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Ringed Seal
Ringed seals are the smallest and most common Arctic seal. Ringed seals are circumpolar and are found in all seasonally ice-covered seas of the Northern Hemisphere and in certain freshwater lakes.
Climate change,
Entanglement in fishing gear (Ladoga and Saimaa subspecies),
Increasing Arctic shipping activity,
Offshore oil and gas exploration and development
Region
Alaska
Ringed seal in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska - Photo: NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center/John Jansen
Ringed seal in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska - Photo: NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center/John Jansen
About the Species
Ringed seal in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska - Photo: NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center/John Jansen
Ringed seal in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska - Photo: NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center/John Jansen
Ringed seals are the smallest and most common Arctic seal. They get their name from the small, light-colored circles, or rings, that are scattered throughout the darker hair on their backs.
Ringed seals have a circumpolar distribution and are found in all seasonally ice-covered seas of the Northern Hemisphere and in certain freshwater lakes. Throughout their range, ringed seals have an affinity for ice-covered waters and are well-adapted to occupying heavily ice-covered areas throughout the fall, winter, and spring by using the stout claws on their foreflippers to maintain breathing holes in the ice. Ringed seals remain in contact with the ice most of the year and normally whelp and nurse pups on the ice in snow-covered lairs (snow caves) in late winter through early spring. The ice and snow caves provide some protection from predators, though polar bears spend much of their time on sea ice hunting ringed seals, which are their primary prey. Snow caves also protect ringed seal pups from extreme cold. Loss of sea ice and snow cover on the ice poses the main threat to this species.
Ringed seals, like all marine mammals, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. There are five currently recognized subspecies of the ringed seal: Arctic ringed seals in the Arctic Basin and adjacent seas, including the Bering and Labrador Seas; Okhotsk ringed seals in the Sea of Okhotsk; Baltic ringed seals in the Baltic Sea; Ladoga ringed seals in Lake Ladoga, Russia; and Saimaa ringed seals in Lake Saimaa, Finland. These subspecies are all listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Because of their listed status, these subspecies are also designated as depleted under the MMPA.
Population Status
The Arctic ringed seal is the most abundant of the five ringed seal subspecies. Although no accurate estimate exists, there are probably more than 2 million Arctic ringed seals worldwide.
Although subsistence harvest of Arctic ringed seals occurs in some parts of this subspecies’ range, harvest levels appear to be sustainable. While the United States does not allow commercial harvest of marine mammals, such harvests are permitted in other portions of the species’ range. This has caused population declines in some regions in the past but such harvests have generally been restricted since then.
Appearance
Ringed seals have a small head, a short cat-like snout, and a plump body. Their coat is dark with light-colored rings on their back and sides, and a light-colored belly. Pups are born with a white natal coat (lanugo) which is shed after about four to six weeks. Ringed seals have thick, strong claws on their small foreflippers that they use to maintain breathing holes through 6 feet or more of ice.
Ringed seals grow to an average length of 4 to 4.5 feet with weights ranging from 110 to 150 pounds. The average weight of a ringed seal pup at birth is about 10 pounds.
Behavior and Diet
Ringed seals eat a wide variety of mostly small prey. They rarely prey on more than 10 to 15 species in any specific geographic location, and not more than two to four of these species are considered important prey. Despite regional and seasonal variations in the diet of ringed seals, fishes of the cod family tend to dominate the diet in many areas from late autumn through spring. Crustaceans appear to become more important in many areas during the open-water season and often dominate the diet of young seals. While foraging, ringed seals dive to depths of up to 150 feet or more.
Ringed seals can live in areas that are completely covered with ice. They use their sharp claws to make and maintain breathing holes through the ice, which may be 6 feet or more in thickness. In winter through early spring, they also carve out lairs in snowdrifts over their breathing holes. As the temperatures warm and the snow covering their lairs melts during spring, ringed seals transition from lair use to basking on the surface of the ice near breathing holes, lairs, or cracks in the ice as they undergo their annual molt. Ringed seals do not live in large groups and are usually found alone, but they may occur in large groups during the molting season, gathered around cracks or breathing holes in the ice.
