This unit provides theoretical and historic information and real data to support student exploration into the phenomena of the sea otters of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Grades 6-12
Sea Otters were wiped out of the region during the 19th century and were reintroduced near Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in the 1960s. Their thriving populations have spread throughout the southern half of the park, and over 3,000 have recently been counted in Glacier Bay alone. The burgeoning sea otter numbers drastically change the populations of their favorite prey such as mollusks, crabs and sea urchins, and consequently the structure of shallow-water ecosystems.
Students will learn about the otter's unique physiology, their eating habits, their growth within the environs of the park and their influence on the marine community in which they live and thrive. This unit is designed for grades 6–12. Activities and handouts usually will be written to upper middle and lower high school levels with some extensions to adjust for the younger and older students.
