sea otters | Caesuria

nubbsgalore:

nubbsgalore:

the last week of september is sea otter awareness week. where most marine mammals rely on a layer of insulating blubber to keep warm in the water, sea otters make use of their dense fur coat.

in fact, their fur is so thick and soft that for centuries humans have hunted the animal. by 1929, sea otters had been virtually eradicated from alaska to california. and while populations of the animal are currently making a remarkable comeback in british columbia, they nevertheless remain an endangered species.

sea otters play a vital role in their aquatic ecosystem. in the absence of the animal, sea urchin populations explode, leading to the eradication of kelp forests, which in turn affects fish, sea birds and even eagle populations.

photos by tom and pat leeson (peekaboo otter), veronica craft (vogue otter), hal beral (sleepy otter), brian maxwell (cuddling albino otter), jeff foot (super excited screaming otter), matt maran (shouting otter), joe robertson (holding hands otters) and sharon landis (baby photo pose otter) suzi eszterhas (happy otter)

#EndangeredSpeciesDay after

noaasanctuaries:

Sea otters are what’s known as a keystone species: their foraging and feeding behaviors have a major effect on the health of their ecosystem.

In Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, sea otters often spend their time in kelp forests, where they feed on invertebrates like sea urchins. Without the sea otters, sea urchin populations can get out of control – and since sea urchins eat kelp, that can spell trouble for the kelp forest ecosystem.

Off the coast of Washington state, sea otters were hunted to local extinction by the early 1900s. But in 1969 and 1970, a few dozen were reintroduced.

Since then, the sea otter population on the outer coast of Washington has grown to approximately 1,600 animals!

Researchers in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries Science Center are now working to assess how this adorable species’ recovery has affected the nearshore ecosystem.

Check out our video to learn more about their research!