Dietary composition and sources of variability in emerging offshore grey seal colonies in the Northwest Atlantic

Project Context and Objectives This dataset was created as part of a project aimed at improving our understanding of the foraging ecology of the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) in the Northwest Atlantic. The substantial growth of this population over recent decades as well as the emergence of offshore colonies in the archipelago of the Magdalen Islands has raised concerns regarding their interactions with commercially important fish species in these newly dominant colonies. This data was used in the rendering of the scientific article by Irani et al. (2026) found it the cited literature attached. The article aims to characterize the diet of grey seals in these emerging offshore colonies of the Magdalen Islands and compare them to coastal colonies in the southern Gulf, in order to support ecosystem-based fisheries management and inform discussions related to human–wildlife conflicts. Methodology and Data Collection As part of scientific and commercial harvesting activities, between 2015 and 2023, 496 grey seals were sampled across three regions of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence - the Magdalen Islands, Miramichi Bay, and the Northumberland Strait - during the fall, and during the…

Publisher

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Resources

3

Catalogue metadata updated

2026-05-20