Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) predation on harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) on the island of Helgoland, Germany

Journal of Sea Research

Volumn 97, Issue , 2015, Pages 1-4

  Van Neer, Abbo ^a   Jensen, Lasse Fast ^b   Siebert, Ursula ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE HANNOVER   (Germany)

^b Fisheries and Maritime Museum   (Denmark)

Author keywords

Competition; Grey seal; Harbour seal; North Sea; Predation

Indexed keywords

COEXISTENCE; COMPETITION (ECOLOGY); CRUST; HARBOR; INVERTEBRATE; OBSERVATIONAL METHOD; PINNIPED; PREDATION; PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTION; SHARK;

ATLANTIC OCEAN; GERMANY; HELGOLAND; NORTH FRISIAN ISLANDS; NORTH SEA; SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN;

CEPHALOPODA; CHONDRICHTHYES; DECAPODA (CRUSTACEA); HALICHOERUS GRYPUS; MAMMALIA; PHOCA VITULINA; PHOCOENIDAE;

EID: 84922661013     PISSN: 13851101     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.seares.2014.11.006     Document Type: Article

References (46)

1. Abt K., Engler J. Rapid increase of the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) breeding stock at Helgoland. Helgol. Mar. Res. 2008, 63:177-180. 10.1007/s10152-008-0143-6.
2. Bedard C., Kovacs K., Hammill M. Cannibalism by grey seals, Halichoerus grypus, on Amet Island,Nova Scotia. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 1993, 9:421-424. 10.1111/j.1748-7692.1993.tb00474.x.
3. Bexton S., Thompson D., Brownlow A., Barley J., Milne R., Bidewell C. Unusual mortality of pinnipeds in the United Kingdom associated with helical (corkscrew) injuries of anthropogenic origin. Aquat. Mamm. 2012, 38:229-240. 10.1578/AM.38.3.2012.229.
4. Bouveroux T., Kiszka J.J., Heithaus M.R., Jauniaux T., Pezeril S. Direct evidence for gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) predation and scavenging on harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). Mar. Mamm. Sci. 2014, 30:1542-1548. 10.1111/mms.12111.
5. Bowen W.D., Harrison G.D. Offshore diet of grey seals Halichoerus grypus near Sable Island. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 1994, 112:1-11. 10.3354/meps112001.
6. Brasseur S., Borchardt T., Czeck R., Jensen L.F., Galatius A., Ramdohr S., Siebert U., Teilmann J. Aerial Surveys of Grey Seals in the Wadden Sea in the Season of 2011-2012 2012, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
7. Brasseur S., Czeck R., Diederichs B., Galatius A., Jensen L.F., Körber P., Siebert U., Teilmann J., Klöpper S. Grey Seal Surveys in the Wadden Sea and Helgoland in 2013-2014 2014, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
8. Brasseur S., Diederichs B., Czeck R., Jensen L.F., Galatius A., Ramdohr S., Siebert U., Teilmann J., Körber P., Klöpper S. Aerial Surveys of Grey Seals in the Wadden Sea in the season of 2012-2013 2013, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
9. Brasseur S., Diederichs B., Czeck R., Jensen L.F., Galatius A., Ramdohr S., Siebert U., Teilmann J., Körber P., Klöpper S. Aerial Surveys of Harbour Seals in the Wadden Sea in 2013 2013, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
10. Campagna C., Le Boeuf B.J., Cappozzo H.L. Pup abduction and infanticide in Southern sea lions. Behaviour 1988, 107:44-60. 10.1163/156853988X00188.
11. 15N measurements. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 2003, 263:287-298. 10.3354/meps263287.
12. Don Bowen W., Ellis S.L., Iverson S.J., Boness D.J. Maternal and newborn life-history traits during periods of contrasting population trends: implications for explaining the decline of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), on Sable Island. J. Zool. 2003, 261:155-163. 10.1017/S0952836903004047.
