About

NASRC

The Northwest Atlantic Seal Research Consortium (NASRC) grew out of a series of workshops that included scientists, resource managers, and fishermen to address issues and concerns related to increasing seal populations along the New England coast. The Consortium began as a project at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Marine Mammal Center and currently holds an MOU with the School for the Environment at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Recent increases in local seal abundance have led to concerns about fisheries and other interactions between human and seal populations. The urgency of documenting, understanding, and mitigating these interactions has become more apparent, as has the need to improve our understanding of the ecological role of seals in the northeast United States. This encompasses issues such as: how they live, where they go, what they eat, their health and illnesses, and interactions with the world—including humans—around them.

Report Links 

2009 Final Workshop Report- Gulf of Maine Seals: populations, problems and priorities 

2011 Final Workshop Report- Gulf of Maine Seals: Fisheries Interactions and Integrated Research

2015 Final Workshop Report- Seals and Ecosystem Health

2016 Northwest Atlantic Pinniped Health Risk Factors Report

Mandate

To improve our understanding of the ecological role of seals in the northeast U.S. This will be accomplished through coordinated research efforts, sharing of data, collaboration amongst all stakeholders, a concentrated effort to gain knowledge, and public outreach. The consortium will include scientists (NGOs, universities, state and federal government), fishing community (commercial and recreational), and anyone who shares an interest. 

Mission

Working collaboratively to improve our understanding of the ecological role of seals in the Northwest Atlantic. 

Last updated: June 28, 2021