Using Demography and Movement Behavior to Predict Range Expansion of the Southern Sea Otter

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Western Ecological Research Center (WERC, Sacramento) | Format: URL

www.werc.usgs.gov — Management agencies are interested in the development of a realistic predictive model of the southern sea otter population recovery and range expansion into southern California, as this would facilitate the informed assessment of potential impacts of sea otters on important industries (e.g., fisheries, eco-tourism), potential negative effects of More... Management agencies are interested in the development of a realistic predictive model of the southern sea otter population recovery and range expansion into southern California, as this would facilitate the informed assessment of potential impacts of sea otters on important industries (e.g., fisheries, eco-tourism), potential negative effects of human activity on sea otters (e.g., risks associated with the nearshore transport and extraction of petroleum, entanglement in fishing gear, etc.), and eventual delisting of this threatened subspecies. USGS scientist Tim Tinker and colleagues at the University of Wyoming and University of California, Santa Cruz, adapted a modeling framework that uses basic demographic and movement data to provide a means for predicting rates of range expansion. Less...