Marine Mammal Laboratory

What We Do The Marine Mammal Laboratory, a division of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, conducts research on whales, seals, sea lions and porpoises off the coasts of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California. We collect data on marine mammal behavior, population dynamics, life history, migration patterns, distribution, and trends in abundance. Data are collected through land-, sea-, and air-based surveys using a variety of sophisticated technologies, methods and models. Domestic and international organizations, including the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council, the International Whaling Commission, and the Arctic Council, use our data to develop management measures for these species.