The SeaDoc Society is a program of the Wildlife Health Center at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
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Sea Otter


Species of concern within the Salish Sea Marine Ecosystem: changes between 2002 and 2008

Gaydos, J.K and N. Brown. 2009. Species of concern within the Salish Sea Marine Ecosystem: changes between 2002 and 2008. InProceedings of the 2009 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conference, Seattle, WA, February 2009. Download PDF.

Testing a charasmatic paradigm: Consequences of a growing sea otter population for nearshore benthic communities along the south shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Van Blaricom, Glenn R. and M.D. Chambers. 2003. Testing a charasmatic paradigm: Consequences of a growing sea otter population for nearshore benthic communities along the south shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The SeaDoc Society final report. Download PDF.

Species of concern in the Puget Sound Georgia Basin: changes between 2002 and 2006

Brown, N. and J. K. Gaydos. 2007. Species of concern in the Puget Sound Georgia Basin: changes between 2002 and 2006. Proceedings of the 2007 Georgia Basin Puget Sound Research Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia. Download PDF.

River and Sea Otters and Toxoplasma gondii

At first glance, domestic cats and river otters seem worlds apart. One thrives in our marine waters, the other despises water. One often snuggles by us in our homes at night and the other avoids humans when possible. Recent SeaDoc research, however, has shown that like our own lives and the health of the marine ecosystem, these two animals are probably more intimately connected than most of us realize.

When One Endangered Species Eats Another

What do you do when one endangered species eats another?

Sea otters, once extirpated in Washington, are now recovering thanks to several transplantations from Alaska. They eat up to 25% of their body weight a day in abalone, clams, crabs, sea urchins, and other invertebrates. This is a concern, because the northern (pinto) abalone also has declined precipitously in Washington and efforts are underway to bring back this culturally and ecologically important mollusk. Complicating the issue, young abalone might hide under sea urchins for protection and Washington has a sizeable state and tribal commercial urchin harvest.

Sea Otter Research

The SeaDoc Society is improving the health of marine wildlife populations and the ecosystem upon which they depend by funding critical research, providing scientific support, and bringing stakeholders together. Like many SeaDoc Society-funded research projects, a recently completed project on sea otters is providing new information that is being used to better manage living marine resources.




Why our work matters

Healthy ecosystems support economic prosperity. The Salish Sea provides abundant natural capital that contributes substantially to the financial prosperity of the region. Unhealthy ecosystems cost money because we lose the opportunity to benefit from them. The Salish Sea's deteriorating health threatens our economic well being and quality of life. SeaDoc uses science to find solutions to the problems facing the fish, wildlife and people of the Salish Sea.

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