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Catalina Island Leadership Program

Phoenix Country Day School

Kelp Forest Information Links

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuaries

Introduction: Kayla and I went on a trip to Catalina Island from October 15 – October 19, 2007 for C.E.L.P. (Catalina Environmental Leadership Program). During our trip we collected information for our scientific research project to further our understanding of the kelp forest environment and to answer our research question. Our research question is: What is the sea lion’s description, what is their habitat and why do they live there?

Research: The California sea lion is one of the most commonly seen sea lions in the Channel Islands. It has big eyes and flippers instead of feet. The back flippers are turned forward under its body allowing it to walk on land. The male’s fur is dark brown and the female’s is brown or tan. Males have thick necks and the necks of females are more slender. The males measure up to eight feet and weigh up to 270 kilograms. Females measure up to six feet and weigh up to 90 kilograms. They can swim up to ten miles an hour. The sea lion’s habitat is open waters kelp beds, off shore rocks, and sandy beaches along the coastal regions. The sea lions like to live in this area because there is a large kelp forest. Within the kelp forest there are many fish and squid that the sea lions like to feed on. The California Sea lions are carnivores and eat different types of fish as well as some invertebrates such as squids and octopuses. Sea lion’s diet varies by region, however, the fish that they consume can include: Pollock, salmon, herring, capelin, flounder, sculpins, Pacific cod and rockfish. A sea lion can eat as much as five to eight percent of its bodyweight in a day. This works out to around seven to sixteen kilograms or fifteen to thirty five pounds each day. Sea lions usually do not drink large amount of seawater as most of their requirement is met by the fish they eat. Males fast during the breeding season which takes place ten to fifteen days after the pups are born.

Last year the eighth graders did not see as many sea lions because the kelp was exceedingly low and a lot of the fish that were there in 2005 were not there in 2006 so they could not feed very well. We saw the sea lion near the shore and that agrees with the research that we did. Our research stated that sea lions like to live near the shore, on sandy beaches, and occasionally in kelp beds. Kayla also saw a sea lion near the shore our on a dock near camp. This would also agree with our research.

Conclusion: On our trip to Catalina Island I believe that we were both thinking we were going to see a lot of different mammals and lots of sea lions and things like that. Unfortunately we did not see as much as we thought we would see. We saw one sea lion and one seal perched on a rock near the shore. They were not very social and they did not swim close or under the kayaks but they seemed to be generally interested in us because they could not take their eyes off of all the people in kayaks. If we had to go back I think we would further investigate their habitat and why they live there. We would also investigate why there are more sea lions instead of seals in the Channel Islands and if it has to do with water temperature, things in the water, or food.

Work Cited: Folkens, Pieter, Randall Reeves, Brent Stewart, Phillip Clapham, and James Powell. Guide to Marine Mammals. New York: A Chanticleer Press Edition, 2002.

http://marinelife.noaa.gov/
http://www.sciencemaster.com/jump/life/seals.php