title: The distribution of hauled-out ringed seals and an interpretation of Taylor's law.
abstract: The sizes of the groups in which ringed seals (Phoca hispida) haul out were studied from aerial survey data from a wide area of the Canadian Arctic. Densities of hauled-out ringed seals varied over a wide range, but the mean group size was comparatively constant. Ringed seal distribution data obeyed Taylor's law of variation; about half the increase in aggregation with density was due to change in group size, and half to increasingly clumpy distribution of groups.
authors.affiliation: Arctic Management Research, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 501 University Crescent, R3T 2N6, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael C S
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kingsley
keywords: Density; Distribution; Group size; Ringed seal; Taylor's law