Sea otters are a keystone species whose recovery on the Pacific coast of North America has transformed kelp forest ecosystems. Their welfare is shaped by prey availability, disease, and the ongoing challenges of recolonising former range.
Sea otter welfare reflects the complex interplay between individual animal needs and ecosystem health. Their extreme metabolic demands mean that reduced prey availability - whether from urchin barren formation before their arrival or from fishing pressure on shellfish - directly causes nutritional stress and increased mortality. Disease from terrestrial sources, particularly Toxoplasma gondii from domestic cat faeces entering coastal waters, kills hundreds of sea otters annually - a direct connection between domestic animal management and wild animal welfare. Shark bites, even non-fatal ones, cause significant suffering, and the increasing range of white sharks in California correlates with both population expansion and increased mortality.