Northern Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni)
Specifically the Southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment
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| http://www.solutions-site.org/artman/uploads/recovery_otters_440.jpg |
Who are the Northern Sea Otters?
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| https://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/ pdf/outreach_life_history.pdf |
The Northern Sea Otters are one of the smallest marine animals and the only marine species without a blubber layer. The otters rely on their dense fur coat for insulation from the cold Alaskan waters. Another way they maintain their body temp is thanks to their high metabolism, as they consume 20-30% of their body weight. They are a generalist species, meaning they eat a variety of prey, ranging from crabs to clams, to sea urchins, using their stomach as a dinner table.
Otters are also classified as "keystone species" as they have effects on the marine ecosystem. Without the otters foraging for sea urchins, the kelp forests become limited, and "urchin barrens" become present. Therefore, with the otters preying on the sea urchins, they are indirectly saving the kelp forests.
Overall, otters are amazing creatures that need attention and care to ensure they stick around for a while!
Where can they be found?
They were discovered in Alaska by the Russian Bering expedition in 1741. However, when this happened, it started a commercial fur harvest that lasted 170 years. The otters were extirpated from much of their historical range. When the International Fur Treaty of 1911 was enacted for the protection, there were only 13 colonies left with a total of 1,000 otters, compared to the 300,000 pre-harvest population. After the treaty, otters began to populate the Alaskan regions again, slowly reaching back toward the pre-harvest population numbers at an average increasing rate of 9% per year.
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| https://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/criticalhabitat.htm |
Because there are seasonal ice shifts in the Alaskan waters, the otters do shift to avoid getting trapped by the ice. They often move tens of kilometers along the Alaskan Peninsula to get to the ice-free Pacific.
Otters occupy a variety of marine habitats including protected bays and estuaries to exposed outer coasts and offshore islands. The otters are somewhat limited in regards to location as they have to dive to the sea floor to forage and they can reach about 100 meters in depth. Therefore, they are most commonly observed a couple kilometers offshore.
When were they listed?
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| https://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/ pdf/outreach_life_history.pdf |
The Southwest Alaska distinct population of the Northern Sea Otters were listed as threatened in August of 2005. In March of 2006, a recovery team was formed to start drafting a recovery plan for the otters. The final recovery plan was published August of 2013.
What is threatening these otters?
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| https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ animals/orca/#orca-jumping.jpg |
Predation↵
Killer whales have been hypothesized as the primary reason for the decline of otters and therefore pose a threat to their recovery.
Infectious Diseases↵
There are two parasites which were affecting the Alaskan population: intestinal trematode and gastric nematode. These are a result of the otters foraging mainly on fish. Because of this nutritional stress, their poor body conditions lead to high death rates.
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| https://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/it-took-25- years-sea-otters-get-over-exxon-valdez-oil-spill.html |
Oil Spills and Oiling↵
Otters are quite vulnerable to oil spills as the spills have both a short and long-term effect on the populations. The oil strips the water-resistant nature of their fur and eliminates the air trapped within the fur which reduces the insulative value by 70%. Because of the otters grooming habits, they ingest the oil that is on their fur which damages their internal organs resulting in acute and chronic effects on their survival.
Food Limitation↵
Because the otters are apex predators, the density of their populations may be limited to the abundance of prey. The otters carrying capacity is determined by the increasing mortality by nutritional and energetic stress.
What is being done to help them?
↳Monitor and Research Population
Continue to monitor the otter populations including their vital rates, health and body conditions, and distribution and movements.
↳Habitat Needs and Habitat Protection
Identify the important habitat needs of the otters and construct a conservation plan to ensure the success of their habitats.
↳Manage Impacts of Human Uses
↳Manage Impacts of Human Uses
Make sure human interactions, such as accidental captures, fish net entanglement, and intentional illegal capture don't impact the otters' recovery.
↳Evaluate potential role of disease as a threat to recovery, develop disease management plans where practical
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| https://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/ pdf/outreach_life_history.pdf |
↳Evaluate potential role of disease as a threat to recovery, develop disease management plans where practical
Take samples of the otters to examine how diseases impact the otter populations and create a plan to limit the effect the diseases have on the populations.
↳Evaluate role of predation as a threat to recovery
Continue to evaluate the impact of predation on otters and develop a predation management plan when needed.
↳Protect from other natural or human-caused threats
Reach out to mariners to inform them how to avoid striking otters, make sure oil spills don't impede on the otter recovery, and evaluate other potential impacts on otter populations.
What can you do?
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| http://www.defenders.org/ |
Adopt a sea otter HERE
By symbolically adopting an otter, the Defenders of Wildlife get the support they need to protect the wildlife we love!
Speak out
With every voice raised for the protection of the otters can make a world of a difference, educating the public about the endangered otters.
Stay Informed
Keep up to date on the current state of the otters to best understand their situation.
Other Resources:
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| https://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/ pdf/outreach_life_history.pdf |
To view the Northern Sea Otter's full recovery plan click HERE
To read through more specific things to do to help save the otters click HERE
To view a presentation on otters made by the US Fish & Wildlife Service click HERE
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| https://www.fws.gov/ |
References
How You Can Help Sea Otters. (n.d.). Defenders of Wildlife. Retrieved 6 November 2017, from http://www.defenders.org/sea-otter/how-you-can-help
Sea Otters. (n.d.). Fws.gov. Retrieved 5 November 2017, from https://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/pdf/outreach_life_history.pdf
Southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment of the Northern Sea Otter. (2013). Ecos.fws.gov. Retrieved 1 November 2017, from https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/Recovery Plan SW AK DPS Sea Otter Aug13.pdf
Your project is very organized and displays knowledge about this specie. It was crazy to learn that they are the only marine species without a blogger layer. Your pictures are great and the information is well thought out. We all must be more aware to protect this specie when in the ocean and to contribute to fight against their many marine threats. Overall, very good blog.
ReplyDelete-Beau Zacharia
I did not that otters were the smallest marine animal! It is very tragic to heat that such a vital species to the ecosystem is threatened because of their impact that they have on other species. I really enjoyed the use of color on your blog - it was very fun to read. Thank you for providing information, I was curious what was currently happening to this particular species after we learned about them in class. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete-Ikumi Yano
The layout of your blog is very easy to read and is well organized! I didn't realize that disease and oil pollution played a roll in why Sea Otters are endangered. I just wish there were more opportunities for the community to be involved in helping them in our every day lives. Awesome blog!
ReplyDelete- Natalie Weis
Your blog is really well done! The color helped make it more fun to read and the information was well paraphrased! I also have no idea how you embedded links into your blog but thats super helpful! Sea otters are one of my favorite animals, its sad to see that they are threatened but im glad theres an effort to save such an important species!
ReplyDeleteLena Vogler
Great organization with this assignment! You provided strong visuals and had great layout throughout the blog. I liked how you provided links for us to learn more about other resources and what we can do to help northern sea otters! Overall, great work!
ReplyDelete-Jackson Werbelow