Sea Otter Research Paper

My name is Jaron Pierre Jr. and i am going to be talking about the sea otter . The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean . They live over 10-15 years . Their breeding season is during September to November , they are territorial during it . Their scientific name is Enhydra lutris . Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg (31 and 99 lb) , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family , but among the smallest marine mammals . Unlike most marine mammals , the sea otter’s primary form of insulation is an exceptionally thick coat of fur , The densest in the animal kingdom . Even though they can walk on land , the sea otter lives mostly in the ocean . The sea otter
inhabits offshore environments , where it dives to the sea floor to forage . it preys mostly on marine invertebrates such as sea urchins , various molluscs and crustaceans , and some species of fish . its foraging and eating habitats are noteworthy in several respects . it uses rocks to dislodge prey and to open shells makes it one of the few mammal species to use tools . In most of it’s range , it’s a keystone species , controlling sea urchin populations which would otherwise inflict extensive damage to kelp forest ecosystems . Its diet includes prey species that are also valued by humans as food , leading to conflicts between sea otters and fisheries . Sea otters , whose numbers were once estimated at 150,000 - 300,000 , were hunted extensively for their fur between 1741 and 1911 , and the world population fell to 1,000 - 2,000 individuals living in a fraction of their historic range . some of the things they don’t like is sea urchins . The sea urchins can hurt you with their long pointy legs . They are classified as an endangered species . The sea otter has no blubber ( the fat of sea mammals ) and relies on its exceptionally thick fur to keep warm . It’s fur consists of long , waterproof guard hairs and short underfur ; The guard hairs keep the dense underfur layer dry . The coloration of the pelage (The fur, hair, or wool of an animal) is usually deep brown with silver-gray speckles , but it can range from yellowish or grayish brown to almost black . The sea otter is diurnal (of or during the day) .
It has a period of foraging and eating in the morning , starting about an hour before sunrise , then rests or sleeps in mid-day . They spend much of their time grooming , which consists of cleaning the fur , untangling knots , removing loose fur , rubbing the fur to squeeze out water and introduce air , and blowing air into the fur . They hunt in short dives , often to the sea floor . The kelp forest is a forest , but it is not a forest of trees . it is made of seaweed called giant kelp . Kelp grows in cool coastal waters where sunlight can go down to a rocky sea floor . kelp needs sunlight in order to grow .Sea otters protect the kelp forests from being eating by sea urchins . They play a vital role of protecting the kelp forests . It catches fish with its forepaws . They keep kelp forests healthy by eating animals that graze on kelp . They can get eaten by killer whales and sea lions . The great white shark is believed to be their primary predator, and dead sea otters have been found with injuries from shark bites, although there is no evidence that sharks actually eat them . Toxoplasma gondii parasites to the ocean and kill sea otters.Sea otters can do well in captivity, and are featured in over 40 public aquariums and zoos. Like the Seattle Aquarium , and Vancouver
Aquarium .