Knowledge Tree
hooded seal
Also known as: hooded seal, hooded seals
Facts (11)
Sources
A review of climate change impacts on migration patterns of marine ... frontiersin.org Oct 25, 2024 11 facts
referenceHooded seals are Arctic endemic, drift-ice breeding seals that migrate between traditional pupping areas in the southern part of their range and molting sites farther north, before dispersing to forage in High Arctic waters of the North Atlantic during summer and fall.
claimAtlantic drift-ice seals, specifically harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata), breed in the spring in the southern parts of their ranges, migrate northward to molt and forage during the summer in Arctic waters, and return south in the fall.
claimHooded seals off the east coast of Greenland are experiencing increased rates of polar bear predation because the drift ice now occurs much closer to the shore than it did in previous decades.
referenceAndersen et al. (2009) published a study titled 'Movement patterns of hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) in the northwest Atlantic Ocean during the post-moult and pre-breed seasons' in Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science, volume 42, pages 1–11.
claimClimate warming has caused increased ocean temperatures and significant reductions in sea-ice thickness, extent, and seasonal duration across the North Atlantic and Arctic range of hooded seals over the past three decades, leading to the 'Atlantification' of physical and biological conditions.
referenceVacquié-Garcia et al. (2024) analyzed the foraging habits of Northwest Atlantic hooded seals over 30 years and modeled future habitat suitability under global warming.
referenceØigård et al. (2014) examined the status of hooded seals in the Greenland Sea, investigating whether they are victims of climate change and predation.
claimHooded seals (Cystophora cristata) have changed their migration phenology by departing northward earlier and departing southward later, which has resulted in an extended period of residency in the Arctic.
referenceVacquié-Garcia et al. (2017) investigated hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) foraging areas in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean using three complementary methods.
claimA 30-year tracking study of hooded seals from the Northwest Atlantic by Vacquié-Garcia et al. (2024) found that while two breeding populations targeted different environmental conditions, both populations remained faithful to their specific oceanographic preferences for foraging throughout the study period.
claimHooded seal populations have shifted the phenology of their migration by leaving breeding areas earlier and have shifted their migratory endpoints farther north to maintain access to their preferred oceanographic characteristics.