Streaming Video Records Sea Lion Lives

In this undated photo provided by the Alaska SeaLife Center, Steller sea lions gather on a rock on Chiswell Island, 35 miles south of Seward, Alaska. Cameras trained on the rookery are providing streaming video, with sound, of some of the most intimate moments in the life of the endangered animal. (AP Photo/Alaska SeaLife Center, Robert Flood) (Robert Flood - AP)

The Steller sea lion population in eastern Alaska has fared better, with estimates of between 45,000 and 51,000 animals and numbers increasing 3 percent a year for the last 30 years.

Theories abound for why the number Steller sea lions in western Alaska dropped.

Some scientists believe it has to do with global warming and a change in the fish available for sea lions to eat. Others think it could be due to commercial fishing and competition for food. One popular theory is an increase in attacks by killer whales.

"There are a lot of theories out there," Maniscalco said. "A lot of people agree right now it is a combination of things that caused the decline."

Hopefully, the cameras will help scientists get a better understanding of reproduction rates, the quality of maternal care and the survivability of pups on Chiswell Island, Maniscalco said. For example, the cameras can reveal whether the mothers are easily finding enough to eat or having to spend a lot of time away from the rookery foraging for food, he said.

Sixty-two pups were born this year at Chiswell Island. That's about average.

The Web cam will remain on until the mothers and their pups slowly leave the rookery this fall and head for more protected areas in Prince William Sound and just inside Resurrection Bay for the winter.

"By the end of December, the island is pretty much vacant," Maniscalco said.