| Project data | |
|---|---|
| Project leader: | Prof. Prof. h. c. Dr. Ursula Siebert |
| Scientific staff: | Dr. Isabel Avila |
| Project term: | 02.11.23-30.09.24 |
| Sponsorship: | National Park Administration "Lower Saxony Wadden Sea", Wilhelmshaven |
Project description
The aim of the project is a survey of the local grey seal population in the entire Lower Saxony and Hamburg Wadden Sea during the birthing season (November-December) 2023 and at the time of the fur change (March-April) 2024.
On five trilaterally coordinated dates (three during the birthing season; two during the fur-change period), airborne surveys will be conducted with a single-engine aircraft. During the aerial surveys of the tidal flats, a high-resolution SLR camera will be used to photograph the haul-outs. In order to determine the number of young born as well as the total population, the photos taken are subsequently analyzed on the computer.
