Sea Otter Awareness Week
September 21 - September 28, 2007 is Sea Otter Awareness Week. This week-long event is being held to educate the public about the integral role that sea otters play in the near-shore marine ecosystem.
Sea Otter. Photo Credit R. Davis. TAMU
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has trust responsibility for the conservation and management of sea otters (Enhydra lutris). In Alaska, the northern sea otter (E. l. kenyoni) range extends from Attu Island in the Aleutian Island chain to the southern tip of Prince of Wales Island in SE Alaska. There are three population stocks designated in Alaska; Southwest, Southcentral, and Southeast stocks. We estimate the sea otter population to be approximately 73,000 animals in Alaska.
The Service is currenlty studying an Unusual Mortality Event for northern sea otters in Alaska. An unusual number of sea otters have died from valvular endocarditis caused by a Streptococus bacteria in the blood stream. For details see the attached Fact Sheets.
An Unusual Mortality Event (pdf)
Lower Cook Inlet, Summer 2007 (pdf)
There are a variety of sea otter related events being hosted by the Islands and Oceans Visitor Center: Events Calendar
To Find Out How You Can Safely Interact With Sea Otters In The Wild (pdf)
For more information on viewing marine wildlife in Alaska. (pdf)
More Information On Events Sea Otters During Sea Otter Awareness Week
