Aerial surveys of Harbour Seals in the Wadden Sea in 2013: Is the population growth rate slowing down?

In 2013 the coordinated aerial surveys for harbour seal counts of the entire Wadden Sea were performed as in previous years (started in 1975). The counts are synchronised between the three Wadden Sea countries: Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands in order to obtain a single estimate for the number of harbour seals in the entire Wadden Sea and the number of pups born. Seals are counted when hauling out on sandbanks and counts are carried out when low-tide occurs during midday.