Halichoerus+grypus

The Grey Seal (Halichoreus grypus) Class: **Mammalia** Order: **Carnivora** Family: **Phocidae** WHY: Assessed in 2008. (Dimersal or benthic) Location: Atlantic Ocean 50˚N -64˚N, 15 ˚E-30˚W Geological processes: [flood basalts because of active rifting] Above France to above Finland. Currents include E. Greenland and Norwegian. Tides range from .95m-2.85m Temp. 4˚C-12˚C

"There is no well-defined migration, or even migration time; they disperse from the area by whatever forces drive young seals to wander."

There is approximately 250,000 grey seals divided into two herds: One in Gulf of St Lawrence and the other at Sable Island. The one in Sable Island is increasing, although at a slow pace. (around 13%) On the other hand, the colony in Gulf of St. Lawrence is suffering from a decrease.


 * Appearance:** Grey Seal look blackish with white dots and to whitish ones with black markings. Generally, males are darker than females. Pups are born with white fur. Male gray seals have wrinkly, thicker necks and shoulders, and longer, broader, and rounder snouts. Males can grow from 375 to 880 pounds, almost 10 feet long. Females reach up to around 7.5 feet long, around 220 and 572 pounds.
 * Reproduction:** This usually occurs late September and early March and gestation lasts around ten months to a year. They usually wean about three weeks after birth. The female gives birth to a single pup on a shore and leaves it there after three weeks to survive on its own. The female then goes to reproduce again with another male.
 * Anatomy:**
 * Blubber:** It is basically a layer of fat to conserve heat and found under the skin of many marine mammals.
 * Adaptations for under water:** Seals have clear membranes that cover the eye when swimming. Under water, they are able to conserve oxygen by slowing their heart rate to about 1/10 of their heart rate on land. They also lack external ears since this is less necessary while under water. Sense organs and the nervous system are the only organs still active to receive normal blood flow since arteries to prevent excess blood flow.
 * Flippers:** Compared to land seals, grey seals' flippers are generally smaller and well adapted to swimming. Both hind and fore flippers are webbed to improve under water activity. Furthermore, their genitals are kept under slits to keep the streamlined body shape. Lastly, sensors in the skull help identify various sounds, along with whiskers, which assist navigation. Rather than vocalizing to communicate, true seals usually grunt or slap their flippers to socialize.

-**Human involvement** in the species has been detrimental for them as a whole. Because of the hunting in the rookeries, females usually will not return to the same reproducing sites. Also, the cull will possibly threaten the grey seal population, as it did before some of the hunting was regulated. All around the world there was a sudden decline the seal populations due to huntings. -Research has shown that global warming has greatly improved the sex lives of grey seals and strengthened the population as a whole as a result. Because of low rainfall and higher temperatures, females often have to travel out of their rookeries, making them prey to weaker males. As a result, they mate with inferior males more often.
 * Solutions:** I would definitely try to regulate the culling of grey seals and just fur seals on the whole as their population is greatly affected, even though the economy of the northern nations are likewise affected. Second, I would try to have volunteers patrol the area for illegal hunters if laws are indeed placed. And, lastly, I think laws should be made to stop the overkilling of young pups for their white fur. Although laws have been successfully passed, they completely devastated the economy for these countries dependent on seal hunting. They should find an alternative or more economical way to do so before actually implementing these laws.

Scavenger Hunt: What is one of the foods that the grey seal eat? Name one adaptation that has helped them survive in cold waters Is the female or male larger in size?

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