Cohort effects and spatial variation in age‐specific survival of Steller sea lions from southeastern Alaska

Information concerning mechanistic processes underlying changes in vital rates and ultimately population growth rate is required to monitor impacts of environmental change on wildlife. We estimated age‐specific survival and examined factors influencing survival for a threatened population of Steller sea lions ( Eumetopias jubatus ) in southeastern Alaska. We used mark‐recapture models and data from 1,995 individuals marked at approximately one month of age at four of five rookeries in southeastern Alaska, and resighted from Oregon to the Bering Sea. Average annual survival probability for females was 0.64 for pups and 0.77 for yearlings, and increased from 0.91 to 0.96 from age 3–7 yrs. Annual survival probability of males averaged 0.60 for pups and 0.88 by 7 yrs, resulting in probability of survival to age 7, 33% lower for males compared to females. Pups from northern southeastern Alaska (including an area of low summer population size but rapid growth) were twice as likely to survive to age 7 compared to pups from southern rookeries (including a large, historical, stable rookery). Effects of early conditions on future fitness were observed as (1) environmental conditions in the birth year equally affected first‐ and second‐year survival, and (2) effects of body mass at approximately one month of age were still apparent at 7 yrs. Survival from 0–2 yrs varied among five cohorts by a maximum absolute difference of 0.12. We observed survival costs for long‐distance dispersal for males, particularly as juveniles. However, survival was higher for non‐pups that dispersed to northern southeastern Alaska, suggesting that moving to an area with greater productivity, greater safety, or lower population size may alleviate a poor start and provide a mechanism for spatial structure for sea lion populations.