Navy Trains Sea Lions to Fight Terrorism

The U.S. Navy has been using dolphins and sea lions for decades as equipment retrievers and underwater sentries. Now, they are taking it a step farther in training sea lions to sweep for mines and trap enemy divers. It is all part of the U.S. Navy's Marine Mammal Program, which is based out of San Diego. However, these animals have been deployed into combat zones as far away as Vietnam and Iran. Sea lions are currently being trained to capture and detain divers that could be enemy combatants. They do so by attaching a special clamp to the divers legs, which is attached to a line. Once captured, people at the surface can reel in the diver. Additinonally, their training in underwater retrieval has made them perfectly suited for sweeping the ocean for underwater mines. As of now, there are 28 sea lions in the program, but soon a new team of sea lions will defend the Kitsap-Bangor base in Washington state.

A sea lion of the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program attaching a recovery line to a piece of test equipment.

Additionally, a new sea lion unit is being trained in San Francisco. It takes about 4 years to train these sea lions and the program spends 20 million dollars a year.

There has been ongoing controversy over the NMMP's treatment of these animals, and the debate will rage on over the ethics of using animals in the military. In any event, such capabilities of these sea lions shows just how far their cognition goes. They are intelligent animals, able to be conditioned into very complex behaviors. Whether it is ethical or not, these sea lions as well as many other marine mammals have proved useful to our Navy.

 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2010/05/navytrained-sea-lions-dolphins-participate-in-antiterrorism-training-exercises.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N1naUgOSKQ

Sea Lions in San Fran and La Jolla

Here are a few pictures I took of the sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco.

Sea lion itching its bottom... HA!

La Jolla Sea Lions

These are two pictures I took from a few weeks back in La Jolla where the Sea Lions tend to gather in groups. There were only a few of them out but I was able to take a picture before then went back into the water. The sea lions seems fairly comfortable around humans because this is such a popular tourist spot and there are more often than not several people along the shore observing and taking pictures.

Conservation Status

                                                  Injured Sea Lion being returned to Sea


In the past sea lions were hunted for their meal, oil, and fur. In the 18th and 19th century sea lion numbers were low because they were extensively killed for commercial purposes. Although numbers were low in the the past protections in the 20th century has allowed them to regain a somewhat healthy sustaining population. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) puts sea lions on the red list and states that many Otariids are currently vulnerable but at a low-risk level. The amount of sea lions currently is within its optimal sustainable population limits. All marine mammals including sea lions and seals are protected under the ked congress to allow federal authorities to relocate California sea lions that are preying on endangered fiMarine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), which was passed in 1972 by the United States to protect these animals from hunting and harassment. Sea lions are vulnerable to incidental catch, being tangled in commercial fishing gear, and pollutants and toxins in the water. Large amounts of agricultural runoff and waste from humans enter the water and may have effects on the sea lions immune system and overall health. Many commercial fishermen see sea lions as a nuisance because they damage fishing gear and because of this fisherman will often shoot them upon seeing them. Steller sea lions are among the most endangered Otariids with a 70 percent population decrease since the 1970's, they are now considered an endangered species. 


The IUCN states that the current population of california sea lions is around 350,000. Pictured below is a map from the Red List that shows where california sea lions currently reside. 

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/california-sea-lion/conservation.htm
http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/species/seals/index.html
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/californiasealion.htm
http://.org/habitats-species/sea-lions-fur-seals/save-the-sea-lions/
mundoazul
http://www.iucnredlist.org/

Seal or Sea Lion?

Over the span of history people have often found themselves confused by the question: Seal or Sea Lion?

These two aquatic mammals are very similar in physical appearance as well as disposition, yet they have a number of distinct differences that can easily be spotted.

Here are the 3 most visible physical distinctions that can be made between seals and sea lions:

1.  Sea lions have ear flaps, while seals have ear holes.

     
     Sea Lion Ear Flaps                                                                                Seal Ear Holes

2. Sea lions have long hairless foreflippers and seals have short, hairy foreflippers with claws.

   
  Sea Lion Foreflipper                                                                               Seal Foreflipper

3. Sea lions have long smooth whiskers or vibrissae, while seals whiskers are are crimped and beaded.











         Sea Lion Whiskers                                                                             Seal Whiskers

These three characteristics can be easily spotted and are consistent for all types of seals and sea lions.

It is now up to you to answer the question: Seal or Sea Lion?



Work Cited:

Multiple Authors. (2008). Sea lion versus seal. Retrieved from   
                  http://www.dolphinencounters.com/education-sealionvsseal.php

Five Facts About Sea Lions You Didnt Know

Here are Five Facts that I bet most of you did not know about sea lions!

