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Ringed seal

The ringed seal (Pusa hispida) is a small true seal of the family Phocidae, endemic to Arctic and sub-Arctic marine and freshwater environments in the Northern Hemisphere, distinguished by a dark gray to brown coat featuring light rings encircled by darker rings.^[1] Adults typically measure 1.1 to 1.75 meters in length and weigh 32 to 124 kilograms, with males larger than females, and they possess strong claws adapted for excavating breathing holes through thick sea ice.^[1] This species maintains year-round occupancy in seasonally ice-covered waters, hauling out on ice floes for resting, molting, and breeding while diving to depths exceeding 100 meters for foraging.^[1] Ringed seals exhibit a circumpolar distribution across the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas, including the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas, with rare occurrences as far south as California and Portugal; five subspecies are recognized, including the widespread Arctic form (P. h. hispida) and more localized populations in the Baltic Sea (botnica), Sea of Okhotsk (ochotensis), Lake Ladoga (ladogensis), and Lake Saimaa (saimensis).^[2] Their diet is opportunistic and generalist, primarily comprising small fish such as polar cod alongside crustaceans and cephalopods, with consumption varying by season and prey availability; feeding rates decline during the spring molt.^[2]^[1] Reproduction is tied to stable fast ice, where females construct subnivean lairs in snow drifts over breathing holes, giving birth to a single pup weighing about 4.5 kilograms in late winter or early spring; pups retain a white lanugo coat for camouflage and nursing, which lasts 5 to 7 weeks before weaning, with sexual maturity reached by females at 3 to 6 years and males at 8 to 10 years.^[1] Predators include polar bears, which preferentially target pups, and arctic foxes, underscoring the ringed seal's role as a foundational prey species in Arctic food webs.^[1] Global population estimates approximate 3.5 million individuals, dominated by the Arctic subspecies exceeding 3 million, rendering the species abundant yet challenging to census precisely due to vast habitat ranges.^[2] Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN in 2016, ringed seals face subspecies-specific threats, with Arctic, Okhotsk, and Baltic forms listed as threatened and Ladoga as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, primarily from sea ice reduction impacting breeding lairs and prey dynamics.^[3]^[1]

Taxonomy and Evolution

Subspecies and Genetic Variation

The ringed seal (Pusa hispida) is classified into five subspecies based on geographic isolation and morphological differences: the Arctic ringed seal (P. h. hispida), distributed across the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea; the Baltic ringed seal (P. h. botnica), inhabiting the Baltic Sea; the Ladoga ringed seal (P. h. ladogensis), endemic to Lake Ladoga in Russia; the Okhotsk ringed seal (P. h. ochotensis), found in the Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan; and the Saimaa ringed seal (P. h. saimensis), restricted to Lake Saimaa in Finland.^[4]^[5] These distinctions arose primarily from post-glacial isolation following the retreat of ice sheets approximately 10,000–9,500 years ago, which landlocked certain populations in freshwater lakes while marine subspecies adapted to varying salinity and ice conditions.^[6] Genetic studies reveal significant variation in diversity among subspecies, with the Arctic form (P. h. hispida) exhibiting high gene flow across its range due to extensive sea ice connectivity, supporting panmictic population structure despite regional movements.^[7] In contrast, the Fennoscandian subspecies (P. h. botnica, ladogensis, and saimensis) display reduced genetic diversity attributable to historical bottlenecks and ongoing isolation, as evidenced by lower microsatellite heterozygosity and elevated inbreeding coefficients in lake-bound populations.^[8]^[9] The Saimaa subspecies, in particular, harbors the lowest genetic variation among ringed seals, with high runs of homozygosity (RoH) indicating prolonged inbreeding over roughly 1,000 generations, though recent genomic analyses suggest unique private polymorphisms and adaptations warranting consideration for species-level distinction from other P. hispida.^[10]^[11]^[12] Microsatellite and whole-genome sequencing confirm limited gene flow between Arctic and peripheral subspecies, reinforcing taxonomic boundaries, while mitochondrial DNA phylogenies highlight deeper divergences in landlocked forms like P. h. saimensis, isolated for at least 9,500 years.^[13]^[14] Conservation implications arise from this variation, as low-diversity subspecies face heightened risks from environmental stressors, though fragmented habitats in systems like Lake Saimaa may mitigate some inbreeding depression effects through spatial structuring.^[14]

Phylogenetic Relationships

The ringed seal (Pusa hispida) belongs to the family Phocidae (true seals) in the order Carnivora, subfamily Phocinae, and tribe Phocini, a grouping supported by molecular phylogenies resolving higher-level relationships within the Phocidae.^[15] Phylogenetic analyses using complete mitochondrial DNA coding regions place the genus Pusa in a closely allied clade with Phoca (including harbor seal P. vitulina and spotted seal P. largha) and Halichoerus (grey seal H. grypus), characterized by minimal sequence divergence that has prompted proposals to synonymize these genera under an emended Phoca.^[16]^[17] Whole-genome resequencing further confirms this Phoca/Pusa group's monophyly with high bootstrap support, distinguishing it from other Phocinae tribes such as Histriophocini (e.g., harp and hooded seals).^[18] Within Pusa, P. hispida forms the nominate species of a monophyletic genus comprising three extant taxa: the Arctic ringed seal, the Caspian seal (P. caspica), and the Baikal seal (P. sibirica), with the latter two representing independent freshwater colonizations from an Arctic marine ancestor.^[19] Molecular data indicate Pleistocene divergence within Pusa, with P. hispida as the basal lineage adapted to seasonal sea ice, while P. caspica and P. sibirica underwent isolation in endorheic basins approximately 0.5–1 million years ago.^[18] Fossil evidence traces P. hispida to the early Pleistocene, with the earliest records from around 2 million years ago in Alaska, aligning with the radiation of Phocini in northern latitudes.^[20] Ongoing genomic studies highlight low inter-subspecies divergence in P. hispida but underscore ancient origins for isolated populations, such as the Saimaa ringed seal, predating post-glacial lake formation.^[21]

Physical Characteristics and Adaptations

Morphology and Markings

The ringed seal (Pusa hispida) possesses a compact, fusiform body shape optimized for swimming efficiency in Arctic waters, with adults typically measuring 1.1 to 1.7 meters in total length and weighing 50 to 120 kilograms.^[22] ^[23] Males average slightly larger than females, reaching sexual maturity at sizes around 1.2 to 1.5 meters.^[1] The head is small and rounded, featuring a short muzzle, prominent dark eyes for low-light vision, and short external ear openings, while the neck is thick and inconspicuous. Foreflippers are broad and short, aiding propulsion, and hindflippers are equipped with strong claws used for hauling out on ice and excavating breathing holes.^[24] A substantial blubber layer, comprising up to 30% of body mass in winter, provides thermal insulation and energy reserves, with body girth often exceeding 80% of length during peak fatness.^[2] The pelage consists of a dense underfur for waterproofing and stiff guard hairs that enhance camouflage on ice, molting annually in spring. Coloration is highly variable but characteristically includes a silvery-gray dorsal surface marked by dark gray to black spots, each often encircled by a lighter ring, creating the eponymous ringed pattern that aids in crypsis against snowy and icy substrates.^[25] ^[26] Ventral areas are paler, typically yellowish-white, while some individuals exhibit vein-like dark streaks or nearly uniform dark coats lacking distinct rings.^[27] Juveniles retain a woolly white lanugo coat at birth for camouflage in snow lairs, which is molted after 4 to 6 weeks.^[28] These markings and pelage structure evolve through individual variation rather than genetic fixation, with patterns becoming more pronounced with age.^[29]

