Seals, sandeels and salmon : diet of harbour seals in St. Andrews Bay and the Tay Estuary, southeast Scotland

• Published in: Marine Ecology Progress Series
• Main Authors: Sharples, Ruth Jemma, Arrizabalaga, B, Hammond, Philip Steven
• Other Authors: University of St Andrews. School of Biology, University of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews. Marine Alliance for Science & Technology Scotland
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Faecal sampling; Fisheries; North Sea; Prey availability; Phoca vitulina; Special Area of Conservation; QL Zoology; SDG 14 - Life Below Water; QL; Firth of Tay; Ner; Tay; harbour seal
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/4057; https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08232; http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70349550019&partnerID=8YFLogxK

R.J.S. was supported by a NERC studentship (NER/S/A/2000/03635) Harbour seal populations have declined by up to 40% around northern and eastern Britain since 2000 due to unknown causes; prey availability is one important factor that could be contributing to the decline. We estimate the diet and prey...