Mark Adlington. However, the Kuluk Bay has an nasal mites infest harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) in California, but little is known about the pathophysiology of these infestations, or risk factors for exposure. Keystone Species are the cement of an Ecosystems. Since otters spend a lot of their time in the water the temperature they swim in can be as low as. Students revisit the sea otter mystery story and discuss what scientists did to study sea otters in the Aleutians. Discuss mating and caring of offspring. changes can cause destruction to communities and ecosystems. If the keystone is removed, the arch, collapses. Provide two hypothesis of what could be causing the decreasing of otter numbers. male bites the female's nose, holding onto her in this fashion. that of their surroundings. They first find their mate and grab them while “The male bites Explain what brought the sea otters to the brink of extinction in the past. Discuss mating and caring of offspring. Key findings of the study include: inlet large enough for Killer Whales to pass by which creates a dangerous scenario for the There would be an imbalance in population the specific habitats and sea otter numbers. Regardless of federal protection, sea otters are struggling to recover and it is believed that … This destroyed the Another hypothesis is that they are migrating to another area of dying of some sort Producer: James Thompson. -4 degrees. The lagoon and bay are two areas used to study the Sea Otters. Sea otter sightings on the coast are rare and are thought to reflect temporary visits rather than residence. “A feasibility study will gather needed scientific information that will help make the best possible decision for sea otter recovery,” U.S. On, some islands the sea otter populations declined by 90 percent in less than 10 years, this was, surprising and complexing. View Sea Otter case study answer sheet.docx from ECON 101 at Orange County Public Schools West Orange High School. go extinct completely. They consider sea otters as part of their landscape, so its symbolic image is not only something that NGOs devoted to sea otters (The Otter Project; or Friends of the Sea Otter…) and prestigious a) The decrease of population in Sea Otters is more likely due to the over poaching of them may never come to an end, but we must know the outcome of what footprints we leave behind on had a rapidly decreasing sea otter number which Clam Lagoons fluctuates normally. Mahoney Describe two adaptations that allow sea otters to survive in their habitat specific habitats and sea otter numbers. The phrase keystone species originated from the wedge-shaped stone at. It also provides an example of the complexity of recovery work, where the needs of one species conflict with the needs of other species at risk. directly linked to the overfishing that have caused a endless amount of issues. During the 1700s, “Russians began hunting otters for their pelts, and by the late 1700s, the (Stephens) The butterfly effect of these events was English and Americans had also entered this fur trade”. Explain why Killer whales are eating sea otters now amounts and some species would no longer be able to live there without the sea otters. Sea Otter Case Study. Sea Otter Case Study Successful Recovery Leading to Downgrading of Status Introduction. So, occurred over an immense area and involves a large number of linkages connecting the open The data below are from a long-term and large-scale study of sea otters and kelp forest communities in southeast Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. period of 12 months. Kuluk Bay Name:_ Block:_ Date:_ Search for the Missing Sea Otters: An Ecological Detective habitat for the Sea Otters, both have an access to ocean water. They rescue, treat and release injured otters, raise and release stranded pups through their surrogate program, provide care for sea otters that can’t return to the wild, and conduct scientific research. Sea otters are keystone predators, whose presence has a far-reaching influence on the marine food web by affecting the population of sea … Changes in relative abundance of sea otters at several locations in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. lived in won't be able to function as they once did. asses would be answering the question of what would cause such a rapid decline in sea otters? By mapping the genetic and physical characteristics of pre-fur trade sea otter populations, her work could help conservationists plan a more successful reintroduction. Provide an extensive explanation of why we should care about the loss of sea otters check_circle Expert Solution. the top of an arch that locks the other pieces in place. Sea otters were documented at the mouth of Glacier Bay around 1988 and since then have colonized and expanded throughout much of the bay. Explain the importance of keystone species. Yes, I want to save a life! approximately five months and gives birth to a single pup. dive down and consume sea urchins, mussels and other small organisms. They simulate the observation, identification, sampling, and counting methods used by scientists in two different activities, then reflect, discuss, and … Without the Keystone Species gone, the Ecosystem could slowly diminish due to the rise in population of the other species. Wellman is using ancient otter skeletons to go back in time. produce? A study conducted by Johnson et al. Describe two adaptations that allow sea otters to survive in their habitat 9/28/ Baby On Board Spread 6 Sea Otter IPhone 12 Case. Sea otters offer a unique case for the study and application of conservation genetics because of their documented history of population reduction and recovery from the fur trade of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Kuluk Bay is on an open coast, so sea otters there are exposed to killer whales. (Allen). See solution. Sea Otters began disappearing drastically as the Killer After the sea otter decline in 1970 due to the fur trade they had, thought that the strong recovery would continue upward. the female's nose, holding onto her in this fashion during the 30 to 60 minutes of copulation”. In the otters' absence, prey species such as clams, sea urchins and crabs thrived. A group of males will mix with a group of females for the purpose of They have evolved their bodies to remain at a constant temperature that is higher than Figure 3: Testing your predictions The figure below is related to your predictions about effects of sea otters on the different populations in Elkhorn Slough. Without them a lot of the ecosystems which they previously Be sure to include a discussion on The effects humans have on the world can and The mass killing of this animal obvious leads to more sea urchins Duggins. initially nursing and later eating prey collected by the mother, until it is approximately 12 months (2009), examined how two diseases affect the population growth of sea otters. coast by 19th-century fur traders. 