Cytochrome P450 in seals: monooxygenase activities, immunochemical cross-reactions and response to phenobarbital treatment

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase activities, reflecting the expression of various subfamilies of P450, were measured in liver samples of harp and hooded seal. Differences in some of the investigated parameters were observed between the two species, between sexes, and between pups and adults. Treatment of single female pups from each species with phenobarbital (i.v. 45 mg/kg), resulted in increased levels of EROD and estradiol 2-hydroxylase activities in both species, whereas MCOD, ECOD and PROD activities were induced only in the harp seal sample. Antibodies against a dog P450 2B form (anti-dog PBD-2 IgG) gave a single band around 52kD in both species, strongest in male pups. This band seemed elevated in the PB-treated harp seal pup. Based on the single treated pup of each species, the results suggest that seals respond to PB-type treatment with a weaker response, and with different enzyme patterns, that most terrestrial mammals. Antibodies against cod P450 IAI cross-reacted with two bands in liver samples from adult seals of both species (about 54 and 52kD), but this was strongest in the hooded seal. The intensity of the bands reflected the EROD activities in the samples, suggesting the application of immunodetection in screening marine mammals for effects of environmental contamination.     

Biological transport and mammal to mammal transfer of organochlorines in Arctic fauna

Ringed seal (Phoca hispida) is assumed to be the most important and common prey of polar bears (Ursus maritimus). However, during a scientific survey in the ice area of the northern Barents Sea east of Svalbard in June 1995, an unexpectedly high number of polar bears were observed feeding on harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) carcasses. Samples of both harp and ringed seals were obtained and organochlorine (OC) occurrence and pattern in these two potential polar bear prey species were determined. Significantly higher OC concentrations were found in harp seals, as compared to the ringed seals. All animals in the northern harp seal group were lean specimens in late moult. The industrial chemicals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and the OC pesticides bis-2,2,(chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and chlordanes (CHLORs) were analysed in blubber. The concentrations of sigma PCB (sum of concentrations of 16 PCB congeners) and sigma DDT (sum of concentrations of p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE) in the northern harp seal group ranged from 2093 to 20,382 and 1460 to 10,381 ng g-1 lipid weight, with mean concentrations of 11,133 and 6847 ng g-1 lipid weight, respectively. The mean concentrations of the CHLORs, oxychlordane and trans-nonachlor, were 1311 and 3743 ng g-1 lipid weight, respectively, while the mean concentrations of HCB and HCH isomers (alpha-, beta- and gamma-HCH) were all < 500 ng g-1 lipid weight. No significant difference was found in the mean total blubber mass between the two seal species when collected in June. This indicates that polar bears preying on harp seals instead of ringed seals at this time of the year could accumulate significantly higher PCB concentrations. We suggest that polar bears feeding along the ice-edge east of Svalbard in May and June preferentially prey on harp seals instead of ringed seals, and that this may partly explain the variation in PCB concentrations among polar bears from the Norwegian Arctic. An hypothesis is that the harp seal may function as a transport vector of OCs into the high Arctic environment.     

利用脂肪酸标记法对南极罗斯海桡足类优势物种的食性研究

脂肪酸标记法是浮游动物食性研究的一种重要方法.将提取的脂质区分为中性脂和极性脂,可以进一步查明不同脂质在浮游动物食性研究中的作用.本研究通过分析不同脂质的脂肪酸构成,对2013年1月中国第29次南极考察期间在罗斯海采集的5种优势种桡足类的食性进行了研究.结果显示:5种桡足类的极性脂脂肪酸具有相似的组成,无法给出桡足类食性差异信息,食性信息主要体现于中性脂脂肪酸组成的差异.通过分析中性脂脂肪酸的组成信息,将5种桡足类的食性分为三类:Cala-noides acutus和Calanus propinquus主要摄食浮游植物,Metridia gerlachei及小型桡足类Oncaea curvata为杂食性种,Paraeuchaeta antarctica为肉食性种.本文的结果说明,在应用脂肪酸作为浮游动物食性标记的研究中,应尽量区分不同脂质种类的脂肪酸信息,从而得到更为精确的浮游动物食性信息.     

