Changes in Seal Habitat Use of Nearshore Waters around Newfoundland and Southern Labrador: Implications for Potential Predation on Salmon

Lenky, Crystal

doi:10.2174/1874839201105010013

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 31 publications

(38 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Additionally, a further 11 species (37% of all prey items) were identified through other skeletal structures alone, including salmonids. While grey seal predation on north Atlantic salmonids has been documented (Lenky & Sjare 2011), there is little evidence from dietary studies to support these observations. For example, studies in the northeast of Scotland have found very little evidence of salmonids in the diet (McConnell et al 1984, Prime & Hammond 1985.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grey seal diet analysis in Ireland highlights the importance of using multiple diagnostic features

Gosch¹,

Hernández-Milian²,

Rogan³

et al. 2014

Aquat. Biol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Seals and humans are top predators in many marine ecosystems, often targeting the same food resource. With global declines in fish stocks, competition between these top predators is of increasing interest to scientists and resource managers. To understand and quantify this competition, robust data on the diet of seals are necessary. We present new information on the diet of grey seals Halichoerus grypus from a colony on Great Blasket Island, southwest Ireland, with particular reference to commercially important prey species such as salmonids. Inter-annual variation in diet was investigated based on the recovery and identification of sagittal fish otoliths, bones and cephalopod beaks from faecal samples collected in 2009 and 2010. A total of 939 prey items were recovered, representing a minimum of 41 prey species. Thirty species were identified from otoliths while a further 11 species, including salmonids, were identified from additional diagnostic structures. The diet of grey seals was largely dominated by Gadiformes (21% corrected biomass), particularly Trisopterus spp., which contributed 7% in terms of corrected biomass and 52% by frequency of occurrence, while salmonids comprised over 36% of diet by corrected biomass. Inter-annual variation in sandeel (Ammodytidae) and blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou abundance was apparent, while the former was an important contributor to the diet in terms of corrected biomass (11%). The results support the principle that an 'all structures' approach to pinniped diet estimation can significantly increase the rate of detection for most fish groups, and result in improved estimation of seal diet.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%