SSL foraging model - summer SSL foraging model - winter Animation shows summer, then winter. Overlap is more evident in winter so that is what is shown subsequently. The foraging model represents the probability distribution of adult female foraging in winter/summer. Distance, counts, depth, and bottom slope Seasonal foraging distances and depths based on telemetry data* * Merrick and Loughlin 1997
Winter fishing effort Trawl effort from NMFS observer database Cumulative winter effort from 1976-2000
Winter overlap Take the joint probability of SSL foraging and trawl fishing effort you get an overlap map that looks like this … areas of highest overlap in predicted in NMFS critical habitat – therefore likely significantly mitigated by recent management actions Joint probability of trawl effort and predicted female Steller sea lion foraging
Winter habitat prediction Winter fishing effort There are many ways to change the patterns of both the habitat prediction and the fishing effort, that would allow us to explore potential overlap in more detail, at more appropriate temporal resolutions, and we are pursuing some of these. However in this preliminary analysis, we intentionally chose the simplest way in order to demonstrate the methods. Winter overlap