Editing Grey seal (section)

==Diet==
[[File:Grey seal food web.png|thumb|left| {{center|Grey seal [[food web]] in the [[Baltic Sea]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Karlson |first1=A.M. |last2=Gorokhova |first2=E. |last3=Gårdmark |first3=A. |last4=Pekcan-Hekim |first4=Z. |last5=Casini |first5=M. |last6=Albertsson |first6=J. |last7=Sundelin |first7=B. |last8=Karlsson |first8=O. |last9=Bergström |first9=L. |year=2020 |title=Linking consumer physiological status to food-web structure and prey food value in the Baltic Sea |journal=Ambio |volume=49 |issue=2 |pages=391–406 |doi=10.1007/s13280-019-01201-1|pmid=31168701 |pmc=6965491 |bibcode=2020Ambio..49..391K }}</ref>}}]]
[[File:Monitoring grey seals in Pembrokeshire, Wales.webm|thumb|A short video on monitoring and conservation of grey seals at Skomer Island]]
[[File:Grey seal feeding Skansen.jpg|thumb|Captive grey seal being fed, showing snout shape]]

The grey seal feeds on a wide variety of [[fish]], mostly [[benthic]] or [[demersal]] species, taken at depths down to 70&nbsp;m (230&nbsp;ft) or more. [[Sand eel]]s (''Ammodytes spp'') are important in its diet in many localities. [[Cod]] and other [[gadidae|gadids]], [[flatfish]], [[herring]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ices.dk/sites/pub/CM%20Doccuments/CM-2007/C/C1207.pdf|title=How does hunting grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) on Bothnian Bay spring ice influence the structure of seal and fish stocks? |first=Olavi |last=Stenman |year=2007 |publisher=[[International Council for the Exploration of the Sea]] |access-date=23 January 2017 |quote=Analysis of fish otolithes and other hard particles in the alimentary tract showed clearly that the herring (''Clupea harengus'') was the most important item of prey.}}</ref> [[wrasse]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Ridoux|first1=Vincent|last2=Spitz |first2= J.|last3= Vincent|first3=Cecile  |last4=Walton |first4=M. J. |date= 2007|title=Grey seal diet at the southern limit of its European distribution: combining dietary analyses and fatty acid profiles |url=http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2007/publication-3573.pdf |journal= Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom|volume= 87|issue=1 |pages=255–264 |doi=10.1017/S002531540705463X |bibcode=2007JMBUK..87..255R |s2cid=55465507|access-date=24 January 2017 }}</ref> and [[Skate (fish)|skate]]s<ref>{{cite book|first1=Claude |last1=Savenkoff |first2=Lyne |last2=Morissette |first3=Martin |last3=Castonguay |first4=Douglas P. |last4=Swain |first5=Mike O. |last5=Hammill |first6=Denis |last6=Chabot |first7=J. Mark |last7=Hanson|title=Ecosystem Ecology Research Trends |chapter=Interactions between Marine Mammals and Fisheries: Implications for Cod Recovery |editor1-first=Junying |editor1-last=Chen |editor2-first=Chuguang |editor2-last=Guo|publisher=Nova Science Publishers |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-60456-183-8 |page=130 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AH9JghsCN0gC&pg=PA130}}</ref> are also important locally. However, it is clear that the grey seal will eat whatever is available, including [[octopus]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/nature/sites/species/mammals/grey_seals.shtml|title=Grey seal |work=Wales Nature & Outdoors |publisher=[[BBC Wales]] |date=25 February 2011 |access-date=20 November 2011}}</ref> and [[lobster]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/environment-geography/flora-fauna/flora-and-fauna-of-wexfor/fauna-of-the-wexford-slob/the-grey-seal/ |title=The Grey Seal |work=Ask about Ireland |access-date=20 November 2011}}</ref> The average daily food requirement is estimated to be 5&nbsp;kg (11&nbsp;lb), though the seal does not feed every day and it fasts during the breeding season.

Recent observations and studies from Scotland, The Netherlands, and Germany show that grey seals will also prey and feed on large animals like [[harbour seal]]s and [[harbour porpoise]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Exposing the grey seal as a major predator of harbour porpoises |first1=Mardik F. |last1=Leopold |first2=Lineke |last2=Begeman |first3=Judith D. L. |last3=van Bleijswijk |first4=Lonneke L. |last4=IJsseldijk |first5=Harry J. |last5=Witte |first6=Andrea |last6=Gröne |journal=[[Proceedings of the Royal Society]] |volume=282 |issue=1798|pages=20142429 |year=2014|doi=10.1098/rspb.2014.2429 |pmid=25429021 |pmc=4262184 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') predation on harbour seals (''Phoca vitulina'') on the island of Helgoland, Germany |first1=Abbo |last1=van Neer |first2=Lasse F. |last2=Jensen |first3=Ursula |last3=Siebert |journal=[[Journal of Sea Research]] |volume=97 |doi=10.1016/j.seares.2014.11.006 |pages=1–4|year=2015 |bibcode=2015JSR....97....1V }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Kegelrobben mit großem Appetit auf Schweinswale |trans-title=Grey seals with a great appetite for porpoises |language=de |first=Angelika |last=Hillmer |work=[[Hamburger Abendblatt]] |date=16 February 2015}}</ref> In 2014, a male grey seal in the [[North Sea]] was documented and filmed killing and cannibalising 11 pups of his own species over the course of a week. Similar wounds on the carcasses of pups found elsewhere in the region suggest that [[cannibalism]] and [[infanticide]] may not be uncommon in grey seals. Male grey seals may engage in such behaviour potentially as a way of increasing reproductive success through access to easy prey without leaving prime territory.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2077441-first-video-footage-of-seal-drowning-and-eating-a-pup/ |title=First video footage of seal drowning and eating a pup |website=New Scientist |date=15 February 2016 |last1=Gabbatiss |first1=Josh}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bishop |first1=A. M. |title=Cannibalism by a male grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) in the North Sea Cannibalism by a male grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) in the North Sea |journal=Aquatic Mammals |date=2016 |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=137–143 |doi=10.1578/AM.42.2.2016.137 |url=https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/cannibalism-by-a-male-grey-seal-halichoerus-grypus-in-the-north-sea/|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

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