Return of the Sea Otter

Return of the Sea Otter
Author: Todd McLeish
Publisher: Sasquatch Books
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2018-03-20
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1632171384

"Captivating. . . . a full portrait of this adorable and ecologically important animal." —Publishers Weekly A science journalist travels the Pacific Coast in search of sea otters in this entertaining and inspiring book on the importance and history of this charismatic endangered species Sea otters—the adorable, furry marine mammals often seen floating on their backs holding hands—reveal the health of the coastal ecosystem along the Pacific Ocean. Once hunted for their prized fur in the 18th and 19th centuries, these animals nearly went extinct. Only now, nearly a century after hunting ceased, are populations showing stable growth in some places. Sea otters are a keystone species in coastal areas, feeding on sea urchins, clams, crab, and other crustaceans. When they are present, kelp beds are thick and healthy, providing homes for an array of sea life. When otters disappear, sea urchins take over, and the kelp disappears along with all the creatures that live in the beds. Now, thanks to their protected status, sea otters are making a comeback in California, Washington, and Alaska. In this hopeful book, science writer Todd McLeish embarks on an epic journey along the Pacific Coast—traveling from California to Alaska—to track the status, health, habits, personality, and viability of sea otters, and reveals how conservationists brought them back from the brink of extinction.

Sea Otter Conservation

Sea Otter Conservation
Author: Shawn Larson
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 468
Release: 2014-12-23
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0128016876

Sea otters are good indicators of ocean health. In addition, they are a keystone species, offering a stabilizing effect on ecosystem, controlling sea urchin populations that would otherwise inflict damage to kelp forest ecosystems. The kelp forest ecosystem is crucial for marine organisms and contains coastal erosion. With the concerns about the imperiled status of sea otter populations in California, Aleutian Archipelago and coastal areas of Russia and Japan, the last several years have shown growth of interest culturally and politically in the status and preservation of sea otter populations. Sea Otter Conservation brings together the vast knowledge of well-respected leaders in the field, offering insight into the more than 100 years of conservation and research that have resulted in recovery from near extinction. This publication assesses the issues influencing prospects for continued conservation and recovery of the sea otter populations and provides insight into how to handle future global changes. - Covers scientific, cultural, economic and political components of sea otter conservation - Provides guidance on how to manage threats to the sea otter populations in the face of future global changes - Highlights the effects that interactions of coastal animals have with the marine ecosystem

Sea Otter Symposium

Sea Otter Symposium
Author: David Jonathan Cooper
Publisher:
Total Pages: 944
Release: 1990
Genre: Coasts
ISBN:

Mourning Dove Status Report, 1970

Mourning Dove Status Report, 1970
Author: James L. Ruos
Publisher:
Total Pages: 638
Release: 1971
Genre: Bird populations
ISBN:

U.S. mourning dove population indexes increased by 4% from 1969 to 1970 in the Eastern Management Unit, but declined 2% in the Central Management Unit and 11% in the Western Management Unit. The changes were below the 10-year means, 1960-69, by 3% in the Eastern Unit, 15% in the Central, and 27% in the Western. Regression analyses of the call-count data for 1960-70 indicate a statistically significant downward trend in dove breeding populations in all management units; mean rates of decline were 1% a year in the Eastern Unit, 3% a year in the Central, and 4% in the Western