Where They Live
Ringed seals are circumpolar and range throughout the Arctic Basin and southward into adjacent seas, including the Bering and Labrador Seas. They are also found in the Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan in the western North Pacific and the Baltic Sea in the North Atlantic. Landlocked populations inhabit Lakes Ladoga (Russia) and Saimaa (Finland).
During winter and spring in U.S. waters, ringed seals are found throughout the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas; they occur in the Bering Sea as far south as Bristol Bay in years of extensive ice coverage. Most ringed seals that winter in the Bering and Chukchi Seas are thought to migrate northward in spring with the receding ice edge and spend summer in the pack ice of the northern Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.
World map providing approximate representation of the ringed seal's range (all five subspecies).
World map providing approximate representation of the Baltic subspecies of ringed seal
World map providing approximate representation of the Arctic subspecies of ringed seal
World map providing approximate representation of the Okhotsk subspecies of ringed seal
World map providing approximate representation of the Saimaa subspecies of ringed seal
World map providing approximate representation of the Lagoda subspecies of ringed seal
Lifespan & Reproduction
Sexual maturity in ringed seals varies with population status. It can be as early as 3 years for both sexes and as late as 7 years for males and 9 years for females. Ringed seals breed annually, with timing varying regionally. Mating takes place while mature females are still nursing their pups on the ice and is thought to occur under the ice near birth lairs.
In all subspecies except the Okhotsk, females give birth to a single pup hidden from view within a snow-covered birth lair. Ringed seals are unique in their use of these birth lairs. Although Okhotsk ringed seals have reportedly used them, this subspecies apparently depends primarily on the protective sheltering of ice hummocks (rounded hills of ice). Pups learn how to dive shortly after birth. They are nursed for as long as 2 months in stable ice that is fastened to the coastline and for as little as 3 to 6 weeks in moving ice. Pups are normally weaned before the break-up of spring ice.
Threats
Climate Change Effects on Sea Ice and Snow
Many aspects of the ringed seal’s life cycle depend directly on the species’ sea ice habitat. As such, ringed seals are threatened by ongoing and anticipated reductions in the extent and duration of sea ice and on-ice snow cover stemming from climate warming.
Entanglement in Fishing Gear
Arctic ringed seals are seldom caught in fishing gear because their distribution does not coincide with intensive fisheries in most areas. Bycatch likely occurs on some level in the Sea of Okhotsk. Drowning in fishing gear is a significant source of mortality for Saimaa ringed seals (which occur in Lake Saimaa, Finland) and Ladoga ringed seals (which occur in Lake Ladoga, Russia).
Additional Factors of Potential Concern
The continuing decline in summer sea ice in recent years has renewed interest in using the Arctic Ocean as a potential waterway for coastal, regional, and trans-Arctic marine operations, which pose varying levels of threat to Arctic ringed seals depending on the type and intensity of the shipping activity and its degree of spatial and temporal overlap with the seals. Increased icebreaker ship traffic, for example, could have negative effects on ringed seal habitat especially during the spring pupping and molting periods. Offshore oil and gas exploration and development could also impact ringed seals. The most significant risk that these activities pose is accidentally or illegally discharging oil or other toxic substances, which would have immediate and potentially long-term effects. Ringed seals could also be directly affected by noise and physical disturbance of habitat associated with such activities.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Family
Phocidae
Genus
Pusa (formerly Phoca)
Species
hispida
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 04/15/2025
What We Do
Conservation & Management
NOAA Fisheries is committed to the protection and management of ringed seals. In the United States, management actions taken to secure protections for these seals include:
Working cooperatively under our co-management agreements with Alaska Native organizations, particularly the Ice Seal Committee, regarding issues related to subsistence use of ice seals, including ringed seals.
Overseeing marine mammal health and stranding response.
Educating the public about ringed seals and the threats they face.
Our research projects have discovered new aspects of ringed seal biology, behavior, and ecology, which help us better understand the challenges that all ringed seals face. Our work includes:
Conducting distribution surveys.
Using satellite telemetry to track movements, foraging, and haul-out behavior.
Sampling tissue to evaluate population structure and health.
In Alaska, report a sick, injured, entangled, stranded, or dead marine mammal to the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at (877) 925-7773 to make sure professional responders and scientists know about it and can take appropriate action. Numerous organizations around Alaska are trained to receive reports and respond when necessary.
