National Park Service

Pacific Harbor Seal (Phoca Vitulina Richardsi) Monitoring at Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area 2008 Annual Report National Park Service

Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) are the dominant and only year-round resident pinniped in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Long-term monitoring studies have been conducted at the largest harbor seal colonies in Point Reyes National Seashore since the mid 1970?s. The objectives of monitoring each site and the population as a whole are to i) detect changes in population size, ii) detect changes in reproductive success by way of pup production, and iii) identify anthropogenic or environmental factors that may affect the condition of the population (Adams et al. In Prep).