The first sea otter I ever saw was floating under a small acrylic dome while scientists measured its resting metabolic rate. I never imagined how invested I would become in the welfare of these animals. In fact, today — 42 years later — my fascination remains with sea otters and I want to do everything possible to ensure their populations flourish for eternity.
Sea otters encourage healthy marine systems. They keep kelp-grazing sea urchin populations in check, which otherwise decimate kelp forests that provide homes to a wide variety of unique marine life.
The challenge in California is the southern sea otter population can’t seem to expand its range. Northern California and Oregon’s coasts have been devoid of sea otters for more than 150 years. The current population — which thanks to their Endangered Species Act protections has reached approximately 3,000 animals — extends from just west of Santa Barbara to about 50 miles south of San Francisco. But this population reached those range extents more than 25 years ago and hasn’t stretched any farther.
Bites from white sharks, mortality from pollution and disease, and climate change effects have constrained range expansion. Mathematical modeling has predicted sea otters won’t migrate northward for decades, or perhaps ever, without some sort of intervention.
Expanding Sea Otter Populations
To address the conundrum, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service completed a comprehensive Species Status Assessment in 2023 that evaluated the latest research and information for enhanced management strategies. One such plan could involve reintroducing sea otters to areas of their historical range along the Northern California coast. Along with expanding the sea otter’s currently limited range, reintroducing sea otters would restore their role as a keystone species to degraded coastal ecosystems.
Over the past three years, FWS and other groups have produced additional reports and analyses demonstrating the feasibility of reintroduction and developing the foundation for a potential sea otter reintroduction program. With grants from the California State Coastal Conservancy’s Sea Otter Recovery Fund, Defenders of Wildlife has organized and facilitated planning discussions and workshops, and started engaging with California Tribes, as well as members of the fishing and coastal communities. This inclusive approach will ensure all relevant entities have a say in sea otter conservation.
Unfortunately, FWS staff have withdrawn from discussions about reintroducing sea otters while they confer with their leadership on the future of wildlife conservation programs under the Trump administration.
The Work Must Go On
Defenders and partners will continue to discuss options for recovering the southern sea otter under the Endangered Species Act. The bulk of these discussions will focus on reintroducing sea otters to areas north of their current range. If we can perform the necessary science, identify the best release sites, avoid and mitigate conflicts with fisheries, develop all the methods and logistics, enlist public support and obtain the required funding, then all the critical components will be in place for FWS to authorize the careful reintroduction of sea otters to their historic range.
In short, we hope future generations will witness the reestablishment of these charismatic and ecologically important animals to the Northern California and Oregon coasts. Until then, California residents can contribute to the California Sea Otter Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund by entering donations in the box next to code 410 on the California Resident Income Tax Return. Anyone interested in supporting efforts to expand sea otter populations should consider giving to Defenders and following us to stay up to date on sea otter news.
Author
Andrew Johnson
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