Steller sea lions range along the North Pacific Rim from northern Japan to California. Pupping and breeding occur late May to early July throughout their range. Males set up territories on rookeries in late May, females arrive shortly thereafter and give birth to a single pup. They alternate between nursing their pup and feeding trips; most pups are weaned by the end of their first year. The species is not known to migrate, but individuals disperse widely outside of the breeding season, particularly adult males and juveniles. Adult males are up to 3.25 m long and weigh up to 1120 kg; females are considerably smaller at up to 2.9 m and 350 kg. Pups weigh about 23 kg at birth. Two separate stocks of Steller sea lions are recognized within U. S. waters: an eastern and western stock. As a result of a precipitous decline in numbers beginning in the 1970s, the western stock is presently listed as Endangered under the ESA.
- Biology
- Distribution
- Population Decline
- Hypotheses
- 2007 Aerial Survey Results - western Steller sea lions in Alaska
- Steller sea lion databases
- Employing Technology for Conservation
- Telemetry Research
- Current Research Projects by the Alaska Ecosystems Program
- Current Research Projects by the California Current Ecosystems Program
- Publications: search AFSC database for Steller Sea Lions
- Posters: search AFSC database for Steller Sea Lions
- Quarterly Reports
- Steller sea lion research symposium, 2004
- Coordinated research program, 2001-2003
- ATKINSON, S., D. CALKINS, V. BURKANOV, M. CASTELLINI, D. HENNEN, and S. INGLIS.
2008. Impact of changing diet regimes on Steller sea lion body condition. Mar. Mammal Sci. 24(2):276-289.
- FRITZ, L., M. LYNN, E. KUNISCH, and K. SWEENEY.
2008. Aerial, ship, and land-based surveys of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Alaska, June and July 2005-2007. U. S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo., NMFS-AFSC-183, 70 p. (.pdf, 4.73 MB). Online.
- HOLMES, E. E., L. W. FRITZ, A. E. YORK, and K. SWEENEY.
2007. Age-structured modeling reveals long-term declines in the natality of western Steller sea lions. Ecol. Appl. 17(8):2214-2232.
- HUEBINGER, R. M., E. E. LOUIS, Jr., T. GELATT, L. D. REA, and J. W. BICKHAM.
2007. Characterization of eight microsatellite loci in Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). Mol. Ecol. Notes 7:1097-1099.
- Search the AFSC database for additional Steller Sea Lion publications
- Estimating Capture and Handling Mortality Risk to Endangered Juvenile Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus)
990KB Online.
- Effects of Research Disturbance on Behavior and Attendance of Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) at a Rookery in Alaska
4.5MB Online.
- Relative Prey Biomass Abundance, Distribution and Availability in the Vicinity of Endangered Steller Sea Lion Rookeries at Ugamak Island, AK, 1995-99
5.39MB Online.
- Search the AFSC database for additional Steller Sea Lion posters