item 721
[25-11-2011 to 01-12-2011]
News Item:
Are Scotland’s mating harbour seals being attracted by propeller sounds?
In a segment aired this past Tuesday 22 November, Dr Dave Thompson (SMRU) talked with the BBC One Show about new field research investigating the possibility that during their mating season, female harbour seals are being inappropriately attracted by the sound of boat propellers, mistaking them for the mating call of the male harbour seal.
The results are usually fatal for the seals, and Dave Thompson’s research looks to test recordings of real mating calls and propeller sounds in the open sea. For four more days, his segment can be heard on the BBC iPlayer (20.28 to 25.03):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b017mr09/The_One_Show_22_11_2011/?t=20m