1.  Most sea lions live an extremely aggressive and active lifestyle, however there is faction of the sea lion population that has an almost playful existence.  Juvenile and nonbreeding sea lions spend their days surfing waves and playing tag, true beach bums.

2.  Sea lions often float within a close proximity to one another in large groups of 5-10.  This behavior is called rafting.

3.  Male sea lions have territories that they need to protect.  If one male observes another in their territory, each exhibit a number of behaviors.  These behaviors consist of barking, chest bumping, shoving, and biting.  These encounters rarely result in death, however the loser is clearly established and new territories usually result.

4.  Sea lions will sometimes remove only one flipper from the water in order to maintain a more comfortable body temperature.  It may seem as though they are waving at you, however they are really just trying to cool down and stay comfortable.

5.  Sea lion species live within the same territory as one another and even, in certain situations, interact with each other.  For example, California sea lions have been reported to live amongst elephant seals, harbor seals, and Stella sea lions. 

Sources:

Multiple Authors. California sea lion eating habits. Retrieved from http://www.seaworld.org/animal- 

           info/info-books/california-sea-lion/diet.htm

Scholarly Article - Self-Control in Sea Lions

In 2005, a study was conducted to analyze self-control in sea lions and compare their results to that of primates. Four sea lions were tested on a reverse-reward contingency task. Each was presented with a choice between two amounts of food (fish), one which was larger than the other. They then received the opposite amount from the one they chose. Every sea lion chose the larger amount on the first trial, but three of the four were able to learn to choose the smaller amount with consistency.

A sea lion stands before the testing apparatus, anxiously awaiting his dinner.

Although primates are amoung the most social of animals, their self-control measured lower in tests than did that of sea lions

Similar studies have been conducted on sevearl species of primates, including, Japanes macaques, squirrel monkeys, lemurs, chimpanzees, tamarins and orangutans, and this study sought to examine self-control in a non-primate species. The study states, "Marine mammals are of special interest because their brain is broadly comparable to that of primates (Jerison 1973) and their learning skills have often been exploited in animal shows and military experiments." In addition, few cognitive studies have ever been conducted on sea lions, or similar marine species. It turns out that the sea lions were able to learn to choose the lesser amount more quickly than any primate, performing most similarly to the orangutans, which performed the best out of the primates. It is believed that primate self-control is realated to their social structure and hierachy, in which lower ranking individuals may have to wait their turn. Sea lions have a harem type of social organization, but theyhunt alone during the day and thus do not have to compete directly with conspecifics for fish; therefore they do not need to be impulsive. This could explain their stellar performance in self-control.

Eight Enticing Eating Habits of California Sea Lions

California sea lions are an intriguing and well-known aquatic animal that most individuals have been exposed to.

However, here we reveal eight eating habits of California sea lions that most individuals wouldn't expect:

1.  California sea lions get all of their food from the sea!

Rather than obtaining food when roaming the shores, California sea lions choose from over 50 species of fish to feed on, including hake, anchovy, and herring.

2.  Sea Lions eat about 5% to 8% of their body weight each day, which for most sea lion is over 15 pounds of food!

3.  Sea lions use their sensitive whiskers called vibrissae to explore and locate food.

4.  Sea lions do not chew their food at all.  They either tear it into chunks or just swallow it whole!

5.  Sea lions do not drink water as a source of hydration.  Instead they obtain all the water they need from their food consumption!

6.   Male sea lions will fast for weeks at a time!

During breeding season, males are required to maintain a territory in which they can attract a mate.  If they were to leave their territory and try to get food, it would allow another sea lion to potentially take their territory and their mate.

7. Sea lions feed from the top of the ocean to depths of 80 feet!

8.  Sea lions have been found to swallow stones over the span of their lives.  During the autopsy of one particularly large sea lion, 60 pounds worth of stones were found in its stomach.  Scientists have discovered no evolutionary or practical reasons to describe this behavior.

Sources:


Multiple Authors. California sea lion eating habits. Retrieved from http://www.seaworld.org/animal- 
           info/info-books/california-sea-lion/diet.htm

Territorial Behavior

California sea lions do not have a stable social organization during the non-breeding seasons. Territorial behavior in sea lions seems to be strongly correlated to their mating behavior. When the breeding season begins, males establish breeding territories with the use of barking, chest-to-chest pushing, grappling, stares, bluff lunges, and biting. Once a male sea lion has established his territory he will defend it with different boundary displays. Males will often open their mouths and shake their heads from side to side to warn other males who may be trying to intrude. Size is a key factor when it comes to winning fights and defending established territory. The bigger the male, the more blubber he can store and the longer he can go without returning to the water for food. The male’s increase their chances of breeding when they have an established territory so the longer they stay on the rocks the better their chances are of reproducing. A male sea lion can only hold his territory for up to 29 days. The sea lions territories only exist when females are present. The females pay no attention to the male’s territories and move freely between them. Sea lions are highly social and usually only become aggressive during their mating season. California sea lions normally peacefully coexist with other marine mammals during the non- breeding seasons. When in the water sea lions often travel in small groups and when on land they often aggregate in protected areas near the shore. 

Young, J., & Gerber, L. (2008). The influence of social composition on reproductive behavior of territorial male California sea lions. Aquatic Mammals, 34(1), 102-108.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_sea_lion
http://www.seaotter-sealion.org/stellersealion/factsssl.html

US sanctions sea lion killings

The US government has approved a sanction that authorizes the limited killing of sea lions in the Northwestern states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.  According to experts in the area, these sea lions are devouring an overwhelming proportion of the salmon population, leaving little to be captured and sold.

Every year the sea lions swim upstream through the Columbia River to the bottom of the Bonneville Dam, which stands as the border between Washington and Oregon.  Here, the sea lions are able to feast on the wild salmon and steelhead trout that are headed down the river to lay their eggs.

The percentage of salmon on the Columbia river overall eaten by sea lions is about 1 to 4 percent.  It is this small portion of the salmon population that is used by the "expert fishermen" as justification of these sanctioned killings.

It is expected that to maintain a consistent level of salmon, up to 92 sea lions a year can be killed, while even more will be killed by other interactions with humans such as ship strikes or net entanglements.

There are a number of organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States that are trying to fight the legislation with little or no progress.

Although it seems as though there is justification for these killings, I find it hard to support.  These sea lions are eating an minuscule portion of the total salmon population and their punishment does not fit the crime.

These sanctions are effective until May 2016.  Over the span of the next 4 years something must be done to reverse this legislation as it is fueled by greed and selfishness rather than common good of all. 

Teresa, Carson. "U.S. government sanctions limited sea lion killings." Yahoo News. 16 March 2002: n. page. Print. <http://news.yahoo.com/u-government-sanctions-limited-sea-lion-killings-140702089.html>.

Sea Lion Evolution

California Sea Lion Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Pinnipedia

Family: Otariidae

Genus: Zalophus

Species: Californianus 

Evolution

Within the scientific community, there are several theories behind where the sea lion originated from, and until this day its origin is somewhat of a mystery. Scientific evidence suggests that pinnipeds evolved from a bear-like creature millions of years ago. Pinnipeds are spilt into three different families; eared seals, true seals, and walruses. Pinnipeds have bodies that are well adapted to their aquatic habitats and are known for their wide wing-like flippers.Their sleek bodies are perfect for diving and swimming and often stay submerged under water for up to a half hour. The California Sea lion belongs to the Otariidae family and is thought to have shown up about 10-12 million years ago in the North Pacific. The sea lions family name Otariidae comes from the Greek word Otarion which means "little ear". The sea lions external ear flaps and its distinguished dog-like head shape are the only things that make it distinguishable from the true seals. The earliest sea lions were believed to be much smaller, about the size of a modern day otter, and spent the majority of their time on land. "Eared seals" such as the sea lion are better adapted to terrestrial habitats and have an easier time moving around on all fours. The sea lions large layer of blubber is what regulates its body temperature in the cold ocean water. 

Sources

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Eared_seal

http://sealion-world.com/sea-lion-evolution.html

Fish: It's What's for Dinner

Sea lions are predators of oppotunity, and their diets consist of an array of fish and cephalopods.  Northern anchovy, Pacific sardine, Pacific whiting, Pacific mackerel, jack mackerel, shortbelly rockfish, and market squid are the main prey of California sea lions residing in the Pacific of Southern California. They also consume many other species but in smaller amounts. Predatory habits are affected by a variety of factors that influence the prevelance of certain fish species. Seasonal changes contribute to what California sea lions eat, as market squid for example are more heavely consumed in the fall and winter months for they are more prevalent at these times. California sea lions have also be found to hunt steelhead salmon during the salmon rush. They wait by the mouth of Lake Washington (and various other locations along the Pacific Coast) and consume large amounts of these salmon. This has become a debated issue as salmon populations lose more and more numbers.

A California sea lion has a nice salmon meal off the coast of the Pacific Northwest near the Columbia River. Recently there has been much debate among environmentalists about the toll sea lions are taking on endangered salmon populations, and in an attempt to protect the salmon 37 sea lions have even been euthanized in the last four years.   Read more here.

While sea lions are a prominant predator, there is still a "bigger fish in the sea," as well as "a bigger mammal in the sea." And while the most threatening predator to sea lions is far and away humans, sea lions must still watch their backs for great white sharks and killer whales. Their best defense against such predators is to swim quickly towards the shore and get onto land where they cannot be reached (though killer whales have been known to make their way onto sandbars and beaches to capture sea lions). Over the course of history humans have hunted sea lions for many purposes such as food, oil from the blubber, and bones to make tools and weapons. It is only recently, as sea lions numbers have been greatly reduced, that they are beginning to be protected, and in many nations killing sea lions is illegal.