Sensory and Physiological Adaptations

Ringed seals possess acute underwater hearing, with audiograms indicating sensitivity across frequencies from 0.1 to 72.4 kHz and thresholds as low as 49–50 dB re. 1 µPa at peak sensitivities of 12.8 and 25.6 kHz.^[30] In air, their hearing extends from 0.075 to 51.2 kHz, with best sensitivity around −6 to −12 dB re. 20 µPa at 3.2–4.5 kHz, enabling detection of quiet airborne sounds comparable to those perceived by harbor and spotted seals.^[30] These capabilities support under-ice navigation, where seals prioritize vision followed by audition and vibrissal sensing to locate breathing holes, as evidenced by behavioral responses to acoustic cues even when blindfolded.^[31] Visual adaptations include large eyes with rounded lenses and expansive pupils that facilitate rapid adjustment to low-light underwater conditions, providing acute vision beneath the surface while rendering seals nearsighted on land.^[32] ^[33] Ringed seals express L-opsin in all retinal cones, supporting potential color discrimination adapted to their aquatic habitat.^[34] Their mystacial vibrissae function as hydrodynamic sensors, detecting minute water disturbances and prey trails with high sensitivity, aiding foraging and orientation in murky or dark Arctic waters, including under ice.^[35] ^[36] Physiologically, ringed seals exhibit enhanced oxygen storage for prolonged dives, with blood volumes averaging 234 ml/kg lean body mass and total blood oxygen capacity of 70 ml O₂/kg, supplemented by morphological features such as a voluminous inferior vena cava and hepatic sinus acting as reservoirs.^[37] Cardiovascular responses include submersion-induced bradycardia, reducing heart rate to 10–15% of resting levels within one minute, enabling dives up to 18 minutes via controlled blood flow through structures like a bulbous aorta and diaphragmatic sphincter.^[37] For thermoregulation in frigid Arctic conditions, blubber is distributed such that its thickness maintains a near-constant ratio to body radius across the torso, optimizing insulation by minimizing conductive heat loss while supporting buoyancy and streamlining.^[38] This subcutaneous layer's low thermal conductivity, combined with peripheral vasoconstriction, preserves core body temperature during extended submersion or haul-out on ice, despite ambient waters near 0°C.^[38]

Distribution and Habitat Preferences

Geographic Range

The ringed seal (Pusa hispida) exhibits a circumpolar distribution across Arctic and sub-Arctic waters of the Northern Hemisphere, spanning from approximately 35°N latitude to the North Pole, and is present in all seasonally ice-covered seas.^[4]^[39] This range encompasses the Arctic Ocean basin, including the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering Seas, as well as southward extensions into adjacent areas such as Hudson Bay, the Baltic Sea, and parts of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.^[40]^[41] The nominate subspecies P. h. hispida, known as the Arctic ringed seal, occupies the broadest extent of this distribution, inhabiting ice-covered marine environments throughout the circumpolar Arctic.^[2] In contrast, other subspecies have more restricted ranges: P. h. ochotensis is endemic to the Sea of Okhotsk, P. h. botnica to the Baltic Sea, P. h. ladogensis to Lake Ladoga in Russia, and P. h. saimensis to Lake Saimaa in Finland.^[42]^[2] These peripheral populations reflect historical isolations in freshwater and semi-enclosed marine systems, while the Arctic subspecies maintains connectivity across vast oceanic expanses dependent on seasonal sea ice.^[4]

Habitat Requirements and Microhabitats

Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) primarily inhabit seasonally ice-covered marine environments in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, with a strong dependence on stable land-fast ice during winter and spring for key life history stages including reproduction, molting, and resting.^[43] This ice provides a platform for maintaining breathing holes and excavating protective structures, while pack ice and open water are used in summer for foraging and dispersal.^[43] Insufficient snow accumulation or premature ice breakup can compromise habitat suitability, as seals require adequate snow depths for insulation and concealment.^[44] Microhabitats for breeding consist of subnivean lairs formed under snowdrifts on deformed land-fast ice, typically 1–2 m thick, where seals dig multi-chambered pup lairs for birthing and nursing or single-chambered haul-out lairs for resting. Pup lairs, used by females to give birth to a single pup, are preferentially located in areas of moderate ice deformation (mean 29.9%, range 5–80%) and ice relief (mean 76 cm, range 31–183 cm), often within 126.5 m of other structures like breathing holes, and in snowdrifts along island shorelines or pressured ice ridges. Snow depth is critical, with pup lairs averaging 74.9 cm (range 37–132 cm) and requiring a minimum of approximately 47 cm for structural integrity, though shallower drifts (mean 25–28 cm in some Alaskan sites) suffice in rough ice where deformation traps snow; depths below 20 cm on flat ice limit lair formation. ^[44] Lair densities vary by region, averaging 7–8.6 structures per km² in northwest Alaskan land-fast ice, with pup lairs comprising 25–33% of total structures, and seals favoring deeper waters (>2 m) and rough ice surfaces (mean roughness ~8.3 cm) to support breathing holes and predator evasion.^[43] ^[44] Breathing holes, essential for surfacing, are maintained in ice up to several meters thick and often clustered near lairs, providing microhabitats for ventilation and escape.^[43] In non-breeding seasons, microhabitats shift to drifting pack ice or coastal polynyas, where seals haul out on floes for thermoregulation and select areas with intermediate ice variability for foraging access.^[44]

Reproductive Biology and Life History

Breeding and Mating Systems

Ringed seals exhibit a polygynous mating system, with evidence from breeding aggregations showing a male-to-female sex ratio of approximately 1:2.4, indicating that some males mate with multiple females.^[46] Mating occurs aquatically, typically in mid- to late May following the pupping season, often under the ice near the birth lairs excavated by females during winter.^[27] ^[1] During the rut in April to May, adult males display territorial behavior on the pack ice, defending areas around breathing holes and subnivean spaces against rivals, which results in frequent fresh wounds from agonistic encounters.^[47] ^[1] These males also release a potent musky scent from facial glands, described as resembling gasoline, which serves as a chemical signal during the breeding period.^[47] ^[1] Subadult males and non-territorial adults are often excluded from prime breeding sites through competitive interactions.^[46] Females enter estrus shortly after giving birth in April, facilitating mating soon after weaning, with fertilization occurring in May.^[1] The reproductive cycle includes delayed implantation, where the embryo remains undeveloped for about three months before attaching to the uterine wall, extending total gestation to approximately 11 months and synchronizing births with stable spring ice conditions.^[48] This adaptation ensures pupping aligns with peak ice stability for lair construction and predator avoidance, though it imposes energetic demands on females in nutrient-limited Arctic environments.^[48] Sexual maturity is typically reached by females at 5–7 years and males at 7–8 years, with annual breeding common among adults in stable populations.^[1]

Pup Development and Parental Care

Ringed seal pups (Pusa hispida) are born in late winter to early spring, typically March to April, within subnivean lairs constructed by females over breathing holes in stable fast ice. These lairs, covered by snow drifts averaging 75 cm deep, provide insulation and protection from predators such as polar bears and Arctic foxes.^[49] ^[50] At birth, pups weigh approximately 4 kg and measure about 60-70 cm in length, possessing a white lanugo coat for camouflage against the snow-covered environment.^[50] ^[1] Females exhibit intensive parental care as capital breeders, fasting throughout the lactation period without foraging, relying on blubber reserves accumulated prior to parturition to nourish the pup. Lactation lasts 5-7 weeks, during which the mother remains in close attendance, nursing the pup exclusively on high-fat milk that enables rapid growth; pups typically double or more than double their birth weight, reaching an average of 22 kg and 88 cm at weaning.^[51] ^[52] ^[1] Weaning occurs abruptly around 39 days postpartum (range 36-41 days), after which the female abandons the pup to mate, often delayed implantation ensuring the next pup's birth aligns with the following ice season.^[52] ^[51] Post-weaning, pups enter a fasting phase lasting several weeks, subsisting on accumulated blubber while molting their lanugo and developing waterproof fur; this period hones thermoregulation and prepares them for aquatic independence. During lair occupancy, females aggressively defend pups against intruders, maintaining solitude as ringed seals typically produce one pup annually with minimal alloparenting. Pups begin entering the water 4-6 weeks after weaning, initially making shallow dives to build foraging skills on invertebrates and fish, achieving nutritional independence by late summer.^[1] ^[51] In exceptional cases, such as the Ladoga subspecies (P. h. ladogensis), nursing can occur on land without ice, lasting 34-37 days, though this deviates from the norm for Arctic populations reliant on sea ice habitats.^[53]

