Overview

For an unknown reason, the Steller sea lion population in Alaska has declined by 80% over the past three decades. In 2001, the National Research Council began a study to assess the many hypotheses proposed to explain the sea lion decline including insufficient food due to fishing or the late 1970s climate/regime shift, a disease epidemic, pollution, illegal shooting, subsistence harvest, and predation by killer whales or sharks. The report's analysis indicates that the population decline cannot be explained only by a decreased availability of food; hence other factors, such as predation and illegal shooting, deserve further study. The report recommends a management strategy that could help determine the impact of fisheries on sea lion survival—establishing open and closed fishing areas around sea lion rookeries. This strategy would allow researchers to study sea lions in relatively controlled, contrasting environments. Experimental area closures will help fill some short-term data gaps, but long-term monitoring will be required to understand why sea lions are at a fraction of their former abundance. Table of Contents Front Matter Executive Summary 1. Introduction 2. The Environmental Setting 3. Identifying Clues and Testing Hypotheses 4. Review of Steller Sea Lion Biology 5. Fisheries 6. Steller Sea Lion Decline: Environmental Context and Compendium of Evidence 7. Information Needs and Recommendations References Appendix A: Committee and Staff Biographies Appendix B: Acronyms Appendix C: Glossary Appendix D: Early Account of Steller Sea Lions Appendix E: Federal Funding Summary Appendix F: Meeting Agendas Appendix G: National Research Council Project Oversight Boards Appendix H: Guide to the Common and Scientific Names of Marine Mammal, Fish, Invertebrate, and Bird Species

Full Product Details

Author:   National Research Council ,  Division on Earth and Life Studies ,  Polar Research Board ,  Ocean Studies Board
Publisher:   National Academies Press
Imprint:   National Academies Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.30cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.408kg
ISBN:  

9780309086325

ISBN 10:   0309086329
Pages:   216
Publication Date:   04 May 2003
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

1 Front Matter; 2 Executive Summary; 3 1. Introduction; 4 2. The Environmental Setting; 5 3. Identifying Clues and Testing Hypotheses; 6 4. Review of Steller Sea Lion Biology; 7 5. Fisheries; 8 6. Steller Sea Lion Decline: Environmental Context and Compendium of Evidence; 9 7. Information Needs and Recommendations; 10 References; 11 Appendix A: Committee and Staff Biographies; 12 Appendix B: Acronyms; 13 Appendix C: Glossary; 14 Appendix D: Early Account of Steller Sea Lions; 15 Appendix E: Federal Funding Summary; 16 Appendix F: Meeting Agendas; 17 Appendix G: National Research Council Project Oversight Boards; 18 Appendix H: Guide to the Common and Scientific Names of Marine Mammal, Fish, Invertebrate, and Bird Species

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Author Information

Committee on the Alaska Groundfish Fishery and Steller Sea Lions, National Research Council

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