Harbor Seal Research Paper

A Review of “The Devil and Deep Blue Sea” by Linda Pannozzo Introduction In her book The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: An Investigation into the Scapegoating of Canada’s Grey Seal, Linda Pannozzo accomplishes few important things: she makes a compelling argument for the senseless killing of grey seal; she provides an analytic framework for the reasons of the decline of cod fish; and she provides a wealth of information on the politic behind scapegoating of Canada’s grey seal. Pannozzo presents The Devil and Deep Blue Sea in a clear and unbiased matter, but its presentation is by no mean elementary. Pannozzo’s book is meticulously researched, thus providing us with both quantitative and statistical account surrounding seal ways of life, their diet, history and other necessary aspects of marine life ecosystem. Book Summary

1) Beluga whale 2) 3) Endangered due to ocean noise and climate change (global warming). The belugas rely on sound to communicate; not being able to hear because of ships/marine construction makes it difficult for them to find food, mate and to hear predators coming. 4) Beluga whale’s niche is to migrate, swim, eat fish and crustations. Sharks, Sperm whales, orcas, Greenland sharks and polar bears feed on beluga whales. 5) Beluga whales eat over 100 different species of crustations and fish; if the Beluga whale were to go extinct populations of the 100+ species would increase without being eaten by Belugas.

The population decline in monk seals is due to several different factors with the biggest reason due to the low pup and juvenile survival rates (Curtice et al, 2011). At the Kure Atoll on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, 32 pups were observed in 1964 and 30 pups were observed in 1965. Of these pups born, all but one died or disappeared within 60 days after birth. This was also seen in the 1970’s at Green Island and Kure Atoll, where a mean population of 17 and 14 seals, respectively, was counted on these beaches, with a birth total of 10 showing a population decline of 70% (Gilmartin et al, 2011). The juvenile survival rate is still seen today with one in five monk seals surviving to the reproductive age, with one year old seals having the highest mortality rates (Norris et al, 2011).

Due to misinformation, some believe that the monk seal’s primary diet is commercial fish, and competes with local fishers by eating its weight in fish in a single day— this is patently untrue, as no large mammal would be able to consume that much food in a single day. Some believe that the seals were brought in by the federal government and are not actually endemic to Hawaii. While it’s true that the main population of monk seals have existed in the Northwest Hawaiian islands (NWHI), there is archaeological evidence from before the 19th century that the seals coexisted with humans in the MHI (Watson et al). Since they are also a relatively rare species, their cultural prevalence has not been as strong as some species (i.e., sea turtles). The use of historical Hawaiian newspapers, as well as research into Hawaiian etymology, as well as archaeological and anthropological investigations can help add to our knowledge base (Watson et al). NOAA’s Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center, and the Marine Conservation Institute are doing much to dispel these myths by providing informational websites to the

Some of the most dangerous animals to both humans and other sea animals are Leopard Seals. Leopard Seals are the second largest species in the Antarctic. The Sea Leopard can be found mainly in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is estimated to live 26 years, some sea leopards live beyond 26 years of age. Leopard seals mainly eat other seals, penguins, fish and krill.

How many people believe what they hear and see on television or the internet? It is astounding to believe that some members of the population will believe anything that is reported in the media without any scientific research or backing. With the popularity of the National Football League, it is easy to believe that any information given by ESPN or other sports broadcasting stations are providing accurate information. However, more scientific studies and research should be provided to fans based on the health of the players. Ever since the death of former National Football League star Junior Seau, which was caused by a concussion, there have been multiple reports to come out about the causes and effects of concussions. However, there are still aspects reguarding concussions that need to be clarified and studied regarding concussions: what are the long term effects of one concussion compared to many concussions, are the people who receive more playing time worse off in the long run, and will repeated concussions lead eventually to a complete mental collapse in everyone.

