Data Type: Mammals; Data set depicts the current list of Steller sea lion rookeries and haulouts from California, north to the Western Aleutian Islands. Data set includes latitude, longitude, region, substrate, rookery or haulout and trend site designation. Additional information in the database includes population numbers of pups and non-pups.

For people who live in Alaska, encounters with wildlife are just part of the daily routine. It's one of the reasons many of us endure long winter months for the chance to see a moose nose pressed against a window, or a porcupine waddle through the yard, or a fox, mouse dangling from its jaw, lope across the road. But sometimes, encounters with wildlife aren't exactly welcome. In this week's Arctic Science Journeys radio, writer and editor Andy Hall recalls one eye-opening experience with a hungry bear.

Data consists of all Steller sea lion feces (scat) collected between 1990 and 1999 and prey information. A zip file containing the raw data in a PDF file and readme text are available online for download at http://nmml.afsc.noaa.gov/AlaskaEcosystems/sslhome/sslzip/sslscat.zip. [ Reference: PICES Scientific Report No. 18 2001, Proceedings of the PICES/CoML/IPRC Workshop on "Impact of Climate Variability on Observation and Prediction of Ecosystem and Biodiversity Changes in the North Pacific", http://www.pices.int/publications/scientific_reports/Report18/default.aspx. ]

The object of Research Unit 67 is to summarize existing knowledge on the seasonal distribution and relative abundance of cetaceans and pinnipeds in the Bering Sea, and to the extend possible, in the southern Chukchi Sea. This report suppliments information found in published and unpublished accounts with data from aerial and vessel surveys. This report represents the first annual report for research Unit number 67 under the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program. It covers original research conducted between June 1975 and October 1976 in the Bering Sea.[Reference: Braham H.W., R.D. Everitt, B.D. Drogman, D.J. Rugh, and D.E. Withrow. 1977. Marine mammals of the Bering Sea : preliminary analysis of distribution and abundance, 1975-76. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest and Alaska Fisheries Center, Marine Mammal Division, 1977. pp.108.]

We validated a fecal glucocorticoid assay for Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and estimated stress hormone concentrations from fecal samples collected from sea lions in different regions of Alaska. Validation was undertaken with an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge. Feces were collected from captive Steller sea lions (two males and two females) for two days prior to injection with ACTH, and for four or more days post-injection. Feces were freeze-dried, extracted with a methanol vortex method, and assayed for glucocorticoids. Fecal samples were also collected in the wild from three separate groups of animals during summer: mature females, mature males and immature animals. In addition, we collected sea lion feces in winter (Dec-Mar) and summer (May-Sep) from two regions of Alaska: Southeast Alaska (where sea lions increased) and the Gulf of Alaska (where sea lions declined). Diets (determined from the hard parts removed from the scats) and stress hormone concentrations were compared by season and region to test whether there was a relationship between diet and stress. The amount of prey required to meet daily needs was calculated for each haulout and rookery by applying a bioenergetics model to the composition of prey species identified from scats. The captive study showed that fecal glucocorticoid concentrations can be reliably measured in Steller sea lion feces. From the summer field study, we found that bulls had higher summer concentrations of stress hormones on average than mature females, which were in turn higher than those of immature sea lions. In general, mean consumption of prey (all sites combined) was higher in winter than in summer, as were mean stress hormone concentrations. Similarly, consumption was higher in Southeast Alaska than in the Gulf of Alaska, as too were stress hormone concentrations. The lower levels of stress hormones detected in the Gulf of Alaska and the relatively high energy content of their diets in 2000 is inconsistent with the nutritional stress hypothesis and the continued population decline of Steller sea lions. Such a finding adds credence to the view that killer whale predation may now be preventing population recovery. [ An NPMR project ] [ Reference: Hunt, K.E., A.W. Trites, and S.K. Wasser. 2004. Validation of a fecal glucocorticoid assay for Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). Physiology and Behavior 80: 595-601. ]

This database catalogs Steller sea lion hard and soft anatomy samples. Data includes collector, haul name, location, species identification, year, age, sex, weight, and sample types. [ Reference: PICES Scientific Report No. 18 2001, Proceedings of the PICES/CoML/IPRC Workshop on "Impact of Climate Variability on Observation and Prediction of Ecosystem and Biodiversity Changes in the North Pacific", http://www.pices.int/publications/scientific_reports/Report18/default.aspx. ]

A database of research projects conducted at over 25 institutions throughout the world investigating the cause of the decline of the western population of Steller sea lions. This database can be searched via the Internet using a search form. The database can be searched using six criteria, research them, keywords, principal investigators, causes, project status, and funding source. [ Reference: PICES Scientific Report No. 18 2001, Proceedings of the PICES/CoML/IPRC Workshop on "Impact of Climate Variability on Observation and Prediction of Ecosystem and Biodiversity Changes in the North Pacific", http://www.pices.int/publications/scientific_reports/Report18/default.aspx. ]

Scientists for years have been trying to learn why populations of Alaska's Steller sea lions are crashing in western parts of the state. Near the small fishing town of Kodiak, scientists are teaming up to study the ecosystem that supports sea lions. Doug Schneider has more, in this week's Arctic Science Journeys Radio.

Each annual management report includes a description of the management area and an overview of the fishery. The commercial salmon fishery section includes information on run strength indicators, economics and market production, run and harvest performance by species and a season summary by fishing district. The subsistence salmon fishery section provides a discussion of regulations, in season management permit system and harvest. The herring fishery section outlines stock assessment methods, predicts an overview of herring sac roe, spawn on kelp, capelin and rainbow smelt fisheries, gives a season summary by fisheries and evaluates exploitation rates of ex-vessel values.

Marine mammals are vital to the subsistence lifestyle and economy of coastal Alaska Natives. In 1988, six coastal Alaska Native regions formed the Alaska Sea Otter Commission to restore Alaska Native governance over the northern sea otter. In November 1998, the Commission expanded its role as a statewide organization to advocate on behalf of Steller sea lion and Alaska Native relationships. The organization officially expanded to The Alaska Sea Otter & Steller Sea Lion Commission (TASSC). In 1992, the Commission developed regional management plans for each of its six regions. Recognized within these plans is a need for local participation in research and management. Research includes building regional capacity by training local residents on the methods of biological sampling of the northern sea otter. In 1995, the Commission received funding to implement a biological training program. Over 55 local people from within the six coastal regions received training. To date, 185 biological samples from subsistence harvested sea otters were collected for research. This project expands the biological sampling program to train local people on marine mammal and bird stranding protocols. This project also includes; Kimberly Williams Alaska Sea Otter & Steller Sea Lion Commission 505 West Northern Lights Blvd. Suite 217 Anchorage, Alaska 99503-6199 (907) 274-9799 asoc@alaska.net An NPMR project