2024 Ice Seal Research in Alaska Photo Gallery
What does ice seal research in Alaska look like? Explore our photo gallery to see photos from scientists in the field.
NOAA Fisheries scientists conduct several regular surveys and field projects on ice seals in Alaskan waters to gather information to be used to manage seal populations.
Four species of ice-associated seals that inhabit the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas of the Alaskan Arctic include:
Below are photos from the 2024 survey currently underway:
An adult male ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) rests in the sunshine on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Credit: NOAA F...
A ribbon seal pup peers over a tuft of snow on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Ribbon seal pups are born with a white lan...
Researchers from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center's Marine Mammal Laboratory, Gavin Brady (left) and Peter Mahoney (r...
Researchers from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center's Marine Mammal Laboratory, Peter Mahoney (left) and Gavin Brady (r...
Researchers from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center's Marine Mammal Laboratory, Peter Mahoney (left) and Gavin Brady (r...
An adult female ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) rests on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Photo taken from a small UAS...
An adult female bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and her pup (left) hauled out on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Credi...
An adult female ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) hauled out on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/...
An adult female ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) looks around among ice floes in the Bering Sea. Credit: NOAA Fisheri...
An adult female ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) swims at the surface among ice floes in the Bering Sea. Credit: NOAA...
Scientist from the University of Alaska Anchorage, Kyle Kolda, observes a ribbon seal through a scope from the top deck ...
Kyle Kolda is a graduate student researcher at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He is working in collaboration with N...
Ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) perched on an ice floe in the western Bering Sea. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Josh M London.
A northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) glides over the water in the Bering Sea with it's wingtip briefly touching the su...
A northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) in flight. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Josh M London.
Adult female bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and pup as they rest in the sunshine on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. C...
Infrared image of an adult female bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and pup as they rest in the sunshine on an ice floe...
Spotted seal triad resting on an ice floe. A triad consists of a female and pup, with a male suitor. Credit: NOAA Fisher...
Female spotted seal nurses her pup on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Gavin M Brady. Photo taken w...
A ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) pup rests on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jessica M Linds...
A ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) pup rests on an ice floe in the Bering Sea, looking up toward the sky. Credit:NOAA...
A ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) pup rests on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jessica M Linds...
A subadult female spotted seal (Phoca largha) with a newly applied satellite transmitter that will record data on her lo...
A killer whale (Orcinus orca) surfaces between ice floes in the Bering Sea, showing its tall dorsal fin. Credit: NOAA Fi...
A ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) pup rests on an ice floe in the Bering Sea, looking back over its shoulder. Credit...
A spotted seal (Phoca largha) pup rests on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. The pup is starting to shed its white coat fro...
An adult male ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) rests on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jessica...
An adult male ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) stretches his hind flippers on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Credit: ...
Researcher Skyla Walcott prepares a young male ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) for release after measuring and taggi...
Research scientist Skyla Walcott surveys the sea ice for seals from the bird box of the R/V Norseman II (SVA). Credit: N...
Researchers (from left to right) Stacie DiRocco, Jessica Lindsay, and Heather Ziel survey the sea ice for seals from the...
Group photo of the researchers participating on the 2024 Ice Seal Research Cruise. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Skyla M Walcot...
Veterinarian Stacie DiRocco holds a ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) pup while measurements are taken to assess the a...
Adult female ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) heads back to the water after being outfitted with a tag that helps res...
Adult female spotted seal (Phoca largha) heads back to the water after being outfitted with a tag that helps researchers...
Principal Investigator Heather Ziel launches a drone to survey a nearby resting female bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus...
A combination of rough seas and cold temperatures in the Bering Sea produced freezing spray that covered the sides of th...
Researchers (from left to right) Peter Mahoney, Gavin Brady, Kyle Kolda, Josh London, Brett McClintock, and Skyla Walcot...
Chief Scientist Heather Ziel looks out at the sea ice, with the R/V Norseman II (SVA) in the background. Credit: NOAA Fi...
Researchers Kyle Kolda (left) and Josh London (right) stand in a small inflatable boat, looking across the sea ice to th...
Researchers Kyle Kolda (left) and Gavin Brady (right) prepare to capture a young ribbon seal who is hidden behind ice re...
Researchers Gavin Brady (left) and Jessica Lindsay (right) measure a subadult spotted seal (Phoca largha) on an ice floe...
Researcher from the University of Alaska Anchorage, Kyle Kolda, measures the blubber depth of an adult female ribbon sea...
Summer Bay, Unalaska. Credit: Gavin M Brady/NOAA Fisheries
A break in the fog grants a brief glimpse of the sun. Poor visibility is a common challenge when searching for seals fro...
Researcher Peter Mahoney driving as the small boats depart the R/V Norseman II to search for seals. Credit: Gavin M Brad...
The research vessel Norseman II pushes carefully through the ice, maneuvering for open water. Credit: Gavin M Brady/NOAA...
Heavy snowfall fills the inflatable Zodiac boats on the upper deck of research vessel Norseman II. Credit: Gavin M Brady...
A rare mirror calm day out on the water. Credit: Gavin M Brady/NOAA Fisheries.
A rare mirror calm day out on the water. Credit: Gavin M Brady/NOAA Fisheries.
A mackerel sky promises incoming weather as NOAA researchers in small inflatable boats move slowly through the ice, sear...
Days out searching for seals can be long and cold. Here the researchers gather for a quick huddle, a bite to eat, and pe...
The research vessel Norseman II settles in for the night. Credit: Gavin M Brady/NOAA Fisheries.
The R/V Norseman II shelters behind St. George Island on the transit north to the ice during high winds and freezing spr...
The R/V Norseman II shelters behind St. George Island on the transit north to the ice during high winds and freezing spr...
The fieldwork to capture, sample, and tag ice seals involves a wide variety of equipment that is required for sampling s...
Researcher Gavin Brady (right) pilots a small uncrewed aerial system (UAS) in for recovery as researcher Peter Mahoney (...
The seascape environment in the Bering Sea where we worked was incredible and somewhat otherworldly; we moved through ar...
The R/V Norseman II moves through the ice on a rare bright sunny day. Credit: Heather L Ziel/NOAA Fisheries.
The sea ice and clouds and partial sun in the Bering Sea combined to create some extraordinary scenery. Credit: Heather ...
We rarely saw the sunset on this trip because it was cloudy most days, but we did get to see a few spectacular sunsets o...
A young-of-the-year spotted seal rests on an ice floe only a few yards from the back deck of the R/V Norseman II. This a...
The R/V Norseman II was our home for 6 weeks on the Bering Sea. They provided the most incredible support for all aspect...
Researcher Jessie Lindsay and veterinarian Stacy DiRocco in the small boat, ready to search for and capture seals on a s...
Researchers in the small boats look for a seal that has been spotted in the distance by one of the boats. When someone s...
When the sun came out, the light at the end of the day on the sea ice with the low clouds was remarkable. Credit: Heathe...
Researchers Kyle Kolda, Jessie Lindsay, Skyla Walcott, and Gavin Brady climb up a taller ice floe to get a better perspe...
Researchers Josh London, Brett McClintock, and Peter Mahoney are drivers of the small boats, and they wait in the small ...
Researchers Brett McClintock (left) and Skyla Walcott (right) in the small boat with boxes and bags of sampling gear, re...
Close