Tides, Tourists, and Tails: Exploring Human-Wildlife Overlap on the Homer Spit, Alaska

Authors

Serena Seiler, Western Kentucky UniversityFollow

Publication Date

8-2025

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Natalie Mountjoy, Bruce Schulte, Deborah Boege-Tobin, Noah Ashley

Degree Program

Department of Biology

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

Coastal areas present unique challenges for human-wildlife coexistence due to their shared use by people and marine species. The Homer Spit in Homer, AK (59.6481° N, 151.5299° W) is a projection of land into Kachemak Bay on which lodging, restaurants, campgrounds, RV parks, fishing, and a variety of coastal activities exist or occur, especially during the summer months. Two of the most popular nearshore marine mammals that attract visitors are sea otters (Enhydra lutris) and harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). These two species spend time swimming, foraging, and resting around the Spit, potentially resulting in co occurrences with humans. Using a conservation behavior approach, observational data were collected on species presence, human activity types and intensity, and environmental conditions such as tide, weather, and time of day. Results indicated that harbor seal presence was positively associated with higher levels of diverse human activity, particularly at a location characterized by stocked fish and heavy use. Sea otter presence, however, showed no significant relationship with human activity or abiotic variables. This lack of association may reflect either a tolerance to human presence or spatial avoidance that was not detectable at the scale of this study. In contrast, harbor seals were more frequently observed in high-use zones when foraging opportunities are present. This project gathered baseline data for evaluating future impacts of the Homer Harbor Expansion Project and highlights the importance of understanding human-wildlife coexistence for these two marine mammals that are subject to regular encounters with humans.

Disciplines

Environmental Monitoring | Environmental Sciences | Life Sciences | Marine Biology | Natural Resources and Conservation | Tourism and Travel

Recommended Citation

Seiler, Serena, "Tides, Tourists, and Tails: Exploring Human-Wildlife Overlap on the Homer Spit, Alaska" (2025). Masters Theses & Specialist Projects. Paper 3857.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/3857