Steller sea lions are found in coastal waters in the northern Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Central California. California sea lions are federally protected as marine mammals, but not as endangered or threatened species. Within the United States, the population is divided at Cape Suckling into western and eastern Distinct Population Segments. High levels of the antifouling paint tributyltin (TBT) have been found in Steller sea lions around Hokkaido. The U.S. population of California sea lions is currently estimated at some 300,000 animals, all on the Pacific coast. The commercial pup harvest in 1964-1972 provided fur for clothing manufacture. The new permit allows the states and several Native American tribes to kill 540 California sea lions and 176 Steller sea lions over the next five years along a … Whereas sea lions and their ilk sport external ear flaps known as pinnae, Harbor Seals and other members of Phocidae (the “true seals”) lack such structures.The eared seals’ family name derives from the Greek otarion, … Steller Watch NOAA Fisheries Steller sea lion biologists need your help. Pendelton, G. W., Pitcher, K. W., Fritz, L. W., York, A. E., Raum-Suryan, K. L., Loughling, T. R., Calkins, D. G., Hastings, K. K. and Gelatt, T. S. 2006. After nine months of rehabilitation, Smores was released near the Farallon Islands, a marine sanctuary that is home to many other Steller sea lions. Pitcher, K. W., Burkanov, V. N., Calkins, D. G., Le Boeuf, B. J., Mamaev, E. G., Merrick, R. L., and Pendleton, G. W. 2001. Bering Sea 3 4 5 2 1 Figure 1. The most recent published data for the 2006 Steller sea lion stock assessment reports a population estimated at 39,500. 39 Figure 14. Hastings, K.K., T.S. Kaplan, C.C., G.C. Within the United States, the population is divided at Cape Suckling into western and eastern Distinct Population Segments. But are natural or man-made causes behind the decline? The endangered western population, found in the North Pacific, are the focus of conservation efforts which require annual population counts. Mating occurs 10 to 14 days after the pups are born. The area's Steller sea lions are currently federally protected as a threatened species. Both California and Steller sea lions have made strong recoveries in the years since passage of the MMPA, with California sea lions now numbering more than 250,000, along with more than 70,000 animals in the eastern population of Steller sea lions. The western DPS includes all Steller sea lions originating from rookeries west of Cape Suckling (144° west longitude). Both the California sea lion and populations of Loughlin’s (eastern) Steller sea lions can be seen here hauling on rocks to sleep on or laying in the sun. However, when they do eat, Steller sea lions enjoy a variety of fish, invertebrates and occasionally other pinnipeds. We study the health and size of marine animal populations. Steller sea lions are light tan to reddish-brown in color. A Steller sea lion in poor health was sighted at Morris Cove in Unalaska over the weekend, prompting biologists to observe the adult male until it died early in the week. Adult coats are a light tan to reddish-brown color, … 2009. Steller sea lions are similar in appearance to California sea lions and are sometimes confused with them. Females are much smaller and may grow to 9 feet in length and weigh 1,000 pounds. During skiff and land surveys, persistence is required to identify and photograph marked sea lions from among the hundreds of others hauled out. The Marine Mammal Center cares about your privacy. Aside from food and clothing, their skin was used to cover baidarkas and kayaks. DOI: 10.2193/2007-208. Known predators are killer whales (orcas) and white sharks. Frazier said far larger numbers of sturgeon now are … Steller Sea Lions in B.C. Based on estimated pup production during the last range-wide survey in 2002, the total size of Sea lion populations near Kodiak Island are plummeting. In the 1990s, the population decline continued in the western portions of the species’ range, which led officials to divide the species into the two distinct population segments seen today. Dispersal, rookery fidelity, and metapopulation structure of Steller sea lions (. Numbers of Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus in the North Pacific have declined. According to the IUCN Red List, the total Steller sea lion population size is approximately 160,867 individuals. White, and B.R. Abundance and distribution of the eastern North Pacific Steller sea lion (, Raum-Suryan, K. L., Pitcher, K. W., Calkins, D. G., Sease, J. L., and Loughlin, T. R. 2002. However, Steller sea lions are much larger and lighter in color. Email Us. Mothers stay with their pups for one to two weeks before going off to hunt at sea. While the western population has been increasing slowly overall since about 2003, it is still declining quickly in large areas of its range. Gelatt, and J.C. King. Contemporary use includes food, some clothing and craftwork. Sea lion populations near Kodiak Island are plummeting. For instance, we know Steller sea lions in the western Aleutian Islands are declining at an alarming rate of about 7% per year. Numbers dropped from over 300,000 individuals to fewer than 100,000. Board of Fisheries and Game: Actions & Activities, Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program, Alaska Resources Library and Information Services (ARLIS), About the Division of Commercial Fisheries, Western Alaska Salmon Stock Identification Program (WASSIP), Online General Season & Registration Permits, Subsistence and Personal Use Fishing Permits, CSIS – Community Subsistence Information System, The Technical Papers and Special Publications Series. Last updated: April 14, 2015 Contact the Park M1L3 Biodiversity Review Activity: Mystery in Alaska: Why Have All