Defenders' Experts
California Sea Otter Threats
The California sea otter was listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act in 1977, and at that time, the number one threat identified was oil spills.
In addition to oil spills, sea otter threats include:
- Exposure to Disease and Contaminants
- Interactions with Fishing Gear
- Acidification of the oceans due to excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Roughly a quarter of the carbon dioxide emitted each year ends up dissolved in ocean water, a process that forms carbonic acid, which eats away at the shells of the calcium carbonate mineral shells common to coral reefs, shellfish species like clams, mussels and oysters, and sea urchins and starfish – vital food sources for sea otters and other marine predators.
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To better understand the threats facing California’s sea otters, what researchers are doing to help recover the sea otter, and how your contribution to the CA Sea Otter Fund is being used, watch this segment about sea otters from the science series, Quest, from KQED.
Valuing Sea Otter Habitat in California
An economic report, written by Dr. John Loomis, Environmental Economist, Colorado State University, reveals that an expansion of the sea otter population south of Point Conception, in Santa Barbara County, and eliminating the "no-otter management zone" would result in $100 million in annual economic benefits to California households. There would be significant benefits specifically to Santa Barbara and Ventura counties from an increase in tourism, recreation-related visits and jobs. The area’s environment would also improve by way of a healthier coastal ecosystem.
Read the Report “Economic Benefits of Expanding California's Southern Sea Otter Populations”
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