how are sea otters being protected

Without otters to keep them in check, urchins and their compatriots grew in size and abundance. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. Because of their highly coveted fur pelts, they were almost wiped out in the 1930s in spite of being protected … Sea otters had have been listed as endangered for a long time. Male sea otters are very aggressive during mating season. Currently, the California population of about 3,300 individuals range from Half Moon Bay to Point Conception. The Sea Otter was hunted to near extinction in the 19th century. Sea otters are a highly endangered marine mammal. With resplendent, thick fur, otters were voraciously hunted until not a single one could be seen along the California coast. Sea Otters are threatened by both human problems as well as natural problems. They are at great risk of extinction due to many reasons such as fur trade, shark attacks, habitat degradation, oil spills ,fishing nets, disease and being viewed as competition. Sea otters are important marine animals that balance out the underwater ecosystem. SAVING THE SEA OTTER. The Southern Sea Otter & Southwest Stock of Northern Sea Otters in Alaska are both listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. They also have a reduced population size, which puts them in danger of becoming extinct. Fish and Wildlife Service, sea otters have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. Sea otters eat urchins and many other sea foods, and without them the food chain would corrupt. Sea otters are voracious predators of large invertebrates such as urchins, crabs, and clams. What’s great about the bay being a sanctuary is that people can’t bother the marine animals and plants. Sea otters have got to be one of the most adorable creatures on planet earth. Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. sea otter Enhydra lutris in Canada, prepared under contract with Environment Canada, overseen and edited by Dr. Andrew Trites, Co-chair ... otters and their habitat are also protected from being hunted, trapped or killed under the Fisheries Act and … Native people harvested Sea Otters In fact, they are now recognised as being … Sea Otters are threatened to become extinct and are currently being protected by multiple conservation organizations as well as by the government that passes laws. Marissa points out that kayaks and too much human interaction can disrupt normal eating and sleeping habits of California otters.… Read More The southern sea otter was believed to be extinct, and otters in Alaskan waters were similarly imperiled. Sea otters are safe from harassment in their kelp bed homes along the coast. According to the U.S. Sea otters use rocks to crack open the spiny shells of sea urchins. If the species dies out, Sea Otters: After reading, Emotions for the Oceans: The Beauty of it All, Marissa DeVogel developed a step by step plan about how we as humans can help protect our local and global sea otters. Sea Otters were found in a great arc around the North Pacific: from northern Japan via the coastlines of the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, Com-mander and Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California, south to the vicinity of Cedros Island, Mexico. Sea otters are listed as an endangered species because they are vulnerable to oil spills from ships and coastal tanker traffic. There is a much larger population of sea otters found in Alaska, and some are still found in Russia as well. Sea otters were once found from Mexico to Alaska, and even Japan. Over time, this led to both the loss of the kelp forests, and to the exploitation of these same tasty invertebrates by human predators. Cat litter flushed down toilets may be a small contributor to otter infection if it is discharged into the ocean from water treatment plants. Sea urchins can wipe out a kelp forest so, by eating the sea urchins, otters are keeping the kelp healthy. While they so have some natural predators, it is the threat from man that is the most dire. The Sea Otter is protected under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Their playful personalities, ingenuity and furry little whiskered faces are enough to melt the heart of just about anyone.However, one otter’s true resourcefulness became quite apparent back in 2016 when she entered the Monterey Bay Aquarium to give birth to her pup. Friends of the Sea Otter (FSO) is an advocacy group, founded in 1968, dedicated to actively working with state and federal agencies and other groups to maintain, increase and broaden the current protections for the sea otter, a species currently protected by state and federal laws, and with two geographic populations on the Endangered Species list. Photograph: Noel Hendrickson/Getty Images. Their food supply is protected so that when they dive for sea urchins, abalone or crabs they won’t come up empty handed. lifetime. As sea otters don’t eat any animals known to harbor Toxoplasma, scientists think run-off from land carries the oocyts into the ocean where otters can then become exposed. Today the species is protected under the Endangered Species Act & Marine Mammal Protection Act. Being such a valuable member of the environmental support system makes the otter’s protected status all the more vital. 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