Otters Case Study

According to Clifford et al. , The total population for the species in 1994 was approximately 6,000 adults but current population size is less than half that, and island foxes have declined by over 90% on four of six islands (p. 442). By 1995 ecological monitoring on San Miguel and Santa Cruz Islands in the national park had detected rapid and alarming declines in the populations of island foxes there Faced with the imminent extinction of three island fox subspecies, NPS convened ad hoc recovery team in 1999 to assess the status on the northern Channel Islands and to recommend emergency recovery actions. The team, comprising experts in canid conservation, endangered species management, and raptor research and management, concluded that island foxes were rapidly declining toward extinction on the northern Channel Islands. National Park began emergency recovery actions in 1999, with the objectives being to remove the primary mortality factor now affecting island foxes, and to recover island fox populations to viable levels through captive breeding.

In a documentary film directed by Bill Wisenski, “Threatened: The Controversial Struggle of the Southern Sea Otter,” it reveals some of the reasons why the California sea otter population is declining. In addition, it shows the controversy surrounding the “No Otter Zone”. Furthermore, it ensures why the California sea otter population is important to the marine ecosystem. In the film, sea otter populations are endangered because of the significant impact by some human factors. In the 1700’s and 1800’s, fur traders hunted sea otter population to near extinction. Besides this, threatened events such as shipping and drilling oil across the Pacific and along coastal areas; the California sea otters is vulnerable to oil contamination. As a result,

The lecture explained how the population of sea otters declined, due to the environmental pollution. First, the oil rigs along the Alaskan coat serve as an indication to pollution. This directly refutes the reading passage which states that predation was most likely the reason, since the bodies of the dead sea otters didn't wash on the shores.Secondly, the passage mention that the water samples that were extracted from the sea revealed the presence of chemicals. Again, this contradicts with the lecture which claims that the whales which the otters consume were not available anymore. Which had forced the sea otters to change their diet to include small sea animals. Thirdly, the lecture mentions that the decrease in sea otters population was

Southern sea otter lives in kelp forests (a type of seaweed) along the Pacific coast, mainly off the coast of California. The marine mammals consume on average one-fourth of its weight daily including sea urchins, which are vital to support the kelp forests. By the result of sea otters preying on sea urchins, the consumption of kelp by sea urchins are kept at a constant rate allowing the forest to grow and thrive. This is highly important for biodiversity in the sea that is provided by the kelp forest, which is a key component of the three principles of sustainability. There are three ways that human can do to help prevent the premature extinction of southern sea otters. First, ethical issue that consists of the species being seen as vital

Kitson Jazynka’s purpose in writing “Saving sea otters is just part of her normal day at work”is to recount that will saving a few sea mammals save the whole species?Otters in Alaska have been dying very fast the last 10 years. They think the bacteria in the water is killing the Otters. Their health can help. The scientist figure out most of the sea mammals health. Anything impacting the otters can also impact and other species in the ocean

Sea otters found in Pacific coast: Sea otters allow kelp forests to thrive. Loss of the above mentioned habitat and nutrients provided by kelp leads to great cascade effects on the marine ecosystem. If there is no presence of sea otters then it turns into abundant sea urchins and no kelp forest to feed the marine habitat. Sea otters have been observed to be more important in areas of open coast than protected bays and estuaries. 4.

Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated with animals but I never dreamed that I would have the opportunity to help with the conservation efforts of a unique species – the enigmatic sloth. My uncle founded the Dallas World Aquarium (DWA) 25 years ago starting with an abandoned warehouse that was built in1922. Over the years, the aquarium was expanded to include an immense rainforest that was home to animals and birds from all over the world. A major component of the mission of DWA is to work directly with these countries to implement conservation initiatives.

Bull kelps have strands about 30 meters long with floats to help keep the algae close to the surface within reach of the sunlight. Because California has a consideration amount of sunlight, the giant kelp can be found along the coastal regions. Because of this, California sea otters gather in the kelp forest and snooze during spring. To prevent themselves from being drift away by tides and currents, they anchor themselves by scraps of kelp around their body. In some aspects, sea otters are guardians of the region. Several creatures that shelter in the kelp have to venture in the opening to feed, like the bat ray. They feed in the sandy floor of the open sea, they use jet of water to blown the sand away and expose invertebrates. They will either eat or be

Firstly, the author states that pollution sources such as oil rigs near Alaskan beaches is killing the sea otters. Also, a research held on water samples in the area showed that it contains high levels of chemicals that may indirectly kill the otters. This view is objected by the lecturer. He proposes that Orcas use the animals as source of food, that is why there are no signs of dead otters on shores of Alaska, which would however be

levels of chemicals which might have caused the decline of sea Otters. However, the lecture argues that Predation theory is

II. Many people would be interested in a low maintenance pet that is softer than a turtle and more affectionate than a goldfish.

Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are marine mammals capable of spending their entire lives in water. Being carnivorous in nature, they feed on sea urchins, crabs, fishes, mussels and clams. They are referred to as keystone species due to their profound impact on marine ecology. The interaction between sea otters, sea urchins and kelp forests has been studied as a model of the impact of predator-prey interaction on community ecology. Sea otters are keystone predators, whose presence has a far-reaching influence on the marine food web by affecting the population of sea urchins in particular, and kelp forests & other marine organisms in general. There has been a steep decline in sea otter populations due to water pollution and exploitation for

The reading suggests that two possible causes: the environmental pollution and predators attacks. However, the lecture defends that is more probabily is the predators attacks.

Orcas have the most diverse diet of all the marine mammals. Some specimens of orcas prefer different types of marine mammals or marine life. They will mostly eat fish and squid, but will devour almost any marine animal in site. They tend to eat a wide array of fish from salmon, hering, halibut, and cod. One Orcas was found to have a harbor seal, a stellar sea lion, and a harbor porpoise in its stomach. Another orca was found to have the remains of 32 adult harbor seals in its belly (Martin.) The orca has been observed to eat river otters, squid, and

Sexually mature females can mate year around and are often either pregnant or caring for young throughout their lifetime, and this creates ongoing energy demands that can be energetically exhausting (Chinn et al. 2016). Sea otter mating behavior is aggressive and can further inflict physiological and traumatic stress to females, thereby reducing their foraging efficiency. Other factors such as infections, disease, bio-toxin ingestion and anthropogenic disturbance can also decrease fitness among adult females and increase their vulnerability during reproduction (Chinn et al. 2016). As nearshore inhabitants, southern sea otters often live in close proximity to areas of high human population density in California. These nearshore waterways can be busy with recreational and commercial boating activity that can disturb sea otter populations. Increased disturbance may cause increased stress to the species. Sea otters are of great interest to people who wish to view them, and this is sometimes done up-close by boat or paddle craft. If this activity changes sea otter behavior in any way, it not only violates the Marine Mammal Protection Act, it can also have a negative impact on the species, especially adult females with pups. Additionally, a familiar list of human impacts, such as climate change, overharvest of marine resources, municipal runoff, and habitat degradation likely reduce fitness of marine mammals directly and indirectly. Sea otters can be indicators of the overall health of the nearshore ecosystem (Kreuder et al. 2003). The slow growth rate of the southern sea otter population may be an expression of nearshore ecosystem degradation in California resulting from the fur trade and explosion of human population in