MATOS - Mid-Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System

Project Title: Understanding the movement ecology of rehabilitated seals in coastal Rhode Island waters

MATOS Project Code: RISME

Data Type: Tracker

Project Duration: January 2024 - December 2025

Project Description: Stranded seals have successfully been rehabilitated and released for many years in Southern New England, such as coastal Rhode Island. The movement or fate of these individuals has not been fully studied, particularly as the seasonal presence and abundance of certain species has increased in recent years. This project aims to use acoustic tags and an existing array to understand the movement of seals post-rehabilitation. Species include gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbor seals (Phoca vitulina).

Objectives:

Understand the movement ecology of rehabilitated seals

Management Benefits:

Learn spatiotemporal movement patterns of seals in the region

Principal Investigator:	Tara Plee (Mid - Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System)
Email:	tara.plee@dem.ri.gov

Point of Contact:	Tara Plee
Email:	tara.plee@dem.ri.gov

Collaborators:

Conor McManus (NOAA NEFSC)
Robert DiGiovanni (AMCS)
Sarah Callan (MA)

Participating Organizations:

Atlantic Marine Conservation Society
Mystic Aquarium
RI Department of Environmental Management, Division of Marine Fisheries

Pinniped Movement in Rhode Island Waters