Northern Sea Otters - Shea Menzel

http://www.alaskamagazine.com/articles/featured/the-rebound-of-the-sea-otter/

{Description}

There are 3 different subspecies of sea otters, the Southern Sea Otter found in California, the Northern Sea Otter found in Alaska, Canada, and Washington, and the Russian Sea Otter found off eastern coast of Russia.  (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

http://www.seaotters.org/sea-otters-vs-fisheries-the-battle-in-southeast-alaska/

Northern Sea Otters have 3 different stocks:

• Southwest stock - Threatened
• Southcentral stock - Stable
• Southeast stock - Stable

Sea Otters are mammals usually found off the coast and in estuaries. They are usually observed swimming on their backs using their webbed back feet to propel themselves through the water. They then use their front paws to hunt and eat prey. Another thing that sea otters are recognized for is their fur. Unlike most marine mammals, sea otters have fur instead of Blubber. Blubber protects the animals from the cold sea water, but because otters don’t have that protection, their fur has to be extremely thick. It has two layers to provide even more insulation. The long layer is called guard hairs and they are dense and fine and provide a protective coating. The shorter inner layer is called underfur, it traps air bubbles providing a extra insulation element. 

As a keystone species, sea otters are an important part of maintaining the nearshore marine ecosystem. When areas lack sea otters, sea urchins and other invertebrates take over and create areas without kelp. Without kelp forests creatures like fish, seals and other wildlife lack the protected area provided by the kelp. In addition to protecting wildlife kelp also absorbs carbon from the air, and releases oxygen back into the air.  Otters are a important part of maintaining marine environments and our environment. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

{Geographic and Population Changes}

Prior to the mid 1700’s between 150,000 and 300,000 sea otters were in existence worldwide. Then the population took a steep turn when Russian explores arrived in Alaska in 1741. These humans started to commercially hunt sea otters and continued to do so for 150 years, until sea otters were almost extirpated or locally extinct. Then in 1911 otters were granted protection by the International Fur Seal Treaty, at that time fewer than 2,000 individuals swam the oceans. 

In an effort to repopulate some areas along the Alaskan coast, otters were relocated in the 1960’s and 70’s from more densely populated areas to locations that no longer had otters. Since the 1980s, most northern sea otter populations have continued to recover. Populations in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska continue to grow or have stabilized. But the southwest population has shown very different trends. Between 1992 and 2000, sea otter populations in the Aleutians declined by 70%.  In the few years following populations fell by another 63%. This trend lead to the Southwest stock of Northern sea otters becoming a candidate for listing by the US Fish and Wildlife Services. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) 

https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/whats-killing-alaskas-sea-otters/

{Listing}

With large fall in the Southwest population of Northern sea otters in the 1990’s, action was needed. So in 2001, the US Fish and Wildlife Service designated the sea otters in the Aleutian Islands population as a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. A year later it was expanded to the whole Southwest population. In 2004 Southwest Alaskan Northern sea otters become listed as threatened. Almost 10 years later the Recovery plan was published in.  The ESA defines threatened as "likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future over all or a significant portion of its range.” (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

{Main threats to Existence}

The most common historical threat to the existence of sea otters was hunting. During the 1700’s and 1800’s commercial hunters nearly hunted the populations into extinction. Then hunting of sea otters stopped with the signing of the International Fur Seal Treaty of 1911. Then further protection was provided under the Marine Mammal Protection  Act and the Endangered Species Acts in the 1970’s. 

Hunting is no longer a significant threat, but several other natural and human causes factors are threatening the population of sea otters. 

