abstract
Quantitative fatty acid (FA) signature analysis (QFASA) has recently been developed to estimate the species composition of predator diets by statistically comparing FA signatures of predator adipose tissue with that of their potential prey. Captive feeding trials were used to test the technique with newly-weaned harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi, N = 21). Two groups of seals were fed monotypic diets of either Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) or surf smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus) for 42 days while a third group was fed smelt (21 days) followed by herring (21 days). Blubber biopsies were taken dorsally at day 0, 21 and 42. Specific calibration coefficients (CC) required by QFASA were developed from 4 juvenile harbour seals and in some cases differed by two-fold with previously reported phocid CC. QFASA diet estimates were evaluated using 2 CC sets, 15 FA subsets and a library of 3 – 11 potential prey species. Diet switches were best tracked using the harbour seal CC and a new FA subset. Overall prey misclassifications were apparent (mean = 12%, range = 4 – 25%) when modeled with 8 additional prey not fed, often consistent with overlapping prey FA signatures. Blubber FA turnover rates were not strictly linear and in the order of 1.5 – 3 months in newly-weaned animals. Following model parameter optimization, QFASA estimates reflected major diet trends in the feeding study, but were sensitive to the CC and FA subsets used as well as to prey species with similar FA signatures. Our results have important implications in the application of QFASA to study pinniped diets in more complex conditions.

abstract
Springer et al. [Springer, A.M., Estes, J.A., van Vliet, G.B., Williams, T.M., Doak, D.F., Danner, E.M., Forney, K.A., Pfister, B., 2003. Sequential megafaunal collapse in the North Pacific Ocean: an ongoing legacy of industrial whaling? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100 (21), 12,223–12,228] hypothesized that great whales were an important prey resource for killer whales, and that the removal of fin and sperm whales by commercial whaling in the region of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) in the late 1960s and 1970s led to cascading trophic interactions that caused the sequential decline of populations of harbor seal, northern fur seal, Steller sea lion and northern sea otter. This hypothesis, referred to as the Sequential Megafaunal Collapse (SMC), has stirred considerable interest because of its implication for ecosystem-based management. The SMC has the following assumptions: (1) fin whales and sperm whales were important as prey species in the Bering Sea; (2) the biomass of all large whale species (i.e., North Pacific right, fin, humpback, gray, sperm, minke and bowhead whales) was in decline in the Bering Sea in the 1960s and early 1970s; and (3) pinniped declines in the 1970s and 1980s were sequential. We concluded that the available data are not consistent with the first two assumptions of the SMC. Statistical tests of the timing of the declines do not support the assumption that pinniped declines were sequential. We propose two alternative hypotheses for the declines that are more consistent with the available data. While it is plausible, from energetic arguments, for predation by killer whales to have been an important factor in the declines of one or more of the three populations of pinnipeds and the sea otter population in the BSAI region over the last 30 years, we hypothesize that the declines in pinniped populations in the BSAI can best be understood by invoking a multiple factor hypothesis that includes both bottom–up forcing (as indicated by evidence of nutritional stress in the western Steller sea lion population) and top–down forcing (e.g., predation by killer whales, mortality incidental to commercial fishing, directed harvests). Our second hypothesis is a modification of the top–down forcing mechanism (i.e., killer whale predation on one or more of the pinniped populations and the sea otter population is mediated via the recovery of the eastern North Pacific population of the gray whale). We remain skeptical about the proposed link between commercial whaling on fin and sperm whales, which ended in the mid-1960s, and the observed decline of populations of northern fur seal, harbor seal, and Steller sea lion some 15 years later.

