The coast of the Pacific, especially to the east and north, is home to the magnificent sea otter. Sea otters often float at the water's surface in forests of kelp, or giant seaweed, and entangle themselves to keep from moving in the rolling sea. An estuary is the mouth of the river and where the tide meets the stream. Habitat: The Southern Sea Otter can be found in Russia, Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, California, and Oregan. Males otters are often seen hundreds of miles north and south of the current home range, recently near San Diego, in search of new territory. A southern sea otter in it's habitat with one of the many other organisms living near it. 2. They choose areas that have rocky substrates. California kelp forests have some of the highest primary productivity rates (conversion of sunlight to living material) of any naturally occurring ecosystem on earth and are the most diverse ecosystem of the temperate latitudes on earth. The sea otter's tail at the base is very plump and as it reaches the tip flattens, this helps the sea otter swim at a quick pace under water. (1.12m) for females. Most sea otters remain in habitats with rocky substrate, as their prey tend to be more plentiful in these areas. They live on a wet coast or in the ocean where they find their prey. Predators and Prey of the Sea Otter The sea otter's diet includes about 40 marine species, including urchins, crabs, clams, abalones, mussels, and snails. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. Now, the only indigenous population of Southern Sea Otters resides along the coast of central California. Sea otters once ranged from Mexico to Alaska and even to Japan. Pups begin diving for food at 2 months. An umbrella species is a species whose conservation confers protection to a large number of naturally co-occurring species (Roberge and Angelstam, 2003). The current range extends along the California coast from Half Moon Bay in the north to Santa Barbara in the south, though individuals are occasionally seen outside these limits. A small population of sea otters lives at S… Phylum: Chordata Fun Facts for Kids. Genus: Enhydra Natural disaster For sure, these people will destroy the habitat of the sea otter. Southern sea otters inhabit shallow nearshore coastal ecosystems within 1-2 km from shore. In a kelp forest, sea urchins can graze on the kelp and eat their holdfasts, resulting in deforesting the kelp from an area. Because of the activity in the sea will never ends because many people rely their life on it … Another threats to sea otter that you can see is the habitat destruction. Southern Sea Otter Range Expansion and Habitat Use in the Santa Barbara Channel, California By M. Tim Tinker, Joseph Tomoleoni, Nicole LaRoche, Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Mike Murray, Michelle Staedler, and Zach Randell . They have a thick coat of long black or brown fur and are so buoyant that they cannot dive underwater. The southern sea otter also spends a lot of their time in estuaries. The sea otter is covered in dense fur that consists of two layers. 3. They live on a wet coast or in the ocean where they find their prey. Sea Otters spend most of their life at sea, but will come ashore in bad weather or to avoid predators. Sea otters have a specialized gland that secrets oil to enhance the water-repellent quality of the fur. They are a keystone species, essential to the ecosystem, and they are facing some serious threats! The current sea otter range extends from north of Half Moon Bay in San Mateo county south along the California coast to Point Conception in Santa Barbara county. Enhydra lutris nereis, the southern sea otter, is native to central and southern California and was described by Merriam in 1904. After eating, they wash themselves in the ocean, cleaning their coat with their teeth and paws. Photo Taken At Aquarium Of The Pacific, Long Beach, California. What to Know. Southern sea otter pup Langly was orphaned when her mother received a fatal bite from a great white shark. This range decreased significantly during the fur trade during the 18th and 19th centuries, with excessive hunting nearly driving the species into extinction by the early 1900s. Class: Mammalia Sea otters naturally thrive in nearshore habitats. They prefer the shoreline to the deeper waters. Like their Northern Sea Otter cousins, these mammals prefer to spend their day around the massive kelp forests located just offshore. Sea otters naturally thrive in nearshore habitats. They are usually seen in rocky marine habitats where there is a high abundance of kelp canopy and typically in water depths about 20 m. Kelp canopy is an important habitat component used for resting and foraging. They have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. Adult males weigh on average 64 lbs. SURVEY REVEALS SOUTHERN SEA OTTER POPULATION DECLINE. ... Southern Sea Otters. The sea otter’s teeth are adapted for crushing these prey items with their molars being broad and flat and canines rounded and blunt. Additionally, issues of habitat protection have been especially troublesome in the ESA debate, and our knowledge of southern sea otters provides valuable insights into protecting marine habitats. EcoHealth, 1(3): 239-245. They eat, rest, groom themselves, and breed in the water. Assess sea otter distribution, behavior and habitat selection in the vicinity of natural oil and gas seep areas (e.g., Coal Oil Point, Santa Barbara County) 4. Sea otters eat about 25% of their weight every day, and is arguably the number one cause in sea otter deaths, when they cannot forage enough food to feed themselves. These underwater gardens are filled with the otter’s prey, including sea urchins, clams, crabs and abalone. Southern sea otters live along a stretch of less than 400 kilometers (250 miles) of the California coast around Monterey Bay. That is … Currently, the species has stable populations in Alaska, alon… Sprout, a sea otter pup suffering from domoic acid toxicity, came to our hospital not long after Langly arrived. The short, more dense, under layer of fur can have as many as 1 million hairs per square inch, which is the densest of any mammal. Reintroduced populations in British Columbia and Washington state. Therefore, sea otters are crucial to maintaining kelp forest levels, which provide cover and food for many marine animals. Research has shown that up to 60 percent of southern sea otter mortality is due to