Research Publications and Technical Reports
Womble, J. N., J. M. Ver Hoef, S. M. Gende, and E. A. Mathews. 2020. Calibrating and adjusting counts of harbor seals in a tidewater glacier fjord to estimate abundance and trends 1992 to 2017. Ecosphere 11(4):e03111. 10.1002/ ecs2.3111
Humpback Whale illustration by Beth Ann Mathews
Robert L. Pitman, Volker B. Deecke, Christine M. Gabriele, Mridula Srinivasan, Nancy Black, Judith Denkinger, John W. Durban, Elizabeth A. Mathews, Dena R. Matkin, Janet L. Neilson, Alisa Schulman-Janiger, Debra Shearwater, Peggy Stap, Richard Ternullo. 2017. Humpback whales interfering when mammal-eating killer whales attack other species: Mobbing behavior and interspecific altruism? Marine Mammal Science 33(1):7-58, DOI:10.1111/mms.12343
Mathews, Elizabeth A. 2017. Abstract: Seasonal Use of Auke Bay Recreation Area by Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). University of Alaska Southeast.
Elizabeth A. Mathews, Lauri A. Jemison, Grey W. Pendleton, Karen M. Blejwas, Kevin E. Hood, Kimberly L. Raum-Suryan. 2016. Haul-out patterns and effects of vessel disturbance on harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) on glacial ice in Tracy Arm, Alaska. Fishery Bulletin. 114(2):186-202., DOI:10.7755/FB.114.2.6
Jamie N Womble, Grey W Pendleton, Elizabeth A Mathews, Scott M Gende. 2015. Status and Trend of Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) at Terrestrial Sites in Glacier Bay National Park from 1992-2013. Progress Report to Glacier Bay National Park Service and Alaska Department of Fish and Game. 25 pp.
Steller sea lion predation on harbor seals contributed to a large decline in harbor seals (photo: Beth Ann Mathews)
Elizabeth A. Mathews, Jamie N. Womble, Grey W. Pendleton, Lauri A. Jemison, John M. Maniscalco, Greg Streveler. 2011. Population growth and colonization of Steller sea lions in the Glacier Bay region of southeastern Alaska: 1970s–2009. Marine Mammal Science 27(4):852 - 880., DOI:10.1111/j.1748- 7692.2010.00455.x
Elizabeth A. Mathews, Milo D. Adkison. 2010. The role of Steller sea lions in a large population decline of harbor seals. Marine Mammal Science 26(4):803 - 836., DOI:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00375.x
Jamie N. Womble, Grey W. Pendleton, Elizabeth A. Mathews, Gail M. Blundell, Natalie M. Bool, Scott M. Gende. 2010. Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) decline continues in the rapidly changing landscape of Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska 1992-2008. Marine Mammal Science 26(3):686 - 697., DOI:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2009.00360.x
Harbor Seal, San Francisco Bay (photo: Beth Ann Mathews)
Mathews, Elizabeth A., Pendleton, Grey W. 2007. Declines in a harbor seal population in a marine reserve, Glacier Bay, Alaska, 1992–2002. In: Piatt, J.F., and Gende, S.M., eds., Proceedings of the Fourth Glacier Bay Science Symposium, October 26–28, 2004: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5047, pp. 137-140.
John L. Bengtson, Alana V. Phillips, Elizabeth A. Mathews, Michael A. Simpkins. 2007. Comparison of survey methods for estimating abundance of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in glacial fiords. Fishery Bulletin. 105(3).
Elizabeth A. Mathews, Grey W. Pendleton. 2006. Declines in harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) numbers in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, 1992–2002. Marine Mammal Science 22(1):167 - 189., DOI:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00011.x
S James Taggart, Alexander G Andrews, Jennifer Mondragon, Elizabeth A Mathews. 2005. Co-occurrence of Pacific sleeper sharks Somniosus pacificus and harbor seals Phoca vitulina in Glacier Bay. Alaska Fishery Research Bulletin 11(2):113-117.
Karen M. Blejwas and Elizabeth A. Mathews. 2005. Distribution and Abundance of Marine Mammals in Berners Bay During Spring, 2005. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources Juneau, Alaska. 36 pp.
Mathews, Elizabeth A. 2002. Diet of Harbor Seals at a Glacial Fjord and a Terrestrial Haulout in Glacier Bay. Report to Glacier Bay National Park. 17 pp.
Harbor seals, Russian River, CA
Brendan P. Kelly, Elizabeth A. Mathews. 2001. Book Review, Marine Mammals: Evolutionary Biology by Annalisa Berta and James L. Sumich. Academic Press 1999. Marine Mammal Science 17(1): 200-201.
