Sea otter deaths jump in 2010
By Victoria Colliver, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, January 23, 2011 A record number of sea otter bodies were found on California coastlines last year, a trend that leaves scientists and conservationists concerned for the future of the furry ocean animals. About 304 carcasses were found in 2010, according to preliminary numbers released by the U.S. Geological Survey. Based on a spring count of 2,719 living sea otters, those bodies accounted for 11.2 percent of the population. In 2008 and 2009, there were 237 and 232 otters found dead, respectively. Those deaths accounted for less than 9 percent of the reported population in those years. The USGS numbers also showed that more pups and female otters were found dead last year than in previous years. “It’s a giant increase,” said Steve Shimek, founder of the Otter Project, a nonprofit organization that supports sea otter conservation. “When you combine that with the fact this past year the spring count showed there were very few pups born, that bodes terribly for the future.” …
