Aerial Survey Counts of Harbor Seals in Coastal Alaska (2003-2011)

Description

This dataset supports efforts to estimate the abundance and trends in population size of Alaska harbor seals. Annual surveys of harbor seal populations are fundamental to estimation of seal abundance, distribution, and trends, which in turn are essential for stock assessment, conservation, and management. The most feasible approach to determining harbor seal distribution and abundance is to use aircraft to count seals when they haul out of the water and are visible. Harbor seals in Alaska occupy a geographically extensive range from approximately long. 172ºE to 130ºW (over 3,500 km east to west) and from lat. 51ºN to 61.5ºN (over 1,000 km north to south). Estimation of the abundance of harbor seals statewide requires broad-scale aerial surveys and these surveys have been conducted by NOAA Fisheries, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and other collaborators since the early 1980s. This dataset reflects counts of harbor seals from surveys conducted between 2003 and 2011. This dataset differs from earlier datasets in a few key areas: 1) records generally correspond to a count of the number of harbor seals within a single, geo-referenced digital photo, 2) photographs were not taken when no seals were present so additional analysis of survey effort and flight tracks was required to determine 0 counts.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
0 AKFSC Home Page https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about/alaska-fisheries-science-center
33 NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/afsc/dmp/pdf/26741.pdf
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/26741
0 The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords. https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/find-data/idn/gcmd-keywords
8 Note: Dataset migrated by Dan Woodrich (AFSC data management coordinator) on 12/15/2021. Contact: Daniel.woodrich@noaa.gov https://console.cloud.google.com/storage/browser/_details/nmfs_odp_afsc/MML/PEP/Aerial%20Survey%20Counts%20of%20Harbor%20Seals%20in%20Coastal%20Alaska%20%282003-2011%29.csv

Tags

  • alaska fisheries science center
  • alaska
  • aleutian islands
  • harbor seal
  • noaa
  • bristol bay
  • gulf of alaska
  • u.s. department of commerce
  • national marine fisheries service
  • doc/noaa/nmfs/afsc
  • alaska harbor seal surveys and abundance
  • aerial survey

Topics

Categories