Contemporary Conditions and Key Trends in Development of Groups of Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina stejnegeri) and Spotted Seals (Phoca largha) in the Bering and Medny Islands (Komandorsky Archipelago)

The present paper elaborates on the status of both harbor and spotted (largha) seal populations on the Komandorsky Islands. Local populations of these seals have doubled since the 1980s. The total population of harbor and spotted seals at both Bering and Medny Islands is now estimated to be 4000–4300 animals. Various methods of counting have been applied. A methodological approach to counting seals on the Komandorsky archipelago is described.