ME harbor and gray seals time series

Original provider:
University of Maine

Dataset credits:
NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center
James Gilbert, University of Maine
Wendy Dow, Duke University

Abstract:
Seal populations in the northwest Atlantic are thriving, yet few grant dollars go to seal projects in the northeast region. According to many researchers and managers in the region, the healthy state of stocks is exactly why we should be studying seals. Seal and human activities along the coast often result in conflicts, which will undoubtedly increase as the population and range of both seals and humans increase. The east coast of the United States lacks a management plan for seals. A problem that seriously impedes management is that managers do not know where the seals are and more specifically, where haul-out sites are. This atlas is designed to aid managers and researchers in the management and conservation of seals in the northwest Atlantic. The atlas and the data used to create the atlas can be accessed through OBIS-SEAMAP.