Sea Otter Time Budgets and Prey Relationships in Alaska

1986 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 637 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Garshelis ◽  
Judith A. Garshelis ◽  
Alan T. Kimker
Keyword(s):  
2002 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas S. Gelatt ◽  
Donald B. Siniff ◽  
James A. Estes

2020 ◽  
Vol 655 ◽  
pp. 123-137
Author(s):  
TM Grimes ◽  
MT Tinker ◽  
BB Hughes ◽  
KE Boyer ◽  
L Needles ◽  
...  

Protective legislation and management have led to an increase in California’s sea otter Enhydra lutris nereis population. While sea otter recovery has been linked to ecosystem benefits, sea otter predation may negatively affect commercially valuable species. Understanding the potential influence of sea otters is of particular importance as their range expands into estuaries that function as nurseries for commercially valuable species like Dungeness crab Metacarcinus magister. We consider how sea otter predation has affected the abundance and size of juvenile Dungeness crab in Elkhorn Slough, California, USA, and analyzed cancrid crab abundance and size across 4 California estuaries with and without sea otters to understand how biotic and abiotic factors contribute to observed variation in crab size and abundance. We compared trends in southern sea otters relative to Dungeness crab landings in California to assess whether increasing sea otter abundance have negatively impacted landings. In Elkhorn Slough, juvenile Dungeness crab abundance and size have declined since 2012, coinciding with sea otter population growth. However, the impact of sea otters on juvenile Dungeness crab size was habitat-specific and only significant in unvegetated habitat. Across estuaries, we found that cancrid crab abundance and size were negatively associated with sea otter presence. While abiotic factors varied among estuaries, these factors explained little of the observed variation in crab abundance or size. Although we found evidence that sea otters can have localized effects on cancrid crab populations within estuaries, we found no evidence that southern sea otters, at recent population sizes, have negatively impacted Dungeness crab landings in California from 2000-2014.


Oryx ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Igor Popov ◽  
Alexey Scopin

Abstract We describe the population of the Еndangered sea otter Enhydra lutris on Urup Island, one of the main wildlife refuges in the southern Kuril Islands of Russia. We reviewed historical and local reports of the sea otter, identified its habitat around the island, and surveyed the coastal waters of the island in 2019. Sea otters were numerous on Urup Island in the past but were hunted excessively and almost exterminated by the 1950s. Since then, sea otter populations have increased, and as the island is almost uninhabited we expected otters to be numerous. This was not the case, and we estimated the total population to be 363 ± SE 126 individuals. Our observation of two skinned carcasses on the shore suggests the low numbers are a result of poaching for the illegal fur trade. The case of Urup Island demonstrates that sea otters require active conservation, as even on a remote island they remain threatened. Establishment of protected areas would be an effective conservation measure for this species, although the suppression of demand for sea otter fur is of the greatest importance.


2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1552-1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.M. Thometz ◽  
M.M. Staedler ◽  
J.A. Tomoleoni ◽  
J.L. Bodkin ◽  
G.B. Bentall ◽  
...  

Behaviour ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 72 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 26-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Duncan

AbstractTime-budgets of adult and weaned sub-adult horses were studied in a small population of Camargue horses living in semi-liberty. The categories of activities used were: Standing resting, Lying flat, Lying up, Standing alert, Walking, Trotting, Galloping, Rolling and Foraging. The main differences in time-budgets were related to age and to sex : young horses spent more time lying (sleeping), males spent more time standing alert and in rapid movements (trot, gallop), while usually foraging less than did the adult females. During the three years of the study the population increased from 20 to 54 horses and there were considerable changes in social structure as the number of adult males increased. Associated with these developments there were some changes between years in the time-budgets: the most striking of which was a general trend for all horses to spend less time lying. Nonetheless the time-budgets showed a considerable constancy across years and age/sex-classes, especially with regard to time spent foraging. This conclusion may provide a clue as to why horses have an unusual social system based on long term relationships between a male and the females of his harem.


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