Abstract
All seals are dependent on land or ice to breed upon, and many species of seals spend their entire life in close proximity to the coast or the edge of ice, where they can be observed and collected throughout the year. However, several species of phocid seals are pelagic outside the short breeding and moulting periods, and it was not until the invention of satellite linked dive recorders (SLDRs) some 20 years ago that we could start to learn about the whereabouts and behaviour of several ecologically and economically important species of seals outside the breeding season. Also, knowledge of the seasonal distribution and diet composition of many species of seals had until then been based on incidental sightings and occasional shipboard surveys and analysis of a limited number of stomach contents from animals shot in the pack ice. Thus, while these studies have provided knowledge of the diet of seals where they are most accessible for collection, erroneous conclusions may be drawn by extrapolating from such studies if large proportions of the stocks spend a considerable amount of time in open water, where they may pursue different prey species.
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Blix, A.S., Folkow, L.P., Nordøy, E.S. (2013). Changing the Look on Seals from Pole to Pole with Satellite Technology. In: Verde, C., di Prisco, G. (eds) Adaptation and Evolution in Marine Environments, Volume 2. From Pole to Pole. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27349-0_7
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