Behavioral Ecology

Foraging Strategies and Diet

Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) primarily consume small schooling fish and benthic or pelagic invertebrates, with polar cod (Boreogadus saida) dominating the diet in many Arctic populations, accounting for up to 60% of biomass by frequency of occurrence in samples from Svalbard waters.^[54] Other fish such as capelin (Mallotus villosus) and Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) appear in diets from West Greenland fjords, alongside cephalopods in lower proportions.^[55] Crustaceans, including mysids, shrimps (e.g., Pandalus borealis), amphipods (e.g., Themisto libellula), and euphausiids, constitute significant portions, particularly for subadults and juveniles, which rely more heavily on amphipods than adults.^[56]^[57] Diet composition varies regionally and seasonally; for instance, in northwestern Hudson Bay during spring, polar cod frequency exceeds 90% in adults, while juveniles show greater amphipod intake.^[58] Foraging occurs year-round except during the spring molt, when seals fast and haul out on ice.^[57] Seals target prey under shore-fast sea ice using maintained breathing holes and subnivean lairs for access, enabling dives in ice-covered environments where open water is absent.^[59] Dive profiles distinguish foraging from transit: foraging dives feature extended bottom times (median durations of 5–10 minutes) at depths of 50–150 meters or more, with adults reaching greater depths than subadults (around 150 meters for the latter).^[55]^[60] Diel patterns influence behavior, with vertical migrations of prey like fish driving deeper nocturnal dives in some subpopulations, such as the freshwater Saimaa ringed seal.^[61] Prey selection favors smaller, non-schooling cod in high-Arctic areas, contrasting with larger prey targeted by sympatric odontocetes.^[62] Stable isotope and fatty acid analyses confirm low dietary overlap with other pinnipeds, emphasizing ringed seals' specialization on under-ice resources amid environmental variability.^[63] In sub-Arctic populations, contaminant burdens correlate with trophic position, underscoring a diet elevated in the food web via fish dominance over invertebrates.^[64] Overall prey diversity is limited to 10–15 species per locale, reflecting opportunistic yet constrained foraging tied to ice-associated habitats.^[59]

Predation Risks and Anti-Predator Behaviors

Ringed seals face predation primarily from polar bears (Ursus maritimus), which target them on sea ice and account for the majority of natural mortality, particularly for pups during the whelping season.^[5] Other predators include killer whales (Orcinus orca) in open water, Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus), walruses (Odobenus rosmarus), and Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus), with foxes mainly preying on newborn pups exposed outside lairs.^[5] Polar bear predation success on basking seals can reach 10%, as observed in charges across fast ice in Svalbard's Hornsund fjord, where bears stalk seals at breathing holes or haul-out sites.^[65] Pup predation rates by polar bears range from 21% to 58% in some Arctic regions, influenced by snow cover depth, which reduces bear access to subnivean lairs when depths exceed 50 cm.^[66] To counter predation, ringed seals exhibit behaviors centered on ice and snow cover for concealment, including excavating breathing holes through up to 2 m of ice and constructing subnivean lairs over these holes during winter, providing thermal insulation and protection from aerial and surface predators for mothers and pups.^[5] Pups remain in these lairs for 4-6 weeks post-birth, minimizing exposure, while adults maintain multiple breathing holes to evade pursuit.^[5] During haul-out on ice, seals adopt vigilant postures, facing both their breathing hole and downwind to detect olfactory and visual cues from predators like polar bears, with haul-out patterns adjusted to minimize overlap with peak bear activity.^[67] Upon detecting threats, seals rapidly submerge and flee via underwater escape, leveraging their agility in water where polar bears are less effective hunters.^[67] These adaptations prioritize predator avoidance over foraging efficiency during ice-covered periods, as evidenced by time-budget analyses showing seals allocating more time to submerged activities in high-predation zones.^[68] Reduced snow accumulation due to climate variability compromises lair integrity, elevating pup predation risk by exposing them to bears and foxes, with modeling indicating potential population declines from increased adult and juvenile mortality under such conditions.^[69]

Seasonal Movements and Haul-Out Patterns

Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) display limited seasonal movements, remaining as year-round residents within Arctic and sub-Arctic marine environments rather than undertaking long-distance migrations typical of some pinnipeds. Their spatial use varies by ice conditions, encompassing nearshore to offshore habitats across seasons, with individuals often localized but capable of dispersing during ice-free periods. In summer, seals exploit marginal ice zones and open waters, such as in the Barents Sea where habitat has shifted northward with warming. Fall freeze-up restricts mobility, confining seals within forming fast ice, as observed in the Beaufort Sea where summer residents move only limited distances eastward or westward.^[70]^[4] Winter movements are most constrained under extensive fast ice cover, as documented in years like 1999–2000 and 2010–11 in the western Canadian Arctic, while lighter ice enables greater ranging. Although primarily non-migratory, satellite telemetry has recorded rare one-way displacements of 1769–3518 km, among the longest for the species. These patterns reflect adaptation to ice-dependent lifestyles, with haul-out sites and breathing holes dictating local fidelity over broad migrations.^[71]^[72]^[73] Haul-out behavior, essential for resting, thermoregulation, and molting, shows strong seasonal and diel variation tied to ice availability and reproductive cycles. During winter (November–March), seals primarily use snow-covered lairs over breathing holes for haul-outs, with nocturnal patterns predominant to evade predators like polar bears. A shift to diurnal haul-outs occurs in spring (April–May), favoring midday hours, as revealed by tagging studies in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering Seas. This transition aligns with post-breeding energy demands and reduced darkness.^[74]^[73] Peak haul-out frequency rises during the annual molt (May–July), when seals emerge onto ice floes for 2–6 weeks to shed and regrow fur, minimizing heat loss in warming waters. In breeding areas like Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, this follows pup rearing in lairs (March–April), with females initially limiting exposure to protect young before increasing surface time. Ice breakup in July prompts shifts to water or residual floes, though exceptional ice loss has led to novel terrestrial haul-outs on glacial fronts in regions like Svalbard. Diel patterns during molt emphasize daytime rest, contrasting winter nocturnality, and vary inter-annually with environmental cues.^[75]^[76]^[77]

Population Dynamics

Abundance Estimates and Trends

The ringed seal (Pusa hispida) is considered the most abundant seal species in the high Arctic, with no precise circumpolar population estimate available due to challenges in surveying expansive, ice-covered habitats; however, the total is believed to number in the millions.^[2] In U.S. Arctic waters, the single recognized stock exceeds 300,000 individuals, while the Alaska substock is estimated at 249,000.^[59] Recent surveys in the Chukchi Sea yielded an abundance of 592,577 ringed seals (95% confidence interval: 478,448–733,929), indicating robust densities in that region.^[78] Subspecies populations vary significantly. The Arctic subspecies (P. h. hispida) dominates numerically across its circumpolar range, with regional estimates reflecting stability or localized variability; for instance, densities in high-latitude Svalbard areas (around 82.5° N) ranged from 0.05 to 0.09 seals/km² in 2018–2019 surveys.^[79] In the Sea of Okhotsk, the population stands at approximately 120,000, a decline from earlier estimates of 676,000–855,000 between 1968 and 1990, potentially linked to historical hunting and environmental factors.^[80] The Baltic subspecies (P. h. botnica) has recovered to 20,000–36,000 individuals as of 2024, concentrated primarily in the northern Bothnian Bay, representing a fivefold increase since the polluted 1970s due to reduced contaminants and harvest management.^[81]^[48] Endemic freshwater subspecies face greater precarity. The Saimaa ringed seal (P. h. saimensis) in Lake Saimaa, Finland, numbers under 500 individuals as of 2024, with gradual growth from around 400 in prior years, supported by conservation efforts yielding 80–90 pups annually despite ongoing threats like habitat fragmentation.^[82]^[13] The Ladoga subspecies (P. h. ladogensis) in Lake Ladoga, Russia, lacks recent comprehensive estimates but shows mixed trends in broader assessments, with overall ringed seal populations in enclosed systems exhibiting resilience through adaptive behaviors amid fluctuating ice conditions.^[83] Population trends are regionally heterogeneous, influenced by sea ice dynamics, predation, and human activities rather than uniform decline. In Pacific Arctic sectors, populations remain large and healthy as of 2024, with no evidence of broad collapse despite warming.^[84] Conversely, a 46% decline in abundance has occurred in Svalbard's Isfjorden since 2002, correlating with a 77% reduction in land-fast sea ice, highlighting vulnerability in areas of rapid ice loss.^[85] Baltic and Saimaa populations demonstrate positive trajectories through regulatory protections, underscoring that harvest controls and pollution mitigation can counteract environmental pressures more effectively than climate alone in some contexts.^[86] Long-term projections suggest potential declines of 50–99% in some Arctic models by 2100 under high-emission scenarios, but empirical data indicate current stability in core habitats, with increased predation by polar bears not significantly impeding growth where bear numbers are declining.^[87]^[80]

