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Reproductive rates of ringed seals and survival of pups in Northwestern Hudson Bay, Canada, 1991–2000

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Abstract

Reproductive parameters were determined from a sample of ringed seals collected by Inuit hunters during their annual open water harvest in autumn at Arviat, Nunavut, on the western coast of Hudson Bay, Canada, in 1991–1992 and 1998–2000. Ovulation rates of adult females were high and similar to rates recorded from studies of ringed seals in other geographic areas. However, pregnancy rates averaged only 55% and were significantly lower than in other studies, and the proportions of young-of-the-year were only 4.8, 4.2, 7.5, 4.1, and 23% for the mentioned years, respectively, instead of being >30% as expected. These results appear to indicate that reproductive parameters of ringed seals and survival of their young are exhibiting long-term shifts rather than short-term fluctuations, and that the trend is downward. Furthermore, these downward trends in reproduction, in conjunction with changes in the proportions of different seal species in the diet of polar bears, climatic warming in western Hudson Bay, and progressively earlier breakup of sea ice over the last 25 years, suggest that major changes are occurring in the marine ecosystem of Hudson Bay. The pathways involved are poorly understood and merit further study.

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Acknowledgements

For the success of this study, I am particularly grateful to M. Campbell and J. Savikataaq, Nunavut Department of Environment and the Arviat Hunters and Trappers Organization for collection of the specimens from ringed seals in the field. D. Andriashek, C. Nordstrom, C. Spencer, and E. Street determined the ages of the seals. John Iacozza calculated the breakup dates for the annual ice in western Hudson Bay and Evan Richardson produced Fig. 1. I am particularly grateful to Sam Barry for constructive advice and assistance with the statistics. This study was supported by the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, and the Polar Continental Shelf Project. I thank N.J. Lunn and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive criticism of the earlier drafts of this paper.

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  1. Canadian Wildlife Service, 5320 122 St, Edmonton, AB, T6G 3S5, Canada

    Ian Stirling

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada

    Ian Stirling

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  1. Ian Stirling
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Correspondence to Ian Stirling.

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Stirling, I. Reproductive rates of ringed seals and survival of pups in Northwestern Hudson Bay, Canada, 1991–2000. Polar Biol 28, 381–387 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0700-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0700-7

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