Using claws to compare reproduction, stress and diet of female bearded and ringed seals in the Bering and Chukchi seas, Alaska, between 1953-1968 and 1998-2014.

ABSTRACT: Rapid climate warming is decreasing sea ice thickness, extent and duration. Marine mammals such as bearded (Erignathus barbatus) and ringed (Pusa hispida) seals, which use sea ice for pupping, molting and resting, may be negatively affected. Claws from bearded and ringed seals store up to 14 and 12 years of sequential analyte data, respectively. These data can be used to compare reproduction, stress and diet across decades. In this study, we compare progesterone, cortisol and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in female bearded and ringed seals during 1953-1968 (pre-1968, a period prior to sea ice decline) to 1998-2014 (post-1998, a period during sea ice decline). When comparing these periods, bearded seals had statistically higher cortisol concentrations post-1998, and for

SUBMITTER: Crain DD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7786451 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature