Threatened sea otters in Central California have made a significant comeback, thanks to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The aquatic museum’s long-running sea otter surrogacy program employs non-releasable females to raise rescued pups for return to the wild.
For 35 years, Monterey Bay Aquarium has devoted itself to sea otter recovery. Now, a new study published in Oryx—The International Journal of Conservation, confirms that.
The report, which documents 15 years of research* suggests that surrogate-reared otters and their descendents account for more than 50 percent of observed population growth in California’s Elkhorn Slough estuary during that period.
Scientists say the young sea otters were able to establish their new home in Elkhorn Slough because they were ecologically naive to the estuary.
A surrogate-reared otter released into Elkhorn Slough (via Monterey Bay Aquarium)
“They just hadn’t been alive long enough to establish any kind of home range,” according to lead study author Karl Mayer, sea otter field response coordinator for the aquarium. “In many cases, they [were] probably stranded the same day they were born.”
One rescue, known only as No. 327, was orphaned at three days old after washing ashore at Morro Strand State Beach in 2005. Brought to the aquarium and raised by a surrogate mother, she learned how to groom and forage, among other necessary survival skills.
She was eventually released into Elkhorn Slough, where she has since given birth and reared her own pups in the wild.
(Yes, I’m crying.)
Monterey Bay Aquarium began placing rescued otters in Elkhorn Slough as part of its collaboration with state and federal authorities to restore their dwindling population.
The species, nearly hunted to extinction during the 18th and 19th centuries’ fur trade, has slowly fortified over the years, reaching some 3,000 sea otters between Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara.
Otter 327 in Elkhorn Slough with wild-born pup (via Monterey Bay Aquarium)
The growing community also boosted the local ecosystem—a vital spawning habitat for many fish and important part of the Pacific Flyway for migratory birds.
Not to mention the effect otter predation has had on crabs, which in turn allows eelgrass beds and other ecological dwellers to recover and thrive.
“We’re just starting to see the extensive and positive impacts associated with a growing and healthy otter population,” Van Houtan said.
The aquarium is currently evaluating Morro Bay, with its small population of resident otters, as another potential site.
* Study data is based on 37 sea otter pups rescued, cared for, and released by the Monterey Bay Aquarium between 2002 and 2016.
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