Distribution and Abundance of Harbor Seals in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Task I: Aerial Surveys of Seals Ashore, 2003-2007.

摘要

There are five subspecies of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) found exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere. Phoca vitulina richardii inhabit the western coast of North America and are the most abundant subspecies, a large number of which reside in Alaskan waters where the population numbers more than 150,000. Harbor seals occupy a broad range in Alaska from approximately 130DGW to 172DGE (over 3,500 km east to west) and from 61DGN to 51DGS (over 1,000 km north to south). The Cook Inlet region of Alaska is located in the western Gulf of Alaska and supports a large abundance of harbor seals year round. The National Marine Fisheries Service and the Alaska Native Harbor Seal Commission recognize 12 stocks of harbor seals in Alaska. These reports represent a study pursued to understand population densities and the use of Cook Inlet resources by resident seals. The study was conducted in three phases, or tasks. Project results of these tasks, including aerial surveys, monitoring of haul-out behavior utilizing time-lapse photography, seal movement patterns utilizing satellite telemetry methods and statistical modeling of harbor seal movement patterns, are reported in this study.