Introduction
Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are marine mammals capable of spending their entire lives in water. Being carnivorous in nature, they feed on sea urchins, crabs, fishes, mussels and clams. They are referred to as keystone species due to their profound impact on marine ecology. The interaction between sea otters, sea urchins and kelp forests has been studied as a model for the impact of predator-prey interactions on community ecology. Sea otters are keystone predators, whose presence has a far-reaching influence on the marine food web by affecting the populations of sea urchins, which indirectly affects the populations of kelp forests & other marine organisms. There has been a steep decline in sea otter populations due to water pollution and exploitation for furs. This has affected marine ecology adversely. It is therefore suggested that sea otters should be included in the endangered species list to protect them from further exploitation. This study focuses on the community ecology of sea otters and their impact on marine ecology. The need for their inclusion in the Endangered Species list and the implications of such an intervention are also evaluated.
Community ecology
Sea otters predate on many herbivorous invertebrates, including sea urchins. Sea urchins feed on kelp forests, which are an important habitat for fishes and other marine organisms. A high population of sea urchins has an adverse effect on kelp forests. Since sea otters predate upon sea urchins, their populations ar...
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Isle Royal is located fifty-six miles north of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. It is the largest wilderness area in Michigan (USNPS, 2014). The island is surrounded by Lake Superior, which creates a cooler temperature. This results in arctic plant species growth on the island. There are only eighteen mammal species present on the island because most mammals cannot make the trip across the frozen great lake (USNPS, 2014). The need for an ice bridge is not the only environmental factor that is stopping the migration of animals; there is also the severe cold, and also wind and fog (Vucetich, 2012). Some species such as caribou and coyote have found the island to be too intense and have gone extinct (Vucetich, 2012). Due to the harsh weather and isolation of the island, humans have never regularly lived on the island (Vucetich, 2012). Some of species that are present such as the red squirrel are becoming their own subspecies due to its separation from the mainland (USNPS, 2014). The isolation of Isle Royal is what makes it a great place to conduct research, it has very low human interaction and the species that are on the island will have been and continue to be isolated from the mainland.
This year they are listed under the endangered species act and has today 78 killer whales left. The factors that could be contributed to such a rapid change in the size of sea otter population is stop hunting sea otter down and killing them and selling them to fur traders.That is the big thing in the otter decline people from 1800 to 1900 hunted and sold them all time for there fur. killer Whales have a taste for sea otters and the sea lion and seals short in supply in the northern pacific. Killer whales are feeding on otters because of the absents of their prey. The lost of sea otters have effect on organism is Alaska’s sea otters decline the affects health of kelp forests and diet of eagles. Sea otters play a private part by keeping the kelp forest a healthy balance. By eating sea urchins-- the biggest threat to kelps forests--sea otters control sea urchins numbers and kept the ecosystem in balance. This ensured that these underwater plants could thrive and reach their maximum height of 250 ft.The sharp drop in sea otter numbers in this island chain of alaska is the predation level. killer whales need 61.54 kcal/male otters and kcal needed is 308000 kcal
Out of the three, habitat loss is considered to be the largest threat to the Arctic Fox population. Due to rising temperatures, sea ice is not as abundant and new plant species are beginning to emerge. Sea ice is important to the Arctic Fox population because they rely on the extra space to find food and there are fewer predators (2). Because the sea ice habitat provides important winter food resources for the Arctic foxes, especially in low lemming population years, the loss of the sea-ice habitat is likely to result in lower winter survival and reproductive success for Arctic fox population. Due to the decrease in food resources, Arctic Foxes may start to wander into human settlements in search of food which will increase the chance of foxes being killed by human inhabitants. A decrease in food resources and hunting grounds is not the only issue with the loss of sea ice habitats. According to the Species Survival Commission, as ...
