Killer Whale Predation on Sea Otters Linking Oceanic and Nearshore Ecosystems

After nearly a century of recovery from overhunting, sea otter populations are in abrupt decline over large areas of western Alaska. Increased killer whale predation is the likely cause of these declines. Elevated sea urchin density and the consequent deforestation of kelp beds in the nearshore comm...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1998-10, Vol.282 (5388), p.473-476
Main Authors: Estes, J. A., Tinker, M. T., Williams, T. M., Doak, D. F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Administrator Surveys
Animal and plant ecology
Animal populations
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Attrition (Research Studies)
Biological and medical sciences
Cetacea
Clams
Demecology
Depopulation
Echinoidea
Ecology
Enhydra lutris
Environmental aspects
Environmental impact
Evidence
Field Studies
Forest ecosystems
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Killer whale
Killer whales
Mammalia
Marine
Marine ecology
Marine ecosystems
Marine mammals
Numbers
Observational research
Orcinus orca
Otters
Population Trends
Predation
Predation (Biology)
Sea otter
Sea otters
Seas
Vertebrata
Whales
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:After nearly a century of recovery from overhunting, sea otter populations are in abrupt decline over large areas of western Alaska. Increased killer whale predation is the likely cause of these declines. Elevated sea urchin density and the consequent deforestation of kelp beds in the nearshore community demonstrate that the otter's keystone role has been reduced or eliminated. This chain of interactions was probably initiated by anthropogenic changes in the offshore oceanic ecosystem.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.282.5388.473