Many pelagic juvenile rockfish (Sebastes) were collected in juvenile salmonid surveys in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) from 1998 to 2002. Often species identification of rockfish is difficult or impossible at this stage of development (20 to 40 mm), and the juveniles of only a few species indigenous to Alaska waters have been described. These collections are samples of the first large aggregations observed in GOA waters and provided an opportunity to document the occurrence of several species of rockfish. Using mtDNA markers developed to identify rockfish species, we were able to identify unequivocally four species (Sebastes alutus, S. aleutianus, S. borealis, S. reedi) from subsamples of the collections. Other individuals were assigned to groups of two or three species. Using morphological data alone, we identified S. boreaslis, S. crameri, and S. reedi. The other species were initially indistinguishable by their morphology from S. alutus. The combined genetic and morphological data successfully resolved the other species as S. entomelas and probably s. ciliatus/variabilis, although S. polyspinis cannot be ruled out. In addition to documenting the presence of these species in the GOA, the results provide useful information for identifying pelagic juvenile rockfishes in surveys targeting this early life history stage.

This collaborative study between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service, Sea Mammal Research Unit, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada investigated the relationship between diet and population trends of Steller sea lions in the Aleutian Islands. During this study, data from a total of 3,118 samples collected throughout the year in the Aleutian Islands from 1990-2012 (including 399 samples collected during this study at 14 sites (NPRB #1114: 345 in March 2012 and 54 in summer 2012) and 305 samples collected during NPRB #720) were analyzed to characterize the spatial, temporal and seasonal variation in sea lion diet and examined the relationship between population trend and diet diversity in both seasons and throughout the year. Additionally, a combination of dietary information methods, including traditional hard part identification and a molecular methodology developed by Tollit et al. (2009) that found DNA extracted from the soft scat of wild Steller sea lions, were used to sub-sample scat samples to identify prey occurrences that were undetected by hard parts alone.

These data were used by Kuhn et al. (2015) to investigate how conclusions about predator-prey relationships change with increasing temporal disparity between predator tracking periods and prey surveys. Northern fur seals (n = 20) from St. Paul Island (Alaska, USA) were equipped with satellite tracking transmitters and time-depth recorders from July to October 2006. Fur seal dive and movement metrics were examined in relation to the relative abundance of the fur seals’ primary prey, walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus), reported from the annual eastern Bering Sea groundfish survey. Relationships between foraging behavior metrics and prey abundance were examined within the Bering shelf survey grid cells at three time scales: within 2 weeks of the prey survey, within 1 month, and over the northern fur seal reproductive season (>4 months).

The Marine Mammal Laboratory (MML) Food Habits Reference Collection, containing over 1000 specimens of cephalopod beaks and fish bones and otoliths, is used to identify undigested prey remains found in scats or stomachs of stranded or incidentally taken pinnipeds and cetaceans. Marine mammal food habits data are used in conjunction with satellite telemetry and dive records to better understand foraging behavior and prey selection. This information is critical to understanding how commercial fisheries and changing environmental conditions impact these animals.

The Food Habits Collection includes fish and cephalopod species that are commonly consumed by pinnipeds along the Pacific Northwest coast and in Alaska, but we are in the process of adding other potential prey species and specimens to fill unrepresented size ranges. We are very appreciative of NMFS/AFSC/RACE fisheries biologists, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the University of Washington for their ongoing donations to our collection. With the help and cooperation of researchers such as these, our collection continues to grow in size and usefulness.

The Marine Mammal Food Habits Reference Collection is an important research tool within NMML, and is also used several times a year by graduate students and researchers from universities, government agencies and private institutions. These collections have contributed to food habits research on Magister armhook squid, Northern fulmar, Newells shearwater, Hawaiian petrel, river otters and marine mammals. The collections are also used by archeologists to identify fish and mammal bones found in Native American middens from Alaska to Mexico.

The database is comprised of a table detailing specimens and associated data and measurements for fish and cephalopod soft tissue and hard parts contained within the reference collection.

Data sets used to support analysis published by O'Corry-Crowe et al (2014) Crossing to safety: Dispersal, colonization and mate choice in evolutionarily distinct populations of Steller sea lions, Eumetopias jubatus. Molecular Ecology 23(22): 5415-5434. Data include Steller sea lion genetic data obtained from samples collected from pups on natal rookeries. The genetic data are genotypes at 16 microsatellite loci and haplotypes at mtDNA, spatial data, and allelic and haplotypic frequencies.

This data set contains Steller sea lion diet data based on analysis of scats collected during summer (May-September) and winter (November-April) rookeries and haulouts in Alaska during 1990 to 2009. Prey items from 87 prey taxa were identified using hard parts including bones, otoliths, and cephalopod beaks. Frequency of occurrence was calculated for 375 site-year-season combinations, and used in the analysis published by Sinclair et al. (2013).
Cite the dataset as: Alaska Ecosystems Program. 2019. Alaska Steller sea lion food habits data 1990-2009. NOAA Fisheries Open Data Portal: https://noaa-fisheries-afsc.data.socrata.com/Species/Alaska-Steller-Sea-Lion-Food-Habits-Data-1990-2009/b79u-i7en; and also cite the original publication: Sinclair, E. H., D. S. Johnson, T. K. Zeppelin, and T. S. Gelatt. 2013. Decadal variation in the diet of Western Stock Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFSAFSC-248, 67 p.

These data were used for an analysis of Steller sea lion pup health and condition by Lander et al. (2013). Serum chemistry and hematological values were measured by analysis of blood samples taken from 1,231 Steller sea lion pups (

This dataset contains information regarding the capture and tagging of northern fur seals on the Pribilof Islands and Bogoslof Island, Alaska, from 1992 to 2017. Cite dataset as: Alaska Ecosystems Program. 2019. Alaska northern fur seal tag data, 1992-2017. NOAA Fisheries Open Data Portal. https://noaa-fisheries-afsc.data.socrata.com/Species/Alaska-Northern-Fur-Seal-Tag-Data-1992-2017/nvhy-vag6