Counting On Seals

February 17, 2021

National Science Foundation
Office of Polar Programs
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230

Though smaller than in a typical year, a team of scientists traveled to Antarctica to study the seal pups born around McMurdo Station, and keep the world's longest Weddell sea population dataset going strong after 52 years.

Read more in the Antarctic Sun, the online news site of the NSF-managed U.S. Antarctic Program: https://antarcticsun.usap.gov/science/4443/

A mother interacts with her seal pup on the ice on Turtle Rock Island, in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. Mothers enlarge the openings in the ice with their teeth and pay very close attention to the young swimmers.

Credit, Jay Rotella
Video taken under NMFS Permits 1032-1917, 17236, & 21158.