Steller sea lion

The Steller sea lion is the largest eared seal, native to the North Pacific and adjacent seas. It is a social marine mammal that breeds on coastal rookeries.

Eared seal: A pinniped with external ear flaps and hind flippers that rotate forward for movement on land. Steller sea lions belong to this pinniped group, also called otariids.
Dive profile: The pattern of an animal’s dive depths, durations, and intervals at the surface. Dive patterns show how Steller sea lions search underwater for prey.
Steller sea lion diet: The range of fish and cephalopods eaten by Steller sea lions. Diet studies reveal which prey populations and fisheries may overlap with the species.
California sea lion: A smaller eared seal found along the eastern North Pacific coast. It is a familiar neighboring species, but is smaller and belongs to a different genus.
Otariidae: The family of eared seals, including sea lions and fur seals. This is the family that contains the Steller sea lion.
Countercurrent exchange: Heat transfer between fluids flowing in opposite directions, which can conserve heat. Blood vessels in the flippers can reduce heat loss in cold water.
Population monitoring: Repeated measurement of animal numbers and distribution to track changes over time. Counts at rookeries and haul-outs help estimate population trends.
Northern fur seal: A migratory eared seal of the North Pacific with dense insulating fur. Unlike this sea lion, it is a fur seal and spends much of its life at sea.
Pinniped: A fin-footed marine mammal in the group that includes seals, sea lions, and walruses. Steller sea lions are members of this broader group of marine mammals.
Polygyny: A mating system in which one male mates with multiple females. Territorial males may control access to groups of females on breeding grounds.

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