Université de Sherbrooke
M.Sc. candidate
Supervisor: Fanie Pelletier
Xavier Bordeleau, Ministère Pêches et Océans Canada
Start: 2022-01-10
End: 2024-08-23
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Project

Effect of spatiotemporal environmental variation on growth in harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) pups in the St. Lawrence Estuary
Life history trait theory predicts that individuals must make trade-offs between different costly traits such as survival or growth. Resource availability can have a large effect on these tradeoffs. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) adopt an income-based resource use tactic during reproduction, i.e., females feed at sea during lactation. Thus, the environment has the potential to play a large role on juvenile growth, which is critical during this period. In particular, poor growth rate early in life can affect survival to weaning. The objective of my study is to estimate individual growth rates in harbor seal pups. Then, I will analyze whether there are spatial and temporal differences in these rates and if so, I will attempt to identify the environmental factors responsible for this variation.

Keywords

Phoque commun, Dynamique éco-évolutive, croissance, Estuaire du Saint-Laurent, Variation spatio-temporelle , Trait d'histoire de vie