Alaska Educational Materials: Video

Imperiled Otters of the Aleutians is a 26-minute educational video co-produced by Defenders of Wildlife and KTOO Public Television in Juneau, Alaska.

Over 80,000 sea otters have disappeared over the last 10 years, leaving a population of only 6,000 in all of the Aleutian Islands.

Defenders' staff traveled to the Aleutians last summer to document the decline, which places the sea otter, once again, on the brink of extinction. But this time the decline is not due to hunting of the otters' luxurious fur, as in the 1800's.

Interviews with researchers, fishermen, and local residents shed light on the theory that Killer Whales may be to blame for the otter decline. Others, notes the video, are not so quick to blame the whales, citing the impact of global warming, contaminants, and an industrial-scale trawl fishery.

The video also explains how the decline in sea otters is resulting in significant, negative changes to the health of the near-shore marine environment.