Spatial and temporal variation in harp seals prey consumption in the Barents sea ...

• Main Authors: Haug, Tore, Lindstrøm, Ulf, Nilssen, Kjell T.
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: ASC 2006 - Theme session L 2024
• Subjects: Fisheries and aquaculture; Arctic; Barents Sea; Arctic cod; Gadus morhua; Pagophilus groenlandicus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.25259014; https://ices-library.figshare.com/articles/conference_contribution/Spatial_and_temporal_variation_in_harp_seals_prey_consumption_in_the_Barents_sea/25259014

No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.The Barents Sea ecosystem has experienced major fluctuations in species abundance in the past 20-30 years. The mechanisms behind these fluctuations are complex and arise from numerous interactions between species and the environment. Previous and present attempts to assess multi-species interactions in the Barents sea ecosystem has resulted in increased focus on the foraging ecology of the most conspicuous high trophic-level predators in the ecosystem. The Barents Sea stock of harp seals Pagophilus groenlandicus is, along with Arctic cod Gadus morhua, considered as the most conspicuous high trophic-level predator in the Barents Sea ecosystem. The abundance and feeding ecology of the Barents Sea stock of harp seals has been monitored the past 15 years. Previous prey consumption estimates suggests that harp seals consume range between 3.3 and 5 million tonnes of prey annually, depending on the choice of input parameters in the bioenergetic ...