A review of California sea otter, Enhydra lutris, surveys

Wendell, Fred E. and Hardy, Robert A. and Ames, Jack A. (1986) A review of California sea otter, Enhydra lutris, surveys. Long Beach, CA, California Department of Fish and Game, (Marine Resources Technical Report, 51)

Preview

PDF - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader Download (1236Kb) | Preview

Abstract

Recent surveys (1977 to 1983) of the sea otter, Enhydra lutris, in California were summarized and compared to past surveys, to evaluate the adequacy of current survey design and to-make inferences about current population status. Ground counts within selected index areas provided the best indicator of population trends. These data suggest a rather remarkable stability in the long-term occupied range. Rangewide aerial surveys with ground truth stations provided the best available data for estimating total population size. The most recent (1979) survey yielded a population estimate of approximately 1500 sea otters. Comparisons with past surveys suggest there have been no demonstrable changes in population size since at least 1976. (34pp.)

Actions (login required)