• Oil Spills: Oil in the water can be very harmful to sea otters. Oil gets onto the otter's fur and destroys the water repellent quality of their fur and air layer,  causing their fur to insulate significantly less. That can lead to hypothermia as well as the risk of ingesting of oil when otters groom themselves. Both hypothermia and organ failure from the ingestion of oil are fatal. (Defenders of Wildlife)

• Predation: Even though otters are top Predators, they are sometimes prayed on by other top predators (bald eagles, white sharks, brown bears, coyotes, arctic foxes  and killer whales). Sea otters habitats are expanding beyond natural boundaries because they have to search further for food. As a result  fatal shark attacks and killer whale attacks have become common at the edge of their habitat. (Defenders of Wildlife)

http://samanthalevy.org/sea-otter/

• Habitat Degradation: Run off into the ocean has had a large impact on sea otter habitat.  This pollution not only harms them directly though parasites that can cause disease, but it can  also affect their food supply. Hundreds of sea otters are infected with diseases like T. gondii and Sacrocystis neurons witch can be traced back to cat feces. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

• Conflict with Humans: Another threat to sea otters in conflict with humans, this can come in form of bycatch or shootings. Sea otters and fisherman have the same goals, to get clams, sea urchins, crabs, lobster, causing fisherman to see otters as competition, and a threat to their profits. (Defenders of Wildlife)

{Recovery Plan}

The Recovery Action plan is organized into seven different categories:

1. Population Monitoring
• Estimate otter populations 
• Monitor health and body conditions
• Monitor distribution and movements
• Monitor role of sea otters in ecosystems.
2. Habitat Needs and Habitat Protection
• Identify characteristics of habitats with exciting populations and look into elements to implement in other areas
• Protect important habitats 
3. Mange Impacts of Human Uses
• Ensure that incidental take in fisheries doesn’t affect recovery
• Eliminate international illegal take
• Limit the affect of ocean debris
4. Diseases
• Sample carcasses and tissues to investigate the impact of diseases
• Conduct live capture studies to evaluate the health status of live otters
5. Predation
• Continue to evaluate role of predation
• Develop plan for Predation management
6. Protection from Natural or Human-caused Threats
• Control oil spills and their impact on the recovery of sea otters. 
• Monitor biotoxins and containments
• Evaluate potential impacts of recreational activities and tourism
7. Implemented the Recovery Program for Southwest Alaska Sea Otters 
• Maintain southwest Alaska sea otter coordinates position at FWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

{What can you do?}

One large thing that we can do to help sea otter is to reduce pollution in order to improve their habitat (the ocean)

• Recycle 
• Dispose of hazardous waste properly
• Grow a garden. The roots take in water, reducing the amount of runoff
• Don’t litter or dump things into storm drains
• Use less water
• Volunteer at beach clean up
• Get oil changed to prevent oil leaks
• Adopt a sea otter (Symbolically)
• Donate to conservation 

{Other}

Fun Facts about Sea Otters: (protecttheoceans.org)

1. Sea Otters are one of the few animals that use tools. They mainly use rocks, but have been seen using glass soda bottles and cement blocks.
2. Sea Otters have built in pockets under their arms.
3. A group of Sea Otters resting together is called a raft.
4. Sea Otters are the only marine mammal without a layer of blubber (fat).
5. Sea Otters’ fur has 10x # of hairs per square inch than we have on our entire head. (humans 100,000; otters 1,000,000)
6. Wild adult Sea Otters eat 25% or more of their body weight a day, or more than 12 pounds of seafood. A 150 lb human would need to eat 37 lbs of food a day!
7. Sea Otters can dive up to 5 minutes, and average 60 feet deep (but can dive up to 300 feet).
8. Sea Otters wrap themselves and their pups up in kelp fronds while sleeping so they do not drift away.
9. Sea Otters spend most of their day grooming, foraging, eating, and sleeping.
10. Newborn pups cannot sink or dive.

For more information on sea otters you can visit:

• https://seaotters.com/research-conservation/
• https://defenders.org/sea-otter/basic-facts
• https://www.mmc.gov/priority-topics/species-of-concern/northern-sea-otters/

{Sources}

Awesome Ocean. “12 Ways You Can Help Sea Otters.” Awesome Ocean, awesomeocean.com/top-stories/12-ways-can-help-sea-otters/

Defenders of Wildlife. “Threats to Sea Otters.” Defenders of Wildlife, defenders.org/sea-otter/threats.

Friends of the Sea Otters. “Sea Otter Facts.” Friends of the Sea Otters, seaotters.org

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2013. Southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment of the Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni ) - Recovery Plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 7,

Alaska. 171pp.