On the west coast of the U.S., please contact the West Coast Region Stranding Hotline at (866) 767-6114.
Other reporting hotlines and resources:
To report entangled marine mammals:
Entanglement Reporting Hotline: 1-877-SOS-WHAL or 1-877-767-9425
Be responsible when viewing marine life in the wild. Observe all seals and sea lions from a safe distance of at least 50 yards and limit your time spent observing to 30 minutes or less.
Call the NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964 to report a federal marine resource violation. This hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone in the United States.
Marylou Staman conducts green sea turtle surveys at Lalo in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. More than 90 percent of the Hawaiian green sea turtle population nests at Lalo (French Frigate Shoals). Credit: NOAA Fisheries. Taken under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Permit #TE-72088A-3 and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Co-Manager’s Permit.
At first glance, seals (true or “earless seals”) and sea lions look fairly similar. Taking a closer look, these are some of the general differences to tell these animals, such as on the harbor seal (left) and California sea lion (right) pictured above.
The Ladoga and Saimaa subspecies of ringed seal are listed as endangered and the Arctic s, Baltic and Okhotsk subspecies are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
A ringed seal pup. Credit: NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center/Michael Cameron
Co-Management Agreements
Alaska Natives have a long history of subsistence use of marine mammals for food and handicrafts.
In 1994, the MMPA was amended to add section 119, which reads, "The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with Alaska Native Organizations to conserve marine mammals and provide co-management of subsistence use by Alaska Natives." These co-management agreements may be established between NOAA Fisheries or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Alaska Native Organizations, including (but not limited to) Alaska Native tribes and tribally authorized co-management bodies. Co-management promotes full and equal participation by Alaska Natives in decisions affecting the subsistence management of marine mammals (to the maximum extent allowed by law) as a tool for conserving marine mammal populations in U.S. waters in and around Alaska.
NOAA Fisheries entered into a co-management agreement with the Ice Seal Committee (PDF, 7 pages) in October 2006. The Ice Seal Committee is an Alaska Native Organization that represents ice seal subsistence users in the five regions of Alaska that harvest ice seals: Bristol Bay (Bristol Bay Native Association), Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (Association of Village Council Presidents), Bering Sea (Kawerak, Inc.), Northwest Arctic (Maniilaq Association), and the Arctic Slope (North Slope Borough). The Ice Seal Committee is dedicated to conserving ice seal populations, habitat, and hunting and to preserving native cultures and traditions. The Ice Seal Committee co-manages ice seals with NOAA Fisheries by monitoring subsistence harvest and cooperating on needed research, and education programs pertaining to ice seals.
The Ice Seal Committee adopted an Ice Seal Management Plan (PDF, 8 pages) in January 2012 that outlines the members' management principles and goals.
Overseeing Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response
We work with volunteer networks in all coastal states to respond to marine mammal strandings including all pinnipeds. When stranded animals are found alive, NOAA Fisheries and our partners assess the animal’s health and determine the best course of action. When stranded animals are found dead, our scientists work to understand and investigate the cause of death. Although the cause often remains unknown, scientists can sometimes attribute strandings to disease, harmful algal blooms, vessel strikes, fishing gear entanglements, pollution exposure, and underwater noise. Some strandings can serve as indicators of ocean health, giving insight into larger environmental issues that may also have implications for human health and welfare.
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, an unusual mortality event is defined as "a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response." To understand the health of marine mammal populations, scientists study unusual mortality events. Ringed seals and other pinnipeds in Alaska have experienced two UMEs in recent years. The 2011-2016 Alaska Pinniped UME involved at least 657 sick or dead ringed, bearded, spotted, and ribbon seals as well as a number of walruses. The investigative team found that the clinical signs of the affected seals (mainly hair loss and skin lesions) were likely due to an abnormal molt, but a definitive cause for the UME was not determined. The 2018-2019 Alaska Ice Seal UME involved at least 284 sick or dead ringed, bearded, and spotted seals. The investigative team concluded that the preliminary cause of the UME was ecosystem changes in the Bering Sea which caused reductions in prey availability and led to increased malnutrition and death in the stranded seals, most of which were younger age classes (pups, yearlings, or subadults).
