Predictive Habitat Use of California Sea Lions and Its Implications for Fisheries Management

Advancements in satellite telemetry and remotely-sensed oceanography have shown that species and the environment they utilize are highly dynamic in space and time. However, biophysical features often overlap with human use. For this reason, spatially-explicit management approaches may only provide a snapshot of protection for a highly mobile species throughout its range. As a migratory species, California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) utilize dynamic oceanographic features that overlap with the California swordfish fishery, and are subject to incidental catch. The development of near-real time tools can assist in management efforts to mitigate against human impacts, such as fisheries interactions and dynamic marine species. Here, we combine near-real time remotely-sensed satellite oceanography, animal tracking data, and Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs) to: a) determine suitable habitat for 75 female California sea lions throughout their range, b) forecast when and where these non-target interactions are likely to occur, and c) validate these models with observed data of such interactions. Model results can be used to provide resource management that are highly responsive to the movement of managed species, ocean users, and underlying ocean features.