Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T14:22:11.148Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Moulting phenology of the harbour seal in south-west Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 March 2013

M. Cronin ,
S. Gregory  and
E. Rogan
M. Cronin
Affiliation:
Coastal and Marine Research Centre, University College Cork, Naval Base, Haulbowline, Cobh, County Cork, Ireland
S. Gregory*
Affiliation:
British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK
E. Rogan
Affiliation:
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Field, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: S. Gregory, British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Studies on the phenology of harbour seal moult have been carried out in the Atlantic and Pacific, however there has been no research into this process in the Republic of Ireland, at the southern edge of the species range in the north-east Atlantic. Population estimates of harbour seals are derived by counts primarily during the moulting seasons. In the absence of information on the moult phenology planning the optimal timing of such surveys is impossible. Furthermore, changes in moult phenology may reflect changes in resource availability or competition, or demographic changes. The phenology of the harbour seal moult was investigated in south-west Ireland in this study. Timing of the moult differed among all cohorts, yearlings began moulting first followed by adult females and finally adult males. The number of seals hauled out was generally positively related to the proportion of seals in active moult. The timing of the moult period was different to other parts of the species' range and should be considered in determining optimal timing of future surveys for assessing populations abundance and trends in Ireland.

Keywords

harbour sealphenologymoultingpopulation estimateIreland
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 94 , Issue 6 , September 2014 , pp. 1079 - 1086
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ashwell-Erikson, S., Fay, F.H. and Elsner, R. (1986) Metabolic and hormonal correlates of moulting and regeneration of pelage in Alaskan harbour and spotted seals (Phoca vitulina and Phoca largha). Canadian Journal of Zoology 64, 1086–1094.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Badosa, E., Pastor, T., Gazo, M. and Aguilar, A. (2006) Moult in the Mediterranean monk seal from Cap Blanc, western Sahara. African Zoology 41, 183–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonner, W.N. (1972) The grey and common seal in European waters. Oceanography and Marine Biology: an Annual Review 10, 461–507.Google Scholar
Cronin, M.A., Duck, C., Ó Cadhla, O., Nairn, R., Strong, D. and O'Keeffe, C. (2007) An assessment of population size and distribution of harbour seals in the Republic of Ireland during the moult season in August 2003. Journal of Zoology 2, 131–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cronin, M.A. and McConnell, B.J. (2008) SMS Seal: a new technique to measure haul-out behaviour in marine vertebrates. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 362, 43–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cunningham, L., Baxter, J.M., Boyd, I.L., Duck, C.D., Lonergan, M., Moss, S.E. and McConnell, B. (2009) Harbour seal movements and haul-out patterns: implications for monitoring and management. Aquatic Conservation 19, 398–407.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daniel, R.G., Jemison, L.A., Pendleton, G.W. and Crowley, S.M. (2003) Moulting phenology of harbour seals on Tugidak Island, Alaska. Marine Mammal Science 19, 128–140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dolnick, E.H. (1959) Histogenesis of hair in the mink and its relationship to dermal fetal fat cells. Journal of Morphology 105, 1–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duck, C.D., Thompson, D. and Cunningham, L. (2005) The status of British common seal populations. In Scientific Advice on Matters Related to the Management of Seal Populations. Briefing Paper, 05/4, 54–65.Google Scholar
Gjertz, I. and Borset, A. (1992) Pupping in the most northerly harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). Marine Mammal Science 8, 2, 103–109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Härkönen, T.K., Harding, C. and Lunneryd, S.G. (1999) Age and sex specific behaviour in harbour seals Phoca vitulina leads to biased estimates of vital population parameters. Journal of Applied Ecology 36, 825–841.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hastings, K.K., Small, R.J. and Hiby, L. (2001) Use of computer-assisted matching of photographs to examine population parameters of Alaskan harbour seals. Annual Report for NOAA. Award NA87FX0300. Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Anchorage, USA.Google Scholar
Hoffman, M.A. (2004) The brain's calendar: neural mechanisms of seasonal timing. Biological Review 79, 61–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ling, J.K. (1970) Pelage and moulting in wild animals with special reference to aquatic forms. Quarterly Review of Biology 45, 16–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ling, J.K. (1972) Adaptive functions of vertebrate moulting cycles. American Zoologist 12, 77–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lydersen, C., Kovacs, K.M. and Hammill, M. (2000) Reversed moulting pattern in starveling gray (Halichoerus grypus) and harp (Pagophilus groenlanicus) seal pups. Marine Mammal Science 16, 489–493.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reilly, J.J. and Fedak, M.A. (1990) Measurement of the body composition of living gray seals by hydrogen isotope dilution. Journal of Applied Physiology 69, 3, 885–891.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reijnders, P.J., Ries, E.H., Tougaard, S., Norgaard, N., Heidemann, G., Schwarz, J., Vareschi, E. and Traut, I. (1997) Population development of harbour seals Phoca vitulina in the Wadden Sea after the 1988 virus epizootic. Journal of Sea Research 38, 161–168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reijnders, P.J., Brasseur, S.M. and Meesters, E.H. (2010) Earlier pupping in harbour seals Phoca vitulina. Biology Letters 6, 854–857.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stutz, S.S. (1967) Moult in the Pacific harbour seal Phoca vitulina richardii. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 24, 924–938.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Temte, J.L., Bigg, M.A. and Wiig, O. (1991) Clines revisited—the timing of pupping in the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). Journal of Zoology 224, 617–632.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, P. and Rothery, P. (1987) Age and sex differences in the timing of moult in the common seal (Phoca vitulina). Journal of Zoology 212, 597–603.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, P.M. and Harwood, J. (1990) Methods for estimating the population size of common seals (Phoca vitulina). Journal of Applied Ecology 27, 924–938.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, P.M. and Wheeler, H. (2008) Photo ID based estimates of reproductive patterns in female harbour seals. Marine Mammal Science 24, 138–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, P.L. (1963) Variations in reproductive cycles in North American mustelids. In Enders, A.C. (ed.) Delayed implantation. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, pp. 77–97.Google Scholar