Harbor Seal Management and Research

Publications & Reports

Management

Harbor seals are managed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The species falls under the jurisdiction of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Research

Two Fish and Game employees observe harbor seals from a boat The ADF&G Marine Mammal Program conducts many research projects on harbor seals to increase our understanding of harbor seal ecology and to investigate factors that may be contributing to the decline of some harbor seal populations in Alaska. See the Harbor Seal Research Projects page for a list of current/recent projects and details about each project.