• Research Paper on:
    U.S. West Coast and the Decline of the Sea Otter Population

    Number of Pages: 5

     

    Summary of the research paper:

    In five pages this paper considers various reason for the decline in the sea otter population on the West Coast of the United States. Five sources are cited in the bibliography.

    Name of Research Paper File: LM1_TLCSeaOt.rtf

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    Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
    once-plentiful marine mammal has had to fight for its very existence. A carnivore by nature, sea otters reach up to four feet long and weight between forty-five (females) and  sixty-five pounds (males). Dense fur provides insulation from the frigid waters where they swim, play and hunt for food, inasmuch as unlike their other marine counterparts, sea otters do  not have a thick blubber layer to keep them warm. When an otter becomes coated with oil or other dirty contaminant, it often means sure death (Sea Otter Biology  and Natural History). Without question, the ocean waters are not what they used to be. It was only a few decades ago  that food obtained from the sea was fit to be eaten without the worry of pollutants and toxic chemicals. Today, however, it is a very different story. The  damage that has been done to the oceans environment is something that affects each and every aspect of Americas West Coast, with particular emphasis on the sea otter population.  The consequences of the damage that has already taken place are only a glimmer of what will occur if such destruction is allowed to continue at this rate (Englander PG).  The otters depend upon the ocean as a means by which to sustain life, with shellfish one of the main sources of food for the furry carnivore. "We  have crashing ecosystems in every river basin in the West. We have declining species where we dont already have endangered and threatened listed species. Runoff from farm pesticides  and fertilizers--along with manmade river diversions like dams--now pose an increasing problem to aquatic species that depend on freshwater ecosystems"(Robbins 28). It is important to realize that as the 

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