Effect of water turbidity on the visual acuity of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina)

Tidal Influence on the Haul-out Behavior of Harbor Seals (phoca Vitulina) at a Site Available at All Tide Levels

Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina) are the most abundant and widespread seal species in Washington State. Most seal haul-out sites are unavailable at high tide, hence abundance estimates are conducted at low tide when it is commonly accepted that most seals are hauled-out. On sites unaffected by tides, however, it is less clear whether tide level has an effect on seal abundance. We counted hauled-ou...

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in North-eastern Atlantic harbor seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina) and grey seal (Halichoerus grypus).

Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were determined in serum samples from 47 grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and 56 harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) from the Atlantic coasts of United Kingdom and France. Antibodies to T. gondii assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT) were found in 14 (13.6%; IC(95%): 7.0-20.2) of 103 seals tested, with titres of 1:25 in 13 seals and 1:50 in 1 seal. S...

Corneal topography, refractive state, and accommodation in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina)

Corneal topography of a harbor seal measured with a Placido's disc shows a central flattened stripe in the vertical meridian. Together with a pupil that can form a vertical slit, the flat vertical meridian can minimize the optical effects caused by the transition from water to air. Using infrared (IR) photoretinoscopy, we analyzed the refractive state of harbor seals and revealed a high degree ...

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in southern Puget Sound, Washington.

As part of the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, serum samples from 380 harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) were tested for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in the modified agglutination test (MAT) incorporating formalin-fixed tachyzoites and mercaptoethanol. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 29 of 380 (7.6%) seals with titers of 1:25 in 13, ...

Arsenic speciation in bodily fluids of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)