the Sea Lions Gone? Most of the sea lions in this area breed in large colonies at Ano Nuevo Island north of Santa Cruz after giving birth during the early summer months of June and July. Adult males do not have a visible sagittal crest (the bump on the top of their heads) as is seen in adult male California sea lions. Postbranding survival of Steller sea lion pups at Lowrie Island in Southeast Alaska. According to the Nutritional Stress Hypothesis, this decline is due to reduced food availability. Map of the Aleutian Islands showing the sites where Steller sea lion scats were collected (1990-2012) and the 5 Areas used for trend, diet and groundfish community analysis. In the 1950s, the U.S. population of California sea lions estimated at 10,000 animals. For a population that’s declining, like Steller sea lions in the Aleutian Islands, estimating survival, reproduction and dispersal can help us determine what factors might be affecting the population. Steller sea lion Regional Population Trend: Counts of Adult and Juvenile Steller sea lions by Area, 1990-2012 (black dots). 2008. are currently breeding at all known historic rookeries, and populations have grown well past known peak historic levels. Estimated abundance, 1979-2010, for the eastern DPS of Steller sea lion based on 38 pup counts Figure 13. currently supports approximately 33% of the total Eastern Population of Steller Sea Lion. We have hundreds of thousands of images taken by cameras stationed in the remote Aleutian Islands in Alaska. We need your help to find out which images have sea lions present with readable markings to help save this endangered population. Steller sea lion were hunted for meat and other commodities by prehistoric communities everywhere their range intersected with human communities. The States and Tribes estimate that there may be up to 290 California sea lions and 130 Steller sea lions using these areas which is less than 0.1 percent and 0.18 percent of the total population, respectively. etal. This is where 94 percent of the Steller sea lion population has vanished in the last 30 years, with no clear answers why. Survival of Steller sea lions in Alaska: a comparison of increasing and decreasing populations. Adult male Steller sea lions have a bulky build and a very thick neck with longer fur that resembles a lion's mane, hence the name "sea lion.". Steller sea lions, Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776), aka northern sea lions and Steller's sea lions, are the largest of the Otariidae (eared seal or sea lion) family. The differentiation is based primarily on genetic and physical differences, but also on differing population trends in the two regions. As this group had recovered, it no longer met the definition of an endangered or threatened species. sea lions, especially losses of broodstock-size white sturgeon to Steller sea lion predation. Steller sea lion Smores was found alone on a beach at just a few months old. Recent population surveys suggest that for the past 25 to 30 years, the Eastern population has been growing steadily at about 3 percent per year. abstract 1. By re-visiting these locations year after year, we can identify individual sea lions to determine, over time, the rate of survival, the reproductive rates and time at first reproduction of females, their geographic shifts in choice of breeding rookery and rates of entanglement in marine debris. Between the 1960s and the 1990s the species experienced a dramatic 70% loss in population. The extent of this decline led to the Steller sea lion species being listed as threatened range-wide in April 1990. While the Steller sea lion population is listed as “depleted” under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and thus subsistence takes are subject to Federal management, subsistence harvest continues because i… This includes population numbers of two recognized populations of the species: Western Steller sea lion population-79,929 individuals, with 55,791 animals in the USA and 24,138 animals in Russia; Loughlin’s Steller sea lion population-approximately 80,938 individuals. Geographic location of eastern DPS Steller sea lion rookeries (labeled) and 30 haulouts from Washington to California. During the breeding season, males do not eat. Females reach 2.9 m in length, and 263 kg (maximum 350 kg) in weight. Historically, Steller sea lions were used as a food source, clothing, boat coverings, meat for fox farms and craftwork. The distinct western population was first listed under the Endangered Species Act more than 20 years ago, and during that time Earthjustice and conservation groups have fought for the establishment of prey protections for … Steller sea lions occur at over 300 haulouts and breeding rookeries (in red) across the northern Pacific Rim from the Kuril Islands to California. Noon. At certain sites, the number of individuals has more than doubled from 1979 to 2002. The cause is still a mystery. Sea lion abundance is high in the lower Columbia River. A subsistence harvest on the order of 300 animals or less continues to this day in some native communities in Alaska. She eventually went on to produce a pup at her birthplace in June 2009. Pups typically are born from mid-May to mid-July, weighing 35 to 50 pounds. The Western DPS declined by 75% between 1976 and 1990, and decreased another 40% between 1991 and 2000 (the average annual decline during this peri… Since the 1970s, the most significant drop in numbers was seen in the eastern Aleutian Islands and the western Gulf of Alaska. During the breeding season, mothers spend roughly equal amounts of time hunting and nursing pups on land and gradually spend more time at sea as their pups get older. The Western population was listed as endangered in 1997, and there are currently about 46,000 individuals in this group. Mark-resight work