Ice Seal Tracking Maps Archive
08/237/2020 – 09/251/2020
From 24 August to 7 September 2020, we received locations for 1 ringed and 3 spotted seals, all were in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.The ringed seal (RS19-05-M, purple arrow) was in the northern Chukchi Sea, in the marginal ice zone in water deeper than 200 m.Three spotted seals were resting in Dease Inlet.
These seals were tagged during the summer and fall of 2019. As expected, the primary tags we epoxied to their backs have since fallen off during the annual molt this spring. The locations we are currently receiving are from the SPOT tags we attached to their flippers. Because SPOT tags are attached to their flippers we only receive locations when the seal has hauled out of the water, either on sea ice or land. Sea ice data are courtesy of the U.S. National Ice Center, dated 7 September 2020 (http://www.natice.noaa.gov/products/daily_products.html).
These seals were tagged during the summer and fall of 2019. As expected, the primary tags we epoxied to their backs have since fallen off during the annual molt this spring. The locations we are currently receiving are from the SPOT tags we attached to their flippers. Because SPOT tags are attached to their flippers we only receive locations when the seal has hauled out of the water, either on sea ice or land. Sea ice data are courtesy of the U.S. National Ice Center, dated 7 September 2020 (http://www.natice.noaa.gov/products/daily_products.html).