Sea otter survey encouraging, but comes up short of the 'perfect story'

[sue4e3]

September 20, 2016
The southern sea otter, Enhydra lutris nereis, continues its climb toward recovery, according to the annual count released today by the U.S. Geological Survey and partners. For the first time, southern sea otters' numbers have exceeded 3,090, which is the threshold that must be exceeded for three consecutive years in order for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider de-listing the species as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. However, localized population declines at the northern and southern ends of the range continue to be a cause for concern among resource management officials.

This year's survey results suggest an increasing trend over the last five years of more than 3 percent per year. The population index, a statistical representation of the entire population calculated as the three-year running average of census counts, has climbed to 3,272, up from 2,939 in 2013. The growth is accounted for by an unexpected jump in numbers in the center of the sea otter's range, an area that spans the Californian coast from Monterey south to Cambria.
"We believe the high count this year is partly explained by excellent viewing conditions, but it also appears to reflect increased food availability in the range center," says Dr. Tim Tinker, a research ecologist who leads the USGS sea otter research program. "The boom in sea urchin abundance throughout northern and central California has provided a prey bonanza for sea otters, and that means more pups and juveniles are surviving to adulthood."


Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-09-sea-otter-survey-short-story.html#jCp

[LonePirate]

1. That's some nice news to start the day. May the recovery continue and expand.