Harbour seal diet composition and diversity

Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 7 No 21

The objective of this study was to provide seasonal and regional estimates of harbour seal diet composition and regional estimates of prey consumption, and to investigate how harbour seal diet (composition and/or diversity) relates to the different population trajectories observed around Scotland. In this report the work to address the following objectives is described: • Estimate harbour seal diet composition in 2010/11, regionally and seasonally; • Estimate the size of prey consumed by harbour seals, regionally and seasonally; • Examine if there is sex-specific variation in harbour seal diet; • Investigate how harbour seal diet relates to the different population trajectories observed around Scotland; • Estimate harbour seal prey consumption in 2010/11, regionally.