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status review, as required by the Endangered Species Act, to 

 determine whether changes either in the population or in 

 the threats to the population were such that the population 

 should be removed from the Endangered Species List, listed 

 as "endangered," or continued to be listed as "threatened." 

 To assist in this review, the Commission contracted with the 

 investigator to provide a synthesis of available information 

 concerning the possible or probable sources, number, locations, 

 trajectories, and magnitudes of potential oil spills in and 

 near the California sea otter range. The contract report, 

 published in June 1983, indicated that: tanker traffic past 

 the sea otter range in California has increased, as was 

 anticipated in 1977, and presumably will continue to increase; 

 exploration and development of offshore oil and gas resources 

 near and possibly within the sea otter's range also may 

 increase in the foreseeable future; and there has been a 

 decline in the relative number and probability of oil spills 

 due, most likely, to improved technology and operating 

 experience. The contract report was, in part, the basis of 

 the Commission's 15 December 1983 comments concerning the 

 status of the California sea otter population. Copies of 

 the report were provided to the Fish and Wildlife Service, 

 the Minerals Management Service, the California Department 

 of Fish and Game, industry and environmental groups, and 

 others . 



i pping and Monthly Surveys of Kelp Canopi 

 ilifornia Sea Otter Range 



California Sea Otter Range 

 (R. F. VanWagenen) 



Sea otters often inhabit nearshore kelp communities. 

 In order to census sea otters effectively, it is necessary 

 to determine and plot kelp distribution shortly before the 

 census is begun. The objectives of this study were to: 

 conduct an aerial photographic survey and update existing 

 maps of kelp canopies in the California sea otter range just 

 prior to a coordinated aerial/ground census to be conducted 

 jointly by the California Department of Fish and Game and 

 the Fish and Wildlife Service and originally planned for 

 May 1983; and to conduct monthly photographic surveys of 

 selected areas to better define seasonal variability in kelp 

 canopy size and composition to help determine the best time 

 of year to census sea otters . Severe storms in the winter 

 and early spring of 1983 damaged or destroyed many kelp beds 

 and, although the photographic surveys were flown, the 

 coordinated sea otter census was postponed until 1984. 

 Photographic surveys of kelp canopies in the areas between 

 Point Lobos and Point Sur and between Ragged Point and Point 

 San Simeon were conducted at monthly intervals and the resulting 



