Sea Otter photos by Carol Georgi
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Ocean Creatures - Part III
Southern Sea Otter Enhydra lutris nereis
Hello Ocean Lovers! Every Other Breath is From the Ocean
Here is a critter from our San Luis Obispo County coastal waters for you to enjoy!
Thank you for your interest in the Central Coast Extension of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
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Sea otters are indicators of the health of California's nearshore ocean ecosystem.
Sea otters eat, sleep, mate, and are born and raised in the water. Bundled in dense fur, they live in the nearshore ocean or estuary during their 10-20 years of life. As such, they are exposed to many of the same diseases and toxins as humans. Therefore, their health is an indicator of how clean the water is while we surf, swim, dive, kayak, and enjoy eating local seafood.
Recent research by Melissa Miller and Raphael Kudela has found that microcystin poisoning is the cause of death for 21 southern California sea otters. Microcystin is a potent liver toxin produced by freshwater bacteria that entered the ocean, contaminated shellfish, and poisoned sea otters found near mouths of rivers flowing into the Monterey Bay and south of the bay along the central California coastline. Nutrient-rich fertilizer runoff is a source that can trigger the algal bloom that results in producing the liver toxin, microcystin.
The complete study, "Evidence for a Novel Marine Harmful Algal Bloom: Cyanotoxin (Microcystin) Transfer from Land to Sea Otters," was published on September 10, 2010 by PLoS ONE.
This month's Marine Sanctuary article in the SLO Coast Journal discusses this study, implications for marine life and human health, and possible prevention efforts.
Sea Otters are Declining in California
According to the Defenders of Wildlife, the 2009 spring population census revealed a continued decline in the California sea otter population. Mortality rates have jumped, and some researchers believe the otters' food may contain deadly pathogens. Other threats to the otter population include oil spills, habitat degradation, disease, fishing gear entanglement and limited food supply. (Ecoworldly)
Miller and Kudela solved one of the mysteries of how the sea otters are dying. Now it is up to us to change our behavior and stop polluting freshwater and the nearshore ocean.
Sea otter extinction could trigger a devastating chain of events in the aquatic ecosystem. Without sea otters to feed on sea urchins, the sea urchin population could explode and destroy the kelp forests on which they feed. These kelp forests are the key habitats for many other species, including fish, snails and crabs. (See ACF Newsource)
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"The sea otters are very special and their numbers go up and down with how we treat the near shore ecosystem. Simple as that. If you don't care, then they will perish and all the wishing in the world won't bring them back. We have a responsibility to ourselves to protect those who we can so easily destroy." David Levy, Chair Friends of the Earth Marinet, UK.
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