MSc. Linda Westphal
since 2017 | Research scientist in the project „Grey seals of the German Baltic Sea – Habitat use, development of haul-out sites, site fidelity and analysis of potential disturbance” |
2016 – 2017 | Research assistant at the German Oceanographic Museum in the working group for marine mammals |
2014 - 2016 | Study of marine biology at the University of Rostock Master thesis: „Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania: Establishment of Photo-Id for population monitoring“ |
2011 - 2014 | Study of biology and geography at the University of Wuppertal, Bachelor thesis: „Social structure analysis in lion-tail macaque (Macaca Silenus) in the Zoological Gardens in Wuppertal” |
Photo-ID of Grey Seals for Population Monitoring
Disections of Marine Mammals
Public Relations
Publications
Westphal, L, Klemens, L, Reif, F, van Neer, A, & Dähne, M (2023). First evidence of grey seal predation on marine mammals in the German Baltic Sea. Journal of Sea Research, 102350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2023.102350
Westphal L, Liebschner A (2021) Unbestreitbar – ein Stück Wildnis ist zurück (Kegelrobben in der Ostsee). SEEVÖGEL, 42.2/3., 6-9. Online.
Galatius A,Teilmann J, Dähne M, Ahola M, Westphal L, Kyhn LA, Pawliczka I, Olsen MT, Dietz R (2020) Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) recolonisation of the southern Baltic Sea, Danish Straits and Kattegat. Wildlife Biology 4. wlb00711. Online
Dannenberger D, Möller R, Westphal L, Moritz T, Dähne M, Grunow B (2020) Fatty Acid Composition in Blubber, Liver, and Muscle of Marine Mammals in the Southern Baltic Sea. Animals 10 (9) 1509. Online.
v. Nordheim, H., Westphal, L., Dähne, M. (2019) 2018: Erstmaliger Nachweis von Kegelrobbengeburten in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Natur und Landschaft 94 (8) 339-345. Online.
Conferences
Westphal, L., von Nordheim, H., Dähne, M. (2019): Did grey seals reproduce in the German Baltic Sea before their extinction in 1920? Conference contribution at the World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, 9th – 12th December 2019
Bär, T., Westphal, L., Benke, H. Dähne, M. (2019): When is a peak in strandings relevant? 30 years of carcass collection provide basis for detecting exceptional events. Conference contribution at the World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, 6th – 12th December 2019
Westphal, L., von Nordheim, H., Liebschner, A., H., Dähne, M. (2019): Grey seals in the German Baltic Sea: conservation, research and monitoring of Germany’s largest marine predator. Conference contribution at the Wildlife Research and Conservation, Berlin, 29th September – 1st October 2019
Westphal, L., Vietinghoff, V., Brüggemann, A., von Nordheim, H., Benke, H., Dähne, M. (2018): Increased strandings of dead grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in fall 2017 in Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania: Pathological investigation, legal situation and consequences. Conference contribution at the 111th Annual Meeting of the German Zoological Society, Greifswald, 10th – 14th September 2018
Westphal, L., von Vietinghoff, V., Benke, H., von Nordheim, H., Dähne, M. (2018): 12 fatal weeks - elevated grey seal casualties in the German Baltic Sea in autumn 2017. Poster presented at the 32st Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, La Spezia, Italy, 6th - 10th April 2018
Westphal, L., Gallus, A., von Nordheim, H., Dähne, M. (2017): Photo-ID aids monitoring grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) return to their historical sites after absence for 80 years in the German Baltic Sea, Poster presented at the 31st Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, Middelfart, Denmark, 29th April – 3rd May 2017
Grey seals are returning after years of absence to our coasts. Photo-ID of grey seals is used to monitor this process, to evaluate site fidelity of the animals and to establish a baseline for conservation purposes.
Memberships
European Cetacean Society (since 2016)
Society for Marine Mammalogy (since 2016)
