Their population has decreased approximately 77 to 81 percent from the 1970s to the early 2000s. The western DPS includes all Steller sea lions originating from rookeries west of Cape Suckling (144° west longitude).
Population status and trends are reported in our stock assessment reports. The two populations of Steller sea lions differ genetically and morphologically, and have contrasting population trends. Learn more about the eastern and western populations of Steller sea lions
The eastern DPS has since recovered and is no longer listed, which is a significant achievement under the ESA. The western DPS remains endangered. In 1997 NOAA Fisheries recognized two distinct population segments, listing the eastern distinct population segment (DPS) as threatened and the western DPS as endangered. Indigenous peoples and settlers hunted them for their meat, hides, oil, and other products, and today sea lions are an important subsistence resource for Alaska Natives.īecause of unexplained widespread population declines in Alaska, Steller sea lions were first listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1990. Historically, Steller sea lions were highly abundant throughout many parts of the coastal North Pacific Ocean. They also share parts of their range with another otariid: northern fur seal. Steller sea lions' impressive low-frequency vocalizations sound more like roars than California sea lions’ barks. While they are the only living member of their genus, they share parts of their range with a smaller related species, California sea lions. Steller sea lions are named for Georg Wilhelm Steller, the German surgeon and naturalist on the Bering expedition who first described and wrote about the species in 1742. The Steller (or northern) sea lion ( Eumetopias jubatus ) is the largest member of the family Otariidae, the “eared seals,” which includes all sea lions and fur seals.
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