Total Lipid and Fatty Acid Classes in Decomposing Mangrove Leaves of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bruguiera gymnorrhiza</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kandelia candel</Emphasis>: Significance with respect to Lipid Input

Changes in the concentration of total lipid and fatty acids (FAs) during the decomposition of mangrove leaves were investigated by field experiments using yellow leaves of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lamk. and Kandelia candel (L.) Druce, in order to quantify mangrove contribution to lipid and fatty acid inputs to marine sediments. Total lipid and total FA in the fresh (green and yellow) and decomposing leaves of both species were significantly higher during winter than summer. During decomposition, total lipid content and FA concentration, in particular branched chain fatty acids (BrFAs) and bacterial fatty acids (BFAs), increased to a maximum concentration in 45 days during winter and in 17 days during summer. Lipids were lost faster in K. candel leaf detritus than in B. gymnorrhiza leaf detritus in which >90% of the total lipid original weight was lost during the summer experiment and <60% during the winter experiment. The changes in the concentrations of total lipids and FAs in the decomposing leaves also indicate that mangrove leaves are significant sources of fatty acids and probably other lipid compounds to estuarine ecosystems and that tidal waters transport the lipids and FAs adsorbed to particulate matter from mangroves to adjacent estuarine sediments and the ocean.     

Eco‐physiological repercussions of dietary arachidonic acid in cell membranes of active tissues of the Gray whale

The radiation of the mammalian land species that became the baleen whales happened about 27–34 Mya. Mammals require omega 6 fatty acids for reproduction. With this long exposure to the omega 3‐rich marine food chain, the Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) might be expected to have lost its requirement for omega 6 fatty acids. We report an unexpectedly high content of omega 6 arachidonic acid (ArA) in the Gray whale liver and muscle lipids. This whale migrates 10,000 km from the cold polar, omega 3 oil‐rich food chain to that of the breeding lagoons of the tropical waters. The food web of tropical waters is a source of omega 6 fatty acids, which are hardly present in the cold polar food web. We suggest the reason for this longest of migrations from cold to warm waters is to meet the requirement for omega 6 fatty acids for mammalian reproduction and brain growth. This extreme conservation of omega 6 fatty acids in Gray whale biology has critical implications for mammalian biology and especially for whale conservation.     

From Vagrant to Resident: occurrence,residency and births of leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) in New Zealand waters

ABSTRACT

In contrast to previous reports that leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are rare vagrants to New Zealand, we show that this species is a regular member of the marine fauna of this region. We present a first analysis from the New Zealand Leopard Seal Database – an extensive collation of 2,711 records of leopard seals within New Zealand between 1200 and 2018. Of these records, 51.2% (n?=?1,408) were photographic. Leopard seal sightings have increased over time and been reported in all seasons and regions of New Zealand. Sightings are predominantly of adult individuals of good or excellent body condition, which differs to previous hypotheses suggesting that leopard seals visiting New Zealand shores are primarily juvenile animals in poor health condition. A total of 176 unique individuals have been identified in the New Zealand Leopard Seal Catalogue between 2014 and 2018 and preliminary results indicate that numbers per annum have continued to increase over time. Three leopard seal births and a number of juvenile animals (34% of the NZ records) have been documented. Considering the information presented here and the current definitions in the New Zealand Threat Classification System, the threat status of leopard seals within New Zealand waters should be reclassified from Vagrant to Resident.     

Theoretical aspects of cap-rock and fault seals for single- and two-phase hydrocarbon columns

