Diet of seals in the Baltic Sea region: a synthesis of published and new data from 1968 to 2013

Camilla Hjorth Scharff-Olsen; Anders Galatius; Jonas Teilmann; Rune Dietz; Signe May Andersen; Simon Jarnit; Anne-Mette Kroner; Amanda Bolt Botnen; Karl Lundström; Peter Rask Møller; Morten Tange Olsen

doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsy159

Diet of seals in the Baltic Sea region: a synthesis of published and new data from 1968 to 2013

Camilla Hjorth Scharff-Olsen, Anders Galatius, Jonas Teilmann, Rune Dietz, Signe May Andersen, Simon Jarnit, Anne-Mette Kroner, Amanda Bolt Botnen, Karl Lundström, Peter Rask Møller, Morten Tange Olsen

23 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

A crucial first step in assessing and managing the role and impacts of predators on their environment is knowledge on their foraging behaviour and diet. Here, we synthesize previously published and newly generated data on the diet of harbour seals, grey seals, and ringed seals in the Baltic Sea region. More than 45 000 otoliths recovered from 3147 samples of scats and digestive tracts were collected throughout all seasons and most Baltic Sea sub-basins from 1968 to 2013. The data revealed a large extent of interspecific, spatial, and seasonal variation in seal diet, implying that caution should be made when extrapolating from one species, area or season, to others. Still, a few fish species, including Atlantic herring, sprat, cod, and sandeels had high occurrence across seal species and locations. The compiled data provide the first overview of seal diet across the entire Baltic Sea region, but also comes with several limitations. Thus, while the data presented here constitutes an important reference for future inference, it also illustrates an urgent need for standardizing methodology across studies on the diet of seals and other aquatic predators.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	ICES Journal of Marine Science
Vol/bind	76
Udgave nummer	1
Sider (fra-til)	1-14
Antal sider	14
ISSN	1054-3139
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsy159
Status	Udgivet - 2018

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title = "Diet of seals in the Baltic Sea region: a synthesis of published and new data from 1968 to 2013",

abstract = "A crucial first step in assessing and managing the role and impacts of predators on their environment is knowledge on their foraging behaviour and diet. Here, we synthesize previously published and newly generated data on the diet of harbour seals, grey seals, and ringed seals in the Baltic Sea region. More than 45 000 otoliths recovered from 3147 samples of scats and digestive tracts were collected throughout all seasons and most Baltic Sea sub-basins from 1968 to 2013. The data revealed a large extent of interspecific, spatial, and seasonal variation in seal diet, implying that caution should be made when extrapolating from one species, area or season, to others. Still, a few fish species, including Atlantic herring, sprat, cod, and sandeels had high occurrence across seal species and locations. The compiled data provide the first overview of seal diet across the entire Baltic Sea region, but also comes with several limitations. Thus, while the data presented here constitutes an important reference for future inference, it also illustrates an urgent need for standardizing methodology across studies on the diet of seals and other aquatic predators.",

author = "Scharff-Olsen, {Camilla Hjorth} and Anders Galatius and Jonas Teilmann and Rune Dietz and Andersen, {Signe May} and Simon Jarnit and Anne-Mette Kroner and Botnen, {Amanda Bolt} and Karl Lundstr{\"o}m and M{\o}ller, {Peter Rask} and Olsen, {Morten Tange}",

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AU - Scharff-Olsen, Camilla Hjorth

AU - Galatius, Anders

AU - Teilmann, Jonas

AU - Dietz, Rune

AU - Andersen, Signe May

AU - Jarnit, Simon

AU - Kroner, Anne-Mette

AU - Botnen, Amanda Bolt

AU - Lundström, Karl

AU - Møller, Peter Rask

AU - Olsen, Morten Tange

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - A crucial first step in assessing and managing the role and impacts of predators on their environment is knowledge on their foraging behaviour and diet. Here, we synthesize previously published and newly generated data on the diet of harbour seals, grey seals, and ringed seals in the Baltic Sea region. More than 45 000 otoliths recovered from 3147 samples of scats and digestive tracts were collected throughout all seasons and most Baltic Sea sub-basins from 1968 to 2013. The data revealed a large extent of interspecific, spatial, and seasonal variation in seal diet, implying that caution should be made when extrapolating from one species, area or season, to others. Still, a few fish species, including Atlantic herring, sprat, cod, and sandeels had high occurrence across seal species and locations. The compiled data provide the first overview of seal diet across the entire Baltic Sea region, but also comes with several limitations. Thus, while the data presented here constitutes an important reference for future inference, it also illustrates an urgent need for standardizing methodology across studies on the diet of seals and other aquatic predators.

AB - A crucial first step in assessing and managing the role and impacts of predators on their environment is knowledge on their foraging behaviour and diet. Here, we synthesize previously published and newly generated data on the diet of harbour seals, grey seals, and ringed seals in the Baltic Sea region. More than 45 000 otoliths recovered from 3147 samples of scats and digestive tracts were collected throughout all seasons and most Baltic Sea sub-basins from 1968 to 2013. The data revealed a large extent of interspecific, spatial, and seasonal variation in seal diet, implying that caution should be made when extrapolating from one species, area or season, to others. Still, a few fish species, including Atlantic herring, sprat, cod, and sandeels had high occurrence across seal species and locations. The compiled data provide the first overview of seal diet across the entire Baltic Sea region, but also comes with several limitations. Thus, while the data presented here constitutes an important reference for future inference, it also illustrates an urgent need for standardizing methodology across studies on the diet of seals and other aquatic predators.

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UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/diet-seals-baltic-sea-region-synthesis-published-new-data-1968-2013

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DO - 10.1093/icesjms/fsy159

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