An assessment of population size and distribution ofharbour seals in the Republic of Ireland during the moultseason in August 2003

The status of Ireland's harbour seal Phoca vitulina vitulina population is poorly understood. The most recent national population estimate dates back to the breeding season in 1978 and did not cover the entire coastline. Reliable up-to-date information on the abundance and distribution of harbo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Zoology
Main Authors: Cronin, M, Duck, Callan David, O'Cadhla, O, Nairn, R, Strong, D, O'Keefe, C
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2007
Subjects:
harbour seal
aerial survey
thermal imagery
population
PHOCA-VITULINA-RICHARDSI
SAN-MIGUEL-ISLAND
COMMON SEALS
NORTHEAST SCOTLAND
HAULOUT BEHAVIOR
MORAY FIRTH
WADDEN SEA
ALASKA
ABUNDANCE
PATTERNS
San Miguel
Phoca vitulina
Alaska
Online Access:https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/an-assessment-of-population-size-and-distribution-ofharbour-seals-in-the-republic-of-ireland-during-the-moultseason-in-august-2003(342ff5e3-1d68-47d6-9e39-cbe5eacf2455).html
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00316.x
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34748889519&partnerID=8YFLogxK
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00316.x
Description
Summary:The status of Ireland's harbour seal Phoca vitulina vitulina population is poorly understood. The most recent national population estimate dates back to the breeding season in 1978 and did not cover the entire coastline. Reliable up-to-date information on the abundance and distribution of harbour seals in Ireland is necessary to assess the conservation status of the species and for the effective identification, management and monitoring of special areas of conservation required for harbour seals under the EU Habitats Directive. To provide comprehensive current information on Ireland's harbour seal population, a geographically extensive survey was conducted along the coastline of the Republic of Ireland during the species' annual moult in August 2003. This complemented a similar survey of Northern Ireland, which was conducted in 2002. Using thermal imaging technology, haul-out groups of harbour seals and grey seals Halichoerus grypus were identified from the air, aerial-counts were obtained and compared with simultaneous ground-count data from selected sites. Harbour seal distribution recorded during the 2003 moult season was concentrated in the south-west, west and north-west of the country. This national survey yielded a minimum population estimate for the Republic of Ireland of 2905 harbour seals, delivering an effective baseline for current and future population research.

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