13. Galatius A., Brasseur S., Czeck R., Diederichs B., Jensen L.F., Körber P., Siebert U., Teilmann J., Klöpper S. Aerial Surveys of Harbour Seals in the Wadden Sea in 2014 2014, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
14. Gilles A. Characterisation of Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) Habitat in German Waters 2009, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel.
15. Gilles A., Andreasen H., Müller S., Siebert U. Nahrungsökologie von marinen Säugetieren und Seevögeln für das Management von NATURA 2000 Gebieten. Teil: Marine Säugetiere (No. FKZ: 805 85 018). Büsum 2008.
16. Gosch M., Hernandez-Milian G., Rogan E., Jessopp M., Cronin M. Grey seal diet analysis in Ireland highlights the importance of using multiple diagnostic features. Aquat. Biol. 2014, 20:155-167. 10.3354/ab00553.
17. Haelters J., Kerckhof F., Jauniaux T., Degraer S. The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) as a predator of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)?. Aquat. Mamm. 2012, 38:343-353. 10.1578/AM.38.4.2012.343.
18. Hall A.J., Jepson P.D., Goodman S.J., Härkönen T. Phocine distemper virus in the North and European Seas - data and models, nature and nurture. Biol. Conserv. 2006, 131:221-229. 10.1016/j.biocon.2006.04.008.
19. Hammond P.S., Berggren P., Benke H., Borchers D.L., Collet A., Heide-Jørgensen M.P., Heimlich S., Hiby A.R., Leopold M.F., Oien N. Abundance of harbour porpoise and other cetaceans in the North Sea and adjacent waters. J. Appl. Ecol. 2002, 39:361-376.
20. Härkönen T., Brasseur S., Teilmann J., Vincent C., Dietz R., Abt K., Reijnders P. Status of grey seals along mainland Europe from the Southwestern Baltic to France. Sci. Publ. 2007, 6:57-68.
21. Härkönen T., Dietz R., Reijnders P., Teilmann J., Harding K., Hall A., Brasseur S., Siebert U., Goodman S.J., Jepson P.D., Rasmussen T.D., Thompson P. A review of the 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in European harbour seals. Dis. Aquat. Org. 2006, 68:115-130. 10.1016/j.biocon.2006.04.008.
22. Harris H.S., Oates S.C., Staedler M.M., Tinker M.T., Jessup D.A., Harvey J.T., Miller M.A. Lesions and behavior associated with forced copulation of juvenile Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) by southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis). Aquat. Mamm. 2010, 36:219-229. 10.1578/AM.36.4.2010.219.
23. Hauksson E., Bogason V. Comparative feeding of grey (Halichoerus grypus)and common seals (Phoca vitulina) in Coastal Waters of Iceland, with a note on the diet of hooded (Cystophora cristata) and harp seals (Phoca groenlandica). J. Northwest Atl. Fish. Sci. 1997, 22:125-135. 10.2960/J.v22.a11.
24. Leopold M.F., Begeman L., van Bleijswijk J.D.L., IJsseldijk L.L., Witte H.J., Gröne A. Exposing the grey seal as a major predator of harbour porpoises. Proc. Biol. Sci. 2015, 282:20142429. 10.1098/rspb.2014.2429.
25. Liebsch N., Wilson R., Adelung D. Utilisation of time and space by harbour seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) determined by new remote-sensing methods. Progress in Marine Conservation in Europe - NATURA 2000 Sites in German Offshore Waters 2006, 179-188. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin Heidelberg New York. 10.1007/3-540-33291-X_11. H. von Nordheim, D. Boedeker, J.C. Krause (Eds.).
26. Lotze H.K. Radical changes in the Wadden Sea fauna and flora over the last 2,000years. Helgol. Mar. Res. 2005, 59:71-83. 10.1007/s10152-004-0208-0.
27. Lucas Z., McLaren I.A. Apparent predation by grey seals, Halichoerus grypus, on seabirds around sable island. Nova Scotia. Can. Field-Naturalist 1988, 102:675-678.
28. Lucas Z., Stobo W.T. Shark-inflicted mortality on a population of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) at Sable Island, Nova Scotia. J. Zool. 2000, 252:405-414. 10.1017/S0952836900000157.
