SFAN Pinniped Database Metadata
Published by National Park Service
About this dataset
Pinnipeds come under the legal mandates of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. They are also specifically identified in the enabling legislation of and management objectives of PORE. Pinnipeds are good indicators of the condition of the marine ecosystem and global climate change because they respond quickly to oceanic conditions and food resources, such as El Nino events. There is a long history of monitoring pinnipeds at PORE and GOGA in collaboration with other agencies and organizations. Identifying natural and anthropogenic threats and quantifying the level of disturbance to seals will also be critical in order to effectively manage and protect pinnipeds. The primary dataset contains counts of individuals at breeding sites within PORE and GOGA. Additional data is collected on the sources of disturbance to harbor seals. A record of tagged elephant seals is also contained in the database.