abstract
The foraging ecology and population dynamics of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) were studied in Hood Canal, Washington from 1998 to 2005. Initial work was conducted in response to concerns over the potential impact seals may have on recovering populations of summer chum salmon. Direct observation of harbor seals consuming salmon within the inter-tidal regions of four rivers in Hood Canal were conducted from 1998-2001 and 2003. Seals were observed feeding on chinook, coho, pink, summer chum and fall chum salmon. Estimates of summer chum consumption by seals at each of the observation sites averaged 8.0% of returning adults across all sites and all years. The maximum percentage of returning chum consumed was 27.7% and the lowest was 0.84%. The number of seals observed foraging in the river for salmon averaged from two to seven seals. Summer chum populations in the study streams have increased over the time of the study to near historical highs. Because of thi! s increase, the levels of predation observed are not believed to significantly impact the recovery of summer chum in Hood Canal. A protocol for extraction of DNA and identification of seal sex from scats was developed to examine differential diets between male and female harbor seals. Scats from both sexes contained similar levels of Pacific hake, but male scats contained more salmon and female scats contained more Pacific herring. In 2003 and 2005, mammal-eating killer whales foraged exclusively within Hood Canal for 59 and 172 days respectively. Bio-energetic models and boat based observations were used to estimate harbor seal consumption by killer whales and, in both years, the predicted consumption was approximately 950 seals. However, aerial surveys conducted following the two foraging events have not detected a significant decline in the harbor seal population.

abstract
Diets of mammals are increasingly being inferred from identification of hard parts from prey eaten and recovered in fecal remains (scats). Frequencies with which particular prey species occur among collections of scats are easily compiled to describe the average diet, and can be used to compare diets between and within geographic regions, and across years and seasons. Important to these analyses is the question of statistical power. In other words, how many scats should be collected to compare the diet among and between species? We addressed this problem using Monte Carlo simulations to analytically determine the consequence of sample size on the dietary analysis of scats using frequency of occurrence methods. We considered two questions: 1) how is the statistical power affected by sample size; and 2) what is the likelihood of not identifying a prey species? We randomly sampled predetermined numbers of scats (n=10–200) from computer-generated populations of scats containing prey of known species and frequencies of occurrences. We also randomly sampled a large database of field-collected scats from Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). We then used standard contingency table tests such as chi-square and Fisher’s exact test to determine whether differences between our samples and populations were statistically significant. We found a minimum size of 59 scats is necessary to identify principal prey remains occurring in >5% of scats. However, 94 samples are required when comparing diets to distinguish moderate effect sizes over time or between areas. These findings have significant implications for the interpretation of published dietary data, as well as for the design of future scat-based dietary studies for pinnipeds and other species.

abstract
The discovery of flipper tags from 14 Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in the stomach of a dead killer whale (Orcinus orca) in 1992 focused attention on the possible role of killer whale predation in the decline of Steller sea lions in western Alaska. In this study, mariners in British Columbia and Alaska were surveyed to determine the frequency and out-come of observed attacks on sea lions, the age classes of sea lions taken, and the areas where predatory attacks occurred. The 126 survey respondents described 492 killer whale/sea lion interactions, of which at least 32 were fatal attacks on the sea lion. The greatest rate of observed predation occurred in the Aleutian Islands. The stomach contents of dead and stranded whales also were examined. Stomachs that were not empty contained only fish or marine mammal remains, but not both. This supports earlier evidence of dietary segregation between fish-eating resident and marine mammal-eating transient killer whales in Alaska. Steller sea lion remains were found in two of 12 killer whale stomachs examined from Alaska between 1990 and 2001. Stomach contents fromtwo oVshore killer whales provided the first direct evidence that this third formof killer whale feeds on fish.

abstract
Growth rates of vibrissae (whiskers), which act as a temporal record of feeding in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), were estimated using 13 C- and 15 N-labeled glycine followed by stable-isotope analysis. The labeled glycine was incorporated into keratin and served as a temporal marker for growth-rate calculation. One captive harbor seal received two doses 147 days apart, while a second seal received one dose; vibrissae were analyzed after 86 and 154 days. The peak positions indicated that growth began in the fall, continued into spring, but ceased in June, with active growth rates of 0.33 mm/day. Two adult captive Steller sea lions each re-ceived two labeled doses during a 308-day period. After 427 days vibrissae in both sea lions showed two peaks corre-sponding to the markers; growth rates were calculated as 0.05–0.07 mm/day. Growth rates in captive juvenile and wild adult Steller sea lions, 0.10–0.17 mm/day, supported the assumption that major isotopic oscillations in vibrissae of wild sea lions were annual. The multiyear records imply that Steller sea lions retain their vibrissae; harbor seal vibrissae, in contrast, have periods of rapid growth and appear to be shed, at least in part, annually.

