How sea otters change with age, and…
how sea otter exclusion affects lobster fishing.
Graduate student Kate Riordan is working with the Monterey Bay Aquarium to estimate buoyancy in sea otters of different ages.
Master's student Kate Riordan, in collaboration with California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, investigated the thermal function, buoyancy, and morphology of southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) pelts across ontogeny. She measured the thermal conductivity of pelts under various conditions, including the effects of crude oil on otter pelts, and she related the morphological structure of the sea otter's hairs to its function. For the buoyancy experiments, she collected pelt buoyancy values in the lab, and she is using live sea otter buoyancy observations collected at Monterey Bay Aquarium to validate her scale estimations. This study represents the first step towards understanding thermal function and buoyancy during ontogeny for sea otters, and it provides insight into how contaminants like oil affect the functionality of the pelage in young otters.
Master’s student Maria Lopez-Neri is examining the effects of a lobster trap modification for sea otter exclusion on the catch of California spiny lobsters. Not only does this modification exclude most sea otters, but it actually enhances lobster catch by also excluding sheep crab! Maria hopes to share this information - and some of her modified traps - with lobster fishermen.