MATOS - Mid-Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System

Project Title: Understanding the movement ecology of rehabilitated seals in New England waters and potential interaction with white sharks

MATOS Project Code: ASISEAL

Data Type: Tracker

Project Duration: January 2022 - January 2032

Project Description: The Atlantic Shark Institute, RIDEM, Mystic Aquarium and the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society have been collaborating since 2022/2023 on a long-term study involving white sharks and seals in New England. This component of the study involves the tagging of stranded seals with SPLASH (satellite) tags as well as acoustic tags that have been rehabilitated by Mystic Aquarium. Tagging seals with various technologies will allow the team to study fine-scale and broad-scale movements of these rehabilitated seals for the first time, and to determine rehabilitation success. Overlapping white shark and seal detection data may also allow the team to study interactions and use of these waters by these species. In addition, with an extensive acoustic array in RI waters managed by the ASI and RIDEM, the team will have first hand knowledge on what these sharks/seals are doing and when. Species being studied include the white shark, gray seals and harbor seals.

Principal Investigator:	Jon F. Dodd (Atlantic Shark Institute)
Email:	jonfdodd@gmail.com

Point of Contact:	Jon F. Dodd
Email:	jonfdodd@gmail.com

Collaborators:

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

Participating Organizations:

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

External URL: www.atlanticsharkinstitute.org

ASI - Seal Movement in New England Waters