Atlantic Marine Conservation Society

Founded in 2016, AMSEAS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of marine life through education, research, and response. While their scope includes whales, dolphins, and sea turtles, they are deeply engaged in seal-related research and stranding investigations across the northeastern U.S.

As part of NOAA’s Marine Mammal Stranding Network, AMSEAS responds to stranded seals, both live and deceased, and conducts necropsies to determine causes of death. These investigations help identify threats such as disease, entanglement, and pollution, and contribute to broader conservation strategies.

AMSEAS leads and collaborates on multiple research initiatives focused on harbor seals and grey seals in the New York Bight and surrounding waters. Their projects aim to assess population health and abundance through field surveys and data collection, track seasonal movements and habitat use to understand how seals interact with changing environments, identify emerging threats like marine debris, climate change, and human disturbance, and provide actionable data to wildlife managers and policymakers for better protection strategies.

Their team of biologists and volunteers works with partners from Virginia to Maine, building a regional research network that strengthens seal conservation across state lines.