Forum Eco-Citoyen - Environnement et Ecologie

The sea otter may be the smallest marine mammal in the northern hemisphere, but it’s got cause for a big celebration. On September 18 -- thanks in part to the thousands of Defenders supporters who wrote in -- Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill into law providing increased protections for California’s sea otters. Just days later, the fourth annual Sea Otter Awareness Week kicked off with events educating the public about the critical role these critters play in coastal ecosystems and the importance of respecting biological diversity. Elected officials and institutions from across the state -- and even in Europe and Canada -- joined in the celebration.

AB 2485 is co-authored by Assemblyman Dave Jones (Sacramento) and Assemblyman John Laird (Santa Cruz).

Sea otters are a key indicator of marine ecosystem health. By feeding on sea urchins and other kelp grazers, they also help keep the nearshore marine ecosystem healthy and balanced.

Once nearly hunted to extinction, only about 2,700 sea otters now live in California. And, unfortunately, their long, slow recovery has stalled in recent years.

Oil spills and other pollution, harmful interaction with fisheries gear, habitat degradation, and food scarcity can all threaten these wonderful critters. Even worse, increasing numbers of sea otters are dying from disease and parasites.

The sea otter is a sentinel species for nearshore ecosystem health. Marine diseases, particularly in California, from increasing pollution into our coastal waters is featured in a recent article, “Sea Sickness: The Upsurge in Marine Diseases,” Bioscience (June 2006), highlighting Toxoplasma gondii, which is one of the diseases plaguing sea otters.