Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)

	Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida) Photo: NOAA

	Did You Know? · The ringed seal is the smallest and the most common seal in the Arctic. · During spring breeding season, females construct lairs within the thick ice and give birth in these structures.

Status
ESA Candidate Species - throughout its range
MMPA - Ringed seals, like all marine mammals, are protected under the MMPA.

Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Phoca
Species: hispida

The saimaa seal (Phoca hispida saimensis) is a subspecies of the ringed seal.

Key Documents
(All documents are in PDF format.)

Title	Federal Register	Date
Initiation of Status Review	73 FR 16617	03/28/2008
Stock Assessment Reports	n/a	various

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