Factors Influencing Population Variability

Ringed seal populations exhibit variability influenced primarily by sea ice dynamics, climatic extremes, prey availability, predation, and anthropogenic harvest. Dependence on stable landfast ice and snow for constructing subnivean birth lairs exposes pups to heightened mortality risks when ice forms later, breaks up earlier, or snow depths diminish, as observed in Arctic regions where sea ice extent declined by 36,400 km² per year from March to May between 1979 and 2021.^[80] Snow cover on ice has thinned by up to 56% in areas like the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas during 2009–2013, correlating with increased predation by polar bears and foxes on exposed pups, which can account for 8–44% of annual pup production.^[80] ^[88] Climatic variability drives interannual fluctuations, with extreme events—such as the 2010 North Atlantic Oscillation anomaly leading to the earliest spring ice breakup and latest freeze-up in Hudson Bay—linked to physiological stress (cortisol levels rising from 0.1 ng/g in 2003 to 0.6 ng/g in 2012), reduced body condition (blubber from 55.4% in 2004 to 40.3% in 2012), and lowered reproductive success (ovulation rates dropping to 66.7%).^[88] In Alaskan waters, however, empirical data from 1960–2010 indicate resilience, with growth rates increasing post-1977, age at maturity declining to 3.2 years by 1999–2010, and pregnancy rates averaging 79.5% in the 2000s, despite shifting diets toward more fish (91–95% frequency in harvests).^[89] Population densities in surveyed areas like Hudson Bay declined gradually from 0.78/km² in 1995 to 0.20/km² in 2013, and pup recruitment fell from ~40% to ~20% over 2003–2013, yet broader Pacific Arctic assessments in 2024 confirm large, healthy populations without observed declines.^[88] ^[84] Prey dynamics contribute to variability through oceanographic influences on Arctic cod and invertebrates, with benthic biomass and primary productivity affecting foraging efficiency and body condition, which in turn impacts vital rates like survival and fecundity.^[90] Predation pressure varies regionally, with killer whales comprising up to 25% of diets in eastern Canada, potentially rising as ice retreats, though polar bear impacts may wane if bear populations decline.^[80] Anthropogenic factors, particularly subsistence hunting, impose localized pressure but appear sustainable given abundance estimates exceeding 1 million in the Pacific Arctic and Alaskan waters.^[89] Harvests averaged 6,454 annually in Alaska as of 2015 and have declined in areas like Greenland (from 71,575 in 1994–2012 to 50,853 in 2013–2020), with no evidence of overharvest driving variability; hunter reports from most Alaskan villages note no population decreases.^[80] ^[89] Contaminants like mercury and persistent organic pollutants have decreased across the Arctic, exerting minimal influence.^[80] Despite projections of future declines from habitat loss, current empirical trends indicate stability, underscoring adaptive capacity amid environmental pressures.^[80]^[84]

Human Utilization and Interactions

Historical and Indigenous Harvesting

Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) have served as a cornerstone of subsistence for indigenous Arctic peoples, including Inuit in Canada and Greenland, Alaska Natives, and indigenous groups in Russia, providing meat, blubber, oil, and skins essential for food, clothing, tools, and shelter.^[2] Archaeological evidence from the eastern Canadian Arctic indicates ringed seal hunting during the Early Palaeoeskimo period, approximately 4000–3500 years before present, underscoring a prehistoric reliance on the species predating modern records.^[91] Skins were utilized for garments, boots, tent coverings, and equipment, while oil supplemented diets and preserved other foods, with blubber feeding sled dogs critical for transportation.^[92]^[2] Traditional hunting techniques, passed down through generations, targeted seals year-round but emphasized spring activities on land-fast ice, such as lair breaking (nunajuk) to access pups and lure females for harpooning, and the needle method (qivvutaq) at breathing holes to detect and spear seals.^[93] Hunters also approached basking seals using snowmobiles or blinds, or waited at persistent ice cracks with guns or harpoons, achieving variable success rates—e.g., 85.7% at cracks but lower (6–23%) for hole and lair methods—based on observations in Nunavut from April to June 1993.^[93] In Alaska, coastal communities from Bristol Bay to Kaktovik continue these practices, harvesting for local consumption and trade, with oil valued for its nutritional role in traditional diets.^[92] Historical records show sustained indigenous harvests without evidence of population depletion; in Canada, ringed seals formed a dietary staple for Inuit, with estimated annual catches exceeding 100,000 in the 1960s–1970s before declining to 50,000–65,000 by the early 1990s due to market factors rather than overexploitation.^[94] Greenland maintains catch statistics since 1954, reflecting ongoing cultural and economic importance, while Alaskan harvests remain unquantified but deemed sustainable and unrelated to broader population concerns.^[2]^[92] These practices integrate local ecological knowledge, such as seal size variations and seasonal behaviors, ensuring efficient resource use across Arctic regions.^[93]

Commercial Hunting and Trade

In Greenland, ringed seals are harvested commercially alongside harp and hooded seals for meat, blubber oil, and pelts used in clothing and crafts, with hunting occurring year-round from coastal communities.^[95] The territory's commercial seal skin exports, encompassing ringed seal pelts, reached a peak of nearly 116,000 skins in 2005 but declined sharply to 34,600 by 2012, reflecting reduced market demand and fluctuating quotas rather than population constraints.^[96] Annual ringed seal harvests in Greenland during the 1990s approached 100,000 individuals, though recent figures emphasize sustainable management through licensing without fixed species-specific quotas.^[97] In the Russian Far East, particularly the Sea of Okhotsk and White Sea, commercial harvests target ice-associated seals including ringed seals, which comprised an average 43% (range 25–67%) of annual takes from 1950 to 2015, primarily for pelts and bycatch utilization.^[98] Harvest levels in the Sea of Okhotsk expanded substantially by the early 2000s, driven by state procurement and private operations, while White Sea quotas were set at 3,500 ringed seals annually as of 2008 to balance economic yields with stock stability.^[99] These operations contrast with subsistence-focused takes in North America, where U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act regulations prohibit commercial ringed seal hunting except for Alaska Native exemptions, and Canadian Arctic harvests remain predominantly indigenous without commercial quotas.^[1] International trade in ringed seal pelts centers on niche markets for durable hides in boots and garments, but volumes are modest compared to larger phocids like harp seals, hampered by European Union import bans on seal products enacted in 2009, which prioritize animal welfare over empirical sustainability data.^[100] Export statistics specific to ringed seals are sparse, but Greenland's post-2012 decline aligns with global anti-sealing campaigns reducing pelt values from peaks near $100 per skin in the 2000s.^[96] No evidence indicates overharvest driving population declines; instead, quotas in harvesting nations like Russia and Greenland are calibrated below estimated sustainable yields, informed by ice-seal abundance models exceeding millions circumpolarly.^[2]^[98]

Conflicts with Industrial Activities

Ringed seals face disturbances from underwater noise produced by seismic surveys during oil and gas exploration in Arctic regions, particularly affecting their use of landfast ice for lairs and breathing holes in winter and spring. A 1982 study in the Canadian High Arctic found that breathing holes and subnivean lairs were abandoned three times more frequently within 150 meters of recent seismic survey lines compared to structures farther away, indicating short-term behavioral displacement during pupping and molting seasons.^[101] More recent summer surveys in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea have observed only minor avoidance responses, with seals quickly resuming haul-out and diving behaviors after airgun operations cease, suggesting limited long-term disruption from transient noise exposure.^[102] However, a 2024 U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration review notes sparse contemporary data on seismic impacts, highlighting uncertainties in chronic effects on reproduction or foraging efficiency.^[80] Offshore oil development infrastructure, such as artificial gravel islands, overlaps with ringed seal winter habitat in areas like the Beaufort Sea, where construction noise and icebreaking activities may alter local seal densities. Aerial surveys conducted between 2018 and 2023 estimated winter ringed seal densities within proposed oil and gas lease areas at 0.18 to 0.45 seals per square kilometer on landfast ice, providing baselines for assessing potential disturbance from ice road maintenance and drilling operations that coincide with peak lair occupancy.^[103] A study of the Northstar oil production facility in Alaska's Beaufort Sea documented temporary shifts in seal distribution near the site during construction and early production phases starting in 2001, though overall abundance trends showed no statistically significant long-term decline attributable to the facility.^[104] Direct oil exposure remains a concern, as 1976 experiments demonstrated that ringed seals submerged in crude oil pools died within 71 minutes from inhalation and ingestion of hydrocarbons, underscoring vulnerability to spills despite the infrequency of large-scale Arctic incidents.^[105] Expanding commercial shipping in ice-diminishing Arctic waters generates chronic low-frequency noise that could mask seals' acoustic detection of prey or predators, though ringed seals exhibit greater tolerance than cetaceans, avoiding only high-intensity sources above approximately 160 decibels.^[106] Projections indicate shipping noise levels may rise by 3 to 10 decibels in key Arctic routes by mid-century due to increased vessel traffic for resource extraction and transit, potentially displacing seals from foraging grounds near shipping lanes; field observations from 2022 studies in Canadian waters confirmed behavioral changes like reduced vocalizations in tagged individuals exposed to vessel passages.^[107]^[108] Empirical audiogram data suggest ringed seals perceive typical shipping spectra (below 1 kHz) at distances under 1 kilometer, limiting widespread masking but raising concerns for localized habitat avoidance in high-traffic industrial corridors.^[109]

