Fall Migration of Ringed Seals (<i>Phoca hispida</i>) through the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 2001–02

Abstract

In a study examining the range, distribution, and habitat use of the ringed seal, Phoca hispida, in Canada's Western Arctic, eight ringed seals were live-captured, instrumented with satellite-linked (SLTDR-16) transmitters, and released at Cape Parry, Northwest Territories, Canada, on 17-19 September 2001 and 7-8 September 2002. Locations accepted by the filtering process were received from seven of the eight tagged seals (5 subadults, 1 adult female, 1 pup) over periods ranging from 35 to 207 days (mean 99 d, SD 66). Mean rates of travel were 0.91 m/s (SE 0.011, n = 7) in the Canadian Beaufort Sea, 0.92 m/s (SE 0.014, n = 7) offshore of Alaska's North Slope, and 0.79 m/s (SE 0.008, n = 5) in the Chukchi Sea. On average, the seals took 32 days (range 19-56 d) to migrate between Cape Parry and Point Barrow, almost always remaining within 100 km of shore and over the continental shelf or slope, and covering an average migration distance of 2138 km. Dive depths for all groupings were mainly in the 4-80 m range (adult female: 63-73%; subadults: 54-73%; pup: 64-82%), with only the adult female diving deeper than 80 m on occasion, mainly in the Canadian Beaufort Sea (15.1% of her dives). The subadults and pup dove mainly for more than 1 to 5 min (60% and 55%, respectively), while a large proportion of the adult female's dives were longer (34% for > 1 to 5 min; 31% for > 5 to 8 min; 5.4% for > 8 min). The tracks of the westward migrating seals revealed a routing through three political jurisdictions (including oil and gas industry lease areas in all three) over a period of about two months. This pattern highlights the importance of cooperation between the United States, Canada, and Russia in managing this species.

Influence of sea ice phenology on the movement ecology of ringed seals across their latitudinal range

“…A total of 130 ringed seals were captured and deployed with satellite telemetry transmitters (see Harwood et al 2012 andLuque et al 2014 for specific details on capture, measuring and tagging procedures) at 6 locations across the North American Arctic and West Greenland. Capture locations were (1) Melville Bay, N orthwest Greenland; (2) Resolute, N unavut, Canada; (3) Cape Parry and Ulukhaktok, N orthwest Territories, Canada, both encompassing the Amundsen Gulf; (4) Igloolik, N unavut, Canada; (5) Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, Canada; and (6) Saglek Bay, Labrador, Canada, and captures were conducted in the summer and fall (ranging from June to October) from 1999 to 2012 ( Fig.…”

“…Siegstad et al 1998). Ringed seals forage more intensively during the resource-productive ice-free season, use a diversity of habitats from over the continental shelf to deep ocean basins (Freitas et al 2008, Hamilton et al 2015, Oksanen et al 2015, and have been observed to transit thousands of kilometres (Harwood et al 2012, Brown et al 2014. Further, adults exhibit site fidelity and territoriality during the winter and spring, primarily in shore-fast ice for breeding, whereas subadults are likely competitively excluded to the resource-productive outer edges of shore-fast ice habitat (Crawford et al 2012, Hamilton et al 2016).…”

Seasonal Movements and Diving of Ringed Seals, <i>Pusa hispida</i>, in the Western Canadian Arctic, 1999–2001 and 2010–11

“…Subadult ringed seals in the Western Arctic population undertake extensive migrations during the fall, probably in response to food availability (Smith, 1987;Harwood et al, 2012a). In other areas, their migrations have been linked to advancing and retreating ice (e.g., Svalbard, Freitas et al, 2008a;Chukchi/Bering Seas, Crawford et al, 2011).…”

“…Satellite tracking of ringed seals from other areas has revealed seasonal differences in habitat use strategies, which have included relatively restricted movements in winter and early spring (Harwood et al, 2007;Kelly et al, 2010), forays to distant areas in summer (Teilmann et al, 1999;Born et al, 2004), and extensive migrations during fall and winter (Freitas et al, 2008a;Crawford et al, 2011;Harwood et al, 2012a). Given the circumpolar range of ringed seals, which occupy areas as diverse as lakes, pack ice, and fast ice (Finley et al, 1983;Born et al, 2004), the annual feeding strategies of this species are clearly diverse and adaptable to a variety of habitat types.…”

Ringed Seals and Sea Ice in Canada’s Western Arctic: Harvest-Based Monitoring 1992–2011

“…The large bays have stable fast ice for many months, which is critical to breeding ringed seals because it offers a stable platform that allows fixed territories (Kelly et al, 2010) and favourable habitat for pupping, lactation, basking, and protection from cold and predators (Smith andStirling, 1975, 1978;Smith, 1976Smith, , 1987Stirling et al, 1977Stirling et al, , 1982Hammill and Smith, 1989). The subadult (immature) animals tend to disperse away from the core habitats, as they are excluded during winter by competition from the more aggressive adults (Smith, 1987;Harwood et al, 2012).…”