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New Study Shows Sea Lion Population On Solid Ground, But Could Be At Risk For Global Warming

They can be playful, intelligent, and yes, vocal, making a noise like a barking dog. Some also consider them to be a nuisance, because they love to hang out on docks and beaches, and gobble up squid, clams, and fish including endangered species like salmon.

No matter what you think about California Sea Lions, a new study shows efforts to protect the once threatened species over the decades have worked, and they have made a huge comeback. But, they may now also face a new threat, from global warming.

In 1975, sea lions were give protection under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. Their population had dropped from the hundreds mof thousands, to around 90,000. They faced issues ranging from DDT pollution in the ocean, to poaching, and getting entangled in fishing gear. The goal of the protections to get the population to what’s known as an Optimum Sustainable Population, a level that the environment can support. Researchers say their new study shows they’ve hit the target.

NOAA Wildlife Biologist Sharon Mellin says the study, which is based on a sea lion census of the years up to 2014, has also highlighted a problem which could impact the population’s growth. They’ve correlated a one degree increase in sea water temperature with a slight decrease in population growth. Mellin says it would only take an ongoing two degree shift upwards in water temperatures to cause a decline in the sea lion population.

Researchers say unfortunately, they have noted warmer temperatures along much of the sea lion’s habitat from the coast of Central Mexico to Alaska.   Nate Mantua is a climatologist with NOAA. He says even though we’ve seen La Nina type conditions out in the Pacific, which usually mean cooler ocean temperatures, the numbers have actually been warmer than average since October.

He thinks we are seeing global warming impacts, which long term could have a negative impact on what’s become While the study shows the sea lion population has rebounded, which is one of the goals of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NOAA officials admit its not something which thrills everyone. Chris Yates is an Assistant Regional Administrator with NOAA.

The results of the new study have been published in the scientific publication Journal of Wildlife Management.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.