Sea Otter

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Sea urchins eat kelp holdfasts, but also are a cash crop; abalone are expensive--fishermen complain: otters eat both

urchins destroy kelp forest--clear-cut = habitat loss

Slide 12

Otters & Diseases

Pollutants weaken immune systems

Butylin is a biocide in anti-fouling boat paint

Concentrations of DDT & PCB correlate with diseases in otters

Slide 13

http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/images/seaott99.gif

Slide 14

Predators: Part of the Problem

Fur hunters nearly wiped out sea otters; 1911 law stopped sea otter fur trade

Over-fishing reduces prey fish species in Alaska; Orcas eat otters

California shark population increases, otters now on menu

Slide 15

Other Otter Problems & Perils

Female injured during mating

It’s tough work, being an otter:

California: 17 to 38 % foraging - 50 to 68 % resting

Amchitka Island, AK: 51 to 58 % time foraging - 32 to 34% resting

High infant mortality

Other, 3

Slide 16

We Can Fix This: Ways to Help

Monterey Bay Aq.’s orphan otter recovery & rehab program

Fewer feral cats!!

Public support & contributions

Slide 17

“Sea Otters Threatened”--Annotated Works Cited

http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2001/feb/research_010219.htm

Details toxoplasmosis & protozoal meningococcus infections from feral cats & opossums--good details & pix

http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/06/062499/seaotter_3930.asp

One good illus.--short article links pop. decline to fishing nets

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/new/marine/otters/images/dowil_sea-otter_even-more-final.html

Cute animation on otter problems w/links to Defenders of Wildlife

http://www.discovery.com/stories/nature/otters/otters.html

Good site w/live cams & recovery program profiles, sounds & videos

Zoobooks: Sea Otters Wildlife Education, Ltd. 0-937934-70-4 c.1995

Excellent illus. & photos; detailed text, interesting, inexpensive

http://www.mbayaq.org/

Excellent site w/live otter cam; detailed info, interesting, authoritative

www.fso.org

Friends of the Sea Otter--pix, history, videos, &c

Slide 18

“Sea Otters Threatened”--Annotated Works Cited 2

www.otterproject.org

Colorful & interesting site, with good links to scientific studies, charts