Bearded Seal
Erignathus barbatus

Where do bearded seals live?

Bearded seals live in polar regions between 45°N and 85°N. In Alaska waters, they are found over the shallow (less than 200 m deep) continental shelf of the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas. Bearded seals use sea ice to rest, give birth, and molt. Their habitat choice has made them sensitive to changes in the environment that affect the timing and extent of sea ice formation and breakup. Bearded seals generally prefer pack ice habitats with many cracks or leads in the ice. Some seals move north in the spring and spend the summer along the ice edge in the Chukchi Sea, while others appear to remain in open water areas of the Bering and Chukchi Seas during this time.

What do bearded seals eat?

Bearded seals are benthic feeders, feeding on crustaceans, mollusks, flounders, sculpins, and cod.

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