Archive for the ‘pinnipeds’ Tag

A safe port for harbor seals and other marine mammals

As I mentioned in my last few posts, harbor seals (and a wide variety of sea creatures) seem to challenged most by competition with humans (for food and space), pollution, and disease. Although several harbor seal populations appear stable or increasing, there is still concern about seals in Alaska, Scotland, and other locations. Given human […]

Posted January 26, 2014 by Mirka Zapletal in Mammals

Tagged with , , , ,

Disturbing the seas

In my last post, I explored the large issues facing harbor seals throughout the 20th century, including competition with humans, pollution, and disease. In looking at the last decade or so, these themes continue to be important but I think that they have become more indirect in nature in some cases. Although seals still eat […]

Harboring organochlorines

A quick look at harbor seal population trends around the world suggests that there have been ups, downs, and even some unknowns- catastrophic crashes in one part of the world while numbers grew in another and scientists couldn’t determine the pattern in a third. This wide-spread species shows corresponding variation in population status, but three […]

Life in cold water

As I write this, snow is falling outside on a cold, wintery New England day. Beautiful to look at and fun to play in when all bundled up, but it’s nice to know that I can come in from the cold at any time. I am amazed by mammals and birds that survive in environments […]

Posted January 1, 2014 by Mirka Zapletal in Mammals

Tagged with , , , ,