Steller Sea Lion, Eastern Alaska population-Yearround
Alaska Gap Analysis
Wildlife Habitat Relationships
Model Name
YMESSL
Taxa Code (ITIS)
180625A
Scientific Name
Eumetopias jubatus
Common Name
Steller Sea Lion, Eastern Alaska population
Created By
T. Gotthardt and K. Walton
Last Modified By
T. Gotthardt and K. Walton
Date
March 2011
Date
March 2011
Model Description
Steller Sea Lion, Eastern Alaska population
Eumetopias jubatus
Yearround
Deductive Model
Habitat Description
Rookeries generally occur on beaches of remote islands with difficult access for humans
and other mammalian predators (Sea Lion Recovery Plan Team 1991). The beaches can
be sand, gravel, cobble, boulder, or bedrock. Female sea lions tend to select locations
for pupping that are gently sloping and protected from waves (Sandegren 1970).
Rookery sites may be used as haulout sites during the nonbreeding season.
Independent juveniles usually avoid rookeries (Gentry 1970, Sandegren 1970, Calkins
and Pitcher 1983, Hoover 1988). From about two weeks after birth, the pups begin to
spend increasing amounts of time in the intertidal areas and swimming near shore.
Haulout locations include exposed rocks, reefs, beaches, jetties, breakwaters,
navigational aids, floating docks, and sea ice. Selection of both rookery and haulout
sites appears to depend on a number of factors including substrate type, degree of
exposure to wind and waves, proximity to food resources, tradition of use, season, and
the degree of human disturbance (Gentry 1970, Sandegren 1970, Calkins and Pitcher
1983, Hoover 1988).
Forage near shore and over the continental shelf (Reeves et al. 1992). Habitually hauls
out on sea ice (Rice 1998). While offshore, the sea lions are most often found within 35
km of shore (Kenyon and Rice 1961, Fiscus and Baines 1966, Fiscus et al. 1976, Bonnell
et al. 1983) but may range out to several hundred kilometers offshore. The distance sea
lions move offshore varies seasonally, with fewer animals being sighted at sea during
the summer (Fiscus et al. 1976, Bonnell et al. 1983).
Habitat
Description
Changes
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Habitat
Description
Steller Sea Lion, Eastern Alaska population-Yearround
Changes
Thursday, April 05, 2012
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Habitat
Description
Steller Sea Lion, Eastern Alaska population-Yearround
Changes
Relationships
Elevation (m)
n/a - n/a
Associated Edge Type n/a
Ecotone Width (m) n/a
Associated with Forest Interior n/a
Forest Interior Buffer (m) n/a
Associated with Flowing Water
Distance from (m) n/a
Associated with Open/Standing Water
Associated with Wet Vegetation
Type of Salinity
Distance from (m) n/a
Distance from (m) n/a
Distance into (m) n/a
Distance into (m) n/a
Distance into (m) n/a
n/a
Ecological System
CES204.16 Alaska Pacific Maritime Rocky Coastline
Citations
Bonnell, M.L., M.O. Pierson, and G.D. Farrens. 1983. Pinnipeds and sea otters of central
and northern California, 1980-1983: status, abundance and distribution. Part of
investigator's final report for contract #14-12-0001-29090. Prepared for U.S. Minerals
Management Service. Center for Marine Studies, Univ. of California, Santa Cruz.
Calkins, D.G. and K.W. Pitcher. 1983. Population assessment, ecology and trophic
relationships of Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska. Final report. Pp.445-546. In:
Environmental assessment of the Alaskan Continental Shelf. Final reports of principal
investigators. Vol. 19. December 1983. U.S. Dept. Commerce, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Office of Oceanography and
Marine Services, Ocean Assessments Division.
Fiscus, C.H. and G.A. Baines. 1966. Food and feeding behavior of Steller and California
sea lions. J. Mamm. 47(2):195-200.
Fiscus, C., H. Braham, and R. Mercer. 1976. Seasonal distribution and relative
abundance of off-shore marine mammals in the western Gulf of Alaska: Kodiak Island
to Umnak Island. Quarterly report. Pp. 265-271. In: Environmental assessment of the
Alaskan Continental Shelf. Vol. 1. Principal investigators' reports, October-December
1976. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Research
Laboratories, Boulder, CO.
Gentry, R.L. 1970. Social behavior of the Steller sea lion. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of
California, Santa Cruz, CA. 113 p.
Hoover, A.A. 1988. Steller sea lion, EUMETOPIAS JUBATUS. Pp. 159-193. In: Lentfer,
J.W. (ed.). Selected marine mammals of Alaska: species accounts with research and
management recommendations. Marine Mammal Commission, Washington, DC.
Kenyon, K.W. and D.W. Rice. 1961. Abundance and distribution of the Steller sea lion. J.
Mamm. 42(2):223-234.
Reeves, R. R., B. S. Stewart, and S. Leatherwood. 1992. The Sierra Club Handbook of
Seals and Sirenians. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, California. xvi + 359 pp.
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Steller Sea Lion, Eastern Alaska population-Yearround
Rice, D.W. 1998. Marine mammals of the world: systematics and distribution. Society
for Marine Mammalogy, Special Publication Number 4. ix + 231 pp.
Sandegren, F.E. 1970. Breeding and maternal behavior of the Steller sea lion
(EUMETOPIAS JUBATA) in Alaska. M.S. thesis. Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK.
138 p.
Sea Lion Recovery Plan Team. 1991. Recovery plan for the Steller sea lion
(EUMETOPIAS JUBATUS), final revision. Multi-agency cooperative report. October 3,
1991. 119 p.
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