and about normal in the southern half. Fish and Wildlife Service and Monterey Bay Aquarium with the help of experienced volunteers, cover about 375 miles of California coast, from Half Moon Bay south to Santa Barbara. WERC's sea otter team and U.S. and Canadian researchers have teamed together to investigate. The sluggish recovery of the southern sea otter of California, a threatened population on the Endangered Species list, appears to have stalled once again. 2003 2500 1500 .3 2 U 1000 a 3 Q 0 500 0 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 Year Figure I. Abundance of California sea otter population from 1911 through 1999. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Sea Otter Facts. The main objective of the study was to develop a simulation model to facilitate analysis of the risk of oil spills to the threatened California sea otter population. ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Full Record; Other Related Research This graph shows the southern sea otter population trend since 1985, based on the annual data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey. Monitoring efforts have varied in frequency and type across years. The spread of the California sea otter population provides excellent material for studying the spread of an invading species because the data are not confounded by spread in multiple spatial dimensions. A standardized method to survey sea otters was developed by WERC scientists and put into use in 1982 in California. Likewise, California’s sea otter numbers are holding steady against the many forces pushing against their population recovery, according to the latest field survey led by federal, state, aquarium, and university scientists. Data Series Download annual survey data from 1985 to present. According to data released Friday by the U.S. Geological Survey and partners, the three-year average of the total counts of southern sea otters was down from last year’s high, although it still exceeded the U.S. OSTI.GOV Technical Report: Population status of California sea otters. How do sea otters impact near-shore marine food webs? SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — The recovery of southern sea otters appears to have taken an upturn, according to results from the annual California sea otter survey released by the U.S. Geological Survey today. Population Data Sources California Sea Otter Population By: Danny Hamilton. ... in otter numbers. Facts about California Sea Otters. During the California Sea Otter Translocation Program Methodology Conclusions & Discussion ... contributed to the unsuccessful recovery efforts of the translocated population. The spring surveys have traditionally been used to assess population status because they are both consistently higher … The survey records the total otter numbers, the number of dependent pups, and the number of independents (adults and subadults), observed. Fish and Wildlife Service, and contributes to our understanding of sea otters and nearshore ecosystem health from California to Alaska. Currently the southern sea otter population is estimated at just above 3,000 animals. PDF documents opened from your WERC collaborates with other research scientists to conduct annual population surveys of the southern sea otter -- a federally listed threatened species. To reduce the influence of anomalously high or low counts during any particular year, three-year running averages -- commonly called a "population index" -- of the survey results are also used to assess whether the population is growing or declining. Some geographic areas might be reaching equilibrium density for sea otters, while other outlying geographic areas are seeing a rise in otter numbers. We work with state, federal, and local partners throughout the species’ range, utilitizing tools and expertise from ecology, chemistry, geography and other disciplines. browser may not display or print as intended. ... Data collection on movement patterns, activity budgets and foraging behavior/diet is collected and all data are entered immediately into the wild sea otter database (WSOD). Southern sea otters, also called California sea otters, live in waters along the California coastline, ranging from San Mateo County in the north to Santa Barbara County in the south. Fish and Wildlife Service’s delisting threshold for a second straight year. The counts made from shore are plotted on maps and then entered into a spatial database. VOL. Fish and Wildlife Service. Factors that can influence the count include viewing conditions, abundance and species composition of surface canopy kelp, observer experience, and distribution and movements of the animals. California’s Sea Otter Numbers Continue Slow Climb. Fish and Wildlife Service. SANTA CRUZ, California — The southern sea otter, Enhydra lutris nereis, continues its climb toward recovery, according to the annual count released today by the U.S. Geological Survey and partners. Why is California’s threatened sea otter population growing so slowly? These data, in conjunction with findings from several more in-depth studies provide the necessary information to assess female reproductive rates and changes in reproductive success of the California sea otter population through time. Report, recover, and trajectory are all much greater in Alaska relative to California individuals accessible! Usgs reports the population contained an estimated 1,789 individuals, but then declined to by... 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