Cel TO ESTABLISH A SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR SEAL PROTECTION. THE NUMBER OF GREY SEALS IN THE NORTH SEA IS RELATIVELY WELL KNOWN BUT THEIR DISTRIBUTION AND ENERGETICS ARE NOT. HOWEVER, PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES OF ENERGY FLOW HAVE BEEN PROVIDED UNDER EEC CONTRACT ENV-405-80, AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF GREY SEALS OUTSIDE THE BREEDING SEASON IS BEING STUDIED UNDER A CONTRACT FROM DAFS. THE NUMBER OF COMMON SEALS IS LESS WELL KNOWN. COUNTS OF ANIMALS HAULED OUT ARE AVAILABLE BUT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ESTIMATE WHAT FRACTION OF THE POPULATION THEY REPRESENT. THE LARGEST POPULATION (IN THE WASH, UK) IS THOUGHT TO BE INCREASING BUT ALL OTHER POPULATIONS ARE SRABLE OR DECREASING. LITTLE IS KNOW ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THESE ANIMALS ON THE NORTH SEA ECOSYSTEMOR HUMAN IMPACT ON THE SEALS. IN ORDER TO ASSESS ACCURATELY THE NUMBERS, DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS OF GREY AND COMMON SEALS IN THE NORTH SEA AND THEIR IMPACT ON RESOURCES IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE RELIABLE QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION ON SEAL NUMBERS AND ENERGETICS. IN THE LABORATORY, THE METABOLIC ENERGY REQUIREMENTS OF GREY AND COMMON SEALS WILL BE MEASURED UNDER A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND ACTIVITY LEVELS. INDIRECT MEASURES OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION, HEART RATE AND BREATHING FREQUENCY WILL BE CORRELATED WITH METABOLISM. THSE SAME INDIRECT MEASURES WILL BE USED IN THE FIELD TO ESTIMATE ENERGY USED DURING NORMAL FREE RANGING ACTIVITY. COMBINING OF THIS INFORMATION WITH TIME-ACTIVITY BUDGETS AND INFORMATION ON SHORT AND LONG RANGE MOVEMENTS WILL ALLOWESTIMATION OF YEARLY ENERGY BUDGETS. INFORMATION COLLECTED IN THIS WAY WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF UTILISATION OF ENERGY STORES BY BREEDING SEALS. THE USE OF TELEMETRY AND NEW TAGGING TECHNIQUES WILL NOT ONLY ALLOW ACTIVITIES TO BE QUANTIFIED BUT WILL ALOS GREATLY IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE NUMBERS OF DISTRIBUTION OF GREY AND COMMON SEALS IN THE NORTH SEA. INTEGRATION OF THE LABORATORY AND FIELD DATA WILL LEAD TO ESTIMATES OF ENERGY FLOW THROUGH THE SEAL POPULATION, PERMITTING ON THE ONE HAND ESTIMATION OF THE EFFECTS OF SEALS ON FISH STOCKS AND ON THE OTHER, THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF FISHERIES DEPLETION ON SEAL. Program(-y) PRE-ENVPROT 3C - Sectoral research and development programme (EEC) in the field of environment (environmental protection and climatology) - indirect and concerted actions - Environmental protection -, 1981-1985 Temat(-y) Data not available Zaproszenie do składania wniosków Data not available System finansowania CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Koordynator NERC British Antarctic Survey Wkład UE Brak danych Adres High Cross Madingley Road CB3 0ET Cambridge Zjednoczone Królestwo Zobacz na mapie Koszt całkowity Brak danych
