California Sea Lion Diet Composition in Washington

Fecal and stomach content samples from male California sea lions were collected in Washington state from 1986 to 1999. The National Marine Mammal Laboratories' California Current Ecosystem Program analyzed prey species composition, frequency of occurrence, and prey size. Data provides insights into the diet of this marine predator over a 13-year period.

Use Cases

• Analyze prey species composition to identify primary diet components of California sea lions.
• Calculate frequency of occurrence for different prey species to assess dietary preferences.
• Model prey size distributions to understand foraging strategies and energy intake.
• Track changes in diet composition over the 13-year time range to study ecosystem shifts.
• Compare diet data from Puget Sound haulout sites with samples from the northern-outer coast for geographic variation.

Strengths

• Data spans a 13-year period from 1986 to 1999.
• Includes analyses of multiple metrics: prey composition, frequency of occurrence, and prey size.
• Samples collected from multiple locations: Puget Sound haulout sites and the northern-outer Washington coast.

Limitations

• Sample size and number of rows are unknown.
• Data is limited to male California sea lions, excluding females and juveniles.
• Data collection ended in 1999, making it temporally stale for current ecosystem analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Marine Mammal Laboratories' California Current Ecosystem Program (AFSC/NOAA).

Collection Method

Collection of fecal samples from haulout sites and stomach content samples from dead/stranded animals.

Time Range

1986-02-26 to 1999-10-18.

Freshness

Static historical dataset; last updated 1999-10-18.

Geography

Washington state, primarily Puget Sound and the northern-outer coast.