abstract
During spring, harbor seals Phoca vitulina feed at night under two bridges spanning the Puntledge River in Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada. Posi-tioned parallel to one another, ventral side up, the seals form a feeding line across the river to intercept thou-sands of out-migrating salmonid smolts. During a 4-week observation period in the spring of 1996, we at-tempted to disrupt the seals’ feeding patterns by (a) de-ploying a mechanical feeding barrier (cork line), (b) al-tering the lighting conditions (lights on a bridge were turned off), and (c) installing an acoustic harassment device. We found acoustic harassment to be the most effective feeding deterrent. Of the other two deterrents, turning off the bridge lights was more effective than deploying a cork line, which had little effect. Acoustic harassment devices appear to be the most effective, non-lethal means for protecting juvenile salmonids from har-bor seal predation in portions of the Puntledge River. Natural predators that prey upon both out-mi-grating and returning anadromous fish can detri-mentally affect the survival of depressed fish pop-ulations (Bigg et al. 1990; Fraker 1994; Olesiuk et al. 1995). In the northeast Pacific, seals and sea lions are commonly observed feeding on returning adult Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. in rivers and estuaries during summer and fall (Spalding 1964; Olesiuk et al. 1990). Seals also intercept out-migrating smolts in spring and early summer (Ole-siuk et al. 1995). Among the better-studied seal– salmon interactions are those in the Puntledge Riv-er on Vancouver Island, British Columbia (Bigg et al. 1990; Olesiuk et al. 1995; Trites et al. 1996; Figure 1). Harbor seals Phoca vitulina in the Puntledge River regularly position themselves side by side, ventral side up, in the upstream shadow of two bridges near the light–shadow boundary. The seals * Corresponding author: yurk@zoology.ubc.ca Received November 29, 1999; accepted June 5, 2000 swim against the river current and hold their po-sition in the water. Minimal movements of their hind flippers cause no apparent disturbance to the surface waters. This feeding strategy allows the seals to form an almost continuous barrier so they can intercept smolts that drift downstream near the surface. Apparently, the seals are assisted in their feeding efforts by the bridge lights that illuminate the water surface. One way to enhance the survival of salmonids is to disrupt the feeding patterns of their predators. Techniques vary, but include making the smolts foul-tasting, creating a mechanical barrier that pre-vents seals from entering estuaries or river sys-tems, and installing optic or acoustic harassment devices (AHD) to hinder the seals from feeding in particular areas (Gearin et al. 1986; Mate and Har-vey 1987; Pfeifer 1989) The AHDs are generally considered to be ef-fective in deterring seals and sea lions from prey-ing on fish in certain areas. The widespread use of these devices by aquaculture operators, who use them to deter seals and sea lions from entering net-pens, attests to this claim. The AHDs have also deterred a large number of California sea lions Zalophus californianus from preying on returning winter steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss in the Chit-tenden Locks, Seattle, Washington (Fox et al. 1996). However, at aquaculture sites and at the Chittenden Locks, some pinnipeds appear to be-come acclimated to AHD sounds and may have to be physically removed (Fox et al. 1996). The goal of our study was to disrupt the feeding patterns of harbor seals feeding on smolts in the Puntledge River. During an observation period in April and May 1996, we evaluated three methods: installation of a mechanical feeding barrier, alter-ation of artificial light on the river, and deployment of an AHD.

