It's Sea Otter Awareness Week

If you didn't already know, Sea Otter Awareness Week 2011 will be celebrated September 25 - October 1.

Sea Otters are what we call a keystone species; that means if they disappeared from the earth tomorrow our marine ecosystem would be drastically changed.

This week bring the plight of the Sea Otter to the masses.

According to the Otter Project, in 2010 the number of dead otters was the highest since recording began in 1983.
"The number of dead pups last year and trend of increasing mortality of reproductive aged females is very unsettling," Brad Hunt, Program Manager of The Otter Project said.

"But there's great news," said Hunt, "Beginning this week the US Fish and Wildlife Service is holding public hearings that could potentially end the no-otter zone in southern California, a vast area of the otters' historic range. Ending the no-otter zone could give the entire population a needed boost."

Strange but true, by federal regulations, sea otters are not allowed to return to their historic range in Southern California.

There will be a public hearing in Santa Crux on October 6th at the Long Marine Lab on Shaffer Road.

For more information about ending the no-otter zone go to http://freetheotters.org