Stomachs of 134 ringed seals from West Svalbard (Kongsfjorden) and Eas
t Svalbard (drift ice) were examined. Twenty-four prey taxa were found
. The most important items were arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), shrimp
(Pandalus borealis), krill (Thysanoessa inermis) and the amphipod Them
isto libellula. In spring young redfish (Sebastes sp.) was an importan
t food item; in summer seals fed on dense aggregations of krill in fro
nt of glaciers. Mysids, amphipod crustaceans and small size classes of
coastal fish species were abundant in Kongsfjorden, but seals take th
em as secondary food items only.