abstract
The genetic diversity and population structure of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) along the coasts of British Columbia and parts of Alaska were investigated using both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA. A 475-bp fragment of the mitochondrial control region was amplified and sequenced from 128 animals. Sixty variable sites defined 72 mtDNA haplotypes with pairwise nucleotide differences as high as 5%. Fifty-eight haplotypes were represented by a single individual, and shared haplotypes were generally restricted to a small geographic range. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed two distinct populations comprising (i) southern British Columbia and (ii) northern British Columbia – southeast Alaska. Furthermore, the order of the clades suggests that the Pacific Ocean was colonized at least twice, 670 000 and 380 000 years ago. Haplotypes from the first invasion are restricted to a small number of seals around southern Vancouver Island. Analyses of five polymorphic microsatellite loci showed significant differences between the populations of southern British Columbia and northern British Columbia – Alaska. Migration rates for males based on microsatellite data (3–22 seals/generation) were higher than those obtained for females from mtDNA data (0.3 females/generation). Combining all the DNA data collected to date suggests that there are at least three populations of harbour seals in the Pacific composed of seals from (i) Japan, Russia, Alaska, and northern British Columbia, (ii) southern British Columbia and Puget Sound, Washington, and (iii) the outer coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. The data do not support the existence of two subspecies of harbour seals in the Pacific Ocean.

abstract
Generalized survival models were applied to growth curves published for 17 species of cetaceans (5 mysticetes, 12 odontocetes) and 13 species of pinnipeds (1 odobenid, 4 otariids, 8 phocids). The mean mass of all individuals in the population was calculated and plotted against the maximum body length reported for each species. The data showed strong linearity (on logarithmic scales), with three distinct clusters of points corresponding to the mysticetes (baleen whales), odontocetes (toothed whales), and pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses). Exceptions to this pattern were the sperm whales, which appeared to be more closely related to the mysticetes than to the odontocetes. Regression equations were applied to the maximum lengths reported for 76 species of marine mammals without published growth curves. Estimates of mean body mass were thus derived for 106 living species of marine mammals.

abstract
We used radioimmunoassay methods to quantify arginine vasopressin (AVP), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and angiotensin II (Ang 11) in plasma samples from harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsii), Weddell seals (Lepconychotes wedellii), northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris), ringed seals (Phoca hispida), California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), and Steller sea lions (Eumetopius jubatus). Plasma concentrations of AVP, ANP, and Ang II in these pinniped species were within the ranges reported for other vertebrates under resting conditions. However, there were species, geographic and developmental variations in these hormones: Levels of AVP in plasma samples from adult Steller sea lions and harbor seals were higher than in pups of the same species; higher levels of plasma ANP were found in wild captured Alaskan Steller sea lions and in hunted ringed seals; differences in plasma levels of all three hormones were found throughout the geographic distribution of harbor seals and Steller sea lions in Alaska. This is the first report on circulating concentrations of vasoactive hormones in pinnipeds, and demonstrates that further studies are needed to ascertain the natural variability in these levels with the impact of molting, fasting, diving and environmental factors in seals and sea lions.

abstract
Faeces were collected from four captive harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) that consumed known amounts of herring (Clupea harengus), walleye pollock (Therugru chalcogrumma), Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), surf smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus), and juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshmvytschu). The goal was to determine which structures (hard parts) passed through the digestive tract (e.g., eye lenses, scales, vertebrae, otoliths), and which of these could be used to determine the type and number of fish consumed. Nearly 5000 fish were consumed, from which over 50000 hard parts were recovered from seal faeces. Scales were the most numerous of the 23 structures recovered (> 20 000), followed by vertebrae, eye lenses, and otoliths. Morphological distinctiveness and digestive erosion of the structures varied among fish taxa. Two to five structures accounted for over 90% of the taxon-specific elements recovered, depending upon the species of fish consumed. Otoliths, which are used routinely to characterize pinniped diets, accounted for only 17% of the identified taxon-specific hard parts. The variation in types of structures and rates of recovery across taxa underscores the importance of using several types of hard parts to identify prey. Identifying several different prey structures increases the likelihood of identifying a prey type.