Sea Otters
Southwest Alaska Network. 2018. Sea Otters. Southwest Alaska Network
Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are known as a keystone species. A keystone species dramatically affects the structure and complexity of their environment. For example, when sea otters are present in rocky habitats, they eat sea urchins and urchin density decreases as a result. Lower urchin density reduces grazing pressure on kelps, resulting in a more diverse nearshore ecosystem (Estes and Duggins 1995). In 2005, sea otter populations in the southwest Alaska population segment (which includes coastal habitat of Katmai National Park and Preserve) were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Further, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated almost 6,000 miles of coastline in southwest Alaska as critical habitat for the northern sea otter. Critical habitat is habitat that is deemed essential for the conservation of a threatened (or endangered) species. Monitoring sea otter populations, as well as other components related to sea otter status, in nearshore ecosystems will result in important information to better understand population trajectories.
- Type
- Resource Brief
- Authors
- Southwest Alaska Network
- Date of Issue
- 2018-03
- Publisher
- Southwest Alaska Network
- Units
- KATM , KEFJ , SWAN
- Keywords
- energy recovery, establishment, feeding, sea otter
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Marine Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Intertidal Communities