Feeding of bearded seals in the Bering and Chukchi seas and trophic interaction with Pacific walruses. Arctic 33:330-342

• Main Authors: Lloyd F. Lowry, Kathryn J Frost, John, J. Burns
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1980
• Subjects: Arctic; Bering Strait; Pacific; Chukchi; walrus*
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.529.2647; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic33-2-330.pdf

ABSTRACT. Current and historical information about food habits of bearded seals, Erignurhus burbutus, are presented. Shrimps, crabs, and clams are overall the most important prey. Proportions of different prey in the diet vary with age of seals, location, and time of year. Foods of male and female seals are similar. Young seals eat proportionally more shrimps than do older animals. Recently, clams were important in the diet only in Norton Sond and near Wainwright, and only during late spring and summer. Greatest quantities of food were found in stomachs of seals which had eaten mostly clams. In Bering Strait, seals taken in spring 1958 and 1967 had consumed large quantities of clams, but this item was only a minor fraction of foods in 1975-79. Walruses, Odobenus rosmurus, have increased steadily in numbers since 1960. Whereas Bering Strait was mainly a route through which walruses migrated in spring and autumn, this region is now an area in which large numbers (up to 80,000) spend portions of the summer and autumn. The walruses feed mainly on clams. Increased foraging activity of walruses may have reduced availability of this food item for bearded seals. The walrus population currently appears to be exhibiting indications of