Census Divisions
Explore specific biological collections currently housed in our Seward decks.
Marine Mammals on Display
At the end of 2023, our marine mammal team cared for a certified census of 13 mammals total on-site: 4 Steller sea lions, 3 spotted seals, 4 ringed seals, and 2 harbor seals.
These large subarctic pinnipeds are housed in ambient saltwater pools directly circulated from Resurrection Bay depths, allowing year-round bioenergetic research.
185,000-gal tank, 2,000 sq ft haul-out Western stock Endangered. Pilot ♂ is the largest resident, peaking at 1,700+ lbs during the summer breeding season.
Two-story tank with above and below water public viewing. Permanent residents: Tuq ♂ (neurological) and Papita ♀ (blind). Additional rehab pools hold seasonal patients.
Arctic ice seal species. Key members of our active PHOCAS science squad. Incredibly rare rescues: only 30 ringed seals have ever been admitted in our 25+ year history.
Bering Sea ice seal. Core of the PHOCAS acoustics science squad. Fewer than 10 ever admitted, making Nome pup (June 2025 rescue) an exceptionally rare intake.
Seabird Aviary Census
Our deep aviary mimics subarctic cliff rookeries with a 20+ ft deep saltwater diving pool, allowing public views of active wing-propelled diving.
Aviary species. Housed in the open cliff mimics without barriers from public walks. Encounter programs available.
Nest along rocky burrows. Highly social alcids participating in public feedings and diving calibrations.
Elite deep diving alcids. Our 21 dedicated research birds provide key flightless energy baselines.
Threatened species. Captive research flock since early 2000s; "Prince & Bowie" became the first public pair in 2023.
Threatened species. Sourced for high-latitude energy studies. Notable hen "Cargo" passed in 2024 leaving deep research logs.
Vocal cliff-nesters from the Bering Sea colonies. Nesting naturally inside our open cliff structures.
Additional Aviary Residents & Census
| Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) | Food fish display |
| Pacific Halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) | Flatfish display |
| Yelloweye Rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) | Slow-growing deep-water |
| Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) | Deep-water cod |
| Alaska Skate (Bathyraja parmifera) | Elasmobranch display |
Resurrection Coldwater Fish
Resurrection Bay is home to exceptionally diverse coldwater teleost and elasmobranch species. Our exhibits house ≈900 individuals across 54 distinct species as of 2023.
Key exhibits include our underwater aviary tank housing a long-standing resident Wolf-eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus) and deep-water Sablefish arrays.
Invertebrate Touch Tank Grotto
Housing over ≈1,740 individuals representing 83 distinct species in 2023. Our hands-on intertidal pools are fully open to public exploration.
World's largest octopus species. Displayed inside our immersive Nose2Nose grotto exhibit since 2016. Specialized encounter programs available.
World's largest chiton species. Nicknamed the "wandering meatloaf," this unique mollusk anchors our public touch tanks.
Vibrant, multi-armed coldwater sea star. Feeds on smaller invertebrates in regional Resurrection Bay intertidals.
Spiny kelp-grazer. Visitors can feel their gentle tube-feet movements inside our public touch pools.
Immense subarctic commercial crustacean displayed in deep rock reef tanks.
Coldwater shrimp species displaying key cleaning behaviors on larger rockfish residents.
👉 Touch Tank Hands-on Guidelines
Anemones, Hermit Crabs, Sea Urchins, and Sea Cucumbers are fully handleable! Please wash your hands prior to touching, touch animals gently with **two fingers**, and **never lift them out of the water**.
Institutional Stewardship
Alaska SeaLife Center is operated by the legal nonprofit Seward Association for the Advancement of Marine Science (SAAMS), a registered 501(c)(3) public charity.
Founded using substantial settlement funds following the 1989 Exxon Valdez ecological oil spill, we maintain a close dedication to monitoring subarctic ocean health.
View Governance Documents ArchiveScientific Research Impact
Our senior curators actively translate resident species husbandry into global peer-reviewed marine mammal science.
Peer-reviewed studies generated since our 1998 opening, unlocking vital baselines in physiology, acoustics, and demography.
International investigators hosted on-site in Seward to utilize our unique subarctic ambient wet laboratories.
Interactive Census Finder
Filter and query our complete species catalog. Get instant scientific details, habitat classes, and on-site counts.
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Your tax-deductible contributions directly fuel our scientific publications, daily clinical seafood feeding budgets, and touch tank intertidal care.