4. Discussion
We successfully assigned \(\text{PS}_{i}\) values to 1,083 scat collected from five different locations over the course of four non-sequential years (Table S1, Figure 1) (Voelker et al. 2018). As measured by repeated cross-sectional sampling and a specialization metric (\(\text{PS}_{i}\)), the overall level of intrapopulation feeding diversity in the region was high (\(\text{PS}_{i}\)= 0.399, 95% CI = 0.026, R = 100,000). Further, Month, Sex, and Location were all important factors influencing this feeding diversity. Interestingly, Month and Sex had a significant interaction. Habitat of an individual’s primary prey also seemed to have an impact on relative specialization suggesting that seasonal and sex-specific patterns in the use of benthic vs pelagic were the underlying cause for the observed intrapopulation feeding diversity. These indications of intrapopulation feeding diversity suggest the feeding ecology of harbor seals in the Salish Sea is complex and that prey species of concern may be impacted differently by each sex.