четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

Protected habitat proposed for sea otter in Alaska

A federal agency proposed nearly 6,000 square miles (15,540 square kilometers) of southwest Alaska shoreline be protected habitat for a threatened population of northern sea otters.

About 90 percent of northern sea otters live in coastal Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands population was declared threatened three years ago under the Endangered Species Act.

About 40,000 northern sea otters exist today, less than half 1970s estimates. The reasons for the decline are not known, but increasing predation by killer whales is suspected.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal issued Tuesday would designate nearshore waters in southwest Alaska as …

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