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80% of the world's Steller sea lions have disappeared in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands.

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SEA LION RESEARCH
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Researchers at the University of British Columbia's Marine Mammal Research Unit have partnered with the Vancouver Aquarium to study the unexplained decline of Steller sea lions in the North Pacific. This is an ambitious project to discover the reasons behind the mysterious disappearance of sea lions and what it could mean for the ocean ecosystem.


sea lion research blog
Grad student, Elizabeth Goundie, works with sea lions at open water research station

My Master’s thesis research is on how changes in prey distribution and density affect the diving costs and foraging patterns of Steller sea lions.The energetic costs associated with diving and foraging make up a major part of a Steller sea lion’s energy budget. Accurate estimates of these costs are needed to understand how physiological constraints and energetic demands may affect foraging ability in the wild under different conditions, such as those imposed by changes in prey density and distribution.  This has implications for understanding the decline and recovery of Steller sea lions in Alaska.I am conducting...

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North Coast Brewing Company – releases Red Seal Ale!

We are excited that our newly designed Red Seal Ale sixpack carriers with QR codes have been released into distribution. You can use your smart phone to scan the QR code (or click here if you're already viewing this on your mobile device) to see photos of the magnificent Steller Sea Lions and read about the effort to protect this endangered population at the Open Water Research Center in Port Moody, BC. The QR site has a link to the center's website where you can see a video and photo album and find out the details of this important research project.Boni is wearing a harness that carries scientific instruments.We...

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For This Researcher it’s Less Einstein, More MacGyver

  November 25, 2012 He came for the hockey but stayed for the sea lions. Well, that’s part of the story anyway.Brandon Russell is a research technician at the Open Water Research Station, a site in Port Moody where important Steller sea lion research is being done. But his fascination with the ocean starts much earlier in his life. Picture a little Brandon running around in an area in Colorado that used to be an inland sea once upon a time. It was there where he found fossils and ancient shark teeth, dreaming as a kid of becoming a marine paleontologist one day. See full story from the Vancouver...

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Flipper Tappin’ Jazz was a two-night event sponsored by the North Coast Brewing Company.

June 10, 2012Flipper Tappin’ Jazz was a two-night event sponsored by the North Coast Brewing Company.  This fundraiser was held at The Cellar Jazz Club on West Broadway to raise awareness and money to help the UBC Steller sea lion research facility. On Saturday night, The Cory Weeds Quintet performed a tribute to Cannonball Adderly with the original Cannonball drummer, Roy McCurdy.  This was followed on Sunday night by the Claire Daly Quartet from New York performing the music of Thelonious Monk. The Claire Daly Quartet started their six night tour of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California in Vancouver,...

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