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Today, southern sea otters occupy approximately 13% of their historic range; their current distribution extends along the central California coast from Monterey Bay to Point Conception.
Historically, sea otters numbered between 150,000 and 300,000 animals throughout the Pacific Rim. The southern sea otter population, which once numbered about 16,000 animals, is hovering around 3,000 today.
Status/IUCN protections
Status/IUCN protections
Sea otters are on the red (endangered) list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Although the sea otter population has increased since these animals became protected, its geographic range has not expanded to match. Sea otters are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).
Why are they declining?
Why are they declining?
Availability of prey, entanglement in commercial fishing gear, oil spills, contaminants, disease, shark predation. Killer whales and large sharks are both known to depredate sea otters, although within the area of decline there are direct observations of killer whale predation but not of shark predation.
Discussion of what can be done to mediate impacts:
Discussion of what can be done to mediate impacts:
https://www.fws.gov/testimony/hr-4043-military-readiness-and-southern-sea-otter-conservation
Endangered Species Act,
Marine Mammal Protection Act and
California state law.
The southern sea otter population has grown slowly since receiving federal protections in the 1970s, fluctuating around 3,000 in recent years.
Why should they be a priority?
Why should they be a priority?
As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. 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.
Protection of northern sea otters in Washington: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. FWS.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2023, from https://fws.gov/project/protection-northern-sea-otters-washington#:~:text=Sea%20otters%20are%20protected%20under,Flora%20and%20Fauna%20(CITES).
Montereybayaquarium.org. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2023, from https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/sea-otter#:~:text=Sea%20otters%20are%20on%20the,has%20not%20expanded%20to%20match.
Sea otter. Defenders of Wildlife. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2023, from https://defenders.org/wildlife/sea-otter#:~:text=As%20top%20predators%2C%20sea%20otters,for%20many%20other%20marine%20animals.
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