Conservation Status and Debates

Legal Designations and Protections

The ringed seal (Pusa hispida) is classified globally as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, based on its circumpolar distribution across Arctic and sub-Arctic waters and evidence of stable or recovering populations in many areas despite localized declines.^[2] This assessment, last formally updated in 2015, accounts for the species' adaptability and lack of immediate extinction risk at the species level, though it acknowledges vulnerabilities in ice-dependent subspecies.^[1] The species is not listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), reflecting minimal international trade pressures compared to other seals.^[110] In the United States, all ringed seals receive baseline protections under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which prohibits unauthorized take, harassment, or importation except for specified exemptions like subsistence harvesting by Alaska Natives.^[59] The Arctic subspecies (P. h. hispida) was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) on December 28, 2012, due to projected sea ice loss impacting breeding habitat, with a 12-month finding determining it ineligible for endangered status but warranting protections against jeopardy.^[111] The Okhotsk subspecies (P. h. ochotensis) received the same threatened designation under the ESA, effective around the same period, recognizing its dependence on seasonal ice in the Sea of Okhotsk.^[112] Critical habitat for the Arctic subspecies, proposed in 2013 and finalized in 2017 encompassing over 2 million square kilometers of Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas, was vacated by a federal court ruling on October 4, 2024, following challenges that the designation exceeded statutory authority and ignored recovery evidence.^[113] Canada's Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed the ringed seal as Not at Risk in April 1989, a status reaffirmed in subsequent reviews, with populations managed under the Fisheries Act and Marine Mammal Regulations allowing regulated Inuit harvests while prohibiting commercial hunting.^[114]^[5] In Europe, the Baltic subspecies (P. h. botnica) is rated Vulnerable by the IUCN and protected under Appendix III of the Bern Convention, enabling regulated trade monitoring but no outright bans.^[27] The freshwater Saimaa subspecies (P. h. saimensis) in Lake Saimaa, Finland, has been fully protected from hunting since 1955 under national law, listed as endangered due to historical persecution and habitat fragmentation, with ongoing recovery efforts supported by EU Habitats Directive safeguards.^[2] The Ladoga subspecies (P. h. ladogensis) in Russia's Lake Ladoga receives domestic protections as a depleted population under regional wildlife laws, though enforcement challenges persist amid bycatch and pollution threats.^[115] These subspecies-specific measures highlight targeted responses to empirical declines, contrasting the species' overall resilience.^[80]

Evidence-Based Assessments

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the ringed seal (Pusa hispida) as Least Concern globally, based on its wide distribution across the Arctic, sub-Arctic, and select freshwater systems, with an estimated total population of 4 to 7 million individuals and no evidence of range-wide decline as of the 2016 assessment.^[2]^[40] This evaluation prioritizes observed abundance and habitat extent over projected future risks, though it acknowledges regional vulnerabilities in ice-dependent subpopulations. Empirical surveys support this, including over 300,000 individuals in the U.S. Arctic stock alone and recent aerial estimates of 592,577 ringed seals in the Chukchi Sea, representing a baseline for monitoring without indication of catastrophic loss.^[59]^[116] Subspecies assessments reveal variability, with empirical data showing stability or recovery in some areas despite localized pressures. In the Baltic Sea, the population has increased fivefold from approximately 5,000 individuals in the 1970s to around 25,000 by 2025, driven by reduced contaminants and pollutant loads, though hunting limits annual growth to about 4% rather than a potential 7% without harvest.^[117] Similarly, Canada's Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed the species as a single designatable unit in 2020, finding insufficient evidence for endangered status given stable subsistence harvests and lack of observed demographic collapse.^[51] In contrast, localized declines occur where land-fast ice has diminished sharply, such as a 46% reduction in abundance in Svalbard's Isfjorden since 2002, correlating with 77% ice area loss, though this affects a fraction of the global range.^[118] U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) evaluations under the Endangered Species Act emphasize precautionary projections over current empirics, retaining threatened status for Arctic, Okhotsk, and Baltic subspecies (and endangered for Ladoga) in the 2024 five-year review, citing modeled sea ice loss and snow depth reductions that could impair pup survival if snow falls below 30 cm.^[80] Regional Arctic estimates aggregate to about 2.9 million, with stable or declining subsistence harvests (e.g., 6,454 in Alaska in 2015) indicating no overexploitation, yet the review highlights data gaps in vital rates and relies on climate models forecasting ice-free summers by 2050, which carry uncertainties in seal behavioral adaptation.^[80] Peer-reviewed studies underscore resilience factors, such as flexible foraging and haul-out behaviors observed via satellite telemetry, enabling persistence amid variable ice conditions, though chronic stressors like elevated cortisol in Hudson Bay seals suggest monitoring needs.^[119] Overall, evidence-based assessments balance high current abundance and documented recoveries against site-specific declines and modeled threats, with no verified range-wide extinction risk; however, NMFS determinations incorporate future-oriented scenarios that exceed observable trends, reflecting regulatory emphasis on potential rather than realized harm.^[80]^[2] Subsistence and bycatch data further indicate sustainable utilization levels, with contaminants declining and disease events (e.g., 2011–2022 Unusual Mortality Events) not altering long-term viability.^[80] Enhanced empirical monitoring, including genetics and demographics, is recommended to resolve gaps beyond projection-dependent frameworks.^[7]

Controversies Over Listing and Management

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposed threatened status for the Arctic subspecies of ringed seal (Pusa hispida hispida) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in December 2010, finalizing the listing on December 28, 2012, based primarily on modeled projections of substantial sea ice and snow cover declines by mid-to-late century, which were deemed essential for pup survival and population viability.^[120]^[121] Critics, including state wildlife managers, contended that the listing disregarded the species' demonstrated resilience to historical climate variability and lacked evidence of current population-level impacts, with abundance estimates ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 million individuals in U.S. Arctic waters alone and no quantitative trends indicating decline across surveyed regions.^[122]^[123] Challenges to the listing intensified with a 2019 petition by the state of Alaska and Safari Club International to delist the subspecies, arguing that NMFS had arbitrarily dismissed data on adaptive behaviors, such as seals shifting haul-out patterns, and over-relied on climate model outputs with high uncertainty rather than observed demographic metrics.^[124] NMFS rejected the petition in a November 2020 finding, asserting that foreseeable habitat degradation outweighed current stability, though a subsequent 2024 five-year status review reaffirmed the threatened classification without new evidence of imminent extinction risk.^[80] In November 2022, Alaska and the North Slope Borough filed suit to vacate the listing, claiming it violated ESA requirements for demonstrable threats and impeded subsistence harvesting and resource development; a federal court in October 2024 invalidated the associated critical habitat designation as exceeding statutory bounds, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld NMFS's denial of delisting efforts in July 2025, prioritizing precautionary projections over baseline abundance data.^[125]^[126]^[127] Management disputes extend to harvest regulations, where the ESA listing overlays Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) provisions allowing unlimited indigenous subsistence take without quotas in U.S. waters, despite calls from some conservation advocates for precautionary limits amid unmonitored removals estimated at tens of thousands annually across the Arctic.^[115]^[128] Proponents of stricter controls, including environmental organizations, argue that accelerating ice loss could reduce carrying capacity and amplify harvest pressures, necessitating recovery planning delayed since 2012, as highlighted in a 2023 lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity.^[129] Opponents counter that such measures lack empirical justification given stable pup production indices and historical harvest sustainability, potentially infringing on native rights without addressing primary natural forcings like predation or prey dynamics.^[122] These tensions reflect broader debates on balancing modeled future risks against verifiable present conditions, with the listing's economic ramifications—including restrictions on Arctic oil and gas leasing—further polarizing stakeholders.^[130]

