Vocalization surveys conducted in Penny Strait, Northwest Territories, indicated that before ice break-up, bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) preferred regions of less stable ice where break-up occurred early and avoided stable, landfast ice or areas heavily used by walruses (Odobenus rosmarus). Water depth did not appear to influence distribution. Numbers of calls increased between mid-April and early June, probably because of an increase in rate of calling by individual seals. Vocalization surveys can be used to separate preferred habitats from unsuitable ones. Using a single hydrophone and our current understanding of bearded seal vocal behaviour, it is not possible to determine the absolute number of bearded seals at or near a site using vocalizations. However, it is possible to measure the relative abundance of seals for spatial and temporal comparisons.
Bearded seal (
Erignathus barbatus
) birth mass and pup growth in periods with contrasting ice conditions in Svalbard, Norway