Cap-rock seals can be divided genetically into those that fail by capillary leakage (membrane seals) and those whose capillary entry pressures are so high that seal failure preferentially occurs by fracturing and/or wedging open of faults (hydraulic seals). A given membrane seal can trap a larger oil column than gas column at shallow depths, but below a critical depth (interval), gas is more easily sealed than oil. This critical depth increases with lower API gravity, lower oil GOR and overpressured conditions (for the gas phase). These observations arise from a series of modelling studies of membrane sealing and can be conveniently represented using pressure/ depth (P/D) profiles through sealed hydrocarbon columns. P/D diagrams have been applied to the more complex situation of the membrane sealing of a gas cap underlain by an oil rim; at seal capacity, such a two-phase column will be always greater than if only oil or gas occurs below the seal.These conclusions contrast with those for hydraulic seals where the seal capacity to oil always exceeds that for gas. Moreover, a trapped two-phase column, at hydraulic seal capacity will be less than the maximum-allowed oil-only column, but more than the maximum gas-only column. Unlike membrane seals, hydraulic seal capacity should be directly related to cap-rock thickness, in addition to the magnitude of the minimum effective stress in the sealing layer and the degree of overpressure development in the sequence as a whole.Fault-related seals are effectively analogous to membrane cap-rocks which have been tilted to the angle of the fault plane. Consequently, all of the above conclusions derived for membrane cap-rocks apply to both sealing faults sensu stricto (fault plane itself seals) and juxtaposition faults (hydrocarbon trapped laterally against a juxtaposed sealing unit). The maximum-allowed two-phase column trapped by a sealing fault is greater than for equivalent oil-only and gas-only columns, but less than that predicted for a horizontal membrane cap-rock under similar conditions. Where a two-phase column is present on both sides of a sealing fault (which is at two-phase seal capacity), a deeper oil/water contact (OWC) in one fault block is associated with a deeper gas/oil contact (GOC) compared with the adjacent fault block. If the fault seal is discontinuous in the gas leg, however, the deeper OWC is accompanied by a shallower GOC, whereas a break in the fault seal in the oil leg results in a common OWC in both fault blocks, even though separate GOC's exist. Schematic P/D profiles are provided for each of the above situations from which a series of fundamental equations governing single- and two-phase cap-rock and fault seal capacities can be derived. These relationships may have significant implications for exploration prospect appraisal exercises where more meaningful estimates of differential seal capacities can be made.The membrane sealing theory developed herein assumes that all reservoirs and seals are water-wet and no hydrodynamic flow exists. The conclusions on membrane seal capacity place constraints on the migration efficiency of gas along low-permeabiligy paths at depth where fracturing, wedging open of faults and/or diffusion process may be more important. Contrary to previous assertions, it is speculated that leakage of hydrocarbons through membrane seals occurs in distinct pulses such that the seal is at or near the theoretically calculated seal capacity, once this has been initially attained.Finally, the developed seal theory and P/D profile concepts are applied to a series of development geological problems including the effects of differential depletion, and degree of aquifer support, on sealing fault leakage, and the evaluation of barriers to vertical cross-flow using RFT profiles through depleted reservoirs. It is shown that imbibition processes and dynamic effects related to active cross-flow across such barriers often preclude quantitative analysis and solution of these problems for which simulation studies are usually required.     

Comparison of bryozoan assemblages from two contrasting Arctic shelf regions

The structure of bryozoan assemblages from two Arctic regions (East Greenland and West Spitsbergen shelf) was compared. Both areas are located at the same latitude and the samples were taken from similar depths; however, the regions differed in water temperature and oceanography. East Greenland, which has lower mean annual water temperatures, was found to be one third richer in taxa (86 species) than West Spitsbergen (59 species). Diversity (Shannon–Wiener index – H′) and abundance were also higher on average in East Greenland (e.g. H′ = 2.49) than West Spitsbergen (e.g. H′ = 2.12). However for species richness, diversity and abundance there were no significant statistical differences between means (ANOVA) from the two regions. In spite of these similarities the investigated assemblages differed to a large extent in both species composition and dominance structure. There were 55 species that occurred only in East Greenland and 28 species that were present only in West Spitsbergen. There was higher proportion of species with an Arctic distribution in East Greenland (46%) than in West Spitsbergen (24%). Observed dissimilarities were concluded to be due to different hydrological conditions between the two regions.     

Dusky dolphins Lagenorhynchus obscurus and Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus: fatty acid composition of their blubber and prey species

The fatty acid composition of the blubber of five dusky dolphins Lagenorhynchus obscurus and five Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus from the northern Benguela ecosystem (South-East Atlantic) and their main prey was determined. Differences in fatty acid composition of the inner and outer blubber layer of the dolphins were substantial, with higher relative amounts of monoenic fatty acids with 14, 16 and 18 carbons in the outer layer and higher relative amounts of saturated, long-chain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the inner layer. This stratification is similar to the general pattern that has been observed in a variety of marine mammals, but the degree of stratification is the highest yet observed, with the long-chained (n3) fatty acids being more than 20 times more abundant in the inner than in the outer layer. On the other hand, the seals’ blubber consisted of only one uniform layer, densely supported by connective tissue. The whole-body fatty acid composition of the prey was species specific. The dolphins and seals had significantly different fatty acid composition of their blubber. In both species, the blubber fatty acid composition was different from the composition of the prey, indicating that a phylogenetic component is involved in the determination of the fatty acid composition of the blubber.     

