry Bay, a non-seaduck area in Southwest Ireland

Concerns about the environmental impacts of mariculture have grown in recent years in response to the rapid expansion of the industry. The blue mussel ( Mytilus edulis) is the main product of shellfish mariculture in the Northeast Atlantic and Baltic Sea, with approximately one third of the harvest cultured using suspended longlines within sheltered marine areas. The main aim of this study was to examine the interactions, and assess the impacts (if any) of mussel suspension culture on the seabird and seal community, employing a simultaneous study of culture and control sites. The study spanned a 20-month period (from November 2001 to August 2003) and encompassed six sites in Bantry Bay (Southwest Ireland). There was no significant difference in species richness between mussel and control sites. Similarly, species diversity did not significantly differ between the mussel and control sites although control sites were generally more diverse than mussel sites, the latter particularly dominated by large numbers of Laridae. Significantly higher numbers of Phalacrocoracidae, Laridae and Alcidae were recorded in mussel sites than in control sites. However, no significant difference was found between Gaviidae or common seal ( Phoca vitulina) numbers in mussel and control sites. Seasonal patterns of abundance were similar in mussel and control sites, with peak numbers of most species groups occurring in spring. Mussel suspension culture does not appear to have an adverse effect on the abundance of seabirds or common seals in this area. The safe perching platforms provided by suspension culture floats, combined with a number of other factors, contribute to an increased abundance of a number of seabird species, particularly Laridae. The possible interactions between vertebrate predators and mussel suspension aquaculture are discussed and possible explanations for the increased seabird abundance observed in these areas are offered.

Stability ofCorynosomapopulations with fluctuating population densities of the seal definitive host

In theory there should be a strong coupling between host and parasite population sizes. Here, we investigated population size and structure in 3 species of acanthocephalans, Corynosoma semerne, C. strumosum and C. magdaleni, in ringed seals (Phoca hispida) from the Bothnian Bay over a period of more than 20 years. During this period, seal numbers first decreased markedly and then increased steadily; at the same time, a paratenic fish host particularly important for C. strumosum has gradually disappeared from the bay due to decreasing salinity. We found no evidence that the mean abundance of any of the 3 acanthocephalan species changed significantly over time, nor was there any relationship between parasite abundance at any point in time and seal numbers in the corresponding year. Based on the proportion of sexually mature female worms per infrapopulation, and on relationships between the sex ratio of worms and infrapopulation size, both C. magdaleni and C. semerme appear to be doing well, independently of the population size of their seal definitive hosts. In contrast, perhaps because of the loss of its main paratenic host, C. strumosum appears more at risk in the Bothnian Bay. Our results show that in complex natural systems, there are not necessarily simple, direct links between definitive host population size or density, and parasite population dynamics.

Behaviour of Southern sea lions in presence of killer whales during fishing operations in Central Chile

The killer whale is an opportunistic top-predator of ecosystems worldwide and its diet varies locally and seasonally, which is reflected in diverse feeding behaviours associated with its prey. We report the occurrence of killer whales presumably predating on southern sea lions associated with the jack mackerel fishing fleet in central Chile. The presence of killer whales was recorded during 4 fishing sets. All sightings consisted of 3-5 individual pods of females and calves. The number of sea lions was not significantly affected by the presence of killer whales, but their behaviour was, by reducing the number of behavioural displays, as they stopped feeding and resting activities and stayed close to the hull of the vessel after net retrieval ended. We propose that killer whales could be using the fishery as an indirect source of prey to benefit from the aggregation of sea lions around the vessel, far away from land.

More Seals and Sealings from Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad, Syria

Recent excavations at Tell Sabi Abyad in northern Syria yielded a number of stone stamp seals and clay sealings from well-stratified Neolithic contexts, dating c. 6300–6000 BC. This report presents the new finds and relates them to the prehistoric seals and many hundreds of sealings previously found at the site.

