Sea otter morphology, conservation,
and foraging ecology

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 examined 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.

Master’s student Morgan Martinez is studying spatial use and foraging behavior of sea otters in Morro Bay, to better understand how this estuary can support the population expansion of this threatened species. She will be analyzing 10 years worth of data, in collaboration with Sea Otter Savvy.