Foraging Ecology

Sea otters have struggled to find a foothold in Japan after being extirpated by the maritime fur trade in the 1800s. However, the endangered species has made a successful return in recent years, recolonizing parts of their historic range in Hokkaido. Much remains to be learned about this nascent population, including its feeding behavior and ecological impact on prey species. To begin addressing these gaps, my PhD dissertation involves collecting and analyzing observational data to determine sea otter foraging success, prey preferences, and diet patterns at Cape Kiritappu (43.0764° N, 145.1713° E).

This project marks the one of the first efforts to understand sea otter foraging behavior and ecology in Japan and how the recovering species is shaping Hokkaido’s coast through predation. Findings from this project will enhance our scientific knowledge of this little-known population, improve its conservation, and pave the way for further sea otter research in the country. It is expected that multiple stakeholders, especially conservation managers charged with protecting the species and fisheries concerned with marine resource competition, will find these results informative.