Factors Affecting Haul-Out of Harbor Seals at a Site in Southeastern Massachusetts
Schneider DC and Payne PM. 1983. Factors Affecting Haul-Out of Harbor Seals at a Site in Southeastern Massachusetts. Journal of Mammalogy. 64(3):518-520
Throughout the year, harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) haul out on different types of substrate such as beaches or intertidal ledges. The factors that influence this behavior have been suggested by various investigators and include tide, wave intensity, disturbance, and wind chill. This study used multivariate analysis to describe the effects of certain environmental variables on the number of seals who haul-out at Stage Point in southeastern Massachusetts. The area was divided into four sections that differed in amount of exposure to northeast storms. From November 1979 to May 1980, daily counts were made, with more intensive counts done near the middle of each month. At the same time, seven environmental variables were documented: stage of tide, wind speed and direction, air temperature, sky cover, wave height, and disturbance.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Schneider, David; Payne, P
- Units
- CACO
- Keywords
- Air Temperature, Animal Studies, Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina), Physical Characteristics, Seals, Tides, Waves, Wind