Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris). The Central California coast was once home to approximately 16,000 to 20,000 sea otters. Today, there are only about 2,100 left and their numbers continue to decline. Researchers suspect the decline is due to human expansion. Increasingly, they are finding everyday chemicals like car oil and pesticides, as well as bacteria from feline feces in otter tissue during autopsies. The contaminants make their way into the otter diet through shellfish, which are...
more »

Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris). The Central California coast was once home to approximately 16,000 to 20,000 sea otters. Today, there are only about 2,100 left and their numbers continue to decline. Researchers suspect the decline is due to human expansion. Increasingly, they are finding everyday chemicals like car oil and pesticides, as well as bacteria from feline feces in otter tissue during autopsies. The contaminants make their way into the otter diet through shellfish, which are filter feeders and soak up chemicals in the water. Monterey County, California. November.
« less