Entanglement of pinnipeds at Marion Island

During the period April 1991–March 1996, 10 entangled Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella, 28 entangled Subantarctic fur seals A. tropicalis and one entangled southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina were observed at Marion Island, Southern Ocean. Entanglement of fur seals was estimated at between 0.01 and 0.15% of the combined population of both species.     

阿根廷巴塔哥尼亚陆架拉氏南美南极鱼(Patagonotothen ramsayi)不同组织中脂肪酸分布及食物来源指示

作为南美南极鱼科中数量最为丰富的一个种,拉氏南美南极鱼(Patagonotothen ramsayi)在巴塔哥尼亚海域食物网能量流动中起着重要的传递作用。目前针对该鱼种的营养及摄食生态学研究主要集中于反映短期摄食的传统胃含物分析上。为此,本研究分析了拉氏南美南极鱼3种组织(肌肉、肝脏和性腺)中脂肪酸含量及分布情况,并就3种组织中的脂肪酸是否能表征其食性及食性转换进行了探究。结果表明,拉氏南美南极鱼体内共检测出27种脂肪酸;由于涉及生长、繁殖等因素影响,肝脏、性腺组织对于脂肪酸的储存及使用情况并不适用于指征食性,而肌肉组织更新时间相对较长,故能够较好地反映其对食物中脂肪酸的吸收。对不同体长组拉氏南美南极鱼肌肉组织中脂肪酸分析可知,未成熟拉氏南美南极鱼(100～240 mm)主要摄食浮游性生物;随着体长增加对底栖生物的摄食也随之增加,由浮游性摄食方式转变为浮游-底栖性摄食。另外,因拉氏南美南极鱼摄食一定量的渔业丢弃物,导致腐生食物链和捕食食物链的贡献率特征弱化。研究结果进一步显示,针对大洋性鱼类,与肝脏和性腺相比,肌肉组织脂肪酸更适用于表征食物来源。     

Perceptions and costs of seal impacts on Atlantic salmon fisheries in the Moray Firth,Scotland: Implications for the adaptive co-management of seal-fishery conflict

The Moray Firth Seal Management Plan (MFSMP) was introduced in Scotland in 2005 as a pilot for resolving conflict between Atlantic salmon fisheries and conservation imperatives for protected harbour and grey seals. This adaptive co-management model is now being applied nationally through the Marine (Scotland) Act (2010). However, no information exists on salmon fishery stakeholders’ perceptions of seal predation impacts and related costs, which could influence the success of the MFSMP and other similar initiatives. In 2006 a questionnaire survey of the 95 salmon rod fisheries in seven major Moray Firth rivers was undertaken, and all 20 active salmon netting stations in the Firth. Forty-five fishery owners, 39 ghillies, 120 anglers and 11 netsmen (representing 17 netting stations) responded. The majority (81%) believed that seals had a significant or moderate impact on stocks and catches, 77% believed that all seals were responsible and 47% supported seal culling. Seals were sighted by 38% of rod fisheries, and 18% lost angler days from seal interference. Overall, 0.2% of total reported angler days were lost annually. The estimated direct cost of seal interference for responding rod fisheries was £14,960 annum⁻¹, and losses of catches and damage to nets was £16,500 annum⁻¹ for responding netsmen. Stakeholders’ perceptions were largely inconsistent with their low direct costs and the aims of the MFSMP. Possible reasons for this are discussed, and implications for the governance of future adaptive co-management initiatives for seal-fishery conflict.     

Diet of the Cape fur seal Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus at the Robberg Peninsula,Plettenberg Bay,and implications for local fisheries

Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus were harvested to extirpation on the Robberg Peninsula, Plettenberg Bay, on the south-east coast of South Africa, between the 17th and early 20th centuries. Seals returned to Robberg in small numbers during the early 1990s and their numbers subsequently increased. We studied the diet of this increasing population using faecal (scat) sampling to determine: the species composition and size of prey in the diet of Cape fur seals at Robberg; to explore temporal variation in the diet; and to investigate the potential for competition between seals and the fisheries around Plettenberg Bay. Of the 445 scats collected, 90% contained hard prey remains and 15 teleost prey species were represented in the 3 127 otoliths that could be identified. The seals’ most important prey species in terms of numerical abundance, frequency of occurrence and mass in the diet, were anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus, sardine Sardinops sagax, horse mackerel Trachurus capensis, sand tongue-fish Cynoglossus capensis and shallow-water hake Merluccius capensis (in decreasing order of importance for numerical abundance). The proportion of anchovy in the diet increased during the study period (2003–2008), whereas the proportion of sardine decreased. The estimated average annual consumption of sardine by seals was higher than the average annual catch made by purse-seine fisheries in this area, suggesting resource competition between seals and purse-seiners, especially in the light of continuing growth of seal numbers in the area. However, direct competition between seals and linefisheries appeared to be minimal. Scat sampling of Cape fur seals holds potential to serve a useful and cost effective indicator of temporal changes in sardine abundance.     

