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Alaska Harbor Seal Aerial Survey Units

Published by Alaska Fisheries Science Center | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: April 12, 2026 at 12:41 PM | Dataset Last Updated: March 04, 2026 at 07:17 PM
Aerial surveys of coastal Alaska are the primary method for estimating abundance of harbor seals. A particular challenge associated with aerial surveys of harbor seals is maintaining consistent spatial representation of haulout locations. In some cases, seals aggregate into a single large grouping at a particular area. In other cases, seals aggregate into several smaller groups spread over a particular area. To establish geo-spatial consistency, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center developed coastal survey units (spatial polygons) throughout the distriubtion of harbor seals in Alaska. Each survey unit was designed to be approximately 10-15 kilometers in coastal length, to faciliate efficient aerial surveys, and to aggregate known harbor seal haulout locations. Each survey unit was assigned a unique alphanumeric identifier and the spatial data are provided in the geographic (epsg:4326) coordinate reference system. The survey units form the spatial foundation for estimation of harbor seal abundance and trend.

Resources

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  • https://services2.arcgis.com/C8EMgrsFcRFL6LrL/arcgis/rest/services/pv_cst_polys/FeatureServer

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  • https://noaa.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/noaa::alaska-harbor-seal-aerial-survey-units/about

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  • NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP)

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  • GCMD Keyword Forum Page

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  • Full Metadata Record

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