Southern sea otter - Sierra Ramer

Southern Sea Otter

https://mountainandsea.org/the-effort-to-re-introduce-
sea-otters-to-southern-california/

http://www.facts-about.info/sea-otter/

Description and Ecology
The southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) is a marine mammal that is found on the coast of California, from around San Mateo county to southern Santa Barbara county. Their sizes usually span up to 4 feet, females can weigh up to 50 pounds and males up to 70. They are the smallest marine mammals in North America. Their habitat is the kelp forest and their diet consists of crabs, snails, urchins, clams, mussels and other invertebrates. They eat an equivalent of 25% of their body mass in food each day, spending about 20-50% of their day on the hunt.The southern sea otter is a keystone species for the kelp ecosystem in the Pacific ocean. Due to their diet of sea urchins and other invertebrates, they help the kelp forests. Without sea otters, the sea urchins and invertebrates would devour the kelp and destroy the kelp beds. Kelp is home to many other species so destroyed kelp beds would affect the entire ecosystem. They belong to the weasel family, their relatives include weasels, river otters, and ferrets. However, they are the only exclusively marine member of the family. Different from most other marine mammals, these sea otters do not have an extra layer of blubber to stay warm in the cold Pacific ocean. Instead, sea otters have the world’s densest fur - with more than a million hairs per square inch on their body. 

https://seaotters.com/tag/kelp-forests/

This is crazy considering most humans only have an average of 100,000 hairs on their entire head. In order to keep their fur waterproof, sea otters must groom their fur coat for most of the day as their natural oils and insulated air bubbles help do so. Sea otters are monogamous and live in family groups. They have one mate for life and have little baby pups together, then the oldest pups actually help take care of the younger siblings.

Geographic and Population Changes
The southern sea otters have a long and rather sad history. In the 1700 and 1800s, these otters actually lived from Baja California, around the Pacific Rim, all the way to Russia and Japan. Unfortunately, they were hunted for their fur and now they are only found on the coast of California, only 13% of their original geographic range. In 1938 the Californian population was at a mere 50 individuals, but currently there are about 3,000 hanging out along the coast.

https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/sea-otter-density-map

The Southern sea otter species is only found in the small range on the California coast on this map. The other yellow range from Alaska to Japan is for the other subspecies, the Northern sea otter.
https://www.seattleaquarium.org/sea-otters

Listing date and type of listing
The Southern sea otters were first listed as threatened in 1977 under the Endangered Species act. After this listing, they were recognized as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. They are “fully protected” mammals under the California State Law. 

http://www.chinanews.com/tp/hd2011/2013/01-
30/170559.shtml

Cause of listing and main threats to its continued existence
The Southern sea otters were listened as threatened due to the reduced small size and range of the population and potential risk of oil spills. However, since the listing in 1977, several other reasons have been recognized, including the effects of pollution and fisheries. Due to the absence of oil spills and the population size not increasing as fast as hoped, there are more threats being considered. An interesting, and more recent threat to the Southern sea otter population is shark attacks. The great white shark, another protected species in California, is an apex predator along the coast. In 2003, there was an exponential increase in shark attacks on otters. The great whites only bite the otters but do not eat them. In 2014 and 2014, about 270 otters died due to these attacks. Biologists still are uncertain why there is the sudden increase in shark attacks on otters. These attacks are affecting the population due to it's vulnerability at this time. 

Description of Recovery Plan
The ultimate goal of the recovery plan is to delist the Southern sea otters after establishing long term-growth in population size and density. The primary objective of the plan is enforcing the optimal conditions for species growth. The actions included in the plan are determining the reason why there is a lack of growth and how to change it, efforts to reduce potential of oil spills, and efforts to reduce accidental catches in fishery net and traps. In 1987, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began translocating Southern sea otters to San Nicolas Island in Ventura county. The goal was to create a thriving experimental colony of sea otters in Southern California. Unfortunately, out of the 140 sea otters translocated, only 13 of them were thought to have stayed in the location after their release but then those 13 were presumed to have returned to the parent population, moved to a management zone or have died. This translocation program was deemed a failure and was discontinued from the recovery plan. In order for delisting of the species under the Endangered Species Act, the population must include at least 3,090 individuals for three years. However under the regulations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the population will probably have to include at least 8,400 individuals in California to be considered a significant functioning species in the ecosystem again.

What can you do?
There are many things you can do to help the Southern sea otters!

• Adopt a symbolic sea otter!

https://secure.defenders.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=wagc_seaotter&s_src=3WEW1800XXXXX&s_subsrc=030718_adopt_body_sea-otter/how-you-can-help

• Donate to the California Sea Otter Fund through your income tax forms. This fund helps protect the sea otters and encourage their recovery. Here are the instructions.

https://defenders.org/sea-otter/california-sea-otter-fund

• 

  http://inotternews.com/?hg=0&paged=90

  Take Action - Help fight against the new executive order allowing the expansion of offshore drilling along the coast. If implemented, the potential risk for oil spills would increase and possible effects would be devastating to the sea otter population in California. Write or call your elected officials to help protest this decision. This is a petition you can sign to send to our federal government to protest!

https://secure.defenders.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3280&s_src=3WDW1804EHXX1&s_subsrc=herowebsite

• 

  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
  File:Sea_otter_Monterey_Bay_aquarium.jpg

  Learn more about our local sea otters! Awareness is key for conservation so go out and visit some local spots like Pirate’s Cove or Morro Bay to see these cute creatures. Or go check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium which has an awesome Southern sea otter exhibit!!!
• https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit
  
  

These are some easy changes to your lifestyle that can help both the otters and the ocean!

http://www.everintransit.com/best-beaches-in-california
-north-point-morro-bay/

• Switch to vegetable and fruit based detergents and household cleaners.
• Use paper bags.
• Avoid plastic and Styrofoam packaging of any kind.
• Refill and reuse containers when appropriate.
• Use public transportation when you can.
• Consider joining a carpool.
  
  
• Walk or bike when running short errands.

Here is a fun little video of some otters in our very own Morro Bay ❕ 😮 🌊

Other Resources if you want to learn a little more about the Southern sea otters

1. https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/marine-mammals/southern-sea-otter
2. https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/030403.pdf
3. https://www.fws.gov/ventura/endangered/species/info/sso.html
4. https://defenders.org/sea-otter/basic-facts

Works Cited

“Basic Facts about Sea Otters.” Defenders of Wildlife, 19 Sept. 2016, defenders.org/sea-otter/basic-facts.

“Mysterious Great White Shark Attacks on Sea Otters Surge.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 23 June 2016, news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/great-white-sharks-attack-sea-otters-california/.

Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Species and Populations with Recovery Plans, ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/pub/speciesRecovery.jsp?sort=2.

“Southern Sea Otter.” Southern Sea Otter, Kelp Forest, Marine Mammals, Enhydra Lutris Nereis at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/marine-mammals/southern-sea-otter.

“Southern Sea Otter.” Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, www.fws.gov/ventura/endangered/species/info/sso.html.

“Southern Sea Otters.” The Marine Mammal Center, www.marinemammalcenter.org/science/Working-with-Endangered-Species/southern-sea-otters.html.