Current flow and bathymetry in the Aleutian Islands define unique habitats that influence prey distribution and foraging behaviour of top-level predators. We explored whether oceanographic features and bathymetry influenced the diving activity of 30 immature sea lions (ages 5-21 months) equipped with satellitelinked depth recorders in the eastern Aleutian Islands (EAI) during 2000-02. Sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll a concentrations were obtained from remote sensing satellite imagery and associated with locations where sea lion diving was recorded. Most locations associated with diving to >4 m were within 10 nautical miles (nm) of shore and associated with onshelf waters <100 m deep. Use of offshore and deeper waters in the Bering Sea increased during May, as did trip durations. General movements at that time were generally northwesterly from the North Pacific Ocean to the Bering Sea. Diving activity varied coincidently with increases in SST and chlorophyll a concentrations, but also with sea lion age. Associations with habitat features did not consistently explain variability in dive count, time at depth, dive focus or focal depth. Nearshore diving tended to be influenced by distance from shore or seafloor depth, whereas increased SST coincided with activity of sea lions diving >30 nm offshore. Immature sea lions developing into independent foragers in the relatively shallow pass areas of the EAI do so at a time of rapid changes in oceanography and prey availability.

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Climate change-driven alterations in Arctic environments can influence habitat availability, species distributions and interactions, and the breeding, foraging, and health of marine mammals. Phocine distemper virus (PDV), which has caused extensive mortality in Atlantic seals, was confirmed in sea otters in the North Pacific Ocean in 2004, raising the question of whether reductions in sea ice could increase contact between Arctic and sub-Arctic marine mammals and lead to viral transmission across the Arctic Ocean. Using data on PDV exposure and infection and animal movement in sympatric seal, sea lion, and sea otter species sampled in the North Pacific Ocean from 2001–2016, we investigated the timing of PDV introduction, risk factors associated with PDV emergence, and patterns of transmission following introduction. We identified widespread exposure to and infection with PDV across the North Pacific Ocean beginning in 2003 with a second peak of PDV exposure and infection in 2009; viral transmission across sympatric marine mammal species; and association of PDV exposure and infection with reductions in Arctic sea ice extent. Peaks of PDV exposure and infection following 2003 may reflect additional viral introductions among the diverse marine mammals in the North Pacific Ocean linked to change in Arctic sea ice extent.

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Abstract. Over the past three decades, the decline and altered spatial distribution of the western stock of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Alaska have been attributed to changes in the distribution or abundance of their prey due to the cumulative effects of fisheries and environmental perturbations. During this period, dietary prey occurrence and diet diversity were related to population decline within metapopulation regions of the western stock of Steller sea lions, suggesting that environmental conditions may be variable among regions. The objective of this study, therefore, was to examine regional differences in the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of oceanographic habitat used by Steller sea lions within the context of recent measures of diet diversity and population trajectories. Habitat use was assessed by deploying satellite-depth recorders and satellite relay data loggers on juvenile Steller sea lions (n ¼ 45) over a five-year period (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004) within four regions of the western stock, including the western, central, and eastern Aleutian Islands, and central Gulf of Alaska. Areas used by sea lions during summer months (June, July, and August) were demarcated using satellite telemetry data and characterized by environmental variables (sea surface temperature [SST] and chlorophyll a [chl a]), which possibly serve as proxies for environmental processes or prey. Spatial patterns of SST diversity and Steller sea lion population trends among regions were fairly consistent with trends reported for diet studies, possibly indicating a link between environmental diversity, prey diversity, and distribution or abundance of Steller sea lions. Overall, maximum spatial heterogeneity coupled with minimal temporal variability of SST appeared to be beneficial for Steller sea lions. In contrast, these patterns were not consistent for chl a, and there appeared to be an ecological threshold. Understanding how Steller sea lions respond to measures of environmental heterogeneity will ultimately be useful for implementing ecosystem management approaches and developing additional conservation strategies.

Blubber fatty acid (FA) profiles of young Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus (< 24 mo old; n = 477) were investigated to determine whether regional, seasonal, age-class and sex differences occur in the diets of these demographic groups. Blubber FA profiles of spring (March to May) pups differed significantly by region, probably reflecting regional differences in the diet of adult females, who provide their pups with milk. While there were statistically significant seasonal and age-class differences in both Prince William Sound (PWS) and SE Alaska (SEA), differences in FA profiles between sexes were only evident in the blubber of yearlings from PWS. Within SEA, blubber FA profiles of summer pups differed significantly from all other seasonal/age-class groups in that region. This is consistent with movements of female-pup pairs from rookeries to haul-outs and hence differences in female foraging. In SEA, seasonal differences in blubber FA composition were evident and similar between yearlings and pups. In contrast, there was a gradual change in the FA profile of pup blubber from summer to spring in PWS, which did not follow the same seasonal pattern of yearling profiles. These differences in FA profiles suggest either differences in the timing of weaning between the 2 areas or shifts in the diets of lactating females, or both. KEY WORDS: Fatty acids · Dietary intake · Eumetopias jubatus · Independent foragingResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher