Download or read book Individual Differences in Maternal Behaviour in the Grey Seal Halichoerus Grypus and the Impact of Disturbance at Donna Nook written by Hani Myfanwy Castle James and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract:The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) is a semi-aquatic pinniped and a member of the family phocidae. On shore breeding colonies form around the UK during the autumn, on which female grey seals rear a single pup for up to 3 weeks. This study aimed to identify the presence, if any, of consistent individual differences (CIDs) in maternal behaviour of grey seals on the breeding colony at Donna Nook. Data collection was non-intrusive, using in-field focal videos, pup-check counts and proximity maps. In agreement with previous research on North Rona, results from the current study show CIDs in pup-check behaviour at Donna Nook. CIDs were present in time mothers spent interacting with their pup and time spent nursing. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the existence of grey seal personalities, or more specifically, mothering styles. There was no evidence that pup gender influenced maternal behavioural investment. There was evidence for habituation to human disturbance; females exposed to the public showed a lower duration of alert behaviour and no difference in duration of pup interaction compared to the restricted site. This habituation was no longer evident following exposure to sudden disturbance (in this case, an unforeseen tidal storm surge). A colony wide increase in pup-check duration and decrease in colony density was observed in the weeks following the storm surge. The results of this study highlight the scope for future research into the stability of these CIDs over numerous breeding seasons and effects of these differences on pup development. Perhaps most importantly, this study provides the first photographic identification catalogue for females at Donna Nook, an excellent basis for future research.
Download or read book Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Phocids written by Daniel P. Costa and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-03-17 with total page 651 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Phocid (or earless or true) seals are ecologically diverse, occupying habitats from the tropics to the poles in marine and freshwater and feeding on anything from tiny zooplankton to other marine mammals. There are 18 species of phocid seals, the smallest species (ringed seal) is more than 20 times smaller than the largest (southern elephant seal), with marked sexual dimorphism present in some species. This book examines the behavior, ecology, and physiology that allow phocid seals to inhabit such a wide range of habitats. The book is composed of 16 chapters written by 37 authors from 8 countries. The book first describes the general patterns of phocid behavior, followed by descriptions of what is known about well-studied species. We have taken a holistic approach, focusing not only on the behaviors themselves but also on the factors that constrain the expression of behavior and the proximate mechanisms driving behavior. In many cases, the chapters represent collaborations between well-established researchers and early-mid career individuals who bring new perspectives to help carry the field of phocid behavioral ecology well into the future.
Download or read book The Application of Modern Statistical Approaches to Identify Consistent Individual Differences in the Behaviour of Wild Postpartum Female Grey Seals Halichoerus Grypus written by Ross Culloch and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Consistent individual differences (CIDs) in behaviour have been shown to occur in a large number of species. However, few studies have attempted to quantify CIDs in the behaviour of wild animals in their natural environment. Yet, in order to understand the ecological and evolutionary relevance of CIDs in behaviour, it is fundamentally important that we attempt to quantify them in wild animals, in situ. In order to address this question, a three-step analytical approach was applied to data that were collected on wild postpartum female grey seals, which were part of a 'hands-off' observational study. Aspects of behaviour were highly repeatable across breeding seasons. The 'alert' behaviour in particular, remained highly repeatable irrespective of which individuals were included in the analyses. Furthermore, these robust repeatability estimates for the 'alert' behaviour persisted, despite controlling for social and environmental factors that are known to influence maternal behaviour. Subsequently, the three-step analytical approach was applied to an independent dataset collected on postpartum female grey seals that are part of a long-term longitudinal study on reproductive variation. Similar patterns were observed in the results across the three steps, and once again, the 'alert' behaviour was one of the more repeatable behaviours. However, these highly repeatable behaviours did not explain any of the variation in commonly used proxies for short-term fitness. As a result, these preliminary findings add to the debate on whether or not CIDs in behaviour are adaptive or are a product of phenotypic and/or genotypic constraints. Consequently, the potential influence of CIDs in behaviour on fitness trade-offs, population dynamics and conservation and management practices shall be discussed. The application of the three-step analytical approach to the independent dataset did raise some important methodological considerations, which shall be discussed in relation to developing guidelines for applying this approach to other datasets.
Download or read book The Early Ethology of Wild Grey Seal Halichoerus Grypus Neonates Over the Period of Maternal Dependency written by Charlotte Louise Cairns and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract:With the purpose of quantifying the behavioural patterns of pre-weaned grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) neonates, detailed neonatal behavioural records were used to provide an overview of typical behaviour budgets during the brief period of maternal dependency, or lactation period. Neonates were shown to spend the majority of their time inactive, with the assumption that such immobility maximises energy retention and mass gain during the short nursing period. Investigation at an individual-level revealed that neonates show consistent differences in the expression of some behavioural traits relative to one another over time. However, behavioural repeatability estimates for neonates were found to be lower than those so far reported in adult behavioural traits, suggesting that individual behavioural consistency may increase with age in this species. To current knowledge, this study represents the first attempt to quantify individual behavioural consistency in the neonatal age-class in this species. This study provides a rare exploration of neonatal play behaviour in grey seals. There is weak suggestion that different types of play show different developmental trajectories over time, inferring that play function(s) could be dynamic. However, this area of study requires further systematic research to confirm these ideas. Maternal nutritional investment was not found to have a direct relationship with neonatal play. Interestingly, when the independent play behaviour of male and female siblings was compared in order to control for maternal and genetic differences, a sex difference was indicated in relation to maternal condition. Sons of poorer condition mothers (estimated by post-partum mass) were found to play more, whilst daughters of better condition mothers played more by contrast. An intriguing relationship was also indicated to suggest that the offspring of mothers in poorer condition (based on morphometric estimations) engage in more social play, predominantly with the maternal figure. Validation of estimations of maternal body condition is essential for enhancing confidence in these initial results. Increasing sample size in complementary future research would also be highly advantageous.
