Today we’ve published a new report from TIRN’s Environmental Advocacy intern, Savanna Stewart, and board member Dr. Rick Lanman: Drakes Estero, the First Stepping Stone: An Estuary-Based Strategy for Southern Sea Otter Reintroduction to Northern California.
Following on from our earlier report by Dr. Lanman and intern Alexis Evripidou entitled, “Review of Seven Mammalian Species for Potential Reintroduction to Point Reyes National Seashore,” today’s report takes a deep-dive into the plausibility, issues, and benefits around reintroducing southern sea otters, who have been federally listed as endangered since 1977, and whose recovery is stalled, to Point Reyes.
The paper surveys a vast amount of published science on the topic and makes the case that Drakes Estero, free of predatory sharks and boat traffic, surrounded by protected waters and situated in designated wilderness, is the best place to make the next, long-overdue reintroduction.
