NIFS, based on the result of habitat survey on spotted seals on Baengnyeongdo Island and in Garorim Bay last year, announced that it confirmed at least 279 individuals inhabited in the coast of Baengnyeongdo Island and 7 in Garorim Bay. The confirmation was the result of the Cetacean Research Institute of NIFS collecting and analyzing the data for entity identification of spotted seals, using land-based and boat-based sighting survey, drones for aerial photo or video, etc., over July to August of last year. The Institute has around 8,000 photos for identifying individuals by running the AI-based identification program since 2006 built on photographed unique patterns and spots on the left cheek of each spotted seal. 

Also, it turned out that the nine seals found on the Island in 2007 to 2008 came back to the Island again in 16 or 17 years. Around 161 individuals (58%) of the spotted seals coming to the Island inhabited on the Mulbeom Rock of the Island. As such, it was confirmed that the Rock was the biggest resting place for the seals in Korea. In the boat-based sighting survey in Baengnyeongdo Island of last December, it was also confirmed that a small number of the seals remained on the Island, not going back to breeding sites. Spotted seals have ecological characteristics of having reproduction in China's Bohai Bay and Liaodong Bay in winter, then migrating to the north and spending summer on Shandong Peninsula, Baengnyeongdo Island, and in Garorim Bay, and again migrating to the north for reproduction in late fall. 

The Cetacean Research Institute plans to collect more data on the remaining individuals on the Island by conducting seasonal surveys with the increased number of monitoring on the distribution and ecological survey of spotted seals on Baengnyeongdo Island (twice→ four times a year) and in Garorim Bay (once → twice a year). To monitor the seasonal migration of spotted seals, it will also actively try attaching satellite telemetry to track the movement to the seals at a time when they are captured or rescued. In addition, it has a plan to conduct a new survey on the seals living on Ulleungdo Island for the ecological study on seals in the East Sea.

The President of NIFS said, "We will expand the scope of research on pinnipedia, including spotted seals and seals, to identify the ecological characteristics needed to protect the pinnipedia in Korean waters."