The Weddell seal pupping season is starting to kick into high gear. And the field team is putting in some long, productive days.
As of today, the Weddell seal research team has tagged 116 new pups in the Erebus Bay study area. And a total of 35 seal pups born to moms of known age have been weighed.
Also, 46 pups so far have received temperature tags. Temperature tags are deployed on the pups born to mothers of known age. These tags measure the temperature surrounding the tag, and indicate when seal pups go into the water to begin swimming. Because the temperature of the water here under the ice is a nearly constant 28-29°F, but the air temperature varies considerably, it is straightforward to determine when the pups are in the water swimming.
Here's a brief video introduction to Weddell seals with one of our lead researchers and principal investigators, Montana State University population ecologist Jay Rotella.
- Mary Lynn Price
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