In “Oil harms otters 10 years on,” A. Kirby, writes “Sea otters have experienced significant long-term negative effects from the spill”(2000 para.4). Sea otters have been suffering from the pollution of the ocean since the Exxon Valdez oil spilled in Alaska. The population has not recovered completely. What is worse, researchers found that the population decreased to about half of the number that existed before the event (Kingston, 2002). Furthermore, the population of the sea otters had already decreased because people hunted them to get fur in the 18th and 19th centuries (Roach, 2006). Finally, infections from cats and parasites like Toxoplasma gondii make their immune system get worse, create brain disease, and increase the death of the sea otters(Rincon, 2006).
Human can mention three big dangers and solutions to protect them. First of all, an oil tanker spill caused them away to the ocean and it caused pollution of oceans. Second, many hunters get to make products with their fur. Third, parasites by cats caused the infection in sea otters. It broke down their immune system of them. There are many proposals to improve their population and habits by our efforts. First one is that we should clean the oceans by taking garbage away from them. Second one is that experts should do research and get much data about sea otters. Finally, we should change our daily life as much as we can by decreasing domestic discharge into the sea from each family.
When it comes to the population of sea otters, as it is described in the article, “By 1993 Alaska’s otters population was down by half"(Lienhard,H. 1988-1999). However, in the article “California Sea Otters: Population Recovery Continues at Slower Rate” writes, “USGS scientists say the latest 3-year average (2,826 sea otters) was 0.3 percent higher than last year’s 3-year average, representing a slower rate of increase than they have seen in recent averages.” (Tinker, Hatfield, Maender. 2008). In this way, we can see that their population are increasing at slower rate but they are still ranked as an endangered species.
First, humans should clean the oceans as much as possible, because pollution of oceans is the main reason that collapses their environment. Although it isn’t easy for us to remove oils from oceans completely, we have ways to clean oceans easily and without cost. One way is that we can gather many people to take them away as a volunteer from each city. Also, we can take garbage away from the oceans without spending a lot of money to collect it. Moreover, humans can regulate the law about pollution more strictly, because the companies that caused the tanker spills were not punished, in proportion to the number of the loss of animals. Before these incidents occur accidentally in the future, government should review the strategies to deal with accidents and ways of rescuing them. Besides this, if we regulate the law that we should use when the accidents occur, it is better for us to cope with the solution about the accident quickly.
Second, experts should research the state of sea otters and the environment around them. According to researchers, “the chronic effects of the Exxon Valdez spill and similar environmental accidents have been difficult to prove, because of a lack of reliable data on the density and distribution of animal populations before the accidents”. (Kirby, 2000 para.6). If they have much data, they can find strategies to protect them. Moreover, they have to investigate the second cause of the death of sea otters, infection, and what to do to prevent it. In “Cat parasite ‘is killing otters’ the author writes, “The most likely source of infection for sea otters is the parasite’s tough egg-like stage, which is passed in the faeces of cats”(Rincon, 2006, para.4). As this it is entioned in this article, what we can do to prevent them from infecting to sea otters easily is that we should clean our cats and keep the cats indoors. Whatever the causes are, they need to get much information to avoid the loss of otter’s population and recover them.
Third, humans should change our lives for them as much as possible. The causes of loss of their population come from human activity such as garbage or discharge from each house. We should regulate the amount of domestic discharge to less and less. Moreover, we have to pay attention to how big this problem is and have a chance to learn and catch information through schools and experts. Besides these, humans should think of it as a serious problem and as a symptom of danger of the earth. Realizing and carrying out solutions are related to protection that is not for sea otters but also for the future of human and earth.
It seems difficult for everyone all over the world to pay attention to them and recover their population completely, because some of them want to get benefit by themselves without caring about whether they pollute oceans and affect sea otters or not. Moreover, if the caution doesn’t came from human activity like the parasite from cats, we can’t avoid infecting completely as it is mentioned in this article, ”What appears to be happening is that cats deposit their faeces – with the parasite – on land. When rainfall comes, it washes that into waterways and fresh water takes it into the ocean” (Rincon, P.2006). In this way, if the cause of decreasing are related to the natural process, we can’t predict what will occur in the future. However, if a few people can pay attention to them and try to consider what they can do at least like decreasing domestic discharge or banning throwing garbage away to the oceans completely not to pollute them, their environment can improve more than now. What we can say is that we can’t think that it is impossible for humans to solve the problem.
In conclusion, it is a big problem for us to solve, but humans have some solutions. First, we should clean up the ocean easily and cheaply by collecting the garbage. Second, experts can help sea otters by investigating and getting more information about the condition of sea otters by experts. Third, we can avoid discharging garbage and domestic washes into the sea. Besides these, we can have opportunities to exchange the information through schools or lectures. Humans also have to think about this problem seriously because most of the danger comes from human activity. Moreover, this problem is related to everything of the earth such as environment, species and humans. Although we can say that it is not easy for us to solve this problem completely and immediately, it is important to pay attention to sea otters to rescue them. Also, we all should have responsibility for our activities because we can hurt sea otters if we don't. Furthermore, we have to realize that this can be the warning that shows danger for humans.
Reference
Johnson,C.S. (2002, December 2). Parasite in Cats Killing Sea Otters. Science Writer. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from Science Writer, California Sea Grant
Kingston,P. ( 2006, February 19). Cat parasite ‘is killing otters’. BBC NEWS. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/4729810.stm
Kirby, A. (2000, May 23). Oil harms otters 10 years on.BBC NEWS. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/759308.stm
Lienhard,H John.( 1988-1999) Vanishing Sea Otters. Retrieved November 4,
Roach, J. (2006, April 5). Sea Otters Recovery Threatened by Pollution, Researchers Say. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC NEWS.COM/NEWS
Tinker, T.,Hatfield,B., Maender,G.(2008, June 24). California Sea Otters; Population Recovery Continues at Slower Rate. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1964.
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