Steller sea lions range along the North Pacific Rim from northern Japan to California. Pupping and breeding occur late May to early July throughout their range. Males set up territories on rookeries in late May, females arrive shortly thereafter and give birth to a single pup. They alternate between nursing their pup and feeding trips; most pups are weaned by the end of their first year. The species is not known to migrate, but individuals disperse widely outside of the breeding season, particularly adult males and juveniles. Adult males are up to 3.25 m long and weigh up to 1120 kg; females are considerably smaller at up to 2.9 m and 350 kg. Pups weigh about 23 kg at birth. Two separate stocks of Steller sea lions are recognized within U. S. waters: an eastern and western stock. As a result of a precipitous decline in numbers beginning in the 1970s, the western stock is presently listed as Endangered under the ESA.
- Biology
- Distribution
- Population Decline
- Steller sea lion research coordination, 2007, 2008, 2009
- 2008 Aerial Survey Results - western Steller sea lions in Alaska
- Steller sea lion databases
- Employing Technology for Conservation
- Telemetry Research
- Current Research Projects by the Alaska Ecosystems Program
- Current Research Projects by the California Current Ecosystems Program
- Publications: search AFSC database for Steller Sea Lions
- Posters: search AFSC database for Steller Sea Lions
- Quarterly Reports
- REA, L. D., M. BERMAN-KOWALEWSKI, D. A. S. ROSEN, and A. W. TRITES.
2009. Seasonal differences in biochemical adaptation to fasting in juvenile and subadult steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). Physiol. Biochem. Zool. 82:236-247.
- PERMYAKOV, P. A., and V. N. BURKANOV.
2009. Interactions between killer whales (Orcinus orca) and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in the vicinity of Brat Chirpoev Island, Kuril Islands. Russian J. Mar. Biol. 35:255-258.
- WINTER, A., R. J. FOY, and K. WYNNE.
2009. Seasonal differences in prey availability around a Steller sea lion haulout and rookery in the Gulf of Alaska. Aquat. Mammals 35:145-162.
- LANDER, M. E., T. R. LOUGHLIN, M. G. LOGSDON, G. R. VanBLARICOM, B. S. FADELY, and L. W. FRITZ.
2009. Regional differences in the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of oceanographic habitat used by Steller sea lions. Ecol. Appl.19:1645-1659.
- Search the AFSC database for additional Steller Sea Lion publications
- Birth Rates and Dispersal of Marked Female Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Russia
4.05MB Online.
- Survival and Emigration Rate Estimations of Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) on the Dolgaya Rock Rookery (Kuril Islands, Russia)
2.25MB Online.
- Population Trends of Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) with Respect to Measures of Chlorophyll-a in Critical Habitat
799KB Online.
- Search the AFSC database for additional Steller Sea Lion posters

