Activity: Talk or presentation types › Public lecture/debate/seminar
Description
Harbour seals (also known as common seals) have dramatically declined in numbers around the east and north coasts of Scotland and in the Northern Isles since around 2000, while numbers have been stable or increasing around the west coast and Outer Hebrides. In Orkney, the latest monitoring aerial survey in August 2016 counted 1,240 harbour seals, the lowest count recorded since the mid-1980s, representing more than 75% decline in counts. The Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews are carrying out a long term investigation into this decline, funded by the Scottish Government. The project is currently in the middle of its third field season collecting photo-identification data on harbour seals at monitored haulout sites, to gather information on birth and survival rates in areas of contrasting population trajectories. This talk will present an update on the project