POST # 8 Sea Otter

I am writing about Enhydra Lutris, commonly known as the Sea Otter. The Sea otter is currently listed as endangered in Washington State and of concern at a global level according to the WDFW. In the past, Sea Otters lived everywhere from Japan to the US Pacific Coast, however, they were hunted nearly to extinction for their pelts. Sea otters were completely wiped out from Washington State in 1910, however, in 1969-1970 a group of sea otters was reintroduced to the region. They have seen an average population growth of 7.6% in Washington State since 1991.

Currently, the biggest threats to otter populations are man-made. Oil spills continue to be a problem for their populations (affecting the animals directly, as well as their habitat), as well as contaminants in water and fish, and getting caught in fishing nets. They also have a high risk for health issues because of low genetic diversity. Interestingly enough, sea otters actually help combat climate change by protecting kelp forests, which are a very strong co2 sink. Because of their place on the food chain, sea otters are at a high risk of accumulating a lot of contaminants from their prey and dying due to disease. 

The largest efforts being made by humans to protect otters at the moment are putting policies into place that help protect the waters that they occupy from oil spills and pollution. When these things do get into the water, numerous organizations act to clean the animals and their homes. Local scientists monitor sea otter populations every July to keep up on the health and well being of their population.

I initially picked sea otters as my subject because, well, they're freaking adorable. Why wouldn't you pick them if you had first dibbs in the class? 

I found it particularly interesting to read that sea otters once lived in Japan, Russia, and the US. I also didn't know that we had hunted them to extinction in the past. I'm very thankful to know that people have been working to rebuild their population, and once again make these playful weasels a PNW icon.

All sources included in Hyperlinks

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/-/m/images/animal-guide/marine-mammals/sea-otter-mom-pup.jpg?mh=916&mw=1222&usecustomfunctions=1&centercrop=1