Alaska Sea Lions and Seals

Transcription

1 Alaska Sea Lions and Seals Blaire, Kate, Donovan, & Alex Biodiversity of Alaska 18 June

2 Similarities & Differences of Sea Lions and Seals Phocidae Family cannot rotate back flippers; move like a caterpillar on land no external earflaps use back flippers for power when swimming use front flippers for steering when swimming food: krill, fish, lobster, birds claws and fur on front flippers marine mammals pinniped, fin footed in Latin preyed upon by polar bears, orcas, and sharks Otariidae Family can rotate back flippers under themselves to walk and run on land external earflaps use front flippers for power when swimming use back flippers for steering when swimming food: squid, octopus, birds, and fish no claws or hair on front flippers Seals ("What s the Difference 2017) Sea Lions

3 Evolution Both seals and sea lions are Pinnipeds Descended from one ancestral line Belong to order carnivora Closest living relatives are bears and musteloids (diverged 50 million years ago) (Churchill 2015)

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5 Phylogenetics

6 Steller: Eumetopias jubatus

7 Steller: Eumetopias jubatus Classification ( Steller Sea Lion 2017) Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mamalia Order: Carnivora Family: Otarridae Genus: Eumetopias Species: Jubatus

8 Steller: Eumetopias jubatus General Description Size: males: 2,500 lbs, ft females: 770 lbs, ft pups: lbs, 3.3 ft Coloring: adults: light blonde to reddish brown pups: dark brown/black Lifespan: years old ( Steller Sea Lion 2017)

9 Steller: Eumetopias jubatus Life History Growth & Reproduction: use rookeries males establish territory, multiple females ( Steller Sea Lions 2017) Feeding: opportunistic (capellin, cod, herring, mackeral, pollock, rockfish, salmon, squid, octopus, gastropods) (Fiscus 2017) Behavior: use haul-outs for rest can dive up to 1300 ft, no migration can walk on land ( Mammals 2017)

10 Steller: Eumetopias jubatus Distributed throughout the coast to continental shelf (Womble 2017) Aleutian islands, central Bering sea, Southern coast Geographic Distribution Western Distinct Population Segment (DPS) = central and western Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian islands, coastal waters Eastern DPS = southeast Alaska, California, British Columbia, and Oregon ( Mammals 2017)

11 Steller: Eumetopias jubatus Status: Endangered (Western DPS), Delisted (Eastern DPS) Predators: orcas, sharks, humans Efforts: protective zones, catch/hunting limits ( Mammals 2017)

12 Bearded: Erignathus barbatus

13 Bearded: Erignathus barbatus Life History Growth & Reproduction: one pup per year late April or early May Feeding: feed benthically invertebrates bottom fish Behavior: de/marine%20mammals/580_438_c1/bearded_sealharbor_seals_ab.jpg males vocalize during the breeding season predators ( Mammals 2017)

14 Bearded: Erignathus barbatus Status: very common and low risk (least concern of extinction) Life Span: 25 years old Predators: polar bears, killer whales, walruses, and Alaska Native hunters ( Bearded Seal 2015)

15 Bearded: Erignathus barbatus Range and Habitat follow the sea ice south into Bering Sea and north into Chukchi and Beaufort Sea juveniles found more in ice free zones than adults shallow water high biomass areas of benthic prey m Geographic Distribution ( Mammals 2017)

16 Harbor: Phoca vitulina

17 Harbor: Phoca vitulina Life History Diving: adaptations Reproduction & Development: single pups May and mid-july swim almost immediately after birth sexual maturity between 3 and 7 years Food: opportunistic feeders seasonally available resources ( Harbor Seal 2015)

18 Harbor: Phoca vitulina Life History Movement: no seasonal patterns Behavior: solitary in water haul out in groups enter water if threatened Species of Special Concern: vulnerable to significant decline causes are unknown most common predator is the killer whale ( Harbor Seal 2015)

19 Harbor: Phoca vitulina Range and Habitat Dixon Entrance to Kuskokwim Bay and west throughout the Aleutian Islands reefs, sand, and gravel beaches glacial and sea ice seasonal movement to glacial fjords Geographic Distribution ( Mammal 2017)

20 Northern Fur: Callorhinus ursinus

21 Northern Fur: Callorhinus ursinus Life History Growth & Reproduction: ( Mammals 2017) Pribilof Islands Males emit growling noises Young mature around 5 years of age Life span is about 25 years Feeding: vast mixtures of food Migration: males and females have different migration habits

