—Nicole Cabana, Gordon Waring, and Elizabeth Josephson, NOAA
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The Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) population in New England is poorly understood. Harbor seals inhabit the waters of Maine year round. A portion of the population moves south in the winter to the waters off of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York. The majority of seasonal harbor seals are found in Massachusetts. The overwintering population of harbor seals is thought to be increasing. Since 2005, aerial surveys have been conducted in southern Massachusetts to obtain harbor seal abundance and distribution data. Aerial surveys were conducted roughly once per month between October and April from 2005 to 2007 when tides and weather were suitable for surveying. Data from these surveys were analyzed to obtain counts for harbor seal haulout sites in southern Massachusetts. GIS was used to determine population trends of harbor seals in this region. Environmental variables were also analyzed to further aid in understanding harbor seal distribution.