California Sea Otters

A detailed Summary of California Sea Otters

The California, or southern, sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) is the only sea otter subspecies currently listed as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act. The California sea otter is also a "fully protected mammal" by California state law and by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

In the 1700's, the sea otters were hunted to near extinction for their fur. In the late 1930's, a small population of otters (estimated at approximately 300) was discovered along California's Big Sur coast. The California population is estimated at a mere 2,000 as of Fall 2001.

Historically, there were between 16,000 to 20,000 sea otters along the coast of California

Sea otters are classified as both an umbrella species, and a keystone species. As an umbrella species, the protections made for the sea otter will essentially affect a large number of other species in their ecosystem. A keystone species is a term used to refer to the sea otters functional role within their ecosystem. The feeding habits of the sea otters have a crucial effect on their ecol

Many causes have been recognized as contributing to the population decline: shark attacks, gunshot wounds, mating activities, fishing/net line injuries, habitat degradation, lack of an adequate food supply, land and water pollution, and disease. In a 1996 report, nearly 1700 sea otter deaths had been documented. The report stated that 18.9% of the deaths were from some sort of trauma, 12% from shark attacks, 4.6% from gunshot wounds, 2.3% from mating activities, 4.6% from fishing/net line injuries, 16.5% due to dependent animals, 4% from natural causes, and 56% of the deaths were undetermined.

One of the main staples of the sea otter's diet is shellfish. Their consumption of shellfish places them in an important role in the maintenance of the kelp ecosystem. The otters control the number of shellfish, which feed on the kelp. This allows the kelp, which provides a habitat for fish and other invertebrate species, to flourish as kelp forests. Without the otters, urchins and abalone overrun the kelp forests. The urchin and abalone eat the kelp forests and trans

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Approximate Word count = 722
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Science

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California Sea Otters

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