Markovsky, Alexander. "Massive Cutbacks in Karelia's Nature." Taiga Rescue Network 2011-11-08. N.p., 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
River otters are some of the most social mustelids and show a greater geographic variability. River otters have both social and solitary systems that vary in each location. They have a complex social system; the American Society of Mammalogists exploring these systems in southeast Minnesota published a study. This study showed that the river otter populations in the study area had clear evidence of space sharing, which indicated that they were not territorial or solitary. Also, the otters that shared space with one another were attracted to one another and were near other otters. Furthermore, the home-range characteristics, static and dynamic interactions, and fidelity were evaluated. It was confirmed that males have a greater home-range
...nd we can predict the process of evolution and we will be able to go ahead of our own times. Otters have a huge family which have a number of sublets and a number of branches which are all interlinked and which share a similar history and that is why we need to prioritize the study and we need to study all of them in some detail. That is why in the recent past it is being felt that the time has come for to bring together information from a wide array of sea otter research. We also need to study and assess the risk of disease and threats to the wild sea otter population. Preservation of their health should be our prime concern. They are an important part of our life and we have been interacting with them for ages now and it high time that we started understanding the complexities and the intricacies of these species we would be able to relate to them in some detail.
The southern sea otter population is not increasing as quickly as scientist predicted because there are many variables which are affecting their rate of birth. If an oil spill happens to occur it would endanger the sea otters and threaten the kelp forest. According to the website "defenders.org", it states "When sea otters come into contact with oil, it causes their fur to mat, which prevents it from insulating their body" (www.defenders.org/sea-otter/threats). The sea otters would die and not be able to grow more in population. Often, every 3 years or so the population would increase but not by much. The "Monterey Bay Aquarium" data sheet states "In 2007 there were 2,818 total sea otters, in 2010 it decreased by 107 sea otters, in 2013
The world’s coral reefs are quintessential to global biodiversity, so much so that they are often referred to as the "rainforests of the sea". Although their actual space occupied by reefs is relatively small, constituting less than 0.1% of the world's ocean surface, they support over 25% of all marine species on earth. They provide complex and varied marine habitats that support a wide range of other organisms including, but not limited to, fish, mollusks, worms, crustaceans, echinoderms, sponges, tunicates and other cnidarians. Some of these animals feed directly on the corals, while others graze on algae on the reef. The reef also provides a protective habitat for many of these animals.
As we know, each people, animal, plant plays a specific role in the whole ecosystem. For instance, plants called “green processing plant” are the primary producers who release fresh oxygen through photosynthesis. Likewise, grizzly bears play a central part of the entire ecological system, and meanwhile plenty of their habits has a good impact on the ecological system. For example, while they are foraging for “tree roots, plant bulbs, or ground squirrels,” (Grizzly Bear) they will “stir up the soil.” (Grizzly Bear) This process not only helps grizzlies obtain their food, but also “increases species richness in alpine ecosystems.” (Grizzly Bear) In addition, when grizzly bears ate salmon “along the coasts of Alaska and British Columbia, ” (Grizzly Bear) they left salmons’ other parts except their skin, brain and roe to other small predators such as gulls. At the same time, they restrain the excessive reproduction of fish to prevent the water from occurring eutrophication which means too many algae because of massive fish
P6: ‘The animals behaviour and natural instinct changes in a marine park compared to in its natural habitat’ (para 3).
The largest raft ever seen contained over 2000 sea otters.They sleep and take showers together.In conclusion their black fur helps them blend it with the
The cuteness of otters is worldwide accepted. These creatures are fuzzy, social, and incredibly intelligent. Male otters are called boars, females are sows, and the babies are called pups. This essay contains a brief synopsis of the types of otters, the anatomy of an otter, the threats they face, its social nature, motherly instinct, how it eats, and its daily life.
Stiling, Peter. Ecology: Theories and Applications. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996.
Their habitat is the sea floor where they find meals and the sea surface where they socialize with the other otters.
Seagrass is not just a food source for micro species, but also macro species such as manatees, turtles, dolphins and dugongs (Yamada and Kumagai 2012). These marine organisms are all supported directly and indirectly by seagrasses, with some entirely dependent on it. Seagrass is often underestimated in its significance as the vast role that it plays in the oceans ecosystem is not fully understood. ...