Sea Otter

Marine Mammals Management biologists work to keep the Alaska sea otter population within its optimum sustainable range, to maintain healthy habitats for sea otters, and to ensure there will be opportunities for a variety of human uses, including subsistence hunting and wildlife viewing. Our Conservation Plan provides management and research direction for our biologists.

• We track the sea otter population size and health through aerial and boat-based surveys. See our Reports page for information on population studies.
• Following Section 117 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, we produce periodic Stock Assessment Reports for all marine mammals, including sea otters; and we administer the Marking, Tagging and Reporting Program to tag legally harvested sea otters.
• We collaborate with research organizations. For example, we work with the Alaska SeaLife Center to conduct research on the declining sea otter population in southwest Alaska.
• Since sea otters range across the Pacific Rim, using waters of Japan and Russia as well as the U.S., we work closely with these countries through the U.S.-Russia Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources, and through staff representation in the IUCN-the World Conservation Union.
• We manage sea otters cooperatively with Alaska Native groups and through international coordination among the United States, Russia, Japan, and Canada
  

  Student Internships are available through the University of Alaska, Anchorage..

Last updated: October 17, 2011