The conservation of seals in Irish waters: How research informs policy

Cronin, Michelle

doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2011.01.006

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(49 reference statements)

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“…Located in the North Atlantic region, Ireland offers an important habitat for marine mammals including harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) and grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) in search of haul-out sites during breeding and moulting ( 1 ). Grey seals are known to migrate between countries, but harbour seals tend to travel less widely.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of blaOXA-1, blaTEM-1, and Virulence Factors in E. coli Isolated From Seals

Vale

Shubin

Cummins³

et al. 2021

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Marine mammals are frequently considered good sentinels for human, animal and environmental health due to their long lifespan, coastal habitat, and characteristics as top chain predators. Using a One Health approach, marine mammals can provide information that helps to enhance the understanding of the health of the marine and coastal environment. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the quintessential One Health problem that poses a well-recognised threat to human, animal, and ecosystem health worldwide. Treated and untreated sewage, hospital waste and agricultural run-off are often responsible for the spread of AMR in marine and freshwater ecosystems. Rescued seals (n = 25) were used as sentinels to investigate the levels of AMR in the Irish coastal ecosystem. Faecal swabs were collected from these animals and bacterial isolates (E. coli and cefotaxime-resistant non-E. coli) from each swab were selected for further investigation. E. coli isolates were characterised in terms of phylogenetic group typing, AMR, and virulence factors. All E. coli isolates investigated in this study (n = 39) were ampicillin resistant while 26 (66.6%) were multi-drug resistant (MDR). Resistance genes blaOXA−1 and blaTEM−1 were detected in 16/39 and 6/39 isolates, respectively. Additionally, virulence factors associated with adhesion (sfa, papA, and papC) and siderophores (fyuA and iutA) were identified. An additional 19 faecal cefotaxime-resistant non-E. coli isolates were investigated for the presence of β-lactamase encoding genes. These isolates were identified as presumptive Leclercia, Pantoea and Enterobacter, however, none were positive for the presence of the genes investigated. To the authors knowledge this is the first study reporting the detection of blaOXA−1 and blaTEM−1 in phocid faecal E. coli in Europe. These results highlight the importance of marine mammals as sentinels for the presence and spread of AMR in the marine and coastal environment.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of blaOXA-1, blaTEM-1, and Virulence Factors in E. coli Isolated From Seals

Vale

Shubin

Cummins³

et al. 2021

Front. Vet. Sci.

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“…In UK and Irish waters, extensive spatial and temporal variation in gadiform, perciform and flatfish consumption has been noted in grey seal diet, likely due to variation in habitat-mediated prey availability [19]. Determining these relationships may also help to address conservation issues such as the perceived conflict between seals and commercial fisheries in terms of spatial overlap and competition for resources [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat-Mediated Dive Behavior in Free-Ranging Grey Seals

2013

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Understanding the links between foraging behaviour and habitat use of key species is essential to addressing fundamental questions about trophic interactions and ecosystem functioning. Eight female grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) were equipped with time-depth recorders linked to Fastloc GPS tags following the annual moult in southwest Ireland. Individual dives were coupled with environmental correlates to investigate the habitat use and dive behaviour of free-ranging seals. Dives were characterised as either pelagic, benthic, or shallow (where errors in location and charted water depth made differentiating between pelagic and benthic dives unreliable). Sixty-nine percent of dives occurring in water >50 m were benthic. Pelagic dives were more common at night than during the day. Seals performed more pelagic dives over fine sediments (mud/sand), and more benthic dives when foraging over more three-dimensionally complex rock substrates. We used Markov chain analysis to determine the probability of transiting between dive states. A low probability of repeat pelagic dives suggests that pelagic prey were encountered en route to the seabed. This approach could be applied to make more accurate predictions of habitat use in data-poor areas, and investigate contentious issues such as resource overlap and competition between top predators and fisheries, essential for the effective conservation of these key marine species.

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“…S1). Telemetry studies have shown that grey seals in the Celtic and Irish Seas move between Wales, Ireland, England and France (Cronin 2011;Cronin et al 2016;Carter et al 2017;Russell et al 2017;Vincent et al 2017) and photo-ID studies have also shown a connection between Wales and Ireland (Kiely et al 2000) and Wales and Cornwall (Sayer et al 2019). The Isles of Scilly off the west coast of Cornwall are also a key node for grey seals in Southwest Wales (Vincent et al 2016;Russell et al 2017).…”

Section: Eirphot Databasementioning

confidence: 99%

Site use and connectivity of female grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) around Wales

et al. 2020

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Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) are a qualifying feature of three special areas of conservation (SACs) in Wales, yet relatively little is known of their site use along this coastline. Since 1992, many individuals and organisations have contributed to a grey seal photographic identification database held by Natural Resources Wales, which is one of the largest and oldest of its kind, providing key information from grey seal haul-out sites around the Celtic and Irish Seas. Here, we investigated spatial connectivity of haul-out sites and fidelity of adult females to breeding sites. The minimum number of adult female grey seals using the area between 1992 and 2016 was 2688. Individual capture histories and relative spatial transition probabilities (P ij) between pairs of location groups were calculated. Adjacent locations were highly connected (e.g. Lleyn Peninsula and Bardsey, P ij = 0.7) but connections spanned the entire region, up to 230 km apart (e.g. Skomer and Dee Estuary, P ij = 0.004). Resights were recorded within SACs (e.g. Lleyn Peninsula and Bardsey [Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau SAC], P ij = 0.7), between SACs (e.g. Bardsey and Skomer [Pembrokeshire Marine], P ij = 0.03), between SACs and non-designated areas (e.g. Skerries and Bardsey, P ij = 0.09) and between sites outside any protected area (e.g. Dee Estuary and Anglesey, P ij = 0.5). While inter-annual fidelity to breeding sites was high (P ij = 0.82-1), individual female grey seals moved throughout the region. This evidence of extensive site use beyond protected areas is important for the management and conservation of grey seals around Wales.

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The conservation of seals in Irish waters: How research informs policy

Cited by 11 publications

References 38 publications

Detection of blaOXA-1, blaTEM-1, and Virulence Factors in E. coli Isolated From Seals

Detection of blaOXA-1, blaTEM-1, and Virulence Factors in E. coli Isolated From Seals

Habitat-Mediated Dive Behavior in Free-Ranging Grey Seals

Site use and connectivity of female grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) around Wales

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