Environmental Pressures and Resilience

Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) exhibit a strong dependence on stable landfast sea ice and snow cover for reproduction, with females constructing subnivean lairs on ice for whelping in March to May.^[59] Empirical measurements indicate substantial declines in Arctic sea ice extent during critical spring months, averaging 36,400 km² per year from 1979 to 2021, alongside reductions in ice thickness and earlier breakup near coastal areas such as Kotzebue, Alaska, observed between 2017 and 2019.^[80] Snow accumulation on ice has diminished in regions like Elim and Scammon Bay, Alaska, compromising lair stability and increasing pup exposure to flooding and predation.^[80] Physiological responses to these habitat shifts include declining body condition in multiple populations. In Hudson Bay, blubber mass decreased from 55.4% in 2004 to 40.3% in 2012, correlating with extended open-water periods and climatic indices like ENSO and NAO (p < 0.05).^[88] Similar trends occurred in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, where growth improved from 1974–1984 to 2003–2012 but deteriorated during low-ice years like 2017–2018.^[80] In the Baltic Sea, adult female blubber thickness declined from 1981 to 2017.^[80] Stress levels, measured via fecal cortisol metabolites, rose significantly in Hudson Bay seals from 0.1 ng/g in 2003 to 0.6 ng/g in 2012.^[88] Reproductive metrics show variability tied to ice dynamics. Pup recruitment in Hudson Bay exhibited a marginal decline from approximately 40% in 2003 to 20% in 2013 (p = 0.08), following early ice breakup and late freeze-up in years like 2010.^[88] Ovulation rates fluctuated between 56% and 100% without a significant temporal trend, though low rates in 2011 followed elevated stress in 2010.^[88] Aerial surveys in the Canadian Arctic detected a gradual density decline from 1995 to 2013, with the lowest densities in 2013.^[88] Despite these localized effects, circumpolar population trends lack evidence of widespread decline. Regional estimates approximate 2.9 million individuals, with stable vital rates in Svalbard and sustainable subsistence harvests in Alaska from 1962 to 2018.^[80] In the Sea of Okhotsk, numbers increased over 40 years due to reduced harvesting, while Lake Ladoga populations grew at 7.5% annually from 2001 to 2012.^[80] These observations suggest resilience through behavioral adaptations or compensatory factors, though data gaps persist in monitoring reproduction and abundance amid ongoing ice loss.^[131]^[80]

Projections, Models, and Uncertainties

Population matrix models, integrating historical demographic data on survival and fertility rates, project substantial declines in ringed seal populations under climate change scenarios derived from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) forecasts. For instance, simulations indicate median population reductions of 50% to 99% by 2100, accompanied by shifts in age structure toward higher proportions of pups and adults at the expense of juveniles, primarily due to diminished pup survival from earlier ice breakup and reduced snow depths on sea ice.^[132] These models link vital rate perturbations to projected habitat loss, assuming baseline rates from pre-warming periods remain representative absent ice dependency.^[132] Regional projections vary by sensitivity to snow and ice thresholds; in Canada's Amundsen Gulf, populations could fall below 10% of current levels by 2100 under medium-sensitivity scenarios (snow depth <30 cm or breakup before May 24), with steeper drops under high sensitivity and potential mild declines under low sensitivity, based on IPCC AR5 RCP8.5.^[80] Broader Arctic sea ice models forecast near ice-free September conditions before 2050 across IPCC Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) from SSP1-1.9 to SSP5-8.5, exacerbating open-water duration and reducing landfast ice breeding platforms by mid-century in peripheral areas like the Bering and Barents Seas.^[80] Uncertainties in these projections stem from model limitations, including omission of density dependence, harvest, predation, and adaptive behaviors; inconsistencies in empirical demographic estimates; and reliance on climate projections like CMIP6, which may underestimate ice loss variability or fail historical validation.^[132]^[80] Empirical monitoring reveals no reliable range-wide abundance trends, with stable age distributions, ovulation rates (0.86–0.94), and body condition in Svalbard despite decades of breeding habitat decline, suggesting life-history plasticity and regional environmental buffering.^[131] In Alaska, observations through 2013 showed no evident drops in body condition, productivity, or survival matching early predictions of snow-driven pup mortality or prey shortages, potentially indicating lagged effects or thresholds not yet crossed.^[133] The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service's 2024 review underscores persistent climate threats but highlights data gaps, affirming the species' threatened status under the Endangered Species Act without detected population crashes.^[80]

Other Anthropogenic and Natural Influences

Ringed seals bioaccumulate persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs), primarily through their prey, with tissue concentrations showing regional variation; for example, liver samples from Svalbard seals in 2007 revealed PCB and pesticide levels 6-15 times higher than in Canadian Arctic counterparts.^[134] Local anthropogenic sources, such as historical military contamination at sites like Saglek Bay, Labrador, elevate PCB exposure in nearby seals, contributing to dominance of PCB congeners in blubber and potential endocrine disruption.^[135] ^[136] While international bans have driven declines in PCB residues—e.g., faster reductions compared to DDTs between 1972 and 1981 in Arctic populations—these contaminants persist and may impair immune and reproductive health, though causal links to population-level effects remain empirically limited.^[137] ^[138] Underwater noise from increasing Arctic shipping and oil exploration seismic surveys disturbs ringed seals, prompting avoidance reactions and elevated lair abandonment rates during winter; observations in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea documented displacement from subnivean structures following vibroseis activity.^[139] ^[140] Seals exhibit behavioral changes, such as altered dive profiles in response to ferry noise in the Baltic Sea, but tolerance thresholds exist, with impact pipe-driving audible up to 3 km underwater yet not causing permanent threshold shifts at tested levels.^[141] ^[142] Bycatch in fishing gear poses negligible risk to Arctic ringed seals due to limited overlap with intensive fisheries, though subspecies like the Saimaa ringed seal face higher juvenile mortality from gillnets, estimated at up to 90% of lethal entanglements.^[59] ^[143] Naturally, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) exert predation pressure on ringed seals, particularly pups at breathing holes, serving as a density-dependent regulator without evidence of overriding population limitation.^[1] Parasites and diseases, including phocine distemper virus and trematodes like Orthosplanchnus spp., occur as co-evolved factors with no demonstrated recent increases threatening viability; seals maintain resilience, as historical outbreaks have not caused widespread declines.^[144] ^[145] Empirical assessments confirm these natural influences remain subordinate to habitat and foraging dynamics.^[80]

