| Title | Restoring Sea Otters to the Oregon Coast: A Feasibility Study |
| Publication Type | Report |
| Year of Publication | 2023 |
| Authors | M. Tinker, Tim, James Estes, James Bodkin, Shawn Larson, Mike Murray, Jan Hodder, and Elakha Alliance. |
| Pagination | 249 p. |
| Date Published | 2023 |
| Institution | Elakha Alliance |
| City | Siletz, Or. |
| Call Number | OSU Libraries: Guin QL737.C25 T56 2023, Digital Open Access |
| Keywords | Coos Bay, economics, ecosystem health, environmental law and policy, genetics, habitats, histology, historical, human impacts, marine mammals, population biology, Reintroductions, Sea otter = Enhydra lutris, sociology, Tillamook Bay, Translocations, Yaquina Bay |
| Notes | When sea otters were exterminated in Oregon, there was no predator to stop the sea urchin population from expanding. Sea urchins eat kelp. More urchins mean less kelp. Less kelp means that many animals lose valuable habitat. Nearshore waters become rougher, because kelp beds cause the seas to lie down. The post-otter environment is less diverse and less hospitable. The Elakha Alliance (named for the Chinook Jargon word for sea otter) has been formed to realize the vision of bringing the sea otter back to Oregon. This book is about their dream. The authors have meticulously examined multiple aspects of the problem, from environmental to legal, and conclude that it is possible to bring otters back. Interestingly, estuaries may provide valuable launching grounds, offering more protection than the open sea. As keystone predators, sea otters would help restore an environment badly out of balance, and would provide many benefits aside from being adorable. As they say, the best dreams happen when we are awake. Colored maps, colored pictures. |
| URL | https://www.elakhaalliance.org/feasibility-study/ |
