Sea Otters Research Paper

Words: 753

Pages: 4

Open Document

Two keystone examples of keystone species are sea otters in the Pacific Northwest, and elephants in in Tanzania. The sea otters in the Pacific Northwest and feed predominantly on sea urchins. The population of the sea urchins is almost entirely controlled by the sea otters. Therefore, were the sea urchins not being eaten by the otters, the population of sea urchins would grow dramatically larger. Sea urchins feed mainly on a large species of algae called kelp. Kelp grows into what are known as a kelp forests, which serve as a habitat for a wide variety of species. Many types of snails, crabs, birds, and fish rely on these kelp forests for protection and food. If the sea otters were to disappear, and the number of sea urchins increased, then the consumption of kelp would also increase sharply. Because the amount of kelp consumed by the sea urchins would …show more content…
Without the kelp forests, all of the fish, snails, crabs, and birds would no longer have a source of food and protection, causing their numbers to be severely negatively impacted. It is for this reason that the sea otters are considered to be a keystone species in the Pacific Northwest. Without the otters to control the sea urchin population, the kelp forests would be consumed and the habitat for many other species would disappear, leading to a significant decline in their numbers.

The elephants in the Serengeti plains of Tanzania are a unique keystone species due to the fact that they are a herbivore, whereas many keystone species are omnivores or carnivores. The elephants feed predominantly on small trees called Acacia trees. These trees are usually no higher than a few feet, allowing the elephants to easily feed on the trees and even uproot them in order to eat them. Because elephants consume such a large number of these trees, the trees are rarely ever able to grow to large sizes

Sea Otters Research Paper

loving sea mammals is the sea otter. When most people think of an otter they think of the cute, furry animals at the zoo with clams. However, most otters live at sea, and rarely are they on land. They have learned to avoid coming on land because of hunters and other threats to them. Sea otters eat a variety of different foods, take care of their young, and have many threats to their kind. First, sea otters eat a variety of different foods. John A. Love (1992, x) explains in his book, Sea Otters, that…

Words 631 - Pages 3

Sea Otter Research Paper

it has been found that the Sea Otter was isolated in the North Pacific about 2 million years ago, which resulted in the now-extinct Enhydra macrodonta and the modern sea otter. The sea otter originally became in northern Hokkaidō and Russia, and then it moved east to the Aleutian Islands, mainland Alaska, and down the North American coast. What are some shared and non-shared traits between the Sea Otter, American Mink, and Striped Polecat? Non-shared traits: Otters are the only amphibious mustelids…

Words 537 - Pages 3

Assignment 1 What S Your Major Essay

known as a Coastal City but I still knew little of it. However, I did have an opening into the ocean and it was looking through a very thick pane of glass, at the Texas State Aquarium to be precise over in my home town of Corpus Christi, TX. Dolphins, Otters, moon jellies and cow-nose stingrays were all members of a microcosm of the ocean that unfolded right before my eyes in our aquarium. I remember staying behind from the rest of the class and would spend hours walking around the exhibits of these fascinating…

Words 1064 - Pages 5

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and et Al. Essay

providing a route of entry into many food chains. The subsurface grains of stream banks harbored the oil, exposing and killing salmon embryos (Peterson CH, et al., 2003). Chronic exposure to the oil persisting in the sediments were evident in fish, sea otters, and seaducks, all who rely on the sediments for…

Words 1436 - Pages 6

Student: Waste and Population Size Essay

many other species in an ecosystem The classic tale of a keystone species is that of the sea otter, which was once found in abundance along the West Coast of North America. European and Russian trappers hunt sea otters to near extinction in the 18th and 19th centuries. The decline of the sea otters, which are essential to keeping sea urchins in check, allows sea urchin populations to explode. The sea urchins feast on and decimate the kelp beds, which are critical habitat for spawning fish…

Words 4533 - Pages 19

Essay about Water and Habitable Planet Unit

A.P. Environmental Science Syllabus 2009-2010 General scope and sequence for the course |Unit |Topic |Relevant Text Chapters | |1 |Sound Science, Stewardship and Sustainability |1, 22 | |2 |Ecosystems and Biogeochemical Cycles |2, 3, 4…

Words 4001 - Pages 17

Behavioral Ecology And Archaeology

Behavioral Ecology and Archaeology Author(s): Douglas W. Bird and James F. O'Connell Source: Journal of Archaeological Research, Vol. 14, No. 2 (June 2006), pp. 143-188 Published by: Springer Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41053227 . Accessed: 03/03/2014 13:57 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers…

Words 3406 - Pages 14

Causes of Water Pollution and Cures to Stop It Now Essay

substances or energy into the marine environment (including estuaries) resulting in such deleterious effects as harm to living resources, hazards to human health, hinderance to marine activities, including fishing, impairment of quality for use of sea water and reduction of amenities." Fortunately, Earth is forgiving and damage from water pollution is often reversible. Photo: Pollution means adding substances to the environment that don't belong there—like the air pollution from this smokestack…

Words 10064 - Pages 41