About ASLC Research Rehabilitation Education ... Implants Programs Research at the Alaska SeaLife Center primarily focuses on three organisms that are currently considered to be in decline - Steller sea lions, harbor seals, and eiders. STELLER SEA LION RESEARCH PROGRAM For the last three decades, Steller sea lion populations have been experiencing a severe and continuous decline. ÂMany theories have been proposed for why the decline has occurred such as reduced food quality or abundance, increased predation, natural environmental fluctuations in their population, disease, or contamination, said Dr. Shannon Atkinson, ASLC Science Director. Undertaking one of the largest and most comprehensive captive and field-based sea lion research programs ever attempted, scientists from around the country are pursuing answers by conducting research as part of the Alaska SeaLife CenterÂs Steller sea lion program. Current projects: To further elucidate the relationship between Steller sea lions and their prey, the ASLC hosted the ÂIs It Food II conference in May to discuss factors contributing to the decline of the Western Steller sea lion population. Complementing the conference discussion, researchers in the Steller sea lion program are developing hydroacoustic equipment to assess the amount of prey stocks available in the Northwestern Gulf of Alaska. In addition, ASLCÂs captive Steller sea lions are participating in projects to assess the physiological effects of different feeding regimes, the energetics involved in foraging dives, and the thermoregulatory costs of swimming. | |
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