Steller Sea Lion Haulout And Rookery Locations In The United States
September 13, 2018
Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) use terrestrial sites for reproduction, resting, molting, and other activities. Rookeries are terrestrial sites used for mating, giving birth, and resting. Rookeries are primarily used during breeding season (May-August) but can be occupied at other times of the year as well. Haulouts are terrestrial sites used for resting anytime of the year.
The NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML) Alaska Ecosystem Program (AEP) maintains a list of known Steller sea lion terrestrial sites in the United States portion of the sea lion range. This dataset contains site names with corresponding geographic coordinates of 472 consistently-used and known Steller sea lion haul sites. The site names are consistent throughout NMML data products and can be used to provide geospatial referencing for other NMML dataset products and publications. For legal descriptions of sites listed as Critical Habitat under the Endangered Species Act, refer to 50 CFR 226.202.
The main purpose of this dataset is to provide a consistent list of known Steller sea lion terrestrial sites for population surveys, other research, and management actions.