Download or read book Investigating the Genetic Basis of Boldness and Reproductive Performance Traits in the Grey Seal Halichoerus Grypus written by Christine Marie Bubac and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Individual variation provides the material for natural selection to act upon, influencing ecological and evolutionary processes. Much phenotypic variation in traits, such as behaviour and life-history, have a moderate to high heritable component, suggesting that these traits may have adaptive potential and are genetically influenced. Yet, investigating the genetic basis of complex traits remains limited to few natural systems - partly due to the difficulty of sampling phenotypes in the wild, a lack of existing genomic resources, and detailed pedigree information - and remains a great challenge in biology today. Advances in DNA sequencing technologies now permit investigations into the evolutionary potential of traits as well as the genetic architecture underlying phenotypic variation in the wild. In this dissertation, I examine the genetic basis of maternal performance traits in free-ranging grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), a long-lived, iteroparous species that has rebounded following a long history of overexploitation. First, I performed a literature review and meta-analysis to examine trends in analytical molecular approaches used to elucidate the genetic basis of animal behaviour. Analyzing nearly 150 studies focused on candidate gene, quantitative trait locus mapping, and genome-wide association analyses, I discovered evidence of limited taxonomic breadth in the literature. I highlighted commonly studied candidate genes and behaviours, and further reported global genetic effect sizes for each approach undertaken. Second, I determined the existence of an animal personality signal along the shy-bold continuum in the Sable Island National Park Preserve (Nova Scotia, Canada) population of female grey seals. Using behavioural data collected over a nine-year period (2008-2016), I showed that boldness is highly repeatable both between and within years. Boldness was influenced by maternal age, such that younger females were generally less bold than older, more experienced females providing some support for the life-history trade-off hypothesis. Seal pups produced by bolder females were on average ~2 kg heavier than pups of shy females. Third, I used a candidate gene approach to investigate relationships between genetic variants and repeated measures of boldness, offspring weaning mass, and lactation duration in grey seals. I isolated and re-sequenced five candidate genes commonly screened in primates, rodents, and passerines. Here, I found genetic effects of the serotonin transporter (SERT) and dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) genes on boldness and offspring weaning mass. Genotypes explained 6.52-13.66% of total trait variation. Lastly, using a reduced representation DNA sequencing method, I obtained genome-wide genotypic data for over 450 female grey seals and determined that eight maternal traits, representing morphological, life-history, and behavioural traits, had low to moderate heritability (h2 = 0.08-0.38). Genome-wide association analyses did not reveal any loci that were significantly associated with the traits examined, suggesting these traits are polygenic. Altogether, this thesis integrated molecular genetic methodologies and statistical approaches with a longitudinal field program, and presented support for the adaptive potential of fitness-related traits in Sable Island grey seals. Results further provided insights into factors and mechanisms underlying maternal performance variation in this ecologically important marine predator. Though challenges exist in investigating the genetic basis of quantitative traits, such analyses give insight into the evolutionary dynamics and capacity for adaptation in natural populations, especially relevant as biodiversity is exposed to novel selection pressures and changing environmental conditions.
Download or read book The effects of human disturbance on the behaviour of common seals Phoca vitulina and grey seals Halichoerus grypus on Blakeney Point North Norfolk written by E S S. HAMILTON and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Effects of Habitat on Population Dynamics in an Expanding Population of Grey Seals Halichoerus Grypus on Muskeget Island MA written by Meagan Sims and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Breeding grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) utilize a variety of terrestrial substrates for parturition, nursing, and mating that vary in topographical characteristics and therefore, the availability of suitable habitat is crucial for the persistence of grey seal populations worldwide. This study compared the effects of habitat type over the course of four breeding seasons on Muskeget Island, Massachusetts within and between years on a suite of population parameters including densities, sex ratios, male harem likelihood and mean harem sizes, pups with and without mothers, nursing events, copulation events, pup mortality, and pup developmental stages. The analysis included the 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012 breeding seasons and compared two beach and three interior habitat types. I predicted that the predominant pupping habitat type used during the breeding season would be exterior beach types because they were composed of expansive, primarily flat substrate representing the first access points when hauling-out. It was expected that these sites would be the locations used by early arriving females and contain higher densities of all age/sex classes. Areas with higher densities were thought to facilitate a greater number of harems with smaller mean harem sizes, fewer pups with mothers, fewer nursing events, more copulation events, higher pup mortality, and more pups in later developmental stages. Overall, densities for all age/sex classes were significantly higher for exterior open beach and thin beach types compared to interior marsh, back beach grass, and inland types, and the use of interior habitats was higher overall in 2012 than in 2007. Sex ratios became more female biased over the course of the study, and were more heavily femaled biased in interior habitat types. Males were more likely to have harems in open beach types while mean harem sizes were significantly larger in interior habitat types, higher in 2012 than 2007, and significantly positively correlated with adult sex ratios in three out of five habitat types. Densely populated exterior sites had more observed copulation events and pup mortality while no differences in nursing events were found. Additionally, a clear shift in habitat use was evident for the 2010 breeding season for all population parameters. Results suggest the primary use of exterior beach habitats during the initial portion of the breeding season, particularly on the north and west sides of Muskeget, with a progression towards interior habitats throughout the season and the use of interior habitat becoming more prevalent over time. As expected, distinct differences in all population parameters were observed for beach vs. interior habitat use, suggesting habitat type plays a considerable role in the population dynamics of breeding grey seals. To date, little is known regarding this breeding population and this study was the first analysis conducted on Muskeget Island to investigate grey seal pupping habitat choice and its potential effects on population dynamics.
Download or read book Description and Probable Behavioral Significance of Grey Seal Halichoerus Grypus Vocalizations written by Jack Schneider and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 37 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Feeding Ecology of the Northwest Atlantic Grey Seal Halichoerus Grypus microform written by Donald Benoit and published by National Library of Canada. This book was released on 1989 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Territorial Behaviour in the Western Atlantic Grey Seal Halichoerus Grypus written by Austin W. Cameron and published by . This book was released on 1971 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Descriptive and Quantitative Comparison of the Communication of Grey Seals Halichoerus Grypus at Three Sites in the North Atlantic Ocean written by John Warren Lawson and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 660 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Bering Sea Ecosystem written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1996-05-08 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Bering Sea, which lies between the United States and Russia, is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world and has prolific fishing grounds. Yet there have been significant unexplained population fluctuations in marine mammals and birds in the region. The book examines the Bering Sea ecosystem's dynamics and the relationship between man and the ecosystem, in order to identify potential reasons for the population fluctuations as well as identify ways the Sea's living resources can be better managed by government.
Download or read book Wildlife Telemetry written by I. G. Priede and published by Prentice Hall. This book was released on 1992 with total page 728 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study of the applications of telemetry and long-distance tracking techniques to the study of animals in the wild. In addition to a description of various types of monitoring techniques, the text provides technical notes on transmitter attachment and circuit design.
Download or read book Overarching national policy statement for energy EN 1 written by Great Britain: Department of Energy and Climate Change and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2011-07-19 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This national policy statement (NPS) sets out national policy for the energy infrastructure. A further five technology-specific NPSs for the energy sector cover: fossil fuel electricity generation (EN-2) (ISBN 9780108510786); renewable electricity generation (both onshore and offshore) (EN-3) (ISBN 9780108510793); gas supply infrastructure and gas and oil pipelines (EN-4) (ISBN 9780108510809); the electricity transmission and distribution network (EN-5) (ISBN 9780108510816); and nuclear power generation (EN-6) (ISBN 9780108510823). An Impact assessment is also available (ISBN 9780108510830). The NPSs have effect on the decisions by the Infrastructure Planning Commission on application for energy developments. This statement outlines the Government's objectives for the power sector in order to meet its energy and climate change strategy. It sets out the need for new energy infrastructure and the assessment principles and generic impacts.
Download or read book A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland Circa 1695 written by Martin Martin and published by . This book was released on 1884 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Atlas of Cetacean Distribution in North west European Waters written by James B. Reid and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An account of the distribution of 28 cetacean species that are known to have occurred in the waters off north-west Europe. Individual chapters cover particular species in detail, spanning identification, behaviour and social organisation, diet and habitat preferences, worldwide distribution and population status.
Download or read book Marine Mammal Welfare written by Andy Butterworth and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-06-19 with total page 625 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marine mammals attract human interest – sometimes this interest is benign or positive – whale watching, conservation programmes for whales, seals, otters, and efforts to clear beaches of marine debris are seen as proactive steps to support these animals. However, there are many forces operating to affect adversely the lives of whales, seals, manatees, otters and polar bears – and this book explores how the welfare of marine mammals has been affected and how they have adapted, moved, responded and sometimes suffered as a result of the changing marine and human world around them. Marine mammal welfare addresses the welfare effects of marine debris, of human traffic in the oceans, of noise, of hunting, of whale watching and tourism, and of some of the less obvious impacts on marine mammals – on their social structures, on their behaviours and migration, and also of the effects on captivity for animals kept in zoos and aquaria. There is much to think and talk about – how marine mammals respond in a world dramatically influenced by man, how are their social structures affected and how is their welfare impacted?