Dietary analysis of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from faecal samples and overlap with fisheries in Erimo,Japan

The number of harbour seals in Japan has been rebounding since protection began in the mid‐1980s. With the increase in seal numbers, increased conflict with fisheries has occurred through depredation and the belief that seals compete with fisheries for prey. However, competition can only be determined if the prey species and quantities seals consume over time are known. We studied the diet of harbour seals in Erimo, site of the largest population of harbour seals in Japan, from 2011 to 2012 and assessed the degree of prey overlap with local fisheries. We used both hard parts and DNA techniques to identify prey items in seal scats, and compared these results to local fisheries data. A total of 46 prey occurrences was detected by both methods, of which 17 matched between techniques at least to the family level. Hard parts methods identified five incidences of prey undetected by DNA methods in five scats (one incidence per scat). DNA methods identified 24 additional prey occurrences in 13 scats, for which no hard part evidence for that prey had been found. This more than doubled the total number of prey occurrences across the 15 scats compared. Overall, the most frequently occurring harbour seal prey were walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), sculpins and snailfishes. In contrast, the top three groups targeted by fisheries were codfishes, salmon and invertebrates. Many species common in the harbour seal's diet such as snailfishes and blennies were not targeted by fisheries. Fishes such as greenlings, sculpins, rockfishes and Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) were common in the diet of harbour seals, but made up a very small proportion of fisheries catches in Erimo. The importance of other prey species varied between seasons. Sculpins, greenlings and forage fishes were the top three prey groups for harbour seals in spring by percent modified frequency of occurrence, whereas the most important target groups by percentage mass caught by fisheries were codfishes, cephalopods and other invertebrates. Sculpins and rockfishes remained as important prey items for harbour seals in summer and autumn, in addition to codfishes, snailfishes and blennies. In contrast, the main groups caught by fisheries in summer were other fishes, particularly Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata) and various species of sharks and eels, and invertebrates. By autumn, Erimo fisheries had focussed on catching salmon. Salmon were taken by harbour seals as well during this period, but at a relatively lower frequency compared to other prey groups. The results of our study show that although harbour seals consumed several of the prey species targeted by fisheries, the relative importance of these species to seals and fisheries and the seasons in which they were targeted were different.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and their hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PCBs) in livers of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from San Francisco Bay,California and Gulf of Maine

Bioaccumulation of endocrine disruptors in marine mammals positioned at the top of the food chain is of toxicological concern. Livers from four pups and ten adult harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) stranded in San Francisco Bay (SFB) and the Gulf of Maine (GOM) were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and their hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PCBs). We used GC–ECD and GC–NCI/MS to investigate the presence of 28 PCBs and 8 OH-PCB metabolites, respectively. Σ₂₈PCB concentrations (di- to octa-CBs) ranged from 1.81 to 35.9 μg/g lipid with a median of 6.53 for the seal pups and 2.31 to 249 μg/g lipid with a median of 28.9 for the adult seals. Σ₈OH-PCB concentrations (penta- to hepta-OH-PCBs) ranged from 0.02 to 0.69 μg/g lipid with a median of 0.04 for the adult seals, i.e., at much lower concentrations than those for PCBs. Ratios of OH-PCBs to PCBs (0.24% on average) were comparable to those in beluga whale, but were lower than ratios in human livers. The OH-PCB profiles were slightly different between SFB and GOM seal livers, although similar PCB congener patterns were observed. Generally, 4-OH-CB107 was found predominantly in seal livers and was the only OH-PCB detectable in most of seal pup livers. This study provides information on OH-PCBs in seals, adding to the scarce exposure data for these chemicals.     

