Southern Sea Otter

Southern Sea oTter  Recovery Plan By: Fiona McCallion Listing Date and Type of Listing: Title: Final Revised Recovery Plan for the Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) Date: 04/03/2003 Location: California/Nevada Region T: "Threatened" RF(1): First Revision Approved (final revision is approved by the Regional Director) Ecology of Sea Otters: The southern sea otter is typically found along the rocky coast of California where there are kelp beds. The sea otter is a keystone species and part of a trophic cascade where their diet of sea urchins positively benefits kelp beds! Otters are normally between 45 and 65 pounds. Unlike whales and seals that have fat stored to keep them warm in cold water, sea otters trap air in their fur to keep them warm! Sea otters typically give birth to one ‘pup’ each year. A picture of a pup and her mom is shown at right. Geographic and Population Changes: The initial decline of the sea otter population started in the 17 and 18th centuries when fur trade was a big market. Not until 1911 did the sea otters finally gain protection from the fur trade business by the International Fur Seal Treaty. After this treaty was put in place, the otter population began to repopulate again until the 1990s when the increase in oil spills and predation by killer whales yielded another wave of sea otter population decline. The rate of decline reached 17 percent per year during this time. A comparison of the historical range of sea otters to the current range is shown on the map at right.   Cause of Listing and Main Threats to its Existence: There are two main reasons that caused the southern sea otter to be listed as “threatened.” (1) As a result of being a fur trade victim, the population of otters is small, vulnerable, and not well distributed. (2) The second reason that otters are threatened is because of the risk that their habitat has from oil spills. Apart from these two defined risks, the otter population still is in decline, even when oil spills aren't present. Other factors that are contributing to the threat of otters is disease, commercial fishing, and pollution.   Description of Recovery Plan: Although it is apparent that oil spills negatively impact otter populations, it is nearly impossible to avoid losses once spills occur. Because of this, the initial recovery plan attempted to relocate a subpopulation of sea otters to the San Nicolas Island so that if an oil spill were to occur, it wouldn’t wipe out the entire population in California and cause otters to become extinct. In the revised version of the recovery plan, this translocation actually proved to be unhelpful due to the fact that entanglement in fishing gear was actually a larger issue to the decline in the otter population as opposed to oil spills. Furthermore, the translocation was incredibly ineffective due to its high cost and low establishment in the new location. This failure of establishment can be seen in the graph below which compares the expected population growth versus the realistic population size. As a result of this graph and the attempt at translocation, it has been determined that forcibly moving sea otters to other locations is ineffective and actually causes more harm than good. The revised recovery plan has stopped this translocation procedure. https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/030403.pdf The reason why the plan doesn’t focus on aiding otters after been affected by a spill is because of the results that occurred after the oil spill in the Prince William Sound. There were attempts to rehabilitate the otters however it was incredibly expensive and hard to capture the affected animals. The animals that were taken in weren’t actually affected much by the spill and the stress of being captured was as equally detrimental. Fortunately, over the next ten years the oil industry will be reducing its presence in the coastal waters. Any new drilling for oil must be passed by the Minerals Management Service and follow the National Environmental Policy Act. This, hopefully, will reduce the threat of oil spills in the area. The second threat addressed in this recovery plan is the death of sea otters by “incidental take in fisheries.” To combat these incidental takes, the Gill and Trammel Net Restriction was put in place which restricts the use of nets and trammels (which entangle and strangle otters) in waters less that 55 meters deep off the coast of California where otters are present. Furthermore, to prevent otters from getting caught in fish traps, there was a move by the California Department of Fish and Game to require a certain size trap that would be small enough so that there is no risk of otters getting trapped. In conclusion, due to the fact that the sea otter population is not increasing and translocation was unsuccessful, it is uncertain whether or not the population will recover. There is no certain reason for the continual decline of the otter population. The only thing that the Recovery Team can do in the meantime is to keep an eye on oil rigs to reduce habitat degradation and eliminate deadly commercial fishing methods to try and prevent any unnecessary sea otter deaths. What Can You Do? The otter population is at a high risk right now due to the fact that it is not increasing. In order to help the Recovery Team reduce the effects of the oil industry, we can help reduce the demand of oil. This means choosing to bike, bus or walk places instead of using your car. Furthermore, by being aware of the plastics you use, you can help prevent the entanglement of sea otters as well. Other ways to contribute to the cause: * Adopt an Otter. * Speak up to government leaders. * Stay informed. * Report sitings of stranded sea otters to the Monterey Bay Aquarium or Marine Mammal Center. Other Resources: Learn more about the southern sea otters at these sites: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/7750/0 http://www.defenders.org/sea-otter/how-you-can-help References: "California Sea Otter Fund: $3 Million and Counting…." SeaOtters.com, 2016 Wharton Media, 6 Mar. 2017, www.seaotters.com/2017/03/california-sea-otter-fund-3-million-and-counting/. "California Sea Otter Stranding Network." USGS, U.S. Department of the Interior, 5 Nov. 2017, www.usgs.gov/centers/werc/science/california-sea-otter-stranding-network?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects. "Southern Sea Otter." Monterey Bay Aquarium, 2017 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation, 5 Nov. 2017, www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/marine-mammals/southern-sea-otter. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2003. Final Revised Recovery Plan for the Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris nereis). Portland, Oregon. xi + 165 pp.  "Wild sea otter gives birth to adorable pup at Monterey Bay Aquarium." ABC, 2017 KABC-TV, 22 Dec. 2015, www.abc7.com/pets/wild-sea-otter-gives-birth-to-pup-at-monterey-bay-aquarium/1132442/.

Current Species Status:   Population Size: 2150   Location: Half Moon Bay to Point Conception (within the 65-foot depth contour of the marine habitat) Main threats: 1.     Habitat Degradation   2.     Commercial Fishing   3.     Disease 4.     Food Resource Limitations http://abc7.com/pets/photos-monterey-bay-aquarium-welcomes-sea-otter-pup/1132411/#gallery-1 https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/030403.pdf Fun Facts: *  Sea otters have insane metabolisms - they must eat 1/4 of their body weight in order to maintain!   *    Within the otter's skin they have "pockets" where they are able to store extra food or prey during a dive so that their hands are free to grab other things.   *     While most sea otters eat fish, the southern sea otter actually doesn't eat fish. *     Sea otter awareness week is the last week in September! *     The California Sea Otter Fund has raised 3 Million dollars for the research and preservation of sea otters since 2007. *     Sea otters hold hands! https://seaotters.com/2016/07/yes-wild-sea-otters-hold-hands/