Seal offspring - More gray seals in the Wadden Sea and on Heligoland
The number of harbor seals in the Wadden Sea and on Helgoland is continuing to increase. The average annual growth rate of registered harbor seal pups in the past five years has been nine percent, according to the Wadden Sea Secretariat based in Wilhelmshaven. The total number of harbor seals during the molting season in March and April has increased by twelve percent every year.
Compared to earlier counts, the increase in numbers seems to be slowing down, especially among the young, observed Sophie Brasseur, a member of the research group from Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. "It's too early to say whether this is due to changes in environmental conditions or if the counts were influenced by rough weather during this season."
The offspring of the largest marine animals in Germany are born from November to January. The researchers discovered over 2,547 pups in the entire Wadden Sea during the 2023/2024 season, an increase of one percent compared to the previous season. Half of the pups were discovered in the Dutch Wadden Sea. In Lower Saxony, the registered pup count decreased by around 360. According to the research team, this could be due to some areas of the region not being able to be surveyed due to poor weather conditions.
On Helgoland, approximately 740 pups were observed, an increase of sixteen percent. The research team did not register any pups in the eastern part of the Wadden Sea during the cross-border counts. However, later in the season, four nursing pups were observed in Denmark and two in Schleswig-Holstein.
Later - in March and April - all harbor seals are counted. There is an increase of nine percent compared to the previous year. Experts counted over 11,500 adult harbor seals in the region. The majority of the animals live in the Dutch Wadden Sea. The counts revealed over 7,800 harbor seals in this region alone. Helgoland had a share of 14 percent, Lower Saxony and Hamburg together 12 percent. In the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea area, 286 seals were counted. In Denmark, the researchers observed over 360 harbor seals - double the number from the previous year.
Report of the research group
- The Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany collaborate in a research group studying the harbor seal population along the North Sea coast, including areas like Helgoland and the Wadden Sea.
- The increase in harbor seal numbers in the Netherlands' Wadden Sea has surpassed that of Germany and other neighboring countries, such as Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark.
- The environment and weather conditions along the North Sea coast, including in the Netherlands, Germany, and regions like Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, significantly impact the survival and breeding of harbor seals and other marine animals.
- The Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site along the coasts of Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark, has become a crucial habitat for seals, including the grey seal, and other marine life.
- Marine researchers and scientists utilize data from the Wadden Sea Secretariat headquarters in Wilhelmshaven to monitor harbor seal populations and conduct conservation efforts.
- The grey seal population along the North Sea coast, from Germany to Denmark, faces various challenges, like decreasing food sources and pollution, which could potentially affect their breeding and survival rates.
- Germany aims to protect and maintain the biodiversity of its marine ecosystems, including supporting populations of harbor seals and other animals, through efforts like preserving areas like Heligoland and the Wadden Sea for conservation and research purposes.
