The National Marine Fisheries Service (hereinafter, "NMFS") is responsible for the stewardship, conservation, and management of pinniped species in Alaska, including the Steller sea lion, Northern fur seal, ringed seal, bearded seal, spotted seal, ribbon seal, and harbor seal.

Two of these pinnipeds

credit: Fish and Wildlife Service

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are currently listed under the Endangered Species Act:
the endangered western Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of Steller sea lions and the threatened Arctic subspecies of ringed seals (a third species, the Beringia DPS of bearded seals, was also listed as threatened but the listing was vacated by the U. S. District Court for the District of Alaska).

NMFS has the responsibility to foster the recovery of these ESA-listed species and research is necessary to support our recovery programs for these species.

Non-ESA-listed pinniped species or populations in Alaska are listed as strategic stocks under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and/or are important as a subsistence resource to Alaska Natives and co-managed by NMFS and Alaska Native co-management partners.

Research is also an important component to co-management of these animals.

Beginning in fiscal year (hereinafter, “FY”) 2015, certain priority pinniped research in Alaska has been administered through a competitively-funded, merit-based grants program.

This program concerns only Alaskan pinnipeds for which NMFS bears responsibility; proposals focusing on marine mammals under the jurisdiction of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service will not be considered for funding under this grant program.

This document describes how to prepare and submit proposals for funding in FY 2016 and how NMFS will determine which proposals will be funded.