
Biologging data from foraging harbour seals shows less impact on outmigrating salmon than expected. A few seals in the study population targetted juvenile coho, and exerted less pressure on chinook—appearing instead to target larger fish preying on juvenile chinook
Predation by harbour seals is believed to significantly impact juvenile coho and Chinook salmon as they enter the ocean — and are thought by some to be responsible for the poor return of spawning adults. Researchers from the University of British Columbia set out to determine who was eating juvenile salmon, and when and where it was occurring by capturing and tracking harbour seals that carried cell-phone-like devices that recorded everything and everywhere the seals went.
Harbour seals tend to haulout to rest as the tide falls and intertidal areas are exposed.

Resting harbour seals showing one of the study animals wearing the tracking device.
PUBLICATION
2020 | ||||||||||||||
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