Many thanks to Ian and Bruce for their help,
With all good wishes,
Naomi
Original Message:
-----------------
From: Bruce Bourque [log in to unmask]
Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:14:47 -0500
To: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
[log in to unmask]
Subject: sea otters
Dear all,
I have just had an email from an old friend of mine who asks...
"Did sea otters (Enhydra lutra) occur in the British Isles at any time?"
Despite this being her entire, shallow motivation for getting back in
contact with me, can anyone help?? Please copy any replies to Heidi,
[log in to unmask]
Many thanks and with all good wishes,
Naomi
I doubt it. According to Jackson, et al. 2001* (p. 630): "The kelp
forest ecosystem of the Northern Pacific arose during the last 20
million years with the evolution of kelps, strongylocentroid sea
urchins, *sea otters*, and the extinct Steller's sea cow." But
functionally similar otters may have been important predators in
northeast Atlantic kelp forest systems. You might contact Jim Estes at
UC Santa Cruz ([log in to unmask]) for more information.
Bruce Bourque
Maine state Museum
* Jeremy B. C. Jackson et al., Historical Overfishing and the Recent
Collapse of Coastal Ecosystems, Science 293:629-638.
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