29. Lucas Z.N., Natanson L.J. Two shark species involved in predation on seals at Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Canada. Proc. Nov. Scotian Inst. Sci. 2010, 45:64-88.
30. Matthiopoulos J., Cordes L., Mackey B., Thompson D., Duck C., Smout S., Caillat M., Thompson P. State-space modelling reveals proximate causes of harbour seal population declines. Oecologia 2014, 174:151-162. 10.1007/s00442-013-2764-y.
31. Miller E.H., Ponce de Leon A., Delong R.L. Violent interspecific sexual behavior by male sea lions (Otariidae): evolutionary and phylogenetic implications. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 1996, 12:468-476. 10.1111/j.1748-7692.1996.tb00601.x.
32. Mortenson J., Follis M. Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) aggression on harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) pups. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 1997, 13:526-530. 10.1111/j.1748-7692.1997.tb00663.x.
33. Reijnders P.J.H., van Dijk J., Kuiper D. Recolonization of the Dutch Wadden Sea by the grey seal Halichoerus grypus. Biol. Conserv. 1995, 71:231-235. 10.1016/0006-3207(94)00032-L.
34. Scheibel W., Weidel H. Zum Vorkommen von Kegelrobben (Halichoerus grypus Fabricius, 1791, Phocidae, Pinnipedia) in Schleswig-Holstein. Zool. Anz. 1988, 220:65-70.
35. Sharples R.J., Moss S.E., Patterson T.A., Hammond P.S. Spatial variation in foraging behaviour of a marine top predator (Phoca vitulina) determined by a large-scale satellite tagging program. PLoS ONE 2012, 7:e37216. 10.1371/journal.pone.0037216.
36. Siebert U., Wohlsein P., Lehnert K., Baumgärtner W. Pathological findings in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina): 1996-2005. J. Comp. Pathol. 2007, 137:47-58. 10.1016/j.jcpa.2007.04.018.
37. Siebert U., Wünschmann A., Weiss R., Frank H., Benke H., Frese K. Post-mortem findings in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the German North and Baltic Seas. J. Comp. Pathol. 2001, 124:102-114. 10.1053/jcpa.2000.0436.
38. Smout S., Rindorf A., Hammond P.S., Harwood J., Matthiopoulos J. Modelling prey consumption and switching by UK grey seals. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 2014, 71:81-89.
39. Svensson C.J. Seal dynamics on the Swedish west coast: scenarios of competition as Baltic grey seal intrude on harbour seal territory. J. Sea Res. 2012, 71:9-13. 10.1016/j.seares.2012.03.005.
40. Thompson D., Bexton S., Brownlow A., Wood D., Patterson T., Pye K., Lonergan M., Milne R. Report on Recent Seal Mortalities in UK Waters Caused by Extensive Lacerations 2010, St Andrews, Scotland.
41. Thompson D., Culloch R., Milne R. Current State of Knowledge of the Extent, Causes and Population Effects of Unusual Mortality Events in Scottish Seals 2013, St Andrews, Scotland.
42. Thomsen K. Nahrungsökologie der Helgoländer Robben, Seehund (Phoca vitulina) und Kegelrobbe (Halichoerus grypus) 2009, Universität Hamburg.
43. Tollit D.J., Thompson P.M. Seasonal and between-year variations in the diet of harbour seals in the Moray Firth. Can. J. Zool. 1996, 74:1110-1121. 10.1139/z96-123.
44. Van Bleijswijk J., Begeman L., Witte H., IJsseldijk L., Brasseur S., Gröne A., Leopold M. Detection of grey seal Halichoerus grypus DNA in attack wounds on stranded harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 2014, 513:277-281. 10.3354/meps11004.
45. Whiten A., Horner V., de Waal F.B.M. Conformity to cultural norms of tool use in chimpanzees. Nature 2005, 437:737-740. 10.1038/nature04047.
46. Wolff W.J. The exploitation of living resources in the Dutch Wadden Sea: a historical overview. Helgol. Mar. Res. 2005, 59:31-38. 10.1007/s10152-004-0204-4.