How do harbor seals adapt to their environment?
Harbor seals are well adapted to their marine lifestyle. A thick layer of blubber aids in temperature control. Body shape permits ease of movement through the water and limb development to flippers makes for efficient propulsion.
Do harbor seals live in warm water?
They can be found anywhere from cool, temperate waters to cold, arctic and subarctic coasts. Harbor seals spend half their time on land resting, breeding and raising their young on both rocky and sandy beaches.
What is a harbor seals role in the ecosystem?
As one of the keystone species in marine ecosystems, seals help maintain a balance in the food web. Seals consume fish, squid, and crustaceans. Seals are also important food sources for larger predators like orcas, polar bears, and sharks.
How do seals stay warm?
Seals have a thick layer of fat called blubber that helps them to trap warmth in their bodies. Without this blubber they would not be able to stay warm in cold waters. The blubber acts as a form of insulation to keep their internal body temperatures warm.
How do seals survive in Antarctica?
To withstand the harsh rays of the sun reflecting off of the water and ice, seals in Antarctica developed a mobile pupil as well as a special membrane that covers their eyes when swimming underwater. Without their highly adapted eyes, seals would not be able to navigate waters while hunting or escaping from predators.
Where do harbor seals live?
Harbor seals live in temperate coastal habitats along the northern coasts of North America, Europe, and Asia. They occur on the U.S. East and West coasts. On the East Coast, harbor seals are found from the Canadian Arctic to the Mid-Atlantic.
Where do seals go in the winter?
Juvenile seals will travel south from New England every winter to enjoy the warmer waters and plentiful fish population of the Bay region. They stay in the area from December through May and return to New England when water temperatures rise—but if you’re lucky, you may spot one while it’s here.
Do seals live in warm climates?
A few species of seals are found in warmer climates. When seals get too hot, they lie in the surf, seek shade, or remain inactive. When the heat becomes extreme, they enter the water to cool off. Sea lions and fur seals are particularly sensitive to heat.
How does seal hunting affect the environment?
Seals are integral to their local ecosystem. A decline in the seal population could very well cause a ripple effect through the ecosystem that would hurt other species as well, like the many fish populations that are kept in check by these predators.
How do sea lions help the environment?
The proximate role played by seals and sea lions is obvious: they are predators and consumers of fish and invertebrates. Less intuitive is their ultimate role (dynamic and structural) within the ecosystem.
How do harbor seals survive in winter?
Harbor seals have a metabolic rate somewhat higher than land mammals of the same size. This helps them generate body heat for warmth. A thick layer of blubber insulates the harbor seal, reducing heat loss. The blubber of a northern Pacific harbor seal during winter may account for 27% to 30% of its total body mass.
Like other pinnipeds, harbor seals are adapted to dive and conserve oxygen underwater. They can generally dive to depths of about 500 feet (152 meters), but dives up to 1,460 feet (446 meters) have been recorded.
Are harbor seals protected?
Harbor seals, like all marine mammals, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. In the United States, NOAA Fisheries has identified 16 stocks of harbor seals.
What is the distribution of harbor seals?
1 Distribution 2 Habitat. Harbor seals inhabit shallow areas of estuaries, rivers, and places where sandbars and beaches are uncovered at low tide. 3 Migration. Harbor seals do not migrate regularly but will travel in search of feeding grounds. 4 Population. 5 Harbor Seal Distribution & Population
Why are harbor seals vulnerable to chemical contamination?
Harbor seals are vulnerable to chemical contaminants because they are near the top of the food chain. NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program, which cleans up existing contamination, has several active projects in the Pacific Northwest and California. Some harbor seals haul out in public areas.