Coexisting with Sea Otters

Coexisting with Sea Otters

Sea otters are a keystone species and as predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of the near-shore kelp ecosystems. Without sea otters, sea urchins would devour the kelp forests off the coast that provide cover and food for many other marine animals. 

Humans are the biggest threat to sea otter populations. Direct conflict with humans, such as shootings and entrapment in fishing traps and nets pose a major threat to sea otters, but oil spills, other pollution, and loss of kelp forests are also threatening sea otters. To protect sea otters that were crossing roads, Defenders made the case for crossing signs and slow speed zones and worked with local sea otter protection organizations to install wildlife cameras. We are working with state and federal agencies and other groups to maintain, increase and broaden the current protections for the sea otter so they can expand their population along more of California’s nearshore coastal waters.