ICYMI: Warming waters in the Pacific Ocean are devastating a resource Steller's sea lions depend on for survival.
SEWARD, Alaska - Steller sea lions aren’t the easiest mammals for scientists to monitor. Rookeries are often on remote rocky outposts like Chiswell Island near Resurrection Bay, where remote monitoring cameras were set up about 25 years ago to study the marine mammals’ population trends.A recent study authored by Alaska SeaLife Center scientist John Maniscalco in the journal “” studied Steller sea lions up close.
Prior to the heatwave when the waters were relatively cooler, Maniscalco found the Stellar sea lions preyed on shallow-water fish like capelin. Smaller, less nutrient-rich species like polychaetes, sand lance, sculpins and skates took the place of the fish. Maniscalco said researchers once thought that a highly-diverse diet was a good thing, but that’s only true in the summertime.
Researchers with the Alaska SeaLife Center studied the winter diets of Steller sea lions through the collection of scat samples in Resurrection Bay, Alaska.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tim Steller's column: Raucous Pima board meetings a wasted GOP effortFor Star subscribers: Conservatives have succeeded at commandeering the public-comment sessions at Pima County supervisors meetings. There's no reason to think it will help them win elections.
Read more »
Chinese Navy’s sorties in the Pacific Ocean worry Japan and TaiwanAccording to the SCMP, as part of a naval exercise called 'Joint Sword,' China's second operational carrier, the Shandong, has completed over 600 sorties, a record for the PLA.
Read more »
Joe Biden to meet 18 Pacific leaders in Papua New GuineaUS President Joe Biden will meet 18 leaders from the South Pacific when he visits Papua New Guinea in May, a top regional diplomat says
Read more »
Arcadia pounds its way past Crescenta Valley to wrap up the Pacific League baseball titleArcadia needed to beat Crescenta Valley twice this week to win the Pacific League title, and did just that
Read more »
Ocean El Niño monitor gets an upgradeThe upgraded Tropical Atmosphere Ocean array will be more robust and able to monitor the ocean below in more detail—potentially allowing earlier and more accurate El Niño forecasts.
Read more »
Earth in hot water? Worries over sudden ocean warming spikeThe world's oceans are suddenly considerably hotter than just a month or two ago and well above record levels. Scientists are trying to figure out why, and whether it forecasts an upcoming surge in atmospheric warming. One big explanation for the warming surface water could be a brewing El Nino, which heats temperatures naturally, on top of human-caused global warming. But some scientists say these latest readings could be more than just that. There's ever-increasing heat in ocean depths. And the world is rebounding from three years of a bit of cooling from La Nina. If an El Nino does appear as forecast, then researchers say the record-breaking heat the oceans are showing now is just the beginning.
Read more »