The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is a semiaquatic mammal in the weasel family.While it may simply be called the "river otter" in North America (to distinguish it from the sea otter) there are other river otter species throughout the world. Can otters use tools? In some areas, usually where there are few predators, sea otters will rest on land, but they spend most of their time at the water’s surface floating on their backs. With these rocks, they can open mussels and clams. Sea otters are vital to kelp forest ecosystems because they control communities of sea urchins, which are herbivorous invertebrates that if left unmonitored overgraze and potentially destroy the kelp forest (Allegra, Rath and Gunderson, 2012). 1. Sea otters are ‘’keystone species” because of their critical role in maintaining the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystems. Why Are Sea Otters Important? Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are marine mammals inhabiting the shores of the Aleutian Islands and along the North American coast up to Mexico. Furthermore, countries such as the United States, Russia, and Canada have set up marine protected areas where activities such as dumping of waste and oil drilling are prohibited. Why Are Sea Otters Important? Sea Otters as a Keystone Species . Sea otters are considered the "old man of the sea" because of their fabulous whiskers! They are adapted to this kind of environment by possessing a dense fur coat which insulates the body from cold. And, even if you live far from the Pacific Ocean, that matters to you because kelp forests are one of the ocean’s great carbon sinks; they help mitigate the effects of climate change. Case study: Sea Otters →Crabs → Sea Slugs → Micro Algae → Eelgrass A new trophic cascade involving sea otters was recently discovered in a Central California estuary. Thirdly, sea otters expose themselves to diseases and pollutants through their feeding habits. But Estes didn’t understand the real meaning of what he’d seen until a meeting with veteran ecologist Bob Paine. Eventually, the seagrasses become clean and healthy resulting in higher populations. Studies show that the presence of otters increased the carbon storage of kelp forests from 4.4 to 8.7 megatons. After eating, they wash themselves in the ocean, cleaning their coat with their teeth and paws. However, this is not enough to keep the sea otters warm. Why are sea otters so important to California’s marine ecosystems? Sea urchins feed voraciously on kelp forests thereby damaging the eco-system leading to what is known as "urchin barrens." With the reduced crabs in the meadows, the population of the sea slugs increase and feed on the algae seen growing on the leaves of the seagrass. Seagrass meadows are significant to the ecosystem as they result in the protection of the coastal regions and preservation of the habitat for fish. They do, however, play an important role in the Salish Sea. Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. Sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of the near-shore kelp ecosystems. The research is investigating the evolution of sea otters and the history of the population which crashed a century ago due to the fur trade. by seaottersdotcom | May 23, 2013 | sea otters. They’re also considered a keystone species because of their critical importance to the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystem. Sea otters have low genetic diversity, which could endanger their health as a species, a UCLA-led team of life scientists has discovered. Sea otters are meticulously clean. Sea otters use rocks to crack open the spiny shells of sea urchins. Consequently, the sea otters die from hypothermia. Sea otters are the most recently evolved marine mammals and have a number of physiological characteristics that make them an easy target for disturbance by humans. They are not at the top of the food web, however, and are eaten by orcas, great white sharks and other large predators. However, even this is questionable as tens of thousands are killed LEGALLY each year by trapping. Sea otters are an iconic species, representing the beauty and diversity of marine life found along California’s coastline. For example, Strobel said it’s important to know about behavior as sea otter populations expand to other areas in California, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. Otters are part of the Mustelidae family, which is a family of … This challenge has affected even large estuaries such as the Elkhorn Slough Estuary located on Monterey Bay in Central California, US. Because otters are such good predators, the sea slugs that are typically eaten by crabs have the chance to do their job in removing excess algae from seagrass. In particular, they … Without sea otters, urchins prevent kelp forests from forming important habitats for many animals. In the kelp forest, it eats sea urchins and other animals that graze on giant kelp. There are 13 species of otter in the world and they are all in the Red List of Threatened Species. Coveted for their extremely dense and insulating fur, sea otter pelts sold for as much as $1,125 each and were made into hats, coats and various other garments. Without sea otters, these grazing animals can destroy kelp forests and consequently the wide diversity of animals that depend upon kelp habitat for survival. This turn can have devastating effects on marine life diversity. Sea otters spend all of their time in the ocean, including sleeping. Although sea otter numbers have recovered somewhat, they are still at risk. They sleep this way, often gathered in groups. “Sea otters exhibit strong top-down control of grazers, particularly sea urchins, and thus indirectly increase kelp population spatial occupancy and productivity,” Martone and her colleagues wrote in a summary of their research they presented Tuesday.. Now customize the name of a clipboard to store your clips. And, even if you live far from the Pacific Ocean, that matters to you because kelp forests are one of the ocean’s great carbon sinks; they help mitigate the effects of climate change. When otters fall asleep they tend to hold hands so they do not drift away from each other! In the past there have been many problems including hunting for fur and pollution. California Condor Facts: Animals Of North America, The Causes And Effects Of Ocean Pollution. Learn more about these cute and charismatic critters. The specific role of the sea otters in the eco-system is as follows; ‘’Kelps’’ are brown algae seaweeds growing rapidly underwater covering 25% of the world’s coastlines. These sea creatures also depend on a high metabolism rate to generate body heat. These filter feeders indiscriminately sieve particles out of the water resulting in them accumulating high concentrations of pollutants and disease pathogens. In coastal areas where sea otters regularly consume sea urchins, kelp forests have a greater chance to take hold and endure, and act as an undersea forest habitat for other marine animals. They have thick fur that generates heat to keep their bodies warm. They have furry bodies, whiskered faces, and a propensity to lay on their backs and float on the water, a behavior that humans perceive as evidence of fun-loving. Sea otters aren’t just cute – these fuzzy marine mammals also perform an important role protecting the kelp forests which maintain our climate and prevent storm damage. River otters are not that long-lived; the oldest female in this study was 12 years old, the oldest male, 13. Crude oil normally penetrates the fur of the otter destroying the air layer that is trapped next to its skin. Let’s take a look at the Eurasian … First, one of the biggest threats to the existence of sea otters is humans. Sea otters have a profound impact on the coastal habitats which is why they are rightly known as keystone species. A keystone species is one that exerts a large, stabilizing influence throughout an ecological community. Tune into our LIVE Sea Otter Cam for your daily dose of sea otter cuteness. Such an increase is a result of the food web that forms within this ecosystem formed by the sea otters, crabs, and sea slugs. To achieve this, the sea otters that are carnivorous feed on various marine species such as crabs, clams, urchins, snails, and worms. Sea otters mate, sleep, groom, hunt, give birth, rest and play in the ocean! In the kelp forest, it eats sea urchins and other animals that graze on giant kelp. Since then, the sea otter has become an important poster species for the ecology movement: a lovable, cuddly sea mammal that was saved from extinction thanks to … In this manner, sea otters are keystone predators in the kelp forests where they live. Although capable of walking on land, otters may spend their whole lives in water. Why are we monitoring? For example, in a kelp forest, otters eat sea urchins, and urchins eat kelp. A collection of kelps result in the formation of kelp forests. 2. When they discovered Sea otters off California in the thirties it was like they discovered dinosaurs, because they thought they were extinct. The ‘’Exxon Valdez’ oil disaster that occurred in Prince William Sound on March 24, 1989, proved that the single greatest threat to the otter today is an oil spill. By repeatedly foraging these contaminated prey, the otters put themselves at risk of harmful diseases. 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