Why should we be worried about the Southern Sea Otter?

The Southern Sea Otter population was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1977 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The main cause for the Southern Sea Otter to be listed as threatened is because it had an estimated population size of less than 3,090, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service thought to be reason enough for special surveillance and care. Unfortunately, it is sad to say, but there are many variables threatening this species. To begin, Southern Sea Otters are especially vulnerable to oil spills. Since sea otters spend long periods of time floating or swimming on the waters surface, they tend to be more exposed to oil when it spills as oil collects at the top of ocean water. Another significant natural cause of declining sea otters is that young white sharks are mistaking them for food and attacking or biting them, inevitably killing them. There are also a variety of other stressors that these adorable mammals are facing, including biotoxins produced during harmful algal blooms, disease-causing pathogens such as Toxoplasma gondii, and many other nasty parasites. Most of the harmful parasites are actually introduced to the homes of otters through contaminated freshwater run-off, such as sewage runoff containing domesticated cat feces. Gross! Other threats to southern sea otters include entrapment or entanglement in fishing gear, as well as plastic pollution and climate change, as these all have direct impacts on the livelihood of otters and the health and well-being of their ecosystems.