Hydrodynamic drag in steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus).

Drag, but not buoyancy, affects swim speed in captive Steller sea lions

Swimming at an optimal speed is critical for breath-hold divers seeking to maximize the time they can spend foraging underwater. Theoretical studies have predicted that the optimal swim speed for an animal while transiting to and from depth is independent of buoyancy, but is dependent on drag and metabolic rate. However, this prediction has never been experimentally tested. Our study assessed t...

A Review of Marine Mammal Deterrents and Their Possible Applications to Limit Killer Whale ( Orcinus orca) Predation on Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus)

This report does not constitute a publication and is for information only. All data herein are to be considered provisional. Abstract The population of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in the western Aleutian Islands has declined significantly and is currently listed as an endangered species. Among the possible limiting factors for this population is predation by transient killer whales (...

Prey consumption of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) off Alaska: How much prey do they require?

The effects of seasonal and regional differences in diet composition on the food requirements of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) were esti­ mated by using a bioenergetic model. The model considered differences in the energy density of the prey, and dif­ ferences in digestive efficiency and the heat increment of feeding of different diets. The model predicted that Steller sea lions in sou...

In cold blood: evidence of Pacific sleeper shark (Somniosus pacificus) predation on Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in the Gulf of Alaska

Aerial audiograms of several California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) measured using single and multiple simultaneous auditory steady-state response methods.

Measurements of the electrophysiological auditory steady-state response (ASSR) have proven to be efficient for evaluating hearing sensitivity in odontocete cetaceans. In an effort to expand these methods to pinnipeds, ASSRs elicited by single and multiple simultaneous tones were used to measure aerial hearing thresholds in several California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and Steller sea li...