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Harbor Seal Pup

The Polar Ecosystems Program conducts research and monitoring on pinnipeds in the Arctic, sub-Arctic, and Antarctic marine ecosystems. The research projects focus primarily on abundance, trends, distribution, and foraging behavior of harbor, bearded, ringed, spotted, and ribbon seals in Alaska. The primary objectives of the program are to support management and assessment of population status under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and to gain a better understanding of the factors responsible for the dynamics of populations and their roles in the ecosystem. 

Program Leader: Peter Boveng

Recent Reports, Publications, and Posters

Recent Cruises & Projects Quarterly Reports Publications
  • WADE, P. R., J. M. Ver HOEF, and D. P. DeMASTER. 2009. Mammal-eating killer whales and their prey-trend data for pinnipeds and sea otters in the North Pacific Ocean do not support the sequential megafaunal collapse hypothesis. Mar. Mammal Sci. 25(3):737-747. 
     
  • BOVENG, P. L., J. L. BENGTSON, T. W. BUCKLEY, M. F. CAMERON, S. P. DAHLE, B. P. KELLY, B. A. MEGREY, J. E. OVERLAND, and N. J. WILLIAMSON. 2009. Status review of the spotted seal (Phoca largha). U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-AFSC-200, 153 p. (.pdf, 7.13 MB).  Online.
     
  • CRESSIE, N., C. A. CALDER, J. S. CLARK, J. M. Ver HOEF, and C. K. WIKLE. 2009. Accounting for uncertainty in ecological analysis: the strengths and limitations of hierarchical statistical modeling. Ecol. Appl. 19:553-570. 
     
  • ANGLISS, R. P., and B. M. ALLEN. 2009. Alaska marine mammal stock assessments, 2008. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-AFSC-193, 258 p. (.pdf, 14.4MB).  Online.
     
  • YANO, K. M., J. Y. TINGG, and C. W. FOWLER. 2009. Northern fur seal rookery photo archive: Aerial and ground-level photos, Pribilof Islands, Alaska, 1895 - 2006. AFSC Processed Rep. 2009-03, 62 p. Alaska Fish. Sci. Cent., NOAA, Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle WA 98115. (.pdf, 4.3 MB).  Online.
     
  • TOWELL, R. G., R. R. REAM, C. W. FOWLER, J. T. STERLING, L. W. FRITZ, and J. L. BENGTSON. 2008. Population assessment of northern fur seals on the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, 2006-2007, p. 8-25. In J. W. Testa (editor), Fur Seal Investigations, 2006-2007. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-AFSC-188. 
     
  • JOHNSON, D. S., D. L. THOMAS, J. M. Ver HOEF, and A. CHRIST. 2008. A general framework for the analysis of animal resource selection from telemetry data. Biometrics 64:968-976. 
     
  • SMALL, R. J., P. L. BOVENG, G. V. BYRD, and D. E. WITHROW. 2008. Harbor seal population decline in the Aleutian Archipelago. Mar. Mammal Sci. 24(4):845-863. 
     
  • Additional recent Polar Ecosystems Program publications


Posters
  • How Close Is Too Close? Acting on Short-term Disturbance to Seals Amidst Uncertainty About Long-term Impacts and Vessel Compliance Under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
    By:  JOHN JANSEN, PETER BOVENG, SHAWN DAHLE, GAVIN BRADY, JAY Ver HOEF, JOHN BENGTSON, KAJA BRIX, ALERIA JENSEN
    Conference:  Biology of Marine Mammals 18th Biennial Conf., Society for Marine Mammalogy, Quebec City, Canada, Oct 2009
    (2009 poster, .pdf, 650KB)   Online.
     
  • Seasonal Movements, Habitat Selection, Foraging and Haul-out Behavior of Adult Bearded Seals
    By:  MICHAEL CAMERON, PETER BOVENG, JOHN GOODWIN, ALEX WHITING
    Conference:  Biology of Marine Mammals 18th Biennial Conf., Society for Marine Mammalogy, Quebec City, Canada, Oct 2009
    (2009 poster, .pdf, 647KB)   Online.
     
  • Long-Term Satellite Telemetry Records Provide New Insights About Ice-Associated Seal Habitat Preference and Breeding Site Fidelity
    By:  PETER L. BOVENG, JOSH M. LONDON, MICHAEL F. CAMERON, BRENDAN P. KELLY
    Conference:  Biology of Marine Mammals 18th Biennial Conf., Society for Marine Mammalogy, Quebec City, Canada, Oct 2009
    (2009 poster, .pdf, 266KB)   Online.
     
  • Treading on Thin Ice: Predicting Impacts of Sea-ice Reduction on Ice-associated Seals
    By:  SHAWN P. DAHLE, PETER L. BOVENG, MICHAEL F. CAMERON
    Conference:  Biology of Marine Mammals 18th Biennial Conf., Society for Marine Mammalogy, Quebec City, Canada, Oct 2009
    (2009 poster, .pdf, 2.53MB)   Online.
     
  • The Role of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Monitoring Ice-Associated Seals
    By:  ERIN E. MORELAND, MICHAEL F. CAMERON, PETER L. BOVENG, JOSH M. LONDON, LISA HIRUKI-RARING
    Conference:  Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, AK, Jan 2009
    (2009 poster, .pdf, 1.92MB)   Online.
     
  • A Comprehensive Approach for Estimating Harbor Seal Abundance in Alaska
    By:  JOSH M. LONDON, PETER L. BOVENG, JAY M. VER HOEF, JOHN K. JANSEN, KYMBERLY M. YANO, LUCIANA SANTOS
    Conference:  Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, AK, Jan 2009
    (2009 poster, .pdf, 1.21MB)   Online.
     
  • Seasonal Movements, Habitat Selection, Foraging and Haul-out Behavior of Adult Bearded Seals in the Chukchi Sea
    By:  MICHAEL F. CAMERON, PETER L. BOVENG, JAY M. Ver HOEF, HEATHER L. ZIEL
    Conference:  Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, AK, Jan 2009
    (2009 poster, .pdf, 4.26MB)   Online.
     
  • Recent Counts of Freshwater Seals in Alaska's Lake Iliamna
    By:  DAVID E. WITHROW, KYMBERLY M. YANO
    Conference:  Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, AK, Jan 2009
    (2009 poster, .pdf, 7.45MB)   Online.
     
  • Additional recent Polar Ecosystems Program poster presentations
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