Changes in abundance and distribution of marine top predators can indicate environmental change or anthropogenic pressure requiring management response. Here, we used an extensive dataset (21 years) to conduct a spatial and temporal analysis of grey seal strandings in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, close to the southern edge of the breeding range of the species. A total of 2007 strandings were reported from 2000 to 2020, increasing by 474% from 35 to 201 individuals per year during this period. The continued rise in strandings was consistent across all life stages and timeframes (5, 10 and 20 years), underpinning the suggestion of increasing abundance in the region. The observed seasonality differed by life stage, coinciding with the increased presence of animals near the coast for key life phases such as breeding, moulting and pupping. Strandings are widely distributed across the coast of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly; however, most strandings were recorded on the north coast of Cornwall (70%) where major pupping and haul out sites are found. Despite hosting several pupping and haul out sites, a small proportion was recorded on the Isles of Scilly (5%) where it is thought that strandings are particularly underreported. Describing baselines in magnitude of strandings and life-stage compositions across space and time allows future deviations in frequency, demographic composition or spatial distribution to be detected and investigated. We demonstrate the utility of long-term citizen science data to provide valuable and cost-effective information on the distribution and abundance of a highly mobile marine mammal.

During an aerial survey on 30 December 2014 in the Danish Wadden Sea, a newborn grey seal pup (Halichoerus grypus) with umbilical cord was observed at a sandbank located north of the island Rømø together with the mother. This is the first report in the scientific literature on grey seals breeding in the Danish Wadden Sea since the species disappeared from the area in the 16th Century.

The timing of implantation, duration of gestation and energetic costs associated with foetal development were examined in the north-west Atlantic grey seal Halichoerus grypus. Implantation occurs between 5 and 8 May. Active gestation lasts for 259–272 days and the duration of suspended development is 78–91 days. The duration of active gestation was slightly shorter among north-east Atlantic grey seals (238–255 days), while suspended development was longer (95–112 days). The rate of foetal growth increased in August, 3 months after attachment, until mid December when it began to slow once again, c. 1 month before parturition. During August, the placenta to foetus mass ratio was about 0.3, but declined to around 0.07 near birth. Foetal energy density increased rapidly reaching asymptotic levels of 22.6 kJ g−1 (dry weight) 3–4 months after implantation. Energy density of the placenta changed only slightly throughout gestation increasing from c. 21.7 to 23 kJ g−1 (dry weight) by the autumn. Energy costs associated with foetal growth are c. 648 MJ.

Oil spills can have direct effects on organisms (mortality or morbidity), indirect effects (through alteration of lower trophic levels) or be associated to exposure to trace elements contained in oil (markers). An effect of the “Erika” oil spill was investigated by spatio-temporally comparing mortality, population structures, diets and concentrations of vanadium, nickel and porphyrines in small delphinids, seals and otters from the French Atlantic coasts. These species might differ in their vulnerability to oil. Changes in mortality and its demographic structures were within previously observed ranges. The diet of the common dolphin showed an extended period of high inter-individual variability in the year 2000. Vanadium concentrations in delphinids were chronically high, but did not increase significantly after the oil spill. Porphyrins concentrations in seals and otters were low suggesting a limited exposure to contaminants, but the ratio between proto- and copro-porphyrins in otter spraints from oiled vs. unoiled sites varied significantly. No measurable effect of the “Erika” oil spill was found in dolphins and seals.

Pre-weaning pup mortality of grey seals Halichoerus grypus in a breeding colony (North Rona, Scotland, U.K.) was examined in relation to the density of local adult females over two breeding seasons. Accurate, fine-scale maps of daily seal locations within a GIS database permitted the extraction of measures of female density determined at a range of spatial scales from 5 to 50 m around each pup on the date of death. Adult densities around live pups provided the null distribution of adult densities, which were tested against the distribution of densities where deaths occurred. Pre-weaning pup mortality at this colony was not related to any of our density measures. The proportion of pups dying each day showed no seasonal trends. Analysis of topographic features from a sub-meter digital terrain model for locations where deaths occurred suggested that there were fewer mortalities in prime pupping habitats. This could have been a direct effect of habitat or the relative quality of mothers in these habitats. The distance separating mothers and pups tended to be greater on the periphery of the colony compared to more central areas. Pups in the peripheral areas may be more exposed to predation by gulls.

Studies of the grey seal Halichoerus grypus mating system, using focal animal sampling constrained by study site location and size, limit the measurement of variation in male mating tactics and success. Using this method, the mating tactics of grey seal males have been classified as either ‘tenured’ or ‘transient’. Preliminary evidence is presented of wider variation in male mating tactics and success using mobile focal-animal techniques that are not constrained by site, and of the effects of age on behaviour when accounting for body mass. The study was conducted during the breeding seasons of 1997 and 1998 at Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Six young (11–12 years) and five old (20–25 years) males were captured at the beginning of the breeding season, weighed and fitted with a VHF transmitter and time-depth recorder. Each male was located daily, and a count of late-lactating females within a 10 m radius recorded as a measure of mating potential. Female guarding and observed copulatory attempts were used as a measure of mating success. Mean initial body mass of young males and old males was similar, 291 ± 13 kg and 298 ± 14 kg, respectively. All males changed location during the study period. Young males changed sites more often and moved shorter distances between sites than old males. Estimated mating success varied from probably no matings to a minimum of seven; there were no differences between young and old males. Maximum duration of stay at a site and the number of late-lactating females at a site significantly influenced mating success. All the males except for two young males departed on diving excursions during the breeding season and engaged in deep diving behaviour. Diving behaviour did not differ between the age classes. Our results indicate that the current classification of mating tactics in grey seal males is an oversimplification. Preliminary data show that age may account for some of the variation in male behaviour on land and mating success, but not for behaviour at sea.

Parental recognition of offspring would be expected to evolve among densely populated species in which parental investment is large, and separations of the mother–pup pair are frequent. Although otariids present a well-developed system of mutual vocal recognition, evidence in phocids is weak. Furthermore, allo-suckling is prevalent in some species and may reflect confusion over the identity of pups. The vocalizations of grey seal Halichoerus grypus pups have been found to be stereotyped and individually distinctive on the Isle of May, Scotland. However, playback experiments showed that mothers fail to discriminate between the vocalizations of their pup and a non-filial pup. Moreover, widespread allo-suckling was observed. In contrast, grey seals on Sable Island, Nova Scotia, a population reproductively isolated from that of the Isle of May, show very little allo-suckling. This may reflect the presence of a recognition system that does not seem to be present on the Isle of May. During the 1999 breeding season on Sable Island, vocalizations of grey seal pups were recorded and playback experiments carried out to determine whether female grey seals respond differently to the playback of vocalizations of their own pup, a familiar pup and an unfamiliar pup. Grey seal mothers were found to make significantly more head turns and body movements towards the loudspeaker during the playback of their own pup call than during the playback of a familiar or unfamiliar pup call. In addition, there was no evidence of an effect of pup age. This suggests that female grey seals can discriminate between pup calls using the stereotyped and individually distinctive vocalizations of their pup, and that different selective pressures may be in operation between the Sable Island and Isle of May colonies.

Inter-male aggressive encounters were examined at three grey seal breeding colonies that differed in topography, adult dispersion patterns and operational sex ratios; North Rona and the Monach Isles (Scotland), and Sable Island (Nova Scotia). At North Rona, known males were observed over three successive breeding seasons, with a total of 275 males being individually identified. A single season's observations at both the Monach Isles and Sable Island provided data on 53 and 80 individual males respectively. Cardinal dominance ranks were computed for 68, 92 and 112 males on North Rona in each season respectively, 37 males on the Monach Isles and 68 males on Sable Island. All sites showed close approximation to dominance hierarchies when considering only interactions resulting in a clear outcome (wins), with less than 10% of interactions resulting in reversals. Measures of variance in male mating success showed no significant differences between colonies. These results show the existence of male dominance hierarchies in colonies from both east and west Atlantic populations and at breeding sites with widely differing habitat structure, seal dispersion patterns and levels of inter-male competition, suggesting limited plasticity in the form of grey seal mating systems and limited variation in the degree of polygyny attained at these sites.