An orca whale comes to the shore to prey on a sea lion.

The tables are turned as a sea lion attacks a shark in the Galapagos.

Sea lions are industrious, and opportunistic predators and will eat almost any kind of fish (as seen above). They eat when food is available, and travel to areas where food is more prevalent at certain times of the year. They are also quite adept at escaping their few predators. The predatory patterns of these animals are vast and somewhat unpredictable, and thus there is much potential for future research.

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/killer-whale/diet.htm
http://forums.highdefdigest.com/water-cooler/101072-sea-lions-killed-eating-too-many-salmon.html
http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/california-sea-lion/diet.htm
http://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?Division=PRD&ParentMenuId=148&id=1252

Makin' baby sea lions!

Female Sea Lion and her new pup

Reproductive Behavior

California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) breed between the months of May and July. Females begin to mate around the age of four, while males have to wait until they are strong enough to compete with other males which is normally around the age of seven or eight. During mating season the males will fast and live solely off of their blubber which allows them to devote the majority of their time toward finding a female partner to breed with. Male sea lions become extremely aggressive during mating season and compete with one another in order to prove their dominance. Dominant males who have established their territory will often mate with up to sixteen females in one season! Females will look for a strong male that can offer the most protection, when the female finds her match she will submit and mate. One of the more interesting facts I came across is that a female will still be pregnant with her pup from the previous mating season up until right before she mates again. Females mate almost immediately after giving birth to their pups and are often pregnant while nursing. After a gestation period of about eleven months the female will come to shore to give birth to her pup (females rarely give birth to more than one pup per year). After the pup is born the mother normally nurses for around six months but sometimes may continue for as long as a year. Mothers are able to recognize their young through the way her pup smells and its specific vocalizations. Each pup has their own unique tone and pitch which their mother is able to pick up on! 

California Sea Lion Pup!

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-bytes/animalia/eumetazoa/coelomates/deuterostomes/chordata/craniata/mammalia/pinnipedia/california-sea-lion.htm

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/california-sea-lion/

http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/education/marine-mammal-information/pinnipeds/california-sea-lion/

SEA LIONS: A Menace to Coastal Communities?

LA JOLLA--Tensions have begun to arise between beachgoers and local sea lion populations.

These pinnipeds have been exhibiting behaviors for some time that have severely impacted the beach going experience and proved worrisome to many La Jolla natives.  

Sea lions in the La Jolla Cove have been expanding their territory, moving along Alligator Head up through Million Dollar Reef.  When establishing these new domains, they must protect them using aggression and intimidation.

Longtime La Jollan Anne Cleveland stated, "They patrol back and forth...One Sunday when I was was here there was a big one right at the shoreline...It looked like he was trying to keep people from coming into his territory."  This style of behavior frightens many of the Cove users who have experienced it and in reality who can blame them?

Although the territorial behavior of the sea lions in the La Jolla Cove is a concern, it is not the only sea lion related issue facing the community.  An increase in water pollution levels has been reported as a result of sea lion excrement.  Cleveland notes, "It's become a toilet." The local swimming pools have become so fouled by pollutants that they are considered health risks.

"It's loud. That doesn't really bother me as much as the smell does...I have to keep the door closed," said Manuel Aguilar, who works just up the hill from the sea lions in the La Jolla Cove.  The negative impacts of the sea lion expansion are felt by locals like Mr. Aguilar and Ms. Cleveland, however as of now there seem to be no resolutions to their problems.

The population of sea lions in the La Jolla Cove has doubled in the last five years and will likely double again in the next five.  The sea lions are here to stay.

Although I recognize the validity of Ms. Cleveland and other local La Jollan's concerns, I also understand that everything must be taken with a grain of salt.  Yes, these sea lions are making your beaches smell a little.  However, these negative impacts are minuscule in comparison to larger scale results such as incarceration and death.

In Portland, Oregon just under two years ago Wildlife officials were issuing death sentences to sea lions because they were eating too many salmons.  Sea lions were removed from their environment and eventually euthanized.  These sea lions are being truly impacted by our species in a much more serious way than smells or barking.

Does this punishment fit the crime?

Jensen, Janet. "Sea lions killed for sake of salmon."Environment on msnbc [Portland] 08 03 2010, n. 
           pag. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. 

Schwab, Dave. "Sea Lions: New pinniped problems for La Jolla?." La Jolla Light [San Diego] n.d., n.     
           pag. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. <http://www.lajollalight.com/2010/12/01/sea-lions-new-pinniped-
           problem-for-la-jolla/>.