Elizabeth A. Mathews and Grey W. Pendleton. 2000. Declining Trends in Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) Numbers at Glacial Ice and Terrestrial Haulouts in Glacier Bay National Park, 1992-1998. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. 26 pp.
Tania M. Lewis and Elizabeth A. Mathews. 2000. Effects of Human Visitors on the Behavior of Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) at McBride Glacier Fjord, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. 22 pp.
Mathews, Elizabeth A. and John M. Maniscalco. 1999. Colonization and Trends in Sea Lions at a Non-pupping Colony in Glacier Bay, Southeast Alaska, 1988-1998. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. 23 pp.
Elizabeth A. Mathews and Jamie N. Womble. 1997. Abundance and Distribution of Harbor Seals from Icy Bay to Icy Straight, Southeast Alaska During August 1996, with Recommendations for a Population Trend Route. In: Small, R.J. (ed.) Harbor seal investigations in Alaska, Annual Report, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Anchorage, AK. Pp. 33-56.
Beth and her student count harbor seals in Johns Hopkins Inlet, Glacier Bay, Alaska.
Elizabeth A. Mathews and Grey W. Pendleton. 1997. Estimation of Trends of Abundance of Harbor Seals at Terrestrial and Glacial Ice Haulouts in Glacier Bay National Park, Southeast Alaska. In: Small, R.J. (ed.) Harbor seal investigations in Alaska, Annual Report, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Anchorage, AK. Pp. 57-76.
Elizabeth A. Mathews, Wayne L. Perryman, and Lara B. Dzinich. 1997. Use of High-resolution, Medium Format Aerial Photography for Monitoring Harbor Seal Abundance at Glacial Ice Haulouts. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Gustavus, Alaska. 15 pp.
Elizabeth A. Mathews, Brendan P. Kelly. 1996. Extreme temporal variation in harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) numbers in Glacier Bay, a glacial fjord in Southeast Alaska. Marine Mammal Science 12(3):483- 489., DOI:10.1111/j.1748-7692.1996.tb00603.x
Mathews, Elizabeth A. 1996. Necropsy Report for a Harbor Seal found in Mud Bay, Icy Strait, Southeast Alaska. Incident Report to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. 3 pp.
Elizabeth A. Mathews. 1995. Long-term trends in abundance of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) and development of monitoring methods in Glacier Bay National Park, Southeast Alaska. In: Proceedings of the Third Glacier Bay Science Symposium, 1993. D.R. Engstrom (Ed.), National Park Service, Anchorage, Alaska. Pp. 254-263.
Mathews, E.A. 1995. Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Review: Comments on the Use of Correction Factors in Calculations of Nmin. Report for the Alaska Scientific Review Group, Marine Mammal Stock Assessment, the National Marine Fisheries Service. 9 pp.
Mathews, Elizabeth A. 1994. The Effects of Seismic Reflection Surveys and Vessel Traffic on Harbor Seals in Johns Hopkins Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park: Preliminary Assessment. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. 25 pp.
Mathews, Elizabeth A. 1993. Incident Report on an Abandoned Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) Calf off Willoughby Island, Glacier Bay National Park. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Gustavus, Alaska. 3 pp.
Hundreds of harbor seals hauled out on Spider Island, Glacier Bay, Alaska.
Mathews, Elizabeth A. 1992. Harbor Seal Censuses in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve: Land-based and Aerial Censusing. Glacier Bay National Park and the National Marine Mammal Lab, NMFS. 43 pp.
Hal Whitehead, Jonathan Gordon, Elizabeth A. Mathews, Kenny R. Richard. 1990. Obtaining skin samples from living sperm whales. Marine Mammal Science 6(4):316 - 326., DOI:10.1111/j.1748- 7692.1990.tb00361.x
Samples of sperm whale skin, useful for modern molecular analyses of DNA, can be obtained from living animals either by collecting skin sloughed naturally by the whales, or by using biopsy darts fired from crossbows or compound bows. . . .
Elizabeth A. Mathews, Steven Keller, David B. Weiner. 1988. A method to collect and process skin biopsies from free- ranging gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus). Marine Mammal Science 4(1):1 - 12., DOI:10.1111/j.1748-7692.1988.tb00178.x
Elizabeth A. Mathews. 1986. Multiple use of skin biopsies collected from free-ranging gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus). Sex chromatin analysis, collection and processing for cell culture, microbiological analysis of associated microorganisms, behavioral response of whales to biopsying, and future prospects for using biopsies in genetic and biochemical studies. Masters Thesis, University of California Santa Cruz. 118 pp.