Loyal Seals: Foraging Habits Persist Despite Decades of Ocean Change

How do long-lived animals cope with a changing world? A study tracking grey seals off Canada's east coast from 1995 to 2018 reveals a robust strategy. Researchers fitted 22 seals with tracking devices over multiple years, observing a behaviour known as 'habitat fidelity'—a tendency to return to the same places.

The seals showed a high degree of loyalty to their large, overall home ranges. Curiously, the smaller 'core areas' they used most intensively often changed between years. However, the most vital discovery was that the specific types of areas where they foraged were highly consistent over the long term. These spots were identified by tracking movements that suggested area-restricted searching for food.

This steadfast commitment to familiar foraging grounds persisted even as their ecosystem underwent significant change. This suggests a resilient behavioural strategy, helping us understand how predators might navigate future environmental challenges.