The ringed seal (Phoca hispida) spring diet in northwestern Spitsbergen, Svalbard

Abstract

The ringed seal (Phoca hispida) is the most common seal of the Arctic (King 1983). From Svalbard only notes on the feeding habits of ringed seals have been published (Malmgren 1863; Zimmer 1904; Hartley & Fisher 1936). The recent interest in future offshore oil and gas exploration around Svalbard has made it increasingly important to expand the existing knowledge on ringed seals in this area. The main purpose of the study was to examine the spring diet of ringed seals in northwestern Spitsbergen, Svalbard.