Absence of Genetic Variation in Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Dutch Wadden Sea and the British Wash

It is relevant to determine the genetic variation of the reduced population of harbor seals in the Dutch Wadden Sea. A straightforward method to investigate the level of genetic variation is the electrophoretic assay of proteins. We describe the results of the electrophoretic assessment of allozyme variation in two populations of the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina), one originating from the Dutch Wadden Sea and one from the British Wash. The latter population has not experienced as severe a reduction in population size as has occurred in the Wadden Sea population.