Ringed seals, like all marine mammals, are protected under the MMPA. All five subspecies of ringed seals are listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA. Because of their listed status, all five subspecies are designated as depleted under the MMPA.
On December 28, 2012, after completing a comprehensive status review of the species and issuing a 12-month finding on a petition to list it as threatened or endangered under the ESA, NOAA Fisheries published a final rule listing the Arctic, Okhotsk, and Baltic subspecies as threatened, and the Ladoga subspecies as endangered. NOAA Fisheries also concluded in its 12-month finding that the Saimaa subspecies of ringed seal is in danger of extinction throughout its range, consistent with its previous listing (in 1993) as endangered. Due to litigation, the threatened listing of Arctic ringed seals was vacated in March 2016 and was reinstated in May 2018. All ringed seals in Alaska are part of the threatened Arctic subspecies.
On January 16, 2018, NOAA Fisheries issued a 5-year review of the status of the endangered Saimaa ringed seal. NOAA Fisheries recommended that the Saimaa ringed seal remain classified as endangered because its demography places it at a high risk of extinction, and major threats have not been fully addressed. The Saimaa ringed seal is found in freshwater Lake Saimaa in eastern Finland.
On February 28, 2024, NOAA Fisheries issued a 5-year review of the status of the threatened Arctic, Okhotsk, and Baltic ringed seal, and the endangered Ladoga ringed seal. NOAA Fisheries considered the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of this review, and found for each of the four ringed seal subspecies that overall, the available information does not indicate a significant change since the time of listing in threats or the demographic implications of threats, which primarily stem from climate change effects on the species’ sea ice habitat. Therefore, NOAA Fisheries recommended that the Arctic, Okhotsk, and Baltic ringed seal remain classified as threatened, and the Ladoga ringed seal remain classified as endangered.
Upon application from BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., NOAA Fisheries issued regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to operation of offshore oil and gas facilities in the U.S. Beaufo
NOAA Fisheries' Office of Protected Resources hereby issues regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to fisheries research conducted in multiple specified geographical regions over the course of five years. These re
NOAA Fisheries issued an IHA to Quintillion Subsea Operations LLC for authorization under the MMPA to take marine mammals, incidental to conducting subsea cable-laying and maintenance activities in the Beaufort, Bering, and Chukchi seas, during the open-w
NOAA Fisheries conducts a variety of research on the biology, behavior, and ecology of ringed seals. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions and enhance protection efforts for this species.
Population/Stock Assessments
Our scientists collect information on Arctic ringed seals from various sources and present these data in an annual stock assessment report. Stock assessment reports contain scientific information on a species’ or stock’s geographic range, population structure, abundance, and threats, which helps resource managers assess the success of enacted management and conservation measures.
Ringed seal pup. Credit: NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center
Ice Seal Surveys
Reliable distribution and abundance estimates for ice-associated seals are vital for developing sound plans for management, conservation, and responses to potential environmental impacts. NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Mammal Laboratory Polar Ecosystems Program designs and conducts surveys and develops data products from these surveys to address this fundamental information need. Additional information about research conducted by the Polar Ecosystems Program is available in recent reports and publications.
Genetic Analysis
Molecular genetic techniques are being applied to a number of taxonomic, evolutionary and demographic questions in ribbon, ringed, spotted, and bearded seals, including the relationships among the different species and the population structure and dispersal patterns within each species. For example, NOAA Fisheries recently initiated a collaborative research project with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game to determine whether mtDNA would be informative in resolving questions of population and stock structure in ringed, bearded and ribbon seals. Initial efforts are revealing high levels of genetic variation in all species.
Additional Research
The Polar Ecosystems Program’s ongoing research on abundance, distribution, migration, and foraging behavior of ringed seals in Alaska helps us to understand their role of ringed seals in the marine ecosystem and inform management decisions for the conservation of this species.
The Alaska Fisheries Science Center's ice seal (bearded, ringed, spotted and ribbon seals) data sets are available on the NOAA Fisheries Open Data Portal.
NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration conduct research on marine mammals off the coasts of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California.
NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration conduct research on marine mammals off the coasts of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California.