The Polar bear lives in the artic and uses the area’s costal waters and ice sheets. They are well equipped to live in this environment because they have a thick coat which serves as an insulator. They mainly prey on seals but have also been known to consume dead whales. They can grow to be 7.25 to 8 feet tall and can weigh around 900 to 1,600 pounds. Polar bears are a keystone species, if their numbers decrease there is a possibility that the seal populations will increase which could be devastating for crustaceans and fish. They help keep populations in balance.

The Mediterranean monk seal is categorized as a critically endangered species on the IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Red list and it is urgent needed for conservation measures. From 1986-1994, Mediterranean monk seal was classified as an endangered species. From 1996 onwards, it is classified as a critically endangered species on the IUCN Red list (Karamanlidis, A. & Dendrinos, P. 2015). It is also the most endangered pinniped(fin foot) species with approximately fewer than 400 as the population continues to decline(WWF,2016). The scientific name of this species is Monachus monachus (Hermann, 1779). Today, the native countries of Mediterranean monk seal are Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Mauritania, Portugal, Turkey and Western Sahara. The native fishing area of this seal is in Atlantic- eastern central, Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands, Madeira on the Atlantic shores of Northwest Africa, and black sea (WWF,2016). Figure 1 (Genevieve Johnson,2016) shows the areas where Mediterranean monk seals can usually be found nowadays.

Seals are mammals that live in the Atlantic Ocean near the Arctic. Snow will accumulate near the Arctic and seals get used to the cold weather all the time. Seals enjoy swimming deep into the cold water. When the weather starts to warm up, they all tan in the burning sun and lay on the

A steady decrease in whale populations can have a top-down effect on many other species in the ecosystem, especially penguin, seal, and krill. The reasoning is because whales are a keystone species in the Southern Ocean (Ainley,

Lipid fat increases as the duration of the feeding trip increases (12). This suggests a correlation in length of feeding and lipid content. The Northern fur seal spends 7 days foraging and has 51% fat milk. Galapagos fur seal spends 12 hours foraging and has 40% fat milk. The Antarctic fur seal spends 5 days foraging and has 40% fat milk. The Galapagos sea lion spends 12 hours foraging and has 18% milk fat. The California sea lion spends 4 days foraging and has 32% fat milk. Age and the total number of days nursed by mother at weaning varies between species: Northern fur seal 125;125, Galapagos fur seal 800;-, Antarctic fur seal 117;117, Galapagos seal lion 341;-, and the California sea lion 300

et al. 2009). They will forage in the water for krill or fish, but larger Leopard seals will

Harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) were very abundant in the region at the time and there exists evidence suggesting their numbers increased (Sten- son et al. 1993). Additionally, studies have shown that the contribution of cod to the seal diet overwinter area was greater than reported (Hammill et al. 2014). To measure the degree to which seal predation contributed to the fishery cod collapse the results of the study conducted by Savenkoffa and colleagues (2007) will be analyzed and compared to other papers on seal predation pressure on cods near the time the collapse

Sea lions, on the other hand, are able to walk on land by rotating their hind flippers forward and underneath their big bodies. This is why they are more likely to be employed in aquaria and marine shows. Sea lions congregate in gregarious groups called herds or rafts that can reach upwards of 1,500 individuals. It's common for scores of them to haul out together and loll about in the sand, comprising an amorphous pile in the noonday sun. Seals are less social than their sea-lion cousins. They spend more time in the water than sea lions do and often lead solitary lives in the wild, coming ashore together only once a year to meet and mate. California sea lions bark incessantly when establishing territories. The males bark only when maintaining and defending their territories. Although sea lions do not make a wide range of sounds, they are very noisy, and easily one of the most vocal mammals on Earth. Grunts, groans and snores abound in a colony of sea lions. Groans and squeals may occur with the mouth closed, often accompanied by billowing cheeks, but classic barks and roars are delivered with jaws agape, and the noise is nearly constant. California sea lions are members of the "eared seal" family,

The most important thing to a harbor seals survival is its habitat, which determines shelter, adaptations, evolution, and the type of food available. Harbor seals live in shallow waters of coastal areas, sandy beaches, rocky islands, mudflats, and bays.