Project Information

Title: Monitoring, Habitat Use, and Trophic Interactions of Harbor Seals in PWS 99064

Project Year and Number: 1999: 99064

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2001: 01064-CLO, 2000: 00064-CLO, 1998: 98064, 1997: 97064, 1996: 96064, 1995: 95064, 1994: 94064, 1993: 93046, 1992: R073, 1992: MM05, 1991: MM05, 1990: MM05, 1989: MM05

Principal Investigator (PI): Kathy Frost (Alaska Department of Fish & Game)

Managing Agency: ADFG

Assisting Personnel: Sara Iverson, Lloyd Lowry, Mike Simpkins, Jay Ver Hoef

Research Location: Prince William Sound

Restoration Category: Monitoring

Injured Resources Addressed: Harbor Seals

Abstract: This project will monitor the status of harbor seals in Prince William Sound and investigate the hypothesis that food limitation to pups and juveniles is causing the ongoing decline. Aerial surveys will be conducted during molting to determine whether the population continues to decline, stabilizes, or increases. Seal pups will be satellite-tagged to describe and compare their movements, hauling out, and diving behavior to older seals and seals in other areas. Deuterium oxide will be used to examine annual variations in the nutritional status of pups and yearlings, as indicated by body fat content. Fatty acids analysis will be conducted on recent and archived blubber samples and mathematical models will be developed to estimate seal diets and whether they have changed since the 1970s.


Proposal: Not Available

Reports:
Final Report: Final Report Not available. For current status, please contact us.

Publications from this Project: None Available