22 Northern Fur: Callorhinus ursinus Range and Habitat Pribilof Islands ( Mammals 2017) Geographic Distribution

23 Northern Fur: Callorhinus ursinus Life History Range and Habitat: found normally between 10 and 100 miles offshore Appearance: mature seals have brownblack, dense pelts males much larger than females History and Population: discovered by Georg Wilhelm Steller hunting became illegal in Predators and Threats: killer whales, sharks, Steller Sea Lions ( Mammals 2017)

24 Ribbon: Phoca fasciata

25 Ribbon: Phoca fasciata Life History Geography: mostly located in the Bering Sea by Alaska Feeding: large variety of marine food primary food choice is fish Predators and Threats: difficult to tell predators live far from civilization population is strong, in no way endangered ( Mammals 2017)

26 Ribbon: Phoca fasciata Life History Appearance: four rings on their bodies 5.5 feet and 175 pounds Migration: little information due to their remote environment Range and Habitat: young born on ice in April and May snow drifts are the main defenses against snow along with their mothers ( Mammals 2017)

27 Ringed: Phoca hispida

28 Ringed: Phoca hispida Life History Growth and Reproduction: birth single pup females breed month after giving birth males omit odor Feeding Artic cod, Saffron cod, Shrimps, and other crustaceans Behavior: live under sea ice claws create breathing holes Predators and Threats: killer whales, polar bears, walruses ( Mammals 2017)

29 Ringed: Phoca hispida Range and Habitat: breeding seals à breeding territories juvenile seals à migrate south Geographic Distribution Bering Chukchi Beaufort Conservation Status: least concern Size 4 ft, 120 lbs ( Mammals 2017)

30 Spotted: Phoca largha

31 Life History Growth and Reproduction: birth single pup Spotted: Phoca largha monogamous throughout mating season sexually active 4 years after birth Feeding Cod, Herring, Smelt, Shrimp, and Amphipods Behavior: found in family groups of three during spring large haul-outs on sea ice Predators and Threats: killer whales, polar bears, sleeper sharks, humans, arctic foxes ( Mammals 2017)

32 Spotted: Phoca largha Range and Habitat: winter à southern sea ice summer à migrate north Geographic Distribution Bering Chukchi Beaufort Conservation Status: least concern Size 5 ft, 200 lbs ( Mammals 2017)

33 Conservation Seal and Sea Lion Conservation: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Ice Seal Committee (ICS) Endangered Species Act (ESA) Fur Seal Treaty of 1944 Subsistence hunting is still allowed because it is done in small enough proportions ( NOAA Fisheries 2010) ( NOAA Fisheries 2015)

34 CNN: Girl Grabbed by Sea Lion

35 Works Cited "Bearded Seal (Erignathus Barbatus)." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA Fisheries, 14 Jan Web. 18 June Churchill, M Fossil Focus: Seals, sea lions and walruses. Palaeontology Online, Volume 5, Article 9 Fiscus, C. H., and G. A. Baines. "Food and Feeding Behavior of Steller and California Sea Lions." Journal of Mammalogy 47.2 (1966): JSTOR. Web. 17 June Fisheries, NOAA. "Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias Jubatus)." NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Fisheries, 15 Jan Web. 18 June "Harbor Seal (Phoca Vitulina)." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA Fisheries, 15 Jan Web. 18 June Kenyon, Karl W., and Dale W. Rice. "Abundance and Distribution of the Steller Sea Lion."Journal of Mammalogy 42.2 (1961): 223. JSTOR [JSTOR]. Web. 17 June "Mammals Found in Alaska, Alaska Department of Fish and Game." Mammals Found in Alaska. Alaska Department of Fish and Game, n.d. Web. 17 June NOAA Fisheries. "Alaska Seals." Alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 8 Nov Web. 17 June NOAA Fisheries. "Harbor Seal (Phoca Vitulina)." Fisheries.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administrations, 15 Jan Web. 18 June "Ringed Seal Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game." Ringed Seal Species Profile,. Alaska Department of Fish and Game, n.d. Web. 16 June "What s the Difference Between Seals and Sea Lions?" National Marine Life Center. NMLC, n.d. Web. 18 June Womble, Jamie N., Michael F. Sigler, and Mary F. Willson. "Linking Seasonal Distribution Patterns with Prey Availability in a Central-place Forager, the Steller Sea Lion." Journal of Biogeography 36.3 (2009): JSTOR [JSTOR]. Web. 17 June 2017.