Featured Image Credit: VodafoneUK via Youtube
Over the last 15 years, the population of harbor seals off the coast of Northern Scotland has drastically plummeted. Back in 2001 their population average around 7,700 and now, they remain only 1,800 strong.
The reason behind the decline has been unknown for quite a while, with already-decayed bodies washing up on the shores that aren’t giving scientists any clues as to what is causing their deaths.
This finally led to researchers from the University of St Andrew’s Sea Mammal Rescue Unit (SMRU) to start an investigation. The team created a device, using similar technology as a smartphone possesses, and teamed up with Vodafone (a telecommunications company based in the UK), to track the seals.
The technology is applied to the harbor seals using a gentle adhesive that will drop off when the seal molts for the season. By pinging the location of a seal each time it comes to the surface of the water, even if for only a few moments for a breath of air before diving back down to swim, they were able to get a better idea of the movements and feeding grounds of the seals.
Following that initial information of the seal’s behavior, the researchers were able to take samples at their feeding sites— and has shown there were traces of domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by algae.
The harbor seals, of course, don’t eat the algae itself, but they DO, however, eat the fish who consume red algae when it’s blooming in the area. And at a high enough concentration— can lead to poisoning.
This project began nearly 2 years ago, and they’re finally getting results, but this is only the early stages. The long-term hope is to not only diagnose the reasons causing the death, but also to help save the harbor seals from their deaths.
To find out more, you can watch Vodafone’s video update below.