Steller sea lion scientist

Assistant Research Professor, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Email: research@alaskasealife.org

Why did I want to study Alaska's marine mammals? (coming soon)


How did I get into the Marine Biology field? (coming soon)

Dr. Andrews has been working with marine mammals for almost 20 years specifically focusing on North Pacific pinnipeds. He currently is an Alaska SeaLife Center scientist and a Professor for the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Dr. Andrews specializes in remote monitoring equipment and instrumentation, marine mammals, forage ecology, marine vertebrate diving physiology. Currently at the Alaska SeaLife Center, he continues to develop innovative tools and techniques to facilitate the direct testing of hypotheses concerning the decline of Steller sea lions, especially those that relate to nutritional stress, predator-prey relationships, and interactions with commercial fisheries.  These studies should provide valuable information on the foraging tactics of Steller sea lions and how they might be affected by changes in prey type or availability.  By conducting long-term studies on individuals in areas of varying population trends, we hope to gain insight into the demographic consequences of differences in behavioral strategies and physiological condition.

Andrews, R. D. 2004. The population decline of Steller sea lions: testing the nutritional stress hypothesis. Pages 132-146 in M. S. Gordon and S. M. Bartol, editors. Experimental Approaches to Conservation Biology. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.

Andrews, R. D., D. G. Calkins, R. W. Davis, B. L. Norcross, et al. 2002. Foraging behavior and energetics of adult female Steller sea lions. Pages 19-23 in D. P. DeMaster and S. Atkinson, editors. Steller Sea Lion Decline: Is It Food II. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Andrews, R. D., L. Mazzuca, and C. O. Matkin. 2005. Satellite tracking of killer whales. Pages 238-249 in T. R. Loughlin, D. G. Calkins, and S. Atkinson, editors. Synopsis of research on Steller sea lions: 2001-2005. Alaska SeaLife Center and Sea Script Company, Seattle, WA.

Andrews, R. D., A. W. Nelson, R. B. Heath, S. E. Norberg, et al. 2005. Innovations in remote monitoring techniques for Steller sea lions. Pages 249-260 in T. R. Loughlin, D. G. Calkins, and S. Atkinson, editors. Synopsis of research on Steller sea lions: 2001-2005. Alaska SeaLife Center and Sea Script Company, Seattle, WA.

Darveau, C. A., R. K. Suarez, R. D. Andrews, and P. W. Hochachka. 2003. Allometric cascades - reply. Nature 421:714-714.

Elliott, N. M., R. D. Andrews, and D. R. Jones. 2002. Pharmacological blockade of the dive response: effects on heart rate and diving behaviour in the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). Journal of Experimental Biology 205:3757-3765.

Hochachka, P.W., Darveau, C.-A., Andrews, R.D., and Suarez, R.K. (2003). Allometric cascade: a model for resolving body mass effects on metabolism. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A 134:675-691.

Southwood, A. L., R. D. Andrews, F. V. Paladino, and D. R. Jones. 2005. Effects of diving and swimming behavior on body temperatures of Pacific leatherback turtles in tropical seas. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 78:285-297.

Jones, D. R., A. L. Southwood, and R. D. Andrews. 2004. Energetics of leatherback sea turtles: Occam's razor and Morton's fork. Pages 66-82 in M. S. Gordon and S. M. Bartol, editors. Experimental Approaches to Conservation Biology. University of California Press, Berkley, CA.

McPhee, J. M., D. A. S. Rosen, R. D. Andrews, and A. W. Trites. 2003. Predicting metabolic rate from heart rate in juvenile Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus. Journal of Experimental Biology 206:1941-1951.

Pinniped Research at the Alaska SeaLife Center

University of Alaska Fairbanks faculty page