Seasonal spatial patterns in seabird and marine mammal distribution in the eastern Chukchi and western Beaufort seas: Identifying biologically important pelagic areas

•Getis-Ord Gi∗ hotspot analysis was used to identify 40-km×40-km cells with high relative abundance for seabirds and marine mammals.•Hotspots for seabirds, walrus, and gray whales occurred primarily in the Chukchi Sea.•Hotspots for bowhead whales and other pinnipeds (i.e., seals) occurred near Barrow Canyon and along the Beaufort Sea shelf and slope.•Hotspots for belugas occurred in both the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.•Seabirds and marine mammals shared 3 hotspots in summer and 1 in fall; the mouth of Barrow Canyon was shared both seasons.