Southern Sea Otters, Blog By: Hannah Perinich

on

Southern Sea Otters:

Threats and What You Can Do



About the Southern Sea Otter:

Biology:
  • Sea Otters have very narrow and small bodies with thick fur (instead of blubber) for insulation. 
  • Otter anatomy padded paws, back flippers, and dark brown fur. 
  • They have a very narrow ecological zone, specifically located nearshore among the kelp beds and rocky shoreline.
Food Habits:
  • Sea Otters mainly eat sea urchins, mussels, clams, and crabs, and they mainly feed at night. 
  • As populations reach equilibrium, Sea Otters tend to feed more frequently. 
  • Since they lack blubber, Sea Otters eat more frequently and in great amounts. 
Reproduction:
  • Females usually give birth to a single pup each year. 
  • While females reach sexual maturity in 3 years, it usually takes about 5 years for males to reach sexual maturity. 
  • Most births occur between February and April in California. 
Community Ecology:
  • Sea Otter predation reduces populations that can be exploited by fisheries. 
  • Sea Otters are also considered a Keystone Species because they keep the Sea Urchin population under control, which allows for kelp beds and other organisms to thrive.
Distribution/Abundance:
  • Southern Sea Otters are mainly found in central California and the San Nicolas Island. 
  • Their range and numbers have increased in the 20th Century; however, they are unproportional (hence Sea Otters are still considered threatened). 



Sea Otter Listing and Threats 


Listing Date and Type of Listing: 
  • Under the Endangered Species Act of 1972, the Southern Sea Otter was considered threatened. 
Listing Factors and Threats:
  • The factors for listing the Southern Sea Otter as threatened are: Habitat Destruction, Overutilization, Disease, Inadequate Regulations, and other factors. 
  • The main threats to Southern Sea Otters are: restriction of range, disease, fishing gear (incidental), oil spills, pollution, and intentional captures. 


A Pie Chart on Sea Otter Mortality:



Recovery Plan 

  1. Monitor current populations and their range in California at least once a year. 
  2. Study the morality of Sea Otters and create a plan for them after de-listing. 
  3. Create plans and regulations that reduce the chances of oil spill occurrences (main threat to Sea Otters as of now). 
  4. Create plans and regulations to reduce the chances of vessel accidents. 
  5. Evaluate if the regulations are adequate and have Sea Otter response plan in case an oil spill occurs. 
  6. Investigate incidental catchings of Sea Otters and create regulations to decrease those risks. 
  7. Decrease the number of intentional Sea Otters catches. 
  8. Estimate the population level where Sea Otters could be seen as recovered, and calculate the probability of the population being under 1,850. 
  9. Decide how much stress disease causes on the population and which diseases are causing that stress. 
  10. Cut off the sources of disease. 
  11. Figure out which pollutants are in Sea Otter tissue (through samples) and cut off the sources of those pollutants. 
  12. Evaluate the differences between Sea Otter populations due to habitat and figure out if the translocation program is working. 
  13. Improve the management of captive Sea Otters. 
  14. Create a form of public education of Sea Otters to make the public more aware of their condition. 
  15. Create volunteer opportunities for the public to save the Sea Otter population.

Final Revised Recovery Plan for the Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra Lutris Nereis). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1, 2003.

What Can You Do? 



You can donate to the following companies that protect the Southern Sea Otter: 



You can learn more about the Southern Sea Otter:


Blog By: Hannah Perinich

Sources:

Final Revised Recovery Plan for the Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra Lutris Nereis). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1, 2003.
https://lawaterkeeper.org/sea-otters/
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/marine-mammals/southern-sea-otter
https://seaotters.com/resources/maps-charts-illustrations/
http://www.wildcentralcoast.com/Animals/Southern-Sea-Otters/




















Comments

  1. DrWildlifeNovember 10, 2017 at 6:45 PM

    Sea otters are the most adorable animals and this blog made me more interested in learning about the diseases this species faces. They are a keystone species and the decrease in their population will highly affect the ecosystems surrounding them so i'm very glad a blog was made for their sake.
    - megan shea (group 8)

    ReplyDelete
  2. DrWildlifeDecember 1, 2017 at 3:28 PM

    I did not know that male sea otters take a few more years, as compared to female otters, to reach sexual maturity. I wonder if certain diseases affect males more than females and how much a decline in sexually mature males to females ratio would affect their numbers. Or if the sexual maturity age isn't enough of a significant factor to make a real difference in bringing them back. - Regina Seiler

    ReplyDelete
  3. DrWildlifeDecember 3, 2017 at 5:56 PM

    It seems that all the risks for sea otters are from human impact, which is common with endangered species, but it's unfortunate that they have such a direct influence on their populations.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DrWildlifeDecember 5, 2017 at 7:35 PM

    I've always loved Sea Otters, they have so many cute behaviors. It's sad to hear about our effect on species, especially keystone species. All of the threats you have listed are human threats, and it definitely drives home the fact that we need to take action in order to save species that the human race is quickly destroying.
    -Bella Ramirez

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment