Sea otters were once found from Mexico to Alaska, and even Japan. Marine otters have been captured and killed for their competition with humans for prey. There is a much larger population of sea otters found in Alaska, and some are still found in Russia as well. Scientists noticed that urchin populations seemed to explode after hunters decimated California's sea otters. Most of those groups are categorized as “strategic” under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, meaning the level of human-caused death could threaten the group’s survival. Remnant population. Marine otters are classified as endangered species by the IUCN. There were about 474 stranded otters in 2016. This is an average annual growth rate of 42%, which far exceeds the estimated maximum reproductive rate of increase of 24% per year for the species. Thus, there has been a painfully gradual increase in the population of southern sea otters and according to a 2017 counting, these otters are numbered around 3,186. Population. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. They claim Fish and Wildlife has failed to update expired population assessments for nine subspecies of sea otters, polar bears, manatees and walruses. South America’s marine otter — Lontra felina — is the smallest marine mammal in the world. Fur. (Larivier, 1998; Redford and Eisenberg, 1992) Fisheries suspect that marine otters cause damage to local fish, shrimp, and bivalve populations. The prickly critters went on to mow down entire kelp forests. Then in 1914 a remnant population of about 50 southern sea otters was found along the rugged Big Sur shoreline. However, very little is known about the species abundance, population structure and connectivity. Otter populations in the Himalayas are found well above 3000 metres altitude. Otter, any of 13–14 species of semiaquatic mammals that belong to the weasel family and are noted for their playfulness. Sea otters reside in the underwater which has extremely cold temperatures. Otters are not considered a marine mammal, because they cannot survive without access to fresh water, but they often use coastal habitats, as well as lakes, swamps, rivers and streams. The southern sea otter was widely believed to be extinct due to the expansive fur trade of the 18th and 19th centuries, which reduced the global population from between 150,000 and 300,000 to roughly 2,000. However, this is not enough to keep the sea otters warm. Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. Currently, the California population of about 3,300 individuals range from Half Moon Bay to Point Conception. They are patchily distributed along the Pacific from 6ºS to 56ºS, using only rocky seashore and avoiding the sandy beaches. Worldwide, numbers have recovered slowly but are still far below the original population numbers. Sea otters finally obtained protections with the signing of the International Sea Lion Treaty in 1911, and were included in the List of Protection against Marine Mammals and Endangered Species Laws in the 1970s. Since the California population has a limited range and is close to human activity, they are considered endangered. The current southern sea otter population averages around 3,000 individuals. The sea otter population in Glacier Bay grew from five animals in 1993 to 8,508 in 2012. The otter is lithe and slender with short legs, a strong neck, and a long flat tail that helps propel it gracefully through water. The California sea otters grew at an average rate of less than 2 percent per year during the last 10 years. Two species are marine; the others live mostly in fresh water. They are adapted to this kind of environment by possessing a dense fur coat which insulates the body from cold. Without sea otters, sea urchins can overpopulate the sea floor and devour the kelp forests that provide cover and food … Sea otters manage populations of other marine species by feeding on them .

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