Food consumption estimates of Barents Sea harp seals

The consumption of various prey species, required by the Barents Sea harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) stock in order to cover their energy demands, has been estimated by combining data on the energy density of prey species and on seasonal variations in the energy expenditure and body condition of the seals. Data on diet composition and body condition were collected in the period 1990-1996 by sampling harp seals during different seasons, in various areas of the Barents Sea. All diet composition data were based on reconstructed prey biomass, and adjustments were made for differences in digestibility of crustaceans and fish. The number of seals representing different age and sex groups were calculated for the entire population, and the monthly food requirements were estimated. In 1998, the total Barents Sea harp seal stock was estimated to comprise 2.22 million seals based on a mean production of 301,000 pups. After adjustments for a pup mortality of 30% its total annual food consumption was estimated to be in the range of 3.35-5.05 million tonnes (depending on choice of input parameters). Assuming that there are seasonal changes in basal metabolic rate associated withchanges in body mass, and that the field metabolic rate of the seals corresponded to two times their predicted basal metabolic rate, the annual food consumption of the Barents Sea harp seal stock was estimated. If capelin (Mallolus villosus) was assumed to be abundant, the annual total consumption was estimated to be 3.35 million tonnes, of which 1,223,800 tonnes were crustaceans, 807,800 tonneswere capelin, 605,300 tonnes were polar cod (Boreogadus saida), 212,400 tonnes were herring (Clupea harengus), 100,500 tonnes were cod (Gadus morhua) and 404,200 tonnes were "other fish". A very low capelin stock in the Barents Sea (as it was in the period 1993-1996) led to switches in seal diet composition, with increased consumption of polar cod (from ca. 16%-18 % to ca. 23%-25 % oftotal consumption), other gadoids (dominated by cod, but also including haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) and saithe (Pollachius virens)), herring, and "other fish". Using the same set of assumptions as in the previous estimate, the total consumption would have been 3.47 million tonnes, divided between various prey species as follows (in tonnes): polar cod 876,000, codfish (cod, saithe and haddock) 359,700, "other fish" 618,800, herring 392,500, and crustaceans 1,204,200. Overall, the largest quantities of food were estimated to be consumed in the period June-September.In 1999, the total Barents Sea harp seal stock size was estimated to be 2.18 (95% CI, 1.79 to 2.58) million animals, which would give an annual food consumption in the range of 2,69 - 3.96 million tonnes (based on upper and lower 95% confidence limits and adjusted for a pup mortality rate of 0.3) if capelin is assumed to be abundant.

Using satellite telemetry and aerial counts to estimate space use by grey seals around the British Isles

Summary In the UK, resolving conflicts between the conservation of grey seals, the management of fish stocks and marine exploitation requires knowledge of the seals’ use of space. We present a map of grey seal usage around the British Isles based on satellite telemetry data from adult animals and haul‐out survey data. Our approach combined modelling and interpolation. To model the seals’ association with particular coastal sites (the haul‐outs), we divided the population into subpopulations associated with 24 haul‐out groups. Haul‐out‐specific maps of accessibility were used to supervise usage estimation from satellite telemetry. The mean and variance of seal numbers at each haul‐out group were obtained from haul‐out counts. The aggregate map of usage for the entire population was produced by adding together the haul‐out‐specific usage maps, weighted by mean number of animals using that haul‐out. Seal usage was primarily concentrated (i) off the northern coasts of the British Isles, (ii) closer to the coast than might be expected purely on the basis of accessibility from the haul‐outs and (iii) in a limited number of marine hot‐spots. Although our results currently represent the best estimate of how grey seals use the marine environment around Britain, they are neither definitive nor equally precise for all haul‐outs. Further data collection should focus in the south‐west of the British isles and aerial counts should be repeated for all haul‐outs. Synthesis and applications. This work provides environmental managers with current estimates of grey seal usage and describes a methodology for maximizing data efficiency. Our results could guide government departments in licensing marine exploitation by the oil industry, in estimating grey seal predation pressure on vulnerable or economically important prey and in delineating marine special areas of conservation (SAC). Our finding that grey seal usage is characterized by a limited number of hot‐spots means that the species is particularly suited to localized conservation efforts.

Interaction between southern sea lions Otaria flavescens and jack mackerel Trachurus symmetricus commercial fishery off Central Chile: a geostatistical approach

A spatial description of the operational interaction between southern sea lions and jack mackerel fishing fleet off Central Chile is presented. The descriptive analysis showed a similar spatial trend for the number of sea lions per haul and catch per haul, both increasing in the SE direction, and decreasing in the NW direction. The number of sea lions was positively correlated with catches at in- termediate distances from land, while negatively correlated with the number of fishing vessels at the greatest distance from the land. The geostatistical analyses corroborate the trends found during the descriptive analysis: 2 nuclei of high abundance of sea lions were found, which spatially overlapped 2 nuclei of high jack mackerel catches; nuclei that we proposed here as hot-spots for this interaction. Both hot-spots were located on the continental slope and over the deep ocean bed. No spatial relation was found between the number of sea lions and the number of fishing vessels. Thus, it is proposed that the area enclosed between 38-40° S and 74-75° 30' W constitutes the sector of higher interaction be- tween the southern sea lions and jack mackerel industrial fishing fleet.

Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) breeding in Tasmania: population size and status

This study confirms the persistence of five major breeding colonies of Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) in Tasmanian Bass Strait waters. Incidental births also occasionally occur in very low numbers at other sites. Data collected between 1989 and 1999 shows that estimates of the minimum number of pups born at the major colonies varies considerably between sites and years. No colony has shown a consistent trend in pup production over the last 11 seasons. The most recent count for all Tasmanian colonies for the 1999 breeding season provided a minimum estimate of 3254 pups produced, similar to the estimate of 3373 in 1989. The highest estimate was recorded in 1995 when at least 6024 pups were born. Combining the most recent counts with the numbers estimated for the four Victorian colonies (13 872) gives a minimum pup production of 17 126 for the species, with only one-fifth of all pups being born on Tasmanian islands. Application of population estimators to translate pup numbers to population size for the species results in a conservative estimate of 68 500 individuals with upper and lower bounds of 60 000 and 77 000 Australian fur seals. Numbers of Australian fur seals remain low relative to other fur seal populations, with Australian fur seals being less numerous by an order of magnitude compared with their South African counterpart (A. p. pusillus). The current estimate of the total population of Australian fur seals is approximately half that of pre-sealing levels. The current number of breeding colonies in Tasmania indicates that the population of Australian fur seals breeding in Tasmanian waters has stabilised at well below their historic pre-sealing levels, with at least four sites remaining vacant. The species remains vulnerable due to its small population size, with Tasmanian breeding colonies being particularly vulnerable because of low numbers and due to the profound influence of weather events on pup survival.

Abundance, seasonal haul-out patterns and conservation of spotted seals Phoca largha along the coast of Bak-ryoung Island, South Korea

The spotted seal Phoca largha, which is found in the Okhotsk, Bering, Chukchi, Beaufort and Yellow seas, is Critically Endangered in the Yellow Sea of China and Korea because of habitat destruction and human harassment in the region. Shipboard surveys were conducted in the inshore waters of Bak-ryoung Island off western South Korea from March 2000 to October 2002 to investigate the distribution, abundance and seasonal haul-out patterns of spotted seals and thereby to lay a foundation for developing conservation measures. Seals were seen on every survey during the study period, hauled out on offshore rocks rather than on beaches. The highest concentration of spotted seals occurred on Mul-Beum Rock, probably because of the relatively lower exposure of this site to waves and spray. There was a seasonal pattern in the total number of seals hauled out, with the highest numbers seen from late spring to late summer. Spotted seals arrived as early as 15 March and left the area by late December. We suggest that spotted seals spend the spring, summer and autumn feeding along the coast of Bak-ryoung Island and return to their breeding grounds in Liaodong Bay, China, in October. Because the spotted seal populations of China and South Korea are small and seasonally dispersed, the establishment of an international protected areas network and research cooperation between China and South Korea is urgently required.

Functioning of the Geoecosystem for the West Side of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Antarctica): Outline of Research at Arctowski Station

Changes in the area of geo-ecosystem reflect climatic changes in the South Shetland Islands. Air temperature and deglaciation will increase. The ice-free space area at the SSSS 8- (ASPA 121) site has enlarged threefold during the last 21 years, thus creating conditions for inhabitation and succession. Wind, water and snow play important roles in transportation of geochemical components. They distribute nutrients, mineral substances, seeds, fragments of plants and animals, etc. Plant and animal colonization is patchy and it happens at random in an 'island' - like manner. The colonization pattern is dependant, to a high degree on physical factors. The newly uncovered ice-free areas are at first inhabited by a vascular plant known as the Deschampsia antarctica. The border of the land-oasis with Admiralty Bay is the place where the processes related to animal feeding at the sea and reproduction on the land take place. Bird colonies and pinniped lairs form centers of fertilization surrounded by high chemical gradients dependent on the direction of the flow of nutrients . During the last 25 years, the numbers of penguins in this region have decreased, and thus the amount of materials excreted on land has diminished. The numbers of fur seals change in multi-annual cycles, and their migration into this area is related to the E1 phenomenon. The numbers of elephant seals in the area did not change. Organic matter deposited by the sea onto the shore are a source of nutrients and deficient chemical elements on land. Mineral matter is washed out into the waters of Admiralty Bay. These processes change seasonally, and multi annually. Negative effects on the environment at Arctowski Station induced by man are slight, but noticeable nevertheless. Physical processes have the largest influence on the living conditions and distribution of plants and animals, and as a consequence, on the functioning of the geo-ecosystem in the coastal-shore zone of the Maritime Antarctic.

