In California’s Monterey Bay, where the vast Pacific Ocean meets lush kelp forests, sea otters, especially the females, are becoming more resourceful. These charismatic marine mammals, known for their playful nature and voracious appetites, are facing new challenges and using tools to overcome them. For generations, southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) have relied on the abundant urchins and abalone that populate the kelp forests as their primary food sources. These preferred prey items are relatively easy for otters to crack open and provide a rich source of nutrients. However, as the pressures of climate change, overfishing and other environmental factors have taken their toll, these once-plentiful food sources have begun to dwindle. A sea otter uses rock anvil to feed on a sea animal. Image courtesy of Monterey Bay Aquarium Faced with this new reality, some sea otters have turned to alternative prey items, such as hard-shelled snails, clams and mussels. While these creatures are abundant, they present a unique challenge for the otters. Their tough exteriors require a significant amount of force to break open, making them difficult for otters to access without the help of tools. Enter the innovative southern sea otters. Armed with rocks, shells and even trash and discarded glass bottles, these otters have developed a remarkable set of skills. By using these tools as hammers and anvils, they can crack open even the most stubborn of shells, accessing the nutritious meat inside. For a new study published in the journal Science, researchers followed 196…This article was originally published on Mongabay
The post Otter-preneurs: Female sea otters lead the way in tool use for survival first appeared on EnviroLink Network.