Assessing the feasibility of a sea otter reintroduction to Oregon through a coupled natural-human lens

Abstract

Sea otters fulfill a keystone role in several Northeastern Pacific nearshore ecosystems. However, their influence has been absent in Oregon coastal waters since their extirpation in the 19th and early 20th century. Interest has been growing for a translocation attempt to reintroduce sea otters to Oregon from one or more source populations of the southern sea otter and northern sea otter subspecies. Numerous unanswered questions require inquiry before a productive discussion can take place on the advisability of such an effort. A successful reintroduction would alter the existing coupled natural-human system dynamics between Oregon coastal communities, Oregon residents as a whole, and the nearshore environment. The appropriate source of reintroduction stock bears discussion, as do the optimal sites on the Oregon coast for a translocation effort and stakeholders’ attitudes towards such a proposal. This paper considers select issues related to the genetics, ecology, and human dimensions of a potential Oregon sea otter reintroduction, integrating insights from each discipline to provide a preliminary interdisciplinary examination