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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil Advance Access originally published online on July 6, 2007
ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 2007 64(6):1246-1256; doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsm090
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© 2007 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford Journals. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Spring diet of ringed seals (Phoca hispida) from northwestern Spitsbergen, Norway

Aili L. Labansen1, Christian Lydersen1, Tore Haug2 and Kit M. Kovacs1,

1 Norwegian Polar Institute, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
2 Institute of Marine Research, 9294 Tromsø, Norway

Correspondence to K. M. Kovacs: tel: +47 777 50500; fax: +47 777 50501; e-mail: kit.kovacs{at}npolar.no

Labansen, A. L., Lydersen, C., Haug, T., and Kovacs, K. M. 2007. Spring diet of ringed seals (Phoca hispida) from northwestern Spitsbergen, Norway. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 1246–1256.

Complete gastro-intestinal tracts (GITs) from 267 ringed seals from five different locations in Spitsbergen were collected during spring of the years 2002–2004. Diet was assessed based on hard part remains from prey. Invertebrates constituted <2% of all prey (relative frequency, Ni). Fish otoliths were found in all seals; 1.7, 34.3, and 64.0% of the recovered otoliths were found in the stomach, small and large intestines, respectively, emphasizing the importance of analysing the whole GIT, not only the stomach. Otoliths from stomachs and small intestines with minimal signs of erosion were measured to back-calculate pre-ingested prey size and biomass. Based on measured polar cod (Boreogadus saida) otoliths (n = 7007), the ringed seals fed on fish in the length range 44.4–229.2 mm, primarily consuming the youngest year classes. Adult females ate smaller polar cod more often than adult males or juveniles. Polar cod dominated the diet, with a frequency of occurrence (FO) of 100%, Ni of 71.9%, and a biomass contribution of 77.2%. The taxon Stichaeidae was the second most frequent prey type (FO = 55.6%) followed by Cottidae (FO = 35.6%). The diet of ringed seals from one locality markedly differed from the others, with a greater species diversity, low Ni of polar cod (15%), and a dominance of Stichaeidae (Ni = 67%). Location of sampling, as well as sex and age of the seals, had significant influences on ringed seal diet in spring.

Keywords: Arctic, Boreogadus saida, diet, foraging, marine ecosystem, Pusa, Spitsbergen

Received 2 May 2006; accepted 6 May 2007; advance access publication 6 July 2007.

Present address of A. L. Labansen: Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, PBag 570, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland.


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