Sea otters are a keystone species whose welfare is threatened by entanglement in fishing gear, oil pollution, and emerging infectious diseases along Pacific coastlines.
Sea otter welfare threats are diverse and often cause acute suffering. Entanglement in crab pots and gill nets causes drowning. Oil contamination destroys fur insulation, causing hypothermia and death through exhaustion as otters groom frantically to restore waterproofing. Shark attacks cause severe traumatic injury — while often not immediately fatal, they leave wounds that compromise feeding capacity, leading to starvation. Domoic acid toxicosis from harmful algal blooms causes seizures, disorientation, and death. Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sea Otter Research and Conservation program rescues and rehabilitates injured otters, releasing successfully treated animals. Each rehabilitation case involves significant individual suffering requiring skilled veterinary intervention.