Necropsy summary report for Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network (June 2006 – May 2008)

Harbor seal Sex and age composition of the harbor seals consisted of four females and 1 male, all pups. Cause of death has not been definitively determined in any of the animals yet as histopathology is pending. A presumptive diagnosis of fishing gear entanglement was made in one female pup due to evidence of net marks on the pelage. There were two pups which showed signs of starvation, with a very thin blubber layer (< 3mm) and the gastrointestinal tracts empty. For the four animals on which limited necropsies/sampling were conducted, samples obtained included blubber and liver for contaminant analyses and skulls for life history data, educational use, and investigation for ballistic injuries.