Grey Seal surveys in the Wadden Sea and Helgoland in 2014-2015

The first aerial surveys in Denmark

During the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) pupping season in the winter of 2014-2015, the Danish, Dutch and German Wadden Sea areas were surveyed by means of coordinated aerial and boat counts. On Helgoland (Germany), surveys were carried out from land, whilst in Schleswig-Holstein the pup counts were conducted either from land or by boat. Furthermore, in the spring of 2015, dedicated grey seal aerial surveys were carried out during the moulting period (March-April) throughout the Wadden sea area. For the Danish Wadden Sea it was the first time that dedicated grey seals surveys were performed.

Authors: Sophie Brasseur, Richard Czeck, Anders Galatius, Lasse Fast Jensen, Armin Jeß, Peter Körber, Ursula Siebert, Jonas Teilmann, Sascha Klöpper