by John C. Cannon | Sep 7, 2012 | sea otters
Sea otters are considered a keystone species because of the crucial ecological role they play in maintaining the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystem. Without sea otters, sea urchins and other herbivorous invertebrates are left unchecked to graze...
by John C. Cannon | Aug 22, 2012 | sea otters
OTTER FACT: Scientists attribute up to 40 percent of southern sea otter mortality to infectious diseases alone, many of which are known to have anthropogenic (human) causes and land-sea linkages. The Central Coast of California is one of the most productive...
by John C. Cannon | May 4, 2012 | sea otters
It seems like such a harmless choice, one that’s far too easy to make. You’re driving along in your car and you get thirsty, but you’ve forgotten your trusty stainless steel water bottle. So you swing by a convenience store and buy a bottle of water. While you’re at...
by John C. Cannon | Mar 24, 2012 | sea otters
Check with the next sea otter you see bashing a shell on its chest. Chances are good that he’s going after a meal we humans enjoy as well. Abalone, clams, crabs—they all can make the otter menu. Though we might marvel at the ingenuity it takes to find 25 percent of...
by John C. Cannon | Mar 24, 2012 | sea otters
Just a few hundred years ago, thousands of sea otters peppered the coast of California, dwarfing the current population of less than 3000 animals. A host of human impacts are to blame for keeping otters near the edge of extinction today—loss of habitat, competition...