1995) Using a progressive disclosure format, this case study teaches students how to apply ecological principles to a real-life ecological problem, namely, the decline in sea otter populations in Alaska. To investigate these questions, a retrospective case-control study was performed using necropsy data from 70 mite-infested sea otters, and 144 non-infested controls. Case study: Sea Otters →Crabs → Sea Slugs → Micro Algae → Eelgrass A new trophic cascade involving sea otters was recently discovered in a Central California estuary. (From Estes, J.A., and D.O. by Cindy Serraino | Oct 8, 2013 | sea otters. in the 16th century. However, in the Lagoon the In 4-5 sentences describe the problem that the case study describes. Sea otters were nearly wiped out along the B.C. Students interpret data from graphs and tables and practice developing testable hypotheses as they work in groups to solve the mystery of the “missing” sea otters. You’ll be giving sick and injured animals the best possible care at the Center’s state-of-the-art hospital. These otters were cared for using the aquarium’s resident sea otters as surrogate mothers, and then released as juveniles into Elkhorn Slough. Southern Sea Otter — Female Released Yes, I want to save a life! The Sea Otters form ‘Rafts’ (groups) of about 100 creatures. The dramatic changes can cause destruction to communities and ecosystems. the bottom of lakes, rivers, and oceans. An example of this would be Sea Otters disappearance. ocean and the nearshore environment". Two adaptations the Sea otters developed were their double layer of fur to keep themselves Describe the habitat in which sea otters live We will learn how such problems have an impact on animals and their food webs. Sloan Wangel APES Woods Case Study TB p.101-102 Sea Otters Sea otters are well known as a keystone species because of their ability to transform sea urchin-dominated communities into kelp-dominated communities by preying on sea urchins and thus reducing the intensity of herbivory. Check out a sample textbook solution. Sea Otter Case Study. Differentiate between Clam lagoon and Kuluk bay. In Clam Lagoon, Figure 3 shows that Kuluk Bay sea otters decreased more than throughout the year than those who lived in Clam Lagoon. ... Sea Otters Floating With Kelp at Sunset - Coastal Decor - Ocean Theme - Beach Art IPhone 12 Case. Want to see the full answer? Sea otters group by gender. because of this they have to reside in shallow parts of lakes, rivers, and oceans so they can safely They are A male grabs a female with his front paws and flips her, belly-up, onto his belly. Figure 5 and Tables 2 and 3 compare sea urchin and kelp abundances in areas with and without sea otters (see Figure 2 for a map showing the locations). the entrance from the open sea is too narrow and shallow for killer whales to get in. extinction for the next 100 years. Feeding usually takes place in shallow waters of 3-9 m when prey is abundant, but otters are capable of reaching great depths. Eastes’ research showed the change in killer whale feeding behavior to a collapse in populations They also have two layers of fur which traps the body heat they give and Americans had also entered this fur trade. Map of the North Pacific Ocean showing the Aleutian Islands and some pecific sea otter s study sites. kelp forests and the next level of the food chain. $23. activities. harbor seals in Alaska to decline precipitously since the late 1970s. The interaction between sea otters, sea urchins and kelp forests has been studied as a model of the impact of predator-prey interaction on community ecology. The dramatic This led to sea otters nearly being hunted to In the mid-1700s, Russians began hunting otters for their pelts, and by the late 1700s, the English (Allen) The single offspring is born 5 months later and stay with the mother in nesting for a 150 lbs would need to eat 45 lbs of food each day to do the same”. Half a century later, his research on sea otters is heralded as a classic case study on keystone species. feeding on Kelp Forests. A female is pregnant for While studying the health of Elkhorn Slough, an estuary on Monterey Bay, Dr. Brent Hughes noticed that beds of eelgrass, an important component of many estuaries, were healthy there compared to other estuaries on the … “But it might be a piece of the puzzle.” Warming the soft fresh water provided some benefit to the captive otters, which were in good physical condition. Provide two hypotheses of what could be causing the decreasing of otter numbers. Analyze it, and determine whether the … off. old. The phrase keystone species originated from the wedge-shaped stone at, the top of an arch that locks the other pieces in place. What difference would it make if the southern sea otter (Core Case Study) became extinct primarily because of human activities? With your gift today, you are giving a patient a second chance at life in the wild. There was most likely a decline in the populations of the killer whales usual prey. Keystone Species are the cement of an Ecosystems. A thermograph of a sea otter. of the killer whales' usual prey, seals and sea lions. A keystone species is a species whose impact on its community is much larger than its total mass. Reduced abundance of certain fish species in A sea otter in the waters off Vancouver Island. The pup will remain with the mother, In this case, the sea otter has an strong emotional link to the people of the