Sea Otters Adorable but Threatened Sentinel Species at

Sea Otters: Adorable but Threatened Sentinel Species at Risk Due to Pollution and Over-fishing By Jim Fiddes Danbury HS & PNWBOCES, Yorktown, NY

Threats to Sea Otter Population • Disease : EPM & toxoplasmosis • Contaminants: in water & in prey • Starvation: hi food need • Entanglement & Entrapment: lines/nets • Predation • Oil Spills: Ex. Valdez 5 K • Difficult Environment

Sea Otter Biology • • Enhydra lutris; Mustelidae 150 K Alaska; 1. 3 K Calif. >60 lbs; >20 years; >4’ long high metabolism: 20% body weight in food daily; 3 x human dense fur: ~100 K/sq in; grooming critical semi-retractable claws; rear outside toe is longest lungs 2 x : other mammals whiskers locate prey, feel vibrations

Sea Otter Anatomy • Muscles for grasping & swimming; side to side on back, vertical • flexible spine, longer outer toe; hips hold legs for swimming, more than walking

Sea Otter Biology 2 • Body temp: 100 F. hold paws & feet up to conserve heat • extremely flexible spine; can reach all body to groom- • no blubber, oils & bubbles in fur insulate • pouches near back feet to store food • tool user: breaks shells with rock, on sternum • can dive to 300’; 4 minutes

Sea Otter Biology 3 • Related to weasels & skunks • Social learning: mother teaches pup foraging skills; recognizes unique pup’s call • playful & intelligent as dogs • “raft” = group of sea otters • strong jaws & sharp teeth: canines to break, incisors to scoop meat from shells • frequent short naps, feed day & night

Sea Otter Ecology 1

Sea Otter Ecology 2

Sea Otter Ecology 3

Sea Otter Ecology 4 • rugged coastline • steep shore contour • bay collects run-off

Polluted Food--eat hearty & die. . . • Shellfish concentrate pollutants, which accumulate in otters, & otter milk • Sea urchins eat kelp holdfasts, but also are a cash crop; abalone are expensive--fishermen complain: otters eat both • urchins destroy kelp forest-clear-cut = habitat loss

Otters & Diseases. . . • Pollutants weaken immune systems • Butylin is a biocide in anti-fouling boat paint • Concentrations of DDT & PCB correlate with diseases in otters

http: //www. nwhc. usgs. gov/images/seaott 99. gif

Predators: Part of the Problem • Fur hunters nearly wiped out sea otters; 1911 law stopped sea otter fur trade • Over-fishing reduces prey fish species in Alaska; Orcas eat otters • California shark population increases, otters now on menu

Other Otter Problems & Perils • Female injured during mating • It’s tough work, being an otter: • Other, 3 • California: 17 to 38 % foraging 50 to 68 % resting • Amchitka Island, AK: 51 to 58 % time foraging - 32 to 34% resting • High infant mortality

We Can Fix This: Ways to Help • Monterey Bay Aq. ’s orphan otter recovery & rehab program • Fewer feral cats!! • Public support & contributions

“Sea Otters Threatened”--Annotated Works Cited http: //www. the-scientist. com/yr 2001/feb/research_010219. htm • Details toxoplasmosis & protozoal meningococcus infections from feral cats & opossums--good details & pix http: //www. enn. com/news/enn-stories/1999/06/062499/seaotter_3930. asp • One good illus. --short article links pop. decline to fishing nets http: //www. defenders. org/wildlife/new/marine/otters/images/dowil_se a-otter_even-more-final. html • Cute animation on otter problems w/links to Defenders of Wildlife http: //www. discovery. com/stories/nature/otters. html • Good site w/live cams & recovery program profiles, sounds & videos Zoobooks: Sea Otters Wildlife Education, Ltd. 0 -937934 -70 -4 c. 1995 • Excellent illus. & photos; detailed text, interesting, inexpensive http: //www. mbayaq. org/ • Excellent site w/live otter cam; detailed info, interesting, authoritative www. fso. org • Friends of the Sea Otter--pix, history, videos, &c

“Sea Otters Threatened”--Annotated Works Cited 2 www. otterproject. org • Colorful & interesting site, with good links to scientific studies, charts http: //www. enn. com/news/enn-stories/1999/06/062499/seaotter_3930. asp • One good illus. --short article links pop. decline to fishing nets http: //www. nwhc. usgs. gov/research • Pdf article & some pix , plus good links, & scientists to call http: //www. marinemammalcenter. org/ • Links & articles on all marine mammals; colorful, easy, searchable response. restoration. noaa. gov/ bat/images • Extensive database & analysis of Exxon Valdez oil spill; lots of links, images, charts & graphs; NOAA site is great resource itself!

We need your help!! Thank you & take care! Now--the Quiz!!!

Sea Otter Screen Quiz 1 1. Name & describe at least three things making sea otters sick. 2. List & describe two ways sea otters keep warm. 3. Describe at least two other adaptations of the sea otter that enable it to live successfully in the ocean. 4. What is the sea otter’s role in the ecology of the kelp forest? 5. Three reasons people should concern themselves with the sea otter. (one hint: define “sentinel species”) species No Peeking, Now!! 1. Cat feces & litter, possum feces, oil, insecticides, pollutants in food & water 2. Air bubbles in fur, fur density, high metabolism & lots of food 3. Grasping front claws, 2 x lungs, spine & rear feet adapted for swimming, frequent naps, wraps in kelp…etc 4. Predator, control urchins to preserve kelp 5. Sentinel species-”canaries”; preserve important ecosystem; bring in lots of cash. . .

This powerpoint was kindly donated to www. worldofteaching. com http: //www. worldofteaching. com is home to over a thousand powerpoints submitted by teachers. This is a completely free site and requires no registration. Please visit and I hope it will help in your teaching.