Help to save The Northern Sea Otters! By Violet Tylock
Source:https://gifts.worldwildlife.org
Northern Sea Otter
(Enhydra lutris kenyoni)
Date of Recovery Plan:
August 02,2013
In early August of 2005, The Northern Otter, Enhydra Lutis kenyoni, was listed as in endangered species under the Endangered Species Act in Alaska. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game predation, overharvest, fishery interactions, disease, and oil spills are the major threats to the population size of the Northern Otter. Predation being the biggest concern, most likely by the killer whale.
http://www.seaotters.org/otterspotting/
A little bit about our furry friends and their ecology:
They are the second smallest of marine mammals and unlike other mammals they rely on their dense fur to keep them warm instead of blubber (Defenders). To forage for food, the Otter can drive into the water a couple hundred feet and use rocks to pry open their prey. Otters are found to be keystone species, because their prey are those who would eat up the kelp that provides a home for animals below the surface if they were not there to regulate the preys population (Defender). The Northern Sea Otter are found in Aleutian Islands, Southern Alaska, British Columbia,Washington, and majority found in Alaskan waters (Defender).
The Northern Sea Otter population has been threatened once before during the 1700’s due the Fur Trade and were close to extinction. It wasnt until the early 1900’s that The Fur Seal Trade was finally implemented to help protect our furry friends (FWS). Although this act helped regrow the population, they are again finding themselves in need of help yet again due to these new threats. With the help of The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Recovery plan, there is hope for The Northern Sea Otter’s future to be restored.
What does the Recovery Plan Include?
In 2005 the Fish and Wildlife Service had the Northern Sea Otter put on the threatened species list for the Alaskan waters and made particular goals such as:
-Monitoring the Population
-Control Natives impact
-Manage Predation
-Control and Lower Disease rates
-Habitat Protection
How to help?
Even if you do not live near Alaskan waters and can not physically help put a hand to help, you can always donate. It is easy to become a Friend of the Sea Otter and make a simple donation to www.seaotters.org. Or even subscribing to organizations like “Adopt a Sea Otter” to become more educated on the situation at hand. Being aware of when events like beach cleanups or conscious of how you are disposing of things, making sure not to put toxic chemicals down your drain can help to make a change.
Other Resources:
Work Cited:
Dfg.webmaster@alaska.gov. "Northern Sea Otter Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game." Northern Sea Otter Species Profile,. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
Davis, Randall. Mom with Pup in the Water. N.d. N.p. Trans. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Friends of The Sea Otter. Sea Otter Range Map. N.d. N.p.
Service, U.s. Fish & Wildlife. (n.d.): n. pag.Southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment of the
Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) Recovery Plan . July 2013. Web. 28 Nov.
2016.
These Two Sea Otters Are Covered in Oil from a Spill. N.d. Kidz World. Web.
Https://www.facebook.com/DefendersofWildlife/. "Basic Facts about Sea Otters."Defenders of Wildlife. N.p., 19 Sept. 2016. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
I find it interesting that predation by the Killer Whale is one of the reasons that the otter is endangered. It raises an interesting point on how to balance the well-being of two species. Who is more important? The Killer Whale or the Otter?
ReplyDelete-Emily Sydow
Amazing that they use tools to pry open shellfish! Their thick fur must make them particularly susceptible to oil spills, yet the killer whale remains their biggest concern. It's surprising to see an endangered animal that faces a natural threat rather than the influence of humans alone.
ReplyDelete- Lukas Wegmuller