海南常见红树植物叶片脂肪酸组成

脂肪酸的组成分析对认识红树植物脂肪酸资源、红树林生态系统内部的营养关系、食物网的结构,以及红树植物对生境的适应等具有重要参考价值。本研究分析了海南岛铁炉港和清澜港两个港湾的红海榄(Rhizophora stylosa)、杯萼海桑(Sonneratia alba)、木果楝(Xylocarpus granatum)、角果木(Ceriops tagal)、榄李(Lumnitzera racemosa)、木榄(Bruguiera gymnorrhiza)和正红树(Rhizophora apiculata)等7种不同红树植物叶片中脂肪酸的组成及含量。在样品中共检测出25种脂肪酸,其中月桂酸、棕榈酸和肉豆蔻酸等8种存在于所有样品中。样品中含量最高的饱和脂肪酸均为棕榈酸(占比44.32%),其次为硬脂酸(占比7.74%),不饱和脂肪酸含量较高的有油酸(占比7.61%)、亚油酸(占比9.81%)和二十碳烯酸(占比12.16%)。植物样品的脂肪酸不饱和指数为0.24～1.13。除木果楝和清澜港采集的木榄样品外,其余样品种的不饱和脂肪酸含量均低于饱和脂肪酸。铁炉港的红海榄、杯萼海桑、角果木和榄李4种植物叶...     

On the potential impact of harbour seal predation on the cod population in the eastern North Sea

Increasing Scandinavian harbour seal populations during the last decades coincide in time with the collapse of the cod fishery. Assumptions of a causal relationship have led to claims favouring re-introduction of seal hunting. Proposals for ‘adaptive management’ often assume that decimating seal populations will automatically favour the fishery. This argument presupposes seal predation to be sufficiently large to have a measurable impact on the fish population. The potential magnitude of the cod-seal interaction was analysed using data on harbour seal abundance, feeding habits and compiled information on cod life history and cod landing statistics. A size-structured life history matrix for the cod population was applied and the size-specific prey preferences of harbour seals were taken into account. Estimated seal predation was small compared to both the landings by the fishery, and to minimum estimates of the total cod population. Furthermore, since the size classes of cod targeted by seals have low reproductive values, the impact of seal predation on cod production will be further reduced. Our analyses suggest harbour seals have a negligible impact on the cod fishery.     

Birds, seals and the suspension culture of mussels in Bantry Bay, a non-seaduck area in Southwest Ireland

Concerns about the environmental impacts of mariculture have grown in recent years in response to the rapid expansion of the industry. The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) is the main product of shellfish mariculture in the Northeast Atlantic and Baltic Sea, with approximately one third of the harvest cultured using suspended longlines within sheltered marine areas. The main aim of this study was to examine the interactions, and assess the impacts (if any) of mussel suspension culture on the seabird and seal community, employing a simultaneous study of culture and control sites. The study spanned a 20-month period (from November 2001 to August 2003) and encompassed six sites in Bantry Bay (Southwest Ireland).There was no significant difference in species richness between mussel and control sites. Similarly, species diversity did not significantly differ between the mussel and control sites although control sites were generally more diverse than mussel sites, the latter particularly dominated by large numbers of Laridae.Significantly higher numbers of Phalacrocoracidae, Laridae and Alcidae were recorded in mussel sites than in control sites. However, no significant difference was found between Gaviidae or common seal (Phoca vitulina) numbers in mussel and control sites. Seasonal patterns of abundance were similar in mussel and control sites, with peak numbers of most species groups occurring in spring.Mussel suspension culture does not appear to have an adverse effect on the abundance of seabirds or common seals in this area. The safe perching platforms provided by suspension culture floats, combined with a number of other factors, contribute to an increased abundance of a number of seabird species, particularly Laridae. The possible interactions between vertebrate predators and mussel suspension aquaculture are discussed and possible explanations for the increased seabird abundance observed in these areas are offered.     

Measurements of tagged pups and a population estimate of New Zealand fur seals on Taumaka,open bay Islands,Westland

In January 1970, 309 pups of the New Zealand fur seal, Arctocephalus forsteri (Lesson, 1828), were tagged on Taumaka Island, one of the Open Bay Islands, Westland, New Zealand (43°52’ S, 168°53’ E). At about 6 weeks old, male pups have longer flippers and are longer and heavier than female pups.

A population estimate of seals on Taumaka Island is based on a count of pups of the year, to which data from related species of fur seals were applied (incidence of pregnancy and age at first pupping from Arctocephalus pusillus, immature mortality from Callorhinus ursinus), and on the assumptions that the sex ratio and sexual mortalities are equal. There were at that time 2,000–3,000 seals, including pups, on the island.