NOAA Fisheries Designates Critical Habitat For Ringed and Bearded Seals
NOAA Fisheries has designated critical habitat in U.S. waters off Alaska’s coastline for Arctic ringed seals and the Beringia distinct population segment of bearded seals, both of which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The Act requires that NOAA Fisheries designate critical habitat for listed species in areas within the jurisdiction of the United States. Critical habitat identifies geographic areas that contain features essential to conservation of such listed species.
For these species critical habitat includes marine waters of the Northern Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas. Critical habitat boundaries differ between the two species, reflecting differences in where the essential habitat features for each species are found. The final rule to designate critical...