gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:26740 eng UTF8 dataset CSV Files Alaska Fisheries Science Center 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4 Seattle WA 98115 USA https://www.afsc.noaa.gov WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Website Website for this organization information 0700-1700 Pacific Time resourceProvider Koslovsky, Stacie 206-526-6433 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115-6349 stacie.koslovsky@noaa.gov pointOfContact 2026-03-04T19:17:17 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and gridded data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) Aerial Survey Counts of Harbor Seals in Coastal Alaska (1998-2002) Aerial Survey Counts of Harbor Seals in Coastal Alaska (1998-2002) publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 26740 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/26740 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Full Metadata Record View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. information Alaska Fisheries Science Center (206) 526-4000 (206) 526-4004 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4 Seattle WA 98115 USA afsc.webmaster@noaa.gov https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about/alaska-fisheries-science-center WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Alaska Fisheries Science Center Website AKFSC Home Page information 0700-1700 Pacific Time originator tableDigital London, J.M., D.E. Withrow, L. Hiruki-Raring, J.K. Jansen, S.P. Dahle, and P.L. Boveng (2015). Aerial Survey Counts of Harbor Seals in Coastal Alaska (1998-2003). Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. --doi:TBD, contact authors for updated citation details-- This dataset supports efforts to estimate the abundance and trends in population size of Alaska harbor seals. Annual surveys of harbor seal populations are fundamental to estimation of seal abundance, distribution, and trends, which in turn are essential for stock assessment, conservation, and management. The most feasible approach to determining harbor seal distribution and abundance is to use aircraft to count seals when they haul out of the water and are visible. Harbor seals in Alaska occupy a geographically extensive range from approximately long. 172ºE to 130ºW (over 3,500 km east to west) and from lat. 51ºN to 61.5ºN (over 1,000 km north to south). Estimation of the abundance of harbor seals statewide requires broad-scale aerial surveys and these surveys have been conducted by NOAA Fisheries, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and other collaborators since the early 1980s. This dataset reflects counts of harbor seals from surveys conducted in Alaska between 1998 and 2002. During this period, the range of Alaska harbor seals was divided into five survey regions and only one region was surveyed each year. This approach allowed observers to survey the entire coastline of each region, sometimes twice per year, to identify new harbor seal haul-out sites, and for individual haul-out sites to be surveyed multiple times in a given year, weather permitting. This intensive effort produced a lot of data for each region in a given year, but surveying the entire range to produce state-wide abundance and trend estimates required a period of 5 years. The purpose of this dataset is to provide a single collection of harbor seal counts from aerial surveys conducted in Alaska between 1998 and 2002. London, J.M., D.E. Withrow, L. Hiruki-Raring, J.K. Jansen, S.P. Dahle, and P.L. Boveng (2015). Aerial Survey Counts of Harbor Seals in Coastal Alaska (1998-2003). Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. --doi:TBD, contact authors for updated citation details-- completed Cameron, Mike michael.cameron@noaa.gov pointOfContact Koslovsky, Stacie 206-526-6433 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115-6349 stacie.koslovsky@noaa.gov custodian asNeeded Harbor Seal theme Integrated Taxonomic Information systems (ITIS) Alaska place Geographic Names Information System DOC/NOAA/NMFS/AFSC > Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2017-04-24 publication 8.5 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian Alaska Harbor Seal Surveys and Abundance project InPort otherRestrictions Cite As: Alaska Fisheries Science Center, [Date of Access]: Aerial Survey Counts of Harbor Seals in Coastal Alaska (1998-2002) [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/26740. NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose. otherRestrictions Access Constraints: The data set is in the process of being archived with the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Once the archival process is complete and verified, the data set will be publicly available. otherRestrictions Use Constraints: User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Applications or inferences derived from the data should be carefully considered for accuracy. While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. Acknowledge NOAA/NMFS/AFSC or the specified citation as the source from which these data were obtained in any publications and/or other representations of these data. Communication and collaboration with dataset authors is strongly encouraged. otherRestrictions Distribution Liability: While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. unclassified NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA/NMFS/EDM 26740 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/afsc/dmp/pdf/26740.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. information crossReference eng; US biota environment 172 -130 51 61.5 All coastal habitats (intertidal and offshore rocks and reefs) of Alaska south 61.5 degrees North or Cape Newenham in Bristol Bay | Currentness: Ground Condition 1998 2002 Alaska Fisheries Science Center (206) 526-4000 (206) 526-4004 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4 Seattle WA 98115 USA afsc.webmaster@noaa.gov https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about/alaska-fisheries-science-center WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Alaska Fisheries Science Center Website AKFSC Home Page information 0700-1700 Pacific Time distributor https://console.cloud.google.com/storage/browser/_details/nmfs_odp_afsc/MML/PEP/Aerial%20Survey%20Counts%20of%20Harbor%20Seals%20in%20Coastal%20Alaska%20%281998-2002%29.csv WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://console.cloud.google.com/storage/browser/_details/nmfs_odp_afsc/MML/PEP/Aerial%20Survey%20Counts%20of%20Harbor%20Seals%20in%20Coastal%20Alaska%20%281998-2002%29.csv Note: Dataset migrated by Dan Woodrich (AFSC data management coordinator) on 12/15/2021. Contact: Daniel.woodrich@noaa.gov download dataset During 1998-2002, aerial survey observers used paper maps and/or rudimentary GPS units for in-flight navigation and data recording purposes. Photographs of seal haul-out sites were primarily taken with SLR cameras shooting on rolls of 35 mm film which were later processed as slides. Observers were instructed to record the location of new haul-out sites and note when no seals were seen at known haul-out sites (i.e., record "zero" counts); however, this was not done in every case. Seal counts were obtained by projecting slides on a white board and counting each individual as it was marked. Count data for each year were recorded in separate spreadsheet files. During 2004-2006, an effort was made to retroactively fill in missing "zero" counts by comparing observer's notes and GPS tracks against locations of known haul-out sites and photo counts to identify sites that likely had been surveyed but had no data recorded. Count records for each haul-out site were also associated with newly-developed spatial survey units which were designed to simplify the data collection and analysis processes for this project. Count data for all years were given additional QA/QC procedures and combined into a single Access database. otherRestrictions otherRestrictions Access Constraints: no constraints | Use Constraints: Metadata are subject to revision at any time and information within the metadata record should not be cited without author consent. While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.