infectious diseases which are attributed to known land-sea linkages. Southern sea otters can live to approximately 15 years for males and 16 years for females. Sea otters eat about 25% of their weight every day, and is arguably the number one cause in sea otter deaths, when they cannot forage enough food… Sea otters can spend their entire life in water. The southern sea otter also spends a lot of their time in estuaries. Sea otters are known to carry rocks when they dive, to increase their weight when diving, as well as to crack open shells and protective armor, so they can eat the meat inside the shellfish. Southern Sea Otter as a Sentinel of Marine Ecosystem Health. First, the sea otter uses their feet to reduce or maximize heat loss when water temperatures are too hot or too cold. 5. Sea otters generally forage in nearshore waters shallower than 60 feet (18 m) but have been recorded diving to 300 feet (90 m) or more. Habitat: The Southern Sea Otter can be found in Russia, Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, California, and Oregan. Female otters give birth to a single pup nearly every year with peak pupping season from January through March. Habitat and Range. A top layer of fur is long, waterproof hairs that keep the layer of underfur dry which helps with thermoregulation of the otter’s body temperature by keeping cold water away from their skin. Most Sea Otter "raft" in kelp beds with other otters. Diet: Sea Urchins, Mollusks, Crustaceans and some species of fish . Sea otters are also known as an “indicator” species for the health of the nearshore marine ecosystem. Both northern and southern sea otters once inhabited the Oregon coast. They are usually seen in rocky marine habitats where there is a high abundance of kelp canopy and typically in water depths about 20 m. Kelp canopy is an important habitat component used for resting and foraging. Under their arms, Sea otters have built in pockets. They do most of their foraging within about half a mile of shore. Without sea otters, sea urchins can overpopulate the sea floor and devour the kelp forests that provide cover and food for many other marine animals. Most species are entirely dependent on aquatic habitats for food. IUCN Red List Status Endangered. Sea otter counts are conducted annually by the U.S. Geological Survey. Sea otters are now legally free to expand into their former range. Can otters use tools? Kuker, K., L. Barrett-Lennard. Their teeth are strong enough to crunch open a clam shell or bite through a sea urchin's spines. Choose from high quality, high res, hd, widescreen, and other options. The sea otters usually live near the shore waters of the North Pacific, from Japan, north to the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, then from Alaska down along the Pacific coast of North America to Baja, California. Such as, when a human wants to build a house near the coast because he or she is a fisherman. Otters use tools like rocks and sometimes soda cans. When the water temperatures are too cold sea otters reduce heat loss by floating … Hopefully not stinky skunks!!! Sea otters eat between 20-35% of their own body weight daily. Historically, southern sea otters have inhabited nearshore coastal ecosystem from northern California to Baja California in Mexico. California’s southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. Sea otter tends to be relatively sedentary in comparison to other marine mammals and eat a wide variety of prey species that are filter feeders. The sea otter is also considered an “umbrella” species. Sea otter fur color varies in shades of brown turning silver-gray to white with age in males. In fact, sea otters do not cause local extinction of species. They are frequently found in protected harbors, barrier reefs, and kelp forests that offer shelter from wind and waves. Sea Otters have "pockets" in their skin and fur so they can tuck away a food item until returning to the surface to eat. Sea otters increase biodiversity and primary productivity of the nearshore environment by controlling populations of grazers, sea urchins in particular, which feed on kelp. Population. They eat 40 plus different types of species such as clams, urchins, and snails. Today, southern sea otters live along the central coast of California; northern sea otters live along the coasts of Washington, Canada, and Alaska. Sea Otter Facts. Southern Sea Otter Range Expansion and Habitat Use in the Santa Barbara Channel, California By M. Tim Tinker, Joseph Tomoleoni, Nicole LaRoche, Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Mike Murray, Michelle Staedler, and Zach Randell . (Linnaeus, 1758) Giant otters (genus Pteronura) are found mainly in slow-moving rivers and creeks within forests, swamps, and marshes. Females otters nature at 3 years of age and males at age 5. An “indicator” species is an organism that is relatively sedentary and tends to bio-magnify and/or be sensitive to contaminants. Males are aggressive toward females and often having bloody noses or scaring from being bitten during copulation. Humans only have about 100,000 hairs in total on our heads. Incidence of disease in sea otters is also correlated with contaminants such as tributyltin (used as an anti-fouling agent in boat paint), DDT (a banned pesticide) and PCBs. Information and Media Sources: They are usually seen in rocky marine habitats where there is a high abundance of kelp canopy and typically in water depths about 20 m. Kelp canopy is an important habitat component used for resting and foraging. As shown by our study, sea otters can colonize and persist in southern California habitats at densities comparable to central California, and their affinity for specific habitat features makes it possible to predict their future distribution. Humans have 100,000 pieces in total on their head, while otters have up to one million hairs per square inch. The … First, the sea otter uses their feet to reduce or maximize heat loss when water temperatures are too hot or too cold. That is one of the reasons why they are endangered. The tail comprises less than a third of the body length. 1. This predator-prey relationship enhances kelp production and it is a widely accepted ecological concept that the more diverse and complex an ecosystem, the more stable the ecosystem. Most of the otters that are still alive, have to make sure their habitat will be secure enough for their babies. 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