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| tees_estuary_and_coast_seals [2026/08/11 07:39] – [Seals as Protected Marine Species] nefcadmin | tees_estuary_and_coast_seals [2026/08/11 08:53] (current) – [Harbour Seals] nefcadmin |
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| Both species of seals are protected - [[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protected-marine-species/seals|MMO - Guidance Protected Marine Species - Seals]] | Both species of seals are protected - [[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protected-marine-species/seals|MMO - Guidance Protected Marine Species - Seals]] |
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| ===== Current state of harbour seals in the Tees ===== | ===== Harbour Seals ===== |
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| | Harbour seals are present in many parts of the UK, with the smallest breeding colony at Seal Sands. In 2014 the Seal Mammal Research Unit published "Seal at-sea distribution, movements and behaviour" which included telemetry on the movements of 239 over 1 year old harbour seals around the UK. |
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| | {{ :1403harbour_seals_dispositions_around_uk.png?nolink&600 |}} |
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| | Only one of the seals studied visited the Tees, the total harbour seal population was over 6,000 in 2014, so this does not mean that no seals visit the Tees. However, it does suggest that the normal foraging range of the Tees seals hardly overlaps with the other populations, meaning that harbour seal pups stranding locally to the Tees will have been born at Seal Sands. |
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| | ==== Current state of harbour seals in the Tees ==== |
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| The Tees Estuary Seal Survey project [[https://www.sealresearch.org/research/tess-seal-pup-crowdfunding-project|TESS]] concludes that almost all the harbour seal pups born at Seal Sand die soon after weaning. While death symptoms may differ (mouth rot, emaciation, ...) an underlying cause is likely to be the high levels of PCBs found in their blubber post-mortem. PCBs are known to cause immunosuppression and failure to thrive in harbour seals, so it seems an open and shut case. However, the counter narrative is that the seals on the Tees are thriving and in terms of adult numbers, their population is expanding in the UK. Mouth rot is found around the UK and the epidemiological argument is that the Tees population is so small that it is not possible to make such a statement. Defra has funded work to identify the novel virus that causes mouth rot and to develop a lateral flow test for that virus. INCA stated that there is nothing different about harbour seal pups on the Tees, "baby seals are always dying". Anyway it looks like all the harbour seal pups are stranding so some sort of local seal rehabilitation provision is essential. There was an attempt this year raise funding for a suitable simple facility in Hartlepool because by the time our seals strand most rehabilitation spaces are filled, and some would not survive the long journeys to any available places. | The Tees Estuary Seal Survey project [[https://www.sealresearch.org/research/tess-seal-pup-crowdfunding-project|TESS]] concludes that almost all the harbour seal pups born at Seal Sand die soon after weaning. While death symptoms may differ (mouth rot, emaciation, ...) an underlying cause is likely to be the high levels of PCBs found in their blubber post-mortem. PCBs are known to cause immunosuppression and failure to thrive in harbour seals, so it seems an open and shut case. However, the counter narrative is that the seals on the Tees are thriving and in terms of adult numbers, their population is expanding in the UK. Mouth rot is found around the UK and the epidemiological argument is that the Tees population is so small that it is not possible to make such a statement. Defra has funded work to identify the novel virus that causes mouth rot and to develop a lateral flow test for that virus. INCA stated that there is nothing different about harbour seal pups on the Tees, "baby seals are always dying". Anyway it looks like all the harbour seal pups are stranding so some sort of local seal rehabilitation provision is essential. There was an attempt this year raise funding for a suitable simple facility in Hartlepool because by the time our seals strand most rehabilitation spaces are filled, and some would not survive the long journeys to any available places. |
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| ===== Selection of News Stories ===== | ===== Selection of News Stories and Blog Posts ===== |
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| 8th September 2022 - [[https://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/news/pressreleases_story.cfm?story_id=8025|Record number of seals found on Teesside's shores with new research underway to find out why]] | 8th September 2022 - [[https://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/news/pressreleases_story.cfm?story_id=8025|Record number of seals found on Teesside's shores with new research underway to find out why]] |
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| | 31st March 2023 - [[https://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/news/pressreleases_story.cfm?story_id=8197|A boost for marine disease ecology at Teesside University]] |
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| 23rd September 2023 - [[https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/teesmouth-seals-thriving-or-dying/|Teesmouth seals thriving or dying?]] | 23rd September 2023 - [[https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/teesmouth-seals-thriving-or-dying/|Teesmouth seals thriving or dying?]] |
