Sea Otters

California Sea Otters and Sea Urchins

By Ms. Poliseri

Keystone Species

A species that, if taken out of an ecosystem, has a large effect on other species.

Subject | Subject

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Poll

Which population, if taken out of the ecosystem, would have the biggest impact on the other species? (Which population is a keystone species?)

• Kelp

• Sea Otters

• Sea urchins

• Sea Algae

Sea Otters are top predators. They eat sea urchins, and sea urchins eat kelp.

-3,000 sea otters

-world's densest, thickest fur

-​spend many hours a day grooming

-​eats 1/4 of its body weight every day

​-up to 4 feet long, 50-70 pounds

Sea Otter Facts

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Open Ended

If there are no sea otters, what happens to the sea urchins, and what happens to the kelp?

Kelp will be eaten MORE by the many sea urchins.

Less kelp means more atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Less kelp means less coverage for other species. ​

Kelp

Sea urchins will not be eaten as much, so there will be way more of them in the ecosystem!

• "Urchin barrens"​

Sea Urchins

No Sea Otters?

​Populations protected by kelp

Multiple Choice

What are sea otters?: Prey or Predator?

• Prey

• Predator

Multiple Choice

What are sea otters?: Consumer Population or Resource Population?

• Consumer Population

• Resource Population

So what's the problem?

How did Otters become endangered?

-1700s, 1800s, species hunted for their fur

-Thought to be extinct by 1920s

-50 otters left in 1938 off coast of California have repopulated species

-1977​ part of Endangered Species Act

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Multiple Choice

What are baby sea otters called?

• Cubs

• Colts

• Pups

• Calves

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Home of the Sea Otters

The aquarium has 5 female sea otters who help raise pups as their own. They have released 37 otter pups back into the wild since 2002. These pups have shown to help keep their ecosystem healthy! Now there's 3,000 sea otters back in the ecosystem off the California Coast.

What can WE do?

-Advocate!

-Local clean ups, preventing oil spills

-​Leave them in nature

-Watch out for them when driving along coast​

-Donate to local aquariums​

Open Ended

How are otters important to the California Coast Ecosystem?

Open Ended

What is one fun thing you learned about Sea Otters today?