Questions and answers about the amateur use of carbon fiber epoxy composites for bicycle frame construction, taken largely from my e-mail correspondence. Tip: In most operating systems, pressing Ctrl+F will bring up the Find (On this page) dialogue box.
Sea Otter. The sea otter is the largest member of the weasel family and the smallest marine mammal. Ninety percent of the worldâs sea otters live in coastal Alaska. The Marine Mammal Protection Act protects sea otters. It prohibits commercial harvest of sea otters, and allows Alaska natives to hunt sea otters for subsistence and creation of handicrafts. Sea otters were hunted nearly to extinction in the late 1700s and 1800s through commercial harvest for their luxurious furs. Once commercial harvest ceased, sea otter numbers rebounded and they re-colonized much of their former range. Sea otter numbers have declined in southwestern Alaska over the past 20 years.
Sea otters are not just cute animals swimming and splashing carefree offshore. They are a keystone species, essential to the ecosystem, and they are facing some serious threats! Sea otters naturally thrive in nearshore habitats. They eat 40 plus different types of species such as clams, urchins, and snails. The animals that they prey on devour kelp forests. Therefore, sea otters are crucial to maintaining kelp forest levels, which provide cover and food for many marine animals.