[Mike]

http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=1824072&nav=5D7lMgED

SANTA CRUZ (AP)
A rash of sea otter deaths began near Morro Bay earlier this month
and more than 55 dead otters were taken to the Marine Wildlife
Veterinary Care and Research Center for examination. Veterinarian
Dave Jessup said 15 came from Monterey Bay.

A record 48 otters died in April 2003.

The deaths are likely due to domoic acid, a natural marine toxin
produced by algae. It was detected off the Santa Cruz County coast
last week.

Another culprit could be toxoplasma gondii, an organism found in cats
and believed to be transmitted to otters when cat litter is flushed
down toilets and finds its way out to sea.

“Both those seem to be going on at the same time,” Jessup said.

Otters were hunted to near-extinction during the 18th and 19th
centuries and in 1977 they were listed as threatened under the
Endangered Species Act. Last spring, an annual survey estimated the
population at 2,500, a 17 percent increase from a year earlier.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)