Cutting the Costs of Foraging
Consortium researchers studying the costs of foraging in Steller sea lions recently discovered that the animals spend less energy during longer series of continuous dives than shorter ones. Intrigued, they focused on how sea lions manage their oxygen while foragingand came to an interesting conclusion.

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June 3, 2009

Ecopath, Virtual Ecosystems, and the Status of the Gulf of Alaska

Not all Consortium research takes place in natural ecosystems, or even with live subjects. A team of researchers employed an innovative software program to reconstruct and understand two ecosystems in the Gulf of Alaska that are drastically different today compared to the past. They will be presenting their findings at an upcoming conference highlighting the ability of Ecopath software to describe and predict the dynamics of complex marine ecosystems.

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May 11, 2009

Annual Report announcement

The Consortium has published over 160 papers since university based researchers came together to delve into the mysterious decline of Steller sea lions and other species in Alaska. The 2007-2009 Annual Report summarizes some of our latest findings and points to the complexity of the mysteries still to be resolved.

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April 21, 2009

Update: Off-Island Northern Fur Seal Research Program

In December 2008, six northern fur seal pups arrived at the Vancouver Aquarium as part of a new research program to study fur seal biology and causes of population decline. Three months after their arrival, the pups have settled in and are beginning to reveal secrets about the needs of fur seals during winter.

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March 23, 2009