shows us how often sea lions produce pups and at what age they begin. Overview. About Steller Watch Discover new information about the endangered Steller sea lion by reviewing pictures captured from the remote western Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Steller sea lions are well-known to prey on sturgeon. Spatial and temporal variation in the timing of births of steller sea lions. Spending time with companions of different species and ages helps Steller sea lion pups avoid habituating to humans while learning important behavior skills. Canadian Journal of Zoology 84: 1163–1172. The mostrecent pupcountsavailable by region are 7,462 in2009 for southeast Alaska (DeMaster2009 ), 5,485in 2010 forBritish Steller sea lions in the western Aleutian Islands have declined 94 percent in the last 30 years. Journal of Mammalogy 82(4): 1047–1053. Data from studies conducted on pinnipeds in the laboratory are used here to test whether the Nutritional Stress Hypothesis can explain the decline of Steller sea lions. Breeding occurs in areas ranging from Año Nuevo Island in Central California to the Kuril Islands north of Japan, with the greatest concentration of rookeries, or breeding grounds, in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands. The western population of Steller sea lions has declined by more than 80 percent, and sharp declines still persist in the western Aleutian Islands. Read our privacy policy. The western stock of Steller sea lions decreased from an estimated 220,000 to 265,000 animals in the late 1970s to less than 50,000 in 2000. The differentiation is based primarily on genetic and physical differences, but also on differing population trends in the two regions. Steller sea lion abundance in Washington has also grown, with numbers of non-pups at four sites used for trend analysis increasing at an average annual rate of 9.13% from 1989 to 2013. We also study the key areas where these animals feed, breed, and grow. Figure 12. Abundance in the state peaks during the non-breeding season at roughly 2,000-2,500 animals. Steller sea lions in U.S. waters are divided into two distinct population groups: the Western and Eastern populations. Males may grow to 11 feet in length and weigh almost 2,500 pounds. They have a blunt face and a boxy, bear-like head. Why can't sea lions be relocated to other natural … Adult males measure 2.8-3.2 m in length and weigh an average 566 kg (maximum 1,120 kg). In October 2013, officials removed the Eastern group of Steller sea lions from the endangered species list. (2007)concluded that the total Steller sea lionpopulation abundance couldbe estimated bymultiplyingpup countsby a factorbased on the birthrate, sex and age structure,and growth rateof the population. Estimated trends for eastern DPS Steller sea lion nonpup data, 1979-2010. A female originally marked as a pup at Hazy Islands rookery in June 2001 is resighted with her own new pup at Lowrie Island rookery in June 2009. "It's really unusual to have sea lions hauling out on the soft sanded beaches," said Melissa Good, a marine advisory agent with Alaska Sea Grant. Journal of Wildlife Management 73(7):1040–1051. Most Steller sea lion populations declined markedly in the 1980s and 1990s, even though the animals are protected. Steller Sea Lion Conservation. Alaska waters support some of the most important commercial fisheries in the world; large and diverse populations of whales, seals, sea lions, and porpoises; and Alaska native hunting and fishing communities. more Sea lion populations near Kodiak Island are plummeting. Pitcher, K., Olesiuk, P., Brown, R., Lowry, M., Jeffries, S., Sease, J., Perryman, W., Stinchcomb, C., and Lowry, L. 2007. Smores formed a quick bond with a northern fur seal that was about 100 pounds smaller than her. As an example, this female sea lion was marked as a pup at Hazy Islands rookery in 2001 and resighted at the Inian Islands in 2003. Unlike the Eastern population, the Western group has not met the recovery and de-listing criteria, and remains listed as endangered. Pups usually nurse for a year, but some continue to nurse for up to three years. - HONORS Name: Sabrina Simon Date: 6-4-20 Questions List several possible reasons for the decline of the Steller sea lion population based on the information in the reading material that is supplied.-The change in an environment, predation, diseases, commercial fishing. and B.C. Steller sea lions suffered a huge population loss in the 1960s. Steller sea lions occur at over 300 haulouts and breeding rookeries (in red) across the northern Pacific Rim from the Kuril Islands to California. The states and tribes estimate that there may be up to 290 California sea lions and 130 Steller sea lions using these areas which is less than 0.1 percent and 0.18 percent of the total population, respectively. At the Center, Smores was housed with many different patients. Observers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers re port a steady increase in the number of Steller sea lions at Bonneville Dam, from zero animals in 2002 to seventeen animals by 2008. For management purposes, Steller sea lions inhabiting U.S. waters have been divided into two distinct population segments (DPSs): the Western U.S. and the Eastern U.S at 144o longitude. The eastern population of Steller sea lions is also estimated to be at or near carrying capacity, with an estimated 70,000 animals. But are natural or man-made causes behind the decline? Join scientists on a research vessel to western Aleutian Islands—closer to Russia than mainland Alaska. Neonatal survival of Steller sea lions (. ( Gelatt and Lowry, 2012 ; NOAA Fisheries, 2012 ) … The Marine Mammal Center advances global ocean conservation through rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education. 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