Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center
Transient Juvenile Sea Lion Project photo
Permit NMFS 881-1890.
Transient Juvenile Sea Lion Project photo
Permit NMFS 881-1890.
2008 Awarded Research Projects
Principal Investigator: Jo-Ann Mellish
Project Title: Making our mark: Assessment of the behavioral and physiological effects of long-term tracking methods in Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)
Award: $17,775
Estimated Completion: January 31, 2010
Abstract
Marine mammal research often requires marking animals in order to collect important long-term ecological data. Various field research authorizations state that markings should not cause the animal pain or distress, nor should the marking impede the animal’s ability to perform natural behaviors. The research proposed here will be the first to evaluate the combined behavioral and physiological responses to hot-iron branding and surgical implantation of Life History Transmitters (LHX tags) in juvenile Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). Data collected will identify changes in behaviors key to the animals naturalistic functioning, and from that a set of handling recommendations for captive and field research can be made. These data will also be used to develop objective pain assessment methods for sea lions and to apply these methods in identifying and reducing pain during invasive marking procedures in field research.
Downloads
- Report, January 2009, 1.9MB PDF
- Behavioral responses of juvenile Steller sea lions to hot-iron branding (211KB PDF)
- Behavioural responses of juvenile Steller sea lions to abdominal surgery: Developing an assessment of post-operative pain (257KB PDF)
- Final Report, September 2009, 76KB PDF
Back to 2008 PCCRC Funded Projects