How were Researchers able to Keep Track of what was Happening to the Otters?

To put it another way, sea otters play a more vital function in their ecosystem than do most other animals. Sea otters play a crucial role in nearshore ecosystems such kelp forests, Embayments, and estuaries as top predators.

Without sea otters, sea urchins can multiply out of control, destroying kelp forests that are home to and a source of food for many marine organisms.

Sea otters play an indirect role in lowering atmospheric carbon dioxide levels because of their role in keeping kelp forests healthy. Kelp is a major carbon sink.

Contents

1 How were Researchers able to Keep Track of what was Happening to the Otters?
2 Force of Defense
3 Conclusion

How were Researchers able to Keep Track of what was Happening to the Otters?

After being nearly wiped out by hunting in the 18th and 19th centuries, sea otters were given legal protection in 1911 as a result of the International Fur Seal Treaty.

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The Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act provided extra protection for them in the 1970s. Slowly but surely, sea otter populations are rising again, albeit they are still significantly lower than they were before.

Although sea otters are sensitive to shifts in their natural environment, their populations are also affected by a number of anthropogenic causes.

Force of Defense

The California Sea Otter Fund was created in 2006 as a result of legislation drafted by Defenders of Wildlife in collaboration with California legislators. The money goes toward crucial projects that help sea otters, such as scientific studies, public awareness campaigns, and law enforcement.

Warning labels on “flushable” kitty litter canisters were made mandatory by state law, with the help of advocates. Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoal parasite found in flushed cat faeces, has been shown to survive wastewater treatment processes and cause illness in sea otters, necessitating these measures.

We also tried to put an end to the programme that relocated sea otters to San Nicolas Island and the No-Otter Zone that went along with it.

To safeguard sea otters and other marine life, we backed a measure to gradually phase out the use of drift gillnets in Californian seas.

To safeguard sea otters that were crossing highways in Moss Landing, CA, Defenders helped make the case for posting crossing signs and establishing slow speed zones, and we collaborated with local sea otter protection organisations to install wildlife monitoring cameras.

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Conclusion

Finally, we’re collaborating with local, state, and federal organisations to keep sea otters protected as they continue to spread throughout the California coast. Thanks for read our Article How were Researchers able to Keep Track of what was Happening to the Otters.