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
- Steller sea lion research coordination, 2007, 2008, 2009
- 2008 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
- PHILLIPS, C. D., J. W. BICKHAM, J. C. PATTON, and T. S. GELATT.
2009. Systematics of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus): Subspecies recognition based on concordance of genetics and morphometrics. Occas. Pap. Mus. Texas Tech Univ. 283:1-15.
- DANIEL K. LEW. 2009. Towards an Understanding of the Public's Attitudes and Preferences for Protecting Steller Sea Lions. AFSC Quarterly Report Feature (January-February-March 2009) 8 p. (.pdf, 1.2MB). Online.
- WOMBLE, J. N., M. F. SIGLER, and M. F. WILLSON.
2009. Linking seasonal distribution patterns with prey availability in a central-place forager, the Steller sea lion. J. Biogeogr. 36:1-11
- KOYAMA, S., S. FUJITA, T. HIROTA, T. SATOH, Y. OBARA, H. HOSHINO, A. WADA, V. N. BURKANOV, and K. WADA.
2008. Genetic structure of Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) rookeries in the Sea of Okhotsk. Zool. Stud. 47:781-787.
- Search the AFSC database for additional Steller Sea Lion publications
- A Cooperative Pollock Acoustic Biomass Survey for Management of Fisheries Interactions with Steller Sea Lions in the Aleutian Islands
644KB Online.
- Update on Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) Surveys in Russia, 2006-2008
3.68MB Online.
- Estimating Capture and Handling Mortality Risk to Endangered Juvenile Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus)
990KB Online.
- Search the AFSC database for additional Steller Sea Lion posters