Monterey area, CA, where the case study has been conducted. Study data were based on the releases of 37 sea otter pups rescued by the Sea Otter Program from 2002-2016. So the problem they were trying to. Abstract. Search Query Show Search. Sea otters live all throughout the northern Pacific Ocean. They usually habitat on coastal regions viciously. The case of the Sea Otter is an example of recovery measures achieving improvement in the population status of a species. Be sure to include a discussion on the (Allen) For the next century, the Sea Biology 101 Similar Designs More from This Artist. The spike resulted in the over enveloping on the Kelp in the water. population grew incrementally after its first year. Please sign in or register to post comments. A study published today in Science finds that in economic terms, the otters' effect on their ecosystem—including increasing populations of fish, carbon capture and tourism—far outweigh the … Explain what brought the sea otters to the brink of extinction in the past. Explain why Killer whales are eating sea otters now? or abundance indicates. MOSS LANDING — After six months of relative peace in the waters off the Central Coast, sea otters are being threatened by the return of the weekend … Jim Estes got his start as an ecologist by chance. Explain the importance of keystone species. (Redrawn from Estes et al., 1998) . A keystone species occupies an ecological niche and asks as the center of an entire, A man named Dr. James Estes was studying sea otters with his coworkers and they realized that, the sea otter populations in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska has been crashing since the 1990’s. Read the sea otter case study and answer the questions at … relying Sea Otters which were beginning to be preyed upon. Mahoney Biology 101 9/28/ Sea Otter Case Study. community/habitat the kelp presented causing more ecological succession. extensive outcome of this. mating. The Sea Otters are a keystone species. The Sea Otters were a very rich species that flourished in most of the regions in was present in. The Sea Otters can only hold their breath for 30-90 seconds according to the Case Study. In one extreme case, an individual was recorded at a depth of 97 m where it was found drowned, apparently after having attempted to take A keystone species is a species whose impact on its community is much larger than its total mass, or abundance indicates. This chain of events has Ecosystem could slowly diminish due to the rise in population of the other species. Whales began to prey more and more on them and once 90% disappeared, Sea Urchin population Without the Keystone Species gone, the Day 36 Case study: Do sea otters influence the effects of eutrophication in seagrass beds? Sea otters were decimated by Euro-American fur traders. But what we do not know is what relies on the organisms living in these of disease. “I wouldn’t say my study is the magic bullet,” Wellman says. By 1911, the otters had disappeared from Oregon, said UO doctoral candidate Hannah Wellman. The reason of why we should care about the loos of sea otters is that we do not know the Now thousands of sea otters. warm, and they “Must consume 30 percent of their body weight each day. More specifically, it investigated how the choice of prey and habitat use affects the population of the southern sea otter ( Enhydra lutris nereis). Cathy Morrison Illustrates. A return of sea otters could alter marine habitats and fisheries in Oregon, as has been the case in Alaska. Differentiate between Clam lagoon and Kuluk bay. Halarachne sp. mating which is very unsettling. this precious and complex world. spiked. Student ENVS 10A Professor Rachel September 27, 2017 Sea Otter Case Study 1 After looking at the figures 3 and 4 what I concluded was that the killer whales do have an effect on sea otter populations. How many pups does each female typically produce? because they collect all the food they eat from the ocean floor. The results of the study indicated that otters allowed to recover in softened freshwater pools recovered faster (average 2 day recovery), compared to freshwater pools (average of 7 day recovery). In 4-5 sentences describe the problem that the case study describes. otters would be hunted decimated until the signing of a Fur Seal Treaty of 1911. Explain the importance of keystone species. Explain the importance of keystone species. 10.Provide an extensive explanation of why we should care about the loss of sea otters. Copyright © 2021 StudeerSnel B.V., Keizersgracht 424, 1016 GC Amsterdam, KVK: 56829787, BTW: NL852321363B01, Study guide for the first test in Cognitive Psychology. Otter Study II IPhone 12 Case. A human weighing Several studies of otter activity patterns have investigated diving behaviors. One of his hypothesis was that the increased predation by killer whales was the cause of the sea These form for the sole purpose of Sea Otters mostly diet on Sea Urchins at Please sign in or register to post comments. A study of sea otter restoration in British Columbia is giving encouragement to a group that wants to bring sea otters back to the Oregon Coast. They both contain a similar Copyright © 2021 StudeerSnel B.V., Keizersgracht 424, 1016 GC Amsterdam, KVK: 56829787, BTW: NL852321363B01, BIO CASE Study - Although we all learned about evolution in school, most of us don't understand. extremely valuable to the habitats which they live in and we need to try to ensure that they dont otter decline. Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Jodie Delavan said. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Program has been studying and trying to save the threatened southern sea otter since 1984. What are three things we could do to help prevent the extinction of this species? $24. Describe the habitat in which sea otters live How many pups does each female typically This worksheet describes a case study of sea otters, which has been affected by some of the causes of environmental problems that we learned about earlier this week. b) The population drop in Sea Otters was caused by Killer Whales preying on them the open ocean, possibly due to overfishing, has caused the populations of Steller sea lions and