Data for Southern Sea Otter Range Expansion and Habitat Use in the Santa Barbara Channel

The current study was designed to provide critical information for resource managers (specifically the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, henceforth BOEM, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, henceforth USFWS) about the spatial ecology, population status, and potential population threats to sea otters in Santa Barbara Channel, with particular reference to exposure to manmade structures and sources of oil and natural gas. Our four primary research objectives were: 1. Determine the extent of movements and spatial use patterns by sea otters along the southern California coast 2. Identify important sea otter resting and foraging areas adjacent to manmade structures 3. Assess sea otter distribution, behavior and habitat selection in the vicinity of natural oil and gas seep areas (e.g., Coal Oil Point, Santa Barbara County) 4. Combine data on tagged animal movements, habitat use patterns and population distribution (acquired during this study and from previous studies and USGS monitoring activities), to create population-level risk of exposure models for spatially explicit threats such as natural oil seeps or hypothetical oil spill scenarios.

本研究旨在为资源管理者（具体为海洋能源管理局（Bureau of Ocean Energy Management，下文简称BOEM）以及美国鱼类及野生动物管理局（U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service，下文简称USFWS））提供圣巴巴拉海峡海獭的空间生态学、种群现状及潜在种群威胁的关键参考信息，重点关注海獭接触人工构筑物与油气资源的相关情况。本研究的四项核心研究目标如下：1. 明确加利福尼亚南部沿岸海獭的活动范围与空间利用模式；2. 识别毗邻人工构筑物的重要海獭休憩与觅食区域；3. 评估天然油气渗漏区（如圣巴巴拉县煤油点）周边海獭的分布、行为与栖息地选择情况；4. 整合本研究、既往研究及美国地质调查局（USGS）监测活动所获取的标记动物移动数据、栖息地利用模式与种群分布信息，构建针对空间显性威胁（如天然油气渗漏或假想溢油场景）的种群级暴露风险模型。