Haulout behaviour of High Arctic harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina vitulina ) in Svalbard, Norway

Haulout behaviour of harbour seals, living at the northern limit of their distributional range on Svalbard, Norway, was investigated from June to August 2000 using a combination of low-tide counts performed during boat surveys, hourly counts through 12- or 24-h cycles at specific haulout sites, and telemetric data from 37 VHF-tagged seals. The largest aggregations of seals were found at Skarvnes, a site where numbers increased steadily through the summer, reaching a peak during the moulting period in August. At this site, season/date, time of day, tidal state and temperature all significantly influenced the number of animals ashore. At the second most frequented haulout site, at Soroya, season/date, time of day, temperature and cloud cover significantly affected the number of seals using the site. Pups were found predominantly at Soroya (7.8 pups±6.3 SD, N=53 counts); they were less common at Skarvnes (1.0 pups±0.2 SD, N=95 counts). Haulout patterns varied by age and sex class in accordance with the demands of lactation, mating and moult. Our limited data on mother-pup pairs suggest that they are closely associated during the nursing period, spending approximately 50% of their time hauled out together. Post lactation, most adult females left haulout areas for periods of up to several days. The haulout behaviour of adult males suggested that they adjusted their behaviour to follow female distribution and movement patterns during the breeding period. Most juveniles and adults of both sexes stayed ashore for prolonged periods during moulting, which took place first in juveniles, then in adult females and finally in adult males. The results of our study show that the basic haulout behaviour patterns of harbour seals at Svalbard are similar to this species’ behaviour at lower latitudes.

SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF STELLER'S SEA LIONS AT ROOKERIES AND HAUL‐OUT SITES IN ALASKA

AbstractThe Steller's sea lion population has declined by 60%‐70% over much of Alaska since the late 1970s. Overlap in species composition and sizes of fishes consumed by sea lions and harvested by commercial fisheries, particularly during winter, has led to examination of potential interaction between commercial fisheries and Steller's sea lions. Abundance and distribution data for Steller's sea lions in Alaska were derived from aerial surveys conducted during the breeding season, mid‐June to early July 1992, 1994, and 1996. To study winter distribution of sea lions, we conducted aerial surveys during March 1993, November‐December 1994, and March 1999. We counted about one‐half as many sea lions during winter surveys compared to the breeding‐season surveys. Numbers of sea lions at rookery sites dropped off considerably during winter, whereas numbers at haul‐out sites did not. We found little evidence of large‐scale, seasonal movement, at least for the western stock of sea lions. Rather, differences between summer and winter distribution were primarily a function of sea lions dispersing to local haul‐out sites during the winter. Terrestrial sites, both rookeries and haul‐outs, clearly are important to Steller's sea lions during the entire year. Individual sites may be occupied year‐round or only during particular times of year.

Habitat use and preliminary demographic evaluation of the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal ( Monachus monachus) in the Cilician Basin (Eastern Mediterranean)

Over the last few decades a dramatic decline in the number of Mediterranean monk seals ( Monachus monachus) limited scientific studies on the biology, behaviour, and ecology of the species. This lack of information impaired the effectiveness of conservation strategies. Thus, any further information gathered on the monk seal has utmost value in the work to halt and reverse the plight of the species. A hitherto unknown Cilician Basin colony of the Mediterranean monk seal has been investigated during a 6-year period between 1995 and 2001. Results of direct in-cave surveys and land based seal-watch observations enabled the evaluation of habitat use and preliminary demographic information. A total of 39 caves were discovered among which only three were used for breeding. Scarcity of the breeding caves emphasised the importance of breeding habitat in the survival of the colony. Common features of the breeding caves are found as an entrance with a protective barrier against strong waves; a chamber with a wide beach; and a well-sheltered shallow pool. Supplementary data obtained from infrared monitors installed in three actively used caves were used to assess the number of individuals. Throughout the study period, 25 individuals were identified and 11 newborn pups were found. Evaluation of the results suggests the presence of sub-regions inhabited by an individually identified sub-group of monk seals. Recommendations for conservation guided by this information is a Marine Protected Area consisting of two zones; a restricted core zone prohibiting any human activity securing breeding habitat and a restricted fishery zone securing sustainability of the food source.