Iliamna Lake Freshwater Seal Study: Characterizing Local Use Patterns, Local Traditional Knowledge, and Seal Population Ecology

In response to concerns about the absence of information on Iliamna Lake’s seal population, the tribal communities
of Iliamna, Newhalen, and Kokhanok partnered with the Bristol Bay Native Association, University of Alaska Anchorage,
and National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML) to gather baseline information on seasonal shifts in seal abundance and
distribution, subsistence harvest levels, and local traditional knowledge (LTK). To gather LTK, this project recruited
and trained local research assistants (LRAs) from the communities of Iliamna, Kokhanok and Newhalen. LRAs conducted 143
subsistence household surveys (SHS) in 2010 and 2011, and identified key respondents for follow-up interviews. Data were
compared to studies conducted by ADFG in 2004 and 2005, and findings suggest that seal harvest levels are no higher now
than in the past. LRAs were also trained to collect biosamples from locally harvested seals, but samples were only returned
from one seal. This single sample will be genetically analyzed for species identity. A total of twelve aerial surveys were
over haulout locations identified from previous survey work and key respondent interviews. These documented large seasonal
changes in seal abundance and distribution, with a peak during the August molt season, when salmon are most abundant in the
lake. Pups were first seen during surveys in mid-June and no longer discernable by mid-August. This project is now working
to integrate western and local knowledge, so that an accurate synthetic understanding of the role of seals in the human and
lake ecosystem can be developed. These datasets were archived as part of the North Pacific Research Board legacy project recovery effort undertaken by Axiom Data Science and NPRB in 2025. The goal of the recovery effort was to assess the NPRB-funded data projects from 2002 to 2014 and archive final data packages that were ready for publication to increase long-term accessibility and discoverability. Data packages were archived as is given limited funding and resources.