### animal | predator | carnivore:

Sea otter
* Most sea otters eat sea urchins
  - have teeth
  - live along the Asiatic and North American coasts of the Pacific Ocean
* Some sea otters have blubber
  - effects
* are abundant and the fjord favorite summer ground for humpback whales.
* are also a keystone species in coastal kelp forest ecosystems
  - common along the coast
  - incredibly cool because of they way they feed
  - indicators of the health of that ecosystem
  - one of the few mammals other than primates known to use tools
  - among only a handful of animals known to use tools on a regular basis while feeding
* are an apex predator of the nearshore ecosystem
  - indicator of the health of the nearshore marine ecosystem
  - anemoneters
  - as smart as dogs, and, unfortunately, as trusting
  - considerably more aquatic and live in the ocean for most of their lives
  - diurnal, although they tend to take a nap around mid-day
  - efficient predators, eating almost any invertebrate or fish they can find and catch
  - equally active both night and day
  - especially vulnerable to the effects of exposure to oil
  - expert divers
  - extremely aquatic
  - fortunate in that they have few natural predators
  - generally diurnal
  - hunters of clams , sea urchins and other shelled creatures
  - important because they help control the sea urchins which feed on kelp
  - mammals, and therefore breathe air
  - members of the weasel family
  - meticulously clean
  - neither friendly nor unfriendly, they are simply wild animals
  - one of the rare mammals who use tools
  - playful and intelligent animals
  - polygynous, meaning that males have multiple female partners
  - predators, meaning they hunt and consume other animals for food
  - prey for orca
  - probably the most familiar and best-loved animals in Monterey Bay
  - sea mammals
  - the largest member of the weasel family and the smallest marine mammal
* are the largest members of the weasel family in North America
  - major predators of sea urchins
  - most abundant marine mammal in the area of the Valdez oil spill
* are the only carnivores with just two pairs of incisors in the lower jaw
  - otters to give birth in the water
  - smallest marine mammal and are most closely related to river otters
* are the smallest of marine mammal species
  - tool-users
  - truly remarkable animals to observe
  - very vulnerable to oil contamination
  - well adapted to live in shallow waters along the mainland
  - wild animals, which means their behavior towards humans can be unpredictable
* breed throughout the year.
* can spend their entire lives in the ocean, where they mate and give birth.
* compete with octopus for both bivalves and crabs and sea otters also prey on octopuses.
* conserve heat when resting by keeping their paws and hindflippers up out of the water.
* consume a wide variety of benthic invertebrates.
* depend on kelp forests day and night
  - their clean , water-resistant fur for insulation against the cold
* dive to gather food from the ocean floor in relatively shallow water
  - hide from predators and to retrieve food
* dive to the ocean floor for food
* eat a wide variety of seafood
  - quite a lot
* eat sea urchins and other grazers of kelp
  - sea urchins eat kelp
  - urchin, which eat plants
  - urchins and other invertebrates
* eat urchins, and urchins eat kelp
  - so with fewer otters, the urchin population increased
* eat, sleep, mate and have their pups in the water.
* enjoy eating sea urchins.
* exert strong control on kelp forest food webs.
* face predation by killer whales, sea lions, and sharks.
* feed on invertebrates.
* feed on sea urchins, which are herbivores of kelps
  - in turn feed on kelp
* find prey along rocky shores, on sandy seafloors and in sloughs and estuaries.
* float on their backs to eat and use tools such as rocks, to pry prey from objects.
* frolic in Sitka sound.
* have a strong sense of smell and good eyesight above and below water.
* have a very good sense of smell
  - specific life history
  - broad appeal to a worldwide audience
  - hind feet that are webbed, they use the feet for swimming
  - one of the thickest fur coats in the animal kingdom
  - over one millions hairs per square inch on their body
* have paddle-shaped hind legs
  - limbs, whereas the river otter s are webbed
  - slender body with rectangular arms and legs
  - small dexterous forefeet with retractile claws
  - teeth with a flat, broad surface area for crushing sea urchins and shellfish
* have the densest fur of any mammal, with up to one million hairs per square inch
  - longest fur of all otters, but length varies greatly with location on the body
  - thickest fur of any mammal
  - thick brown fur that traps air and keeps their skin dry
  - to stay active to stay warm
* increase diversity and productivity.
* inhabit the immense and spectacular coastal waters of Alaska.
* lack scent glands.
* like to eat sea urchins, which in turn eat kelp and other seaweeds.
* live along the coasts of the northern Pacific.
* live in casual groups called rafts
  - cold, coastal waters
  - loose-knit groups called rafts
  - shallow coastal waters off the northern Pacific
* live in the Northern Pacific Ocean in mostly Alaskan waters
  - kelp forests off the coast of the western United States
  - nearshore marine ecosystem, which consists of rocky shores and kelp forests
  - open ocean for most of their lives
* maintain kelp forests in the ocean by preying on kelp-grazing sea urchins
  - the overall biodiversity of the kelp forest community
* mate at all times of the year.
* prefer the temperate climate.
* prey on urchins.
* pry open shellfish in various ways.
* represent a valuable reminder of the interdependency of ecosystems.
* sleep at sea, floating on their backs on the surface
  - together floating on the top of the water
* sleep, rest, and usually swim on their backs.
* spend alot of time floating on their backs
  - most of their time in the water
  - several hours a day grooming their fur to keep it clean and fluffed full of air
* swim to the ocean floor to search for abalone.
* tend to be size-selective feeders, feeding on the largest organisms in the area first.
* thrive in kelp forests too.
* turn out to be vital to the ecosystem in Alaska.
* use rocks to crack open the spiny shells of sea urchins
  - crush food like clams
  - rocks, other shellfish, or man-made objects to pry prey from rocks
  - the kelp forests to eat, sleep, mate, and hide from predators