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Spring diet of ringed seals (Phoca hispida) from northwestern ...
Jul 6, 2007 · Many studies of ringed seal diet have been conducted throughout its range. It feeds on a variety of fish, amphipods, euphausiids, mysids, ...Missing: peer- | Show results with:peer-
[58]
Ringed Seal | NOAA Fisheries
Behavior and Diet ... Ringed seals eat a wide variety of mostly small prey. They rarely prey on more than 10 to 15 species in any specific geographic location, ...
[59]
(PDF) Behavior of ringed seals diving under shore-fast sea ice
Frequent dives with extended periods at depth by subadult and adult seals, including lactating females, were interpreted to be foraging dives. Median dive ...
[60]
Linking ringed seal foraging behaviour to environmental variability
Apr 25, 2025 · We suggest that the foraging behaviour of Saimaa ringed seals is largely influenced by diel vertical movements and availability of fish.
[61]
Foraging ecology of ringed seals (Pusa hispida), beluga whales ...
May 18, 2015 · Prey-size selection and on-site observations found that ringed seals foraged on smaller, non-schooling cod whereas belugas and narwhals consumed ...Missing: strategies | Show results with:strategies
[62]
Multi-dietary tracer approach reveals little overlap in foraging ...
Oct 6, 2022 · Ringed seals tend to forage under the ice and dietary analyses have shown a diverse diet of fish and invertebrates, though polar cod ...
[63]
Feeding and contaminant patterns of sub-arctic and arctic ringed seals
Nov 15, 2022 · One approach to analyzing the ringed seal diet is through fatty acid (FA) analysis. Many FAs consumed by monogastric predators, such as ringed ...Missing: peer- | Show results with:peer-
[64]
Polar bear predation on ringed seals in the fast-ice of Hornsund ...
Polar bear predation on ringed seals in the fast-ice of Hornsund, Svalbard ... One of ten charges on basking seals resulted in a kill. Success rates of ...
[65]
Aspects of Predation of Seals by Polar Bears - ResearchGate
Aug 7, 2025 · ... predation on newborn ringed seal pups. ranged between. 21.1. and. 57.7%. Considering. how high the rates of predation on pup and older. seals at ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[66]
Haul-out behaviour of ringed and bearded seals in relation to ...
Antipredator behaviour of ringed seals at haul-out sites also includes lying facing both their breathing hole and downwind, and vigilance.
[67]
The Ringed Seal: Behavioral Adaptations to Seasonal Ice and Snow ...
Mar 21, 2022 · Predator avoidance appears to explain the allocation of time better than optimal foraging, at least during ice-bound periods.<|separator|>
[68]
stage-structured predation of polar bears on ringed seals - NIH
Nov 19, 2018 · How does polar bear predation during years with low ringed-seal productivity impact the ringed seal population? We created a matrix population ...
[69]
Summer habitat selection by ringed seals (Pusa hispida) in the ...
Mar 13, 2019 · This study examined habitat preferences of 18 satellite-tracked ringed seals (mostly young animals, but also a few adults) during late summer/autumn migrations ...
[70]
Seasonal Movements and Diving of Ringed Seals, <i>Pusa hispida ...
Jun 5, 2015 · Seal movements were most restricted during the winters with extensive fast ice (1999 – 2000 and 2010 – 11) and least restricted during the ...<|separator|>
[71]
Long-distance movements and associated diving behaviour of ...
Ringed seals (Pusa hispida (Schreber, 1775)) have been observed making sustained, extensive migrations (>1000 km) in the western Canadian Arctic, but ...
[72]
Ringed seal (Pusa hispida) seasonal movements, diving, and haul ...
May 5, 2020 · Sea ice also serves as a platform on which ringed seals haul out during their annual pelage molt in spring (Fay, 1974; Smith & Stirling, 1975)—a ...
[73]
Ringed seal (Pusa hispida) seasonal movements, diving, and haul ...
May 5, 2020 · Continued Arctic warming and sea-ice loss will have important implications for the conservation of ringed seals, a highly ice-dependent ...
[74]
SPRING HAUL‐OUT BEHAVIOR OF RINGED SEALS (PUSA ...
Jan 24, 2006 · Haul-out behavior of ringed seals (Pusa hispida) was investigated during the spring molting period of 2003 (May–July) in Kongsfjorden, ...
[75]
Novel terrestrial haul-out behaviour by ringed seals (Pusa hispida ...
Oct 6, 2017 · Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) are the most ice-associated of the Arctic seal species; they are born on sea ice, they moult on sea ice, they rest ...
[76]
Seasonal habitat use of ringed seals in the Thule area, northwestern ...
After the breeding season, they haul out on ice to molt in July, which is the time for ice breakup in many parts of the High Arctic (McLaren, 1958; Smith and ...
[77]
Abundance and distribution of ringed and bearded seals in the ...
We estimated there were 592 577 (95%, 478 448–733 929) ringed seals and 147 421 (95%, 114 155–190 380) bearded seals in the Chukchi Sea.
[78]
Variation in Ringed Seal (Pusa hispida) Density Along a Latitudinal ...
Jun 4, 2025 · Ringed seals ( Pusa hispida ) rely on sea ice as habitat during key periods of their life history and inhabit a broad latitudinal range with ...
[79]
[PDF] Ringed Seal Five Year Status Review - NOAA Fisheries
Feb 14, 2024 · The ESA, under section 4(c)(2), directs NMFS to review the listing classification of each listed species at least once every five years.
[80]
and environment-driven changes in Baltic ringed seal Pusa hispida ...
Jul 15, 2025 · The study used an integrated population model to assess ringed seal population trends, estimating 20,000-36,000 seals in 2024, increasing at 3- ...
[81]
Saimaa Ringed Seal Population Continues Gradual Growth
Nov 1, 2024 · Metsähallitus released the 2024 Saimaa ringed seal population estimate today, which suggests a total of slightly under 500 individuals.Missing: IUCN | Show results with:IUCN<|control11|><|separator|>
[82]
[PDF] 2022 Report of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and ...
The assessment found a mixed population trend, but generally increasing numbers. ... The assessment found Saima. Ringed Seal increased slightly while the. Ladoga ...
[83]
2024 Arctic Report Card: Ice seal populations in the Pacific ... - Climate
Dec 10, 2024 · Authors of the 2024 update to the Arctic Report Card, however, report that all four seal species currently have large, healthy populations.Missing: IUCN | Show results with:IUCN
[84]
Marine Mammal Science Ringed Seal (Pusa hispida) Abundance in ...
Oct 2, 2025 · We show a decrease of 77% in land‐fast sea ice area and a concomitant decline in ringed seal abundance of approximately 46% since 2002. During ...
[85]
Baltic ringed seal numbers increase five fold since the "toxic '70s"
Jul 17, 2025 · The Saimaa ringed seal is a species endemic to Finland but one now teetering on the edge of extinction itself, with just 500 individuals in the ...Missing: subspecies | Show results with:subspecies
[86]
(A) Projections of the ringed seal population size (scaled) from 2017...
In fact, a recent study projected median ringed seal population declines ranging from 50 to 99% by the end of the century, accompanied by substantial changes ...
[87]
Demographic, ecological, and physiological responses of ringed ...
Feb 2, 2017 · Ringed seal populations can also be negatively affected by infrequent, annual, extreme climatic conditions that exert pressure on their ...
[88]
[PDF] Biology of the Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida) in Alaska, 1960-2010
Population estimates for ringed seals are difficult to obtain due to problems related to conducting surveys over large areas of ice-covered waters far from ...
[89]
[PDF] Ringed and bearded seal densities in the eastern Chukchi Sea, 1999â
Levels of primary productivity, benthic biomass, and fast ice distribution may influence the distributions of ringed and bearded seals in the Chukchi Sea. Infor ...
[90]
Prehistoric Use of Ringed Seals: A Zooarchaeological Study from ...
Aug 10, 2025 · This paper presents new data on ringed seal hunting in the Early Palaeoeskimo period (ca. 4000–3500 B.P.) in the eastern Canadian Arctic.
[91]
Ringed Seal Uses, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Ringed seals are hunted by Alaska coastal Natives from Bristol Bay to Kaktovik for food and oil. Seal oil is an important addition to many foods for coastal ...
[92]
[PDF] Inuit spring hunting techniques and local knowledge of the ringed ...
Inuit hunting techniques used to catch ringed seals (Phoca hispida) were observed April–June 1993 on the land-fast ice of Admiralty Inlet,.
[93]
Catch history of ringed seals ( Phoca hispida ) in Canada
Jun 5, 1998 · The ringed seal (Phoca hispida) has always been a staple in the diet and household economy of Inuit in Canada.Missing: harvesting | Show results with:harvesting<|separator|>
[94]
[PDF] MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZATION OF SEALS IN GREENLAND
Seal hunting is vital in Greenland, providing food and income. Harp, ringed, and hooded seals are hunted year-round, with skins used for clothing and hunting ...<|separator|>
[95]
[PDF] MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZATION OF SEALS IN GREENLAND
The commercial skin trade in Greenland reached almost 116,000 sealskins in 2005, but has decreased to its lowest point in 2012 to 34,600 skins and an estimated ...
[96]
(PDF) Pusa hispida, Ringed Seal - ResearchGate
Sep 17, 2016 · ... harvest occurs in Greenland with nearly 100,000 taken per year in ... quotas and licensing of hunting have been in place in various ...
[97]
The commercial harvest of ice-associated seals in the Sea of ...
In most years, the harvest was predominantly represented by ringed seals (mean = 0.43, range 0.25–0.67), followed by ribbon (mean = 0.31, range 0.15–0.43), ...
[98]
[PDF] ringed seal (pusa hispida - Alaska Department of Fish and Game
May 28, 2008 · In Alaska, ringed seals average 116.3 cm in length for males and 112.1 cm for females (Lowry et al. 1982). Average body length of males is 123.0 ...<|separator|>
[99]
[PDF] Canada's Seal Harvest - Library of Parliament
Aug 9, 2017 · Data provided by DFO indicate that the destinations for Canadian seal pelt exports varied considerably between 2000 and 2015. Nevertheless ...
[100]
[PDF] Responses of ringed seals (Phoca hispida) to noise disturbance
In the spring of 1982, breathing holes and lairs were abandoned three times as often within 150 m of recent seismic survey lines as were structures at greater ...
[101]
Seal responses to airgun sounds during summer seismic surveys in ...
Aug 7, 2025 · In Alaska, pinnipeds such as ringed seals (Pusa hispida) have shown minor avoidance during seismic operations (Harris et al., 2001) . ...
[102]
[PDF] Winter Ringed Seal Density within Beaufort Sea Oil and Gas Project ...
Apr 28, 2020 · Problem. An estimate of the number of ringed seals that occur and could be disturbed within oil and gas project areas is needed to assess ...
[103]
Effects of an offshore oil development on local abundance and ...
This study investigates how densities of ringed seals were affected by construction and oil production activities at Northstar, an artificial island built ...
[104]
Direct and Indirect Effects of Oil on Ringed Seals (Phoca hispida) of ...
Three seals transported to the University of Guelph all died within 71 min after oil was introduced into their pool.Missing: conflicts gas exploration
[105]
Underwater Noise in the Arctic | PAME
Ringed seals appear more tolerant of underwater noise than whales are, but do still avoid relatively intense noises. Only two studies have examined the ...
[106]
Potential impacts of shipping noise on marine mammals in the ...
Oct 15, 2017 · Arctic marine mammals are vulnerable to increased noise because they use sound to survive and likely evolved in a relatively quiet soundscape.
[107]
Researchers explore impact of Arctic ship noise on ringed seals
Jun 24, 2022 · Research has found excess underwater noise can interfere with marine mammals' ability to perceive sounds and lead to behavioural changes and ...Missing: pollution | Show results with:pollution
[108]
Assessing potential perception of shipping noise by marine ...
Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) and ringed seals (Pusa hispida) experienced lower SPLs. Narwhals were unlikely to clearly perceive shipping noise unless ships were ...Missing: pollution | Show results with:pollution
[109]
[PDF] RINGED SEAL (PUSA HISPIDA), BEARDED SEAL ( ERIGNATHUS ...
Sep 14, 2007 · Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) protection for the ringed seal (Pusa hispida), bearded seal. (Erignathus barbatus), and spotted seal (Phoca ...
[110]
Threatened Status for the Arctic, Okhotsk, and Baltic Subspecies of ...
Dec 28, 2012 · ... ringed seal as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We will propose to designate critical habitat for the Arctic ringed seal ...
[111]
Species Profile for Ringed Seal(Phoca (=Pusa) hispida ochotensis)
Ringed Seal (Phoca (=Pusa) hispida ochotensis). Range Information |Candidate Info |Federal Register |Recovery |Critical Habitat |SSA |Conservation Plans | ...
[112]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Designation of Critical ...
Apr 1, 2022 · Arctic ringed seals are circumpolar and are found throughout ice-covered waters of the Arctic Ocean Basin and southward into adjacent seas, ...
[113]
Ringed seal
Aug 13, 2019 · Distribution. Ringed seals live in Arctic waters near ice floes and pack ice. They create a breathing hole in the ice, which lets them use ice ...
[114]
Ringed Seal: Conservation & Management - NOAA Fisheries
The ringed seal is protected throughout its range under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Ladoga, Saimaa, Arctic, Baltic and Okhotsk subspecies are depleted ...
[115]
Abundance and distribution of ringed and bearded seals in the ...
Ringed (Pusa hispida) and bearded (Erignathus barbatus) seals are vulnerable to decreasing sea ice habitat in the rapidly warming Arctic. In April and May ...<|separator|>
[116]
Revised, more accurate Baltic ringed seal count – Hunting slows ...
Jul 16, 2025 · Since its lowest point in the 1970s, the Baltic ringed seal population has grown from around 5,000 to 25,000 individuals.Missing: empirical 2020-2025
[117]
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/animals/revised-more-accurate-baltic-ringed-seal-count-hunting-slows-population-growth
[118]
Spatiotemporal variation of ringed seal blubber cortisol levels ... - NIH
Jun 17, 2022 · The trend of increased cortisol over time in Arviat ringed seals suggests that they might be experiencing greater chronic stress over time.
[119]
Proposed Threatened Status for Subspecies of the Ringed Seal
Dec 10, 2010 · Based on aerial surveys, ringed seal abundance in the Sea of Okhotsk from 1968-1990 was estimated at between 676,000 and 855,000 seals. These ...
[120]
State of Alaska v. National Marine Fisheries Service - Complaint for ...
Nov 16, 2022 · NMFS issued its final rule listing the Arctic population of ringed seal as a. “threatened” species under the ESA on December 28, 2012. See ...
[121]
State, NSB challenge ringed seal's threatened status | The Nome ...
... ESA listing remains controversial. Frost said that the motivations to protect ringed seals might be good, but she was personally not sure if an ESA listing ...
[122]
'Threatened' status for Arctic ringed seals under ESA makes no sense
Jan 14, 2015 · There are few precise data on ringed seal population sizes (and no indication that populations have gone down in recent years). This means ...Missing: controversies | Show results with:controversies
[123]
90-Day Finding On A Petition To Delist The Arctic Subspecies Of ...
Nov 27, 2020 · NOAA Fisheries has concluded that a petition to delist the Arctic ringed seal under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) does not present ...Missing: controversy | Show results with:controversy
[124]
Alaska Files to Remove Ringed Seal from Endangered Species List
Nov 17, 2022 · “NMFS' decision to list ringed seals was not a rational application of the Endangered Species Act” said Alaska Department of Fish and Game ...Missing: controversy | Show results with:controversy
[125]
State, North Slope Borough file lawsuit seeking to remove ringed ...
Nov 23, 2022 · The State of Alaska and the North Slope Borough have sued the federal government to remove ringed seals' Endangered Species Act protections.
[126]
Alaska Proves Seal Critical Habitat Unlawful
Oct 10, 2024 · In 2012, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) listed two Arctic marine seals – the bearded seal and the ringed seal – as threatened ...
[127]
Harvest sustainability assessments need rethinking under climate ...
Oct 8, 2024 · Despite the obvious conservation concerns, ringed seals are hunted throughout the Arctic without quotas on the numbers taken (Laidre et al., ...
[128]
Lawsuit Launched to Protect Ringed, Bearded Seals in the Arctic
Oct 4, 2023 · Willow and other fossil fuel extraction projects threaten the seals with harmful noise pollution and oil spills and add to the human-caused ...
[129]
Appeals court backs NMFS decision rejecting Alaska effort to ...
Jul 13, 2025 · A federal appeals court on Friday affirmed the National Marine Fisheries Service's 2024 decision rejecting attempts to strip Arctic ringed seals of Endangered ...
[130]
Stable ringed seal (Pusa hispida) demography despite significant ...
Apr 30, 2021 · Ringed seal (Pusa hispida) diet on the west coast of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway: during a time of ecosystem change. Polar Biology 43, 773–788 ...
[131]
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/5391
[132]
[PDF] Ringed seals and climate change: early predictions versus recent ...
Using ringed seals, the most ice adapted Arctic marine mammal, as a specific example, we will explore how recent observations compare with predictions.Missing: empirical | Show results with:empirical
[133]
Pollutants in ringed seals - MOSJ
Nov 12, 2024 · Studies from 2007 showed that levels of PCBs, brominated flame retardants and pesticides in the liver of ringed seals are 6-15 times higher in ...
[134]
[PDF] PCB-related exposure and effects in ringed seals (Pusa hispida ...
This thesis demonstrated the extent to which a local PCB source at Saglek Bay led to the contamination and health effects in ringed seals. The dominance of PCBs ...<|separator|>
[135]
Do Arctic local sources of pollution influence the exposure of ringed ...
Apr 28, 2025 · Together these examples suggest that local sources might influence the levels and patterns of contaminants in ringed seals and related species, ...
[136]
PCBs have declined more than the DDT group residues in Arctic ...
PCBs have declined more than the DDT group residues in Arctic ringed seals (Phoca hispida) between 1972 and 1981. Click to copy article linkArticle link copied!
[137]
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Sex Hormone ... - NIH
Feb 27, 2020 · As with other predators, seals are exposed to elevated bioaccumulated concentrations of PCBs and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
[138]
[PDF] Ringed Seal Winter Ecology and Effects of Noise Disturbance
Ringed seals abandon subnivean breathing holes and lairs at higher than normal rates in response to seismic (Vibroseis) surveying and, probably, ...Missing: shipping | Show results with:shipping
[139]
[PDF] Studies of Ringed Seals in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea during Winter
Dec 31, 1982 · Thus, the only available data indicated that seismic exploratory activity did result in the displacement of seals. Seismic exploration is a ...
[140]
[PDF] Underwater noise impact of a ferry route on dive patterns of ...
Dec 3, 2022 · Ringed seals' dive profiles were studied for the presence of avoidance reactions in response to ship-radiated noise. As a result, some dive ...
[141]
Tolerance by ringed seals (Phoca hispida) to impact pipe-driving ...
Apr 16, 2004 · Based on current audiometric data for seals, these sounds are expected to be audible to less than 3 km underwater and at least 0.5 km in air.<|separator|>
[142]
Effects of fishing restrictions on the recovery of the endangered ...
Dec 5, 2024 · Saimaa ringed seals are most vulnerable to bycatch mortality as juveniles, and 90% of lethal entanglements are caused by gillnets. Bycatch ...
[143]
[PDF] Status Review of the Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)
Dec 3, 2010 · numbers only reflect the commercial harvest conducted by the fishing industry and procurement ... harvest quotas throughout the year except ...
[144]
[PDF] The natural history and ecology and ecology of the bearded seal ...
Apr 25, 1976 · In addition to man, predators of ringed seals include polar ... Parasites reported from the ringed seal. Trematoda. ,. Orthosplanchi:l ...