Scott Mercer presents Sea Otters and Kelp Forest Ecology as part of the Lighthouse Lecture Series.
Sea otters are termed “keystone species and ecosystem engineers” due to their profound impact on their environment. Keystone species circulate throughout their habitat and have a wide variety of prey which checks the population of many species.
“Sea otters are at a unique juncture in their evolutionary journey. They are more marine than terrestrial and more terrestrial than marine.” Sea otters are the only marine mammals without a blubber or fat layer. Fur has been their salvation and their downfall. They rely on their incredibly thick pelage, or fur coats, to maintain their body temperature. In addition, each adult sea otter consumes one-third of its body weight daily. In return, ecosystems with sea otters exhibit a 15-20% greater biodiversity.
Scott will discuss factors that determine the distribution and abundance of species, and how these German shepherd sized weasel relatives have shaped human economic and social history over their existence.
