Composite Training Unit Exercises and Joint Task ... - Govsupport.us

COMPTUEX/JTFEX EA/OEA Final Appendix AHigher densities of California sea lions are observed during cold-water months (Table A-6 and Fig A-26).At-sea densities likely decrease during warm-water months because females spend more time ashore togive birth and attend their pups. Radio-tagged female California sea lions at San Miguel Island spentapproximately 70% of their time at sea during the non-breeding season (cold-water months) and pupsspent an average of 67% of their time ashore during their mother’s absence (Melin et al., 2000).Although adult male California sea lions feed in areas north of the SOCAL Range Complex, animals ofall other ages and sexes spend most, but not all, of their time feeding at sea during winter (Fig. A-26), sothe winter estimates likely are somewhat low. During warm-water months, a high proportion of the adultmales and females are hauled out at terrestrial sites during much of the period, so the summer estimatesare low to a greater degree.Information on movements and foraging at sea has been restricted to breeding females (adult males do notforage near the rookeries, do not feed during the breeding season, and migrate north after the breedingseason). Over one third of the foraging dives by breeding females are 1–2 min in duration; 75% of divesare