Nov 1, 2023 at 10:41 PM Update: 4 hours ago
The number of common seals in the Wadden Sea has fallen for the third year in a row. A possible explanation for the decline is the decline of their habitat.
Researchers from, among others Wageningen Marine Research There were 22,621 common seals in the Wadden Sea this year, 4 percent less than in 2022.
In the Dutch area the decline was even greater. There, researchers counted 6,706 harbor seals, a decrease of 11 percent compared to last year. Numbers fell in all areas except Lower Saxony and Hamburg. A new counting method may play a role in this.
The number of seal pups was actually larger this year. The research team counted 9,334 puppies, 10 percent more than last year. However, it is expected that these numbers will stagnate or decrease in the coming years, due to the decline in the number of adult harbor seals.
Further research must determine the cause
“It is clear that something is going on with harbor seals,” the scientists write. “It is now important to find out what the possible cause or combination of causes is.” The researchers are also trying to figure out how to stop a further decline.
A possible explanation for the decline is that the seals’ habitat has deteriorated, the researchers say. A change in food availability may also play a role.
Seals renew their fur every year and lie on dry land to do so. During that period, researchers in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark count the number of animals in the Wadden Sea. Common seals are seen as an iconic species in the Wadden Sea.
Image: ANP
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2023-11-01 21:41:04
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