Alaska Phocid Health and Disease

Polar Ecosystems Program research projects focus primarily on abundance, trends, distribution, health and condition, and foraging behavior of phocids (harbor, bearded, ringed, spotted, and ribbon seals) in Alaska. This database contains health and disease data obtained by analysis of different blood parameters, molecular analysis of swabs, stable isotope analysis, and contaminant analysis from seals across a variety of research projects. Biological samples (e.g. blood, tissue, hair, nasal swabs, and whiskers) have been collected from ribbon and spotted seals in the Bering Sea, bearded seals in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, and harbor seals in the north Pacific and Bering Sea. Ribbon seal samples were collected in 2005-2010, 2014; spotted seal samples were collected in 2005-2010, 2014; bearded seal samples were collected in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014; ringed seal samples were collected in